Athlete Closeup: Cassidy Barrios

The Nicholls State University women’s basketball team is currently in eighth place out of thirteen teams in the Southland Conference standings.

Junior guard Cassidy Barrios has been a shining star for the Colonels this season, averaging 16.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Barrios has also earned 12 double-doubles through the 25
games the Red and Gray have played.

Barrios shared her interesting story on how she became a Colonel.

FROM THE BEGINNING
Barrios grew up in Raceland with her parents, James and Julie, and her two siblings, twin brother Payton and younger brother Bailey.

Barrios said she practically grew up with a basketball in her hand. “I’ve been playing basketball since I was four years old,” Barrios said. “I played school ball, I played [in] a Biddy League and I also played out in New Orleans every summer. I’ve tried other sports, but basketball has always been my thing.”

BECOMING A COLONEL
Barrios said she made a decision between two local destinations for where to attend high school.

“I was either going to go to Vandebilt or E.D. White, and Vandebilt had a great basketball program so that’s why I ended up going there,” Barrios said.

After her high school basketball career at Vandebilt Catholic High School had ended, Barrios turned to family roots to decide where to go to college. “I really didn’t want to go far away, so if I wasn’t going to go to like a top school, I really was going to try and stay close to home.”

Her mother played volleyball and softball at Nicholls, and Barrios continued the Nicholls tradition in her mother’s footsteps.

ON THE COURT
Barrios did not have to wait long to see action; she said she started in her first game as a freshman.

“I was pretty nervous, but I jumped into it pretty quick. They always used to say that college basketball is [a] way different game than high school basketball, but I felt that if you put a ball in
my hand, I’m going to do the same thing I did in high school,” Barrios said.

As a sophomore, Barrios led the Colonels in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and assists. She also garnered Third Team All-Southland and Second Team Southland All-Academic
honors.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Colonels (12-13, 7-7 SLC) face four conference opponents in 11 days, beginning with the McNeese State University Cowboys at home this Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m.

Next, there will be two more home matchups with the University of New Orleans Privateers Saturday at 4 p.m. and the Northwestern State University Demons Feb. 28 at 6 p.m.

Finally, they will see the Southeastern Louisiana University Lions on the road Mar. 3 at 6 p.m.

Barrios said she feels confident in her team’s capability to win.

“I feel like if we play team ball [and] we play together, really no team can beat us. We just have to stay together as a team, execute on offense and play our defense. I think we’ll be pretty good going into the tournament.”