Some might think a 3-9 record to start a season in any sport indicates a bad team that will win some games but not make it anywhere; however, the Colonels men’s basketball team does not fit into this description. The Southland Conference has a variety of talented teams from Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas; however, these teams are not the Tigers of LSU, Longhorns of Texas or the Razorbacks of the University of Arkansas. The teams that make up the Southland Conference are smaller Division I schools which are perfect to play one another.
It seems all of the attention always goes to the bigger schools in the SEC, Big 12 and Conference USA conferences because these teams are known as the “cream of the crop” – schools known for their talent and reputation.
Despite their reputation, any team can lose on any given day, or at least be tested. This brings me to the Colonels men’s basketball team. While a 3-9 record may look a little harsh for a team that was picked to place first in preseason polls, let’s take a look at the teams that have handed the Colonels their 9 losses.
Dukes of Duquesne
This Pennsylvania school is known for their basketball team. So far this year, the team is 8-3 overall and have held 10 of its first 11 opponents under 40 percent from the field. Last year, the Dukes finished 21-13 and made an appearance in the NIT tournament.
Cougars of the University of Houston
Yes, that’s right, the same school whose football team is going to the Armed Forces Bowl. The Cougars are 5-2 overall this season with a senior guard, Aubrey Coleman, who leads the Cougars, Conference USA and the country with 26.7 points per game; yes, the country.
The Colonels then participated in the Basketball Travelers World Vision Classic held in New Mexico where they received their 3rd, 4th and 5th loss.
Lobos of the University of New Mexico
The Lobos was also the host team for the tournament. Let me put this team into perspective for you. The Lobos, as crazy as their mascot sounds, are 11-0 overall this season and are ranked 19th in the nation.
Redhawks of Miami (Ohio)
This was a game that saw 17 lead changes. While the Redhawks have a 3-7 overall record this season, they have gotten off to a rough start. However, five times this season, their players have reached double-double and one player, junior guard, Rodney Haddix, was near perfect in the game against the Colonels making 6-7 field goals including 3-4 from 3-point range and sinking all six of his free throws. Impressive.
Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech
So far this season, the team is 9-2 and preseason coaches’ polls pick the Bulldogs to finish 5th in the Sun Belt Conference containing top contestants Utah State, Boise State, New Mexico State and Nevada as well as other highly competitive teams.
Are you getting the trend? For those who are not, I will continue.
Next the Colonels traveled to Anchorage, Alaska to compete in the prestigious 2009 Great Alaska Shootout.
Seawolves of the University of Alaska-Anchorage
My first thought was “What the heck is a Seawolf?” Well, the Seawolves are 4-2 so far this season. In their recent game against Grace Bible College, who are defending National Christian College Athletic Association National Champions, the Seawolves came back from a 30-17 deficit and had a 10-0 run which lasted a mere 80 seconds.
Cougars of Washington State
This Pac-10 Conference team is 8-2 overall thus far. A sophomore, Klay Thompson, leads the team with 25.1 points per game and scored double figures in every game and reached 20 plus points in eight of the 10 match-ups. Thompson also scored a total of 43 points on Nov. 28 against San Diego. WOW!
Sooners of Oklahoma
This Big-12 Conference team is 7-3 overall. Last season, the Sooners made it to the NCAA tournament ranked 2nd and lost in the Regional Final to 1st ranked North Carolina.
The Colonels then traveled to Baton Rouge, La. after a three-game home stretch, which followed a 10 game road swing. Before the match-up in Baton Rouge, the Colonels logged 11,060 travel miles by both air and ground. Talk about jet lag.
The infamous Tigers of Louisiana State University
Most people who read this know about the Tigers and mostly associate them with football and baseball so there is no need to recap what the Tigers have done. However, the Tigers are 7-2 for anyone who was wondering. The Tigers were also protecting their 79-game home winning streak. The last time the Tigers lost at home was against Louisiana Tech in December of 1988. Now that’s a long time!
However, the Colonels gave the Tigers a run for their money with the final score 63-60 in the Tigers favor. A missed last minute rushed shot by junior guard Justin Ayers was not enough to propel the game into overtime. A game winning 3-point shot by powerhouse Tasmin Mitchell ended the Colonels hope to snap the winning streak.
Now, breaking down each team that the Colonels lost to has a point. The Colonels nine losses are not against little teams that were upsets, these losses came from powerhouse schools and with each team, the Colonels held their heads high and competed and gave these schools a run for their money. This shows a lot about the Colonels and how they play and the exciting games to look forward to in Stopher Gym.
People may think that little Nicholls State University may be an easy win, but more times than none, these people are getting a wake up call when the Colonels show up and play.
The Colonels should not be judged on their losing record at the moment, but rather the talent and ability the team shows as well as the practice the Colonels are getting in order to face conference competitors.
I believe, despite the Colonels nine losses, that the preseason rankings showing the Colonels finishing first in the conference will happen and the nine losses should not affect the way people see the Colonels basketball team.
