The Colonels men’s basketball team returns to school with a 6-10 overall record and 2-1 Southland Conference record, as of press time, to improve from the team’s 3-9 record from last semester.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, but the men’s basketball team does not fit into this description.

The SLC has a variety of talented teams from Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas; however, these teams are not the Tigers of Louisiana State, the Longhorns of Texas State or the Razorbacks of the University of Arkansas. The teams that make up the SLC are smaller Division I schools, which are perfect to play one another.

It seems all of the attention goes to schools in bigger conferences, such as Southeastern Conference, Big 12 and Conference USA 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.

So, 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 nine losses.

Dukes of Duquesne: This Pennsylvania school is known for its basketball team. So far this year, the team is 8-3 overall and has 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 third, fourth and fifth loss.

Lobos of the University of New Mexico: The Lobos was also the host team for the tournament. Putting this team into perspective, 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 got 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 three-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 fifth in the Sun Belt Conference containing top contestants Utah State, Boise State, New Mexico State and Nevada State, 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, 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 so far. Sophomore Klay Thompson leads the team with 25.1 points per game and scored double figures in every game, reaching 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 University: 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 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 LSU: Most people who read this know about the Tigers and 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 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 three-point shot by powerhouse Tasmin Mitchell ended the Colonels’ hope to snap the winning streak.

There is a point to this breaking down of each team the Colonels lost to.

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 gave these schools a run for their money. This shows a lot about the Colonels, how they play and the exciting games to look forward to in Stopher Gym.

The Colonels, since the Dec. 17 game against LSU, have gone 4-1 and have the chance to stretch their home game winning streak to seven on Wednesday when they take on the Cowboys of McNeese State.

One of the Colonels’ standout games, which gave the Colonels their sixth win overall and second conference win, was against defending SLC tournament champs, the Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin. The Colonels were able to hold off the Lumberjacks after going into the locker room at the half 28-20 to a 70-63 victory.

The Colonels’ other victory was against the Demons of Northwestern State to start off conference play with a 79-72 win. However, the Colonels came back from a six-point deficit at half time to decrease the Demons’ 66.7 first-half shooting percentage to just a 32.0 second-half percentage.

The Colonels’ only conference loss came in the Jan. 13 game against the Roadrunners of the University of Texas-San Antonio. After pulling within a three-point deficit with under a minute left to play, the Colonels pulled through and fell to the Roadrunners, 64-59.

People may think that little Nicholls State University may be an easy win, but more often than not, these people are getting a wake-up call when the Colonels play.

The Colonels should not be judged on their losing record at the moment, but rather on 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.