The Colonels basketball team seemed to do the impossible – going from the worst ranked team in pre-season polls to the No. 2 ranked team with the chance of winning the Southland Conference and advancing to an invite to the NCAA tournament. A majority of Nicholls students do not support the Colonel athletics program because of the assumption that our little division one team cannot be as talented and successful as LSU and other big name schools.

In fact, when the Colonels played LSU in basketball this season on Dec. 17, the Colonels were in control for majority of the game until the last few minutes when the Tigers of LSU took control of the game winning 68-56.

The Colonels improved their record last season of 10-21 overall and 5-11 in conference to 19-10 overall with an impressive 12-4 conference record this season, putting the Colonels in conference play for the first time since the 2000 men’s basketball season.

The team has worked hard all season preparing to play a very tough schedule involving schools that compete in the Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA as well as teams in the Southeastern Conference. In recent weeks, the team has proved how talented our men’s basketball players are.

The Colonels started off the season with few fans attending games. The majority of fans that attended were fellow athletes supporting other players. However, as the season progressed and the team started winning more games, attendance at the games increased, with more fans inside Stopher Gym after the community realized that the men’s basketball team had a chance of winning.

The Colonels men’s basketball team is competing in a tournament not often seen by the Nicholls athletic program, therefore, the student body and faculty should support them.

The University has provided a bus to take students to each day of the tournament the Colonels play. A sign-up sheet for seats on the bus can be found in the Office of Student Life. Seats are available on a first come, first serve basis. The bus will leave with enough time for students to see the Colonels play and then bring students back to Nicholls from the conference tournament in Katy, Texas immediately after the game.

The University has asked faculty to excuse students from class who are attending the conference tournament.

We applaud the administration for allowing Nicholls students to attend the conference tournament game and encouraging the community to get involved in the success of the men’s basketball team. We wish the team good luck as the players represent the University this weekend in Texas.