THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University men’s basketball team begins year 2 under Tevon Saddler with a trip to The Pit to take on the Lobos in New Mexico. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 PM central on Monday, November 4 and the game can be watched online on the Mountain West Network.

The Colonels are coming off a 20-win season and welcome back three double-digit scorers from last year’s squad. Robert Brown III (13.8), Jamal West Jr. (13.4) and Byron Ireland (11.4). Nicholls also added seven transfers, all from Division I programs.

Brown and West were named preseason All-Southland after excelling in their debut seasons. Brown was one of the best three-point shooters in the SLC, dropping 80 points at a 40.8 percent clip, which was the second-highest percentage in the league. West was a strong defense as he averaged a league-best 1.6 blocks.

In last season’s opener, Nicholls got off to a fast start before falling to Tulane, 91-81. West scored 24 points in his first game as a colonel Mechi Collins recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Collins returns for his fourth season after averaging 4.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 21 starts last year.

Nicholls is 0-2 all-time in New Mexico, with his last loss coming as a 75-63 setback in 2015.

The Lobos, who went 26-10 last season, also have a pair of preseason all-league selections: Donovan Dent and Nelly Junior Joseph. Dent averaged 14.1 points last season while dishing out more than five assists, and Joseph controlled the paint with 8.2 boards and 49 blocks while scoring 8.2 points per game.

NEXT
Nicholls returns home for the next two games, starting with the opener against South Alabama at 6:30 PM on Friday, November 8.