THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University men's basketball team opens the 2012 Southland Conference Men's Basketball tournament on Wednesday, taking on the UT-Arlington Mavericks at 6:30 p.m. at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The Colonels finished the season 10-19 overall, 6-10 in the Southland and is seeded eighth overall, while the Mavs finished as the regular season champions with a 23-7 overall and 15-1 conference record, earning the No. 1 seed. This is the third ever meeting between the two schools in the league's postseason tournament, with a 1-1 all-time series record.
 
Last time out
The offensive woes continued for the Nicholls men's basketball team in the first half of Saturday's game against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions, and the Colonels would need to rally until the end, eventually falling 68-58 in Stopher Gym. Shane Rillieux finished the night with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting to lead the Colonels, followed by Dantrell Thomas who finished with 13 points off of the bench in his first game back since sustaining an injury two weeks ago. Sam McBeath grabbed double-digit rebounds for the second time this year, pulling down a career-high 11. The Lions (12-17, 5-11 SLC) had four players in double figures, led by Todd Nelson's 19 points, and got a double-double by Roosevelt Johnson with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Hoping to end the season on a high note, the Colonels and Lions struggled to get anything going offensively, as Nicholls held a 2-0 lead for the first four minutes of the game. From there, however, the Lions began to force the issue and began to find a comfort zone, going on a 10-0 run to take a 10-2 lead, keeping Nicholls scoreless for nearly seven minutes. Southeastern closed out the last 12 minutes of the first half outscoring the Colonels 20-14, heading into the locker room with a 30-18 lead. The Colonels outscored the Lions 40-38 in the final period, but would only get as close as eight points in the final minute of the contest with a couple of Chris Talkington 3-pointers and layups from McBeath and Rillieux.
 
2011 Tournament Recap – First Round: McNeese 61, Nicholls 54
Down by as many as 16 points in the second half, the No. 8 seed Nicholls State University men's basketball team (14-14) stormed back to within two points of regular season champion and No. 1 seed McNeese State (20-10).  However, the Cowboys managed to hang on for a 61-54 win to eliminate the Colonels in the opening round of the 2011 State Farm Southland Conference Basketball Tournament on Wednesday night at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The Colonels were led by 25 points from senior forward Anatoly Bose, whose game-high total marked the 49th 20 point game of his career.  Backing up Bose was true freshman Chris Talkington, who racked up ten points in the final twenty minutes to establish a new career high.  The Grand Prairie, Texas native made several big shots down the stretch, including a pair of clutch three pointers, to lead a Nicholls back from a 16-point second half deficit. The Colonels finish the 2010-11 season with a record of 14-14.  Nicholls finished with a record of .500 or better for just the third time in the last ten years, and advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament for the third consecutive season
 
Lewis Named Southland Conference Freshman of the Year
Nicholls State University men's basketball player Trevon Lewis was named the 2011-12 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year the league office announced this morning. He is the third Colonel to earn the distinction, and first since Fred Hunter claimed the award in 2009. Along with the award, Lewis was an honorable mention selection in the announcing of the Southland's All-Conference teams also on Tuesday. Lewis has led the team in scoring ten times on the year and in rebounding 14 times. The Elllender High product has three 20 point games this year and four double-doubles, coming against the likes of Auburn, UTSA, UTA and Texas State. He scored in the double figures 20 times this season, including a streak of seven straight games during the season. Against Lamar on Feb. 11, he tied a Nicholls record going a perfect 7-of-7 from the field, and finished one made basket away from setting a new all-time high mark. Defensively, the Houma native blocked a season-high three shots in a game, and has blocked two shots in three different games. He set a team season high in steals against Northwestern State with four, and has gotten his hands on at least two steals in eight different games.
 
Fourth time's the charm
With making the conference tournament for the third consecutive year in 2010-11, the Colonels will tied a school record making a fourth-straight trip to the postseason party. It's been done two more times in school history, with four appearances from 92-95, and again from 98-01.
 
Two-time tourney champs
Nicholls has won two tournament championships in school history, coming in the 1995 and 1998 seasons under Rickey Broussard. The Colonels are among 22 teams in Southland history to win the regular season and tournament championship in the same year, and the Colonels are only one of seven schools with multiple titles.
 
Colonels in the conference tournament
This is the 12^th appearance for the Nicholls men's basketball team in the conference's annual postseason tournament, as the Colonels have a 7-9 record all-time in the event.
 
1992
First Round
No. 5 UT-Arlington 77, No. 4 Nicholls 62
 
1993
Semifinals
No. 3 UTSA 77, No. 2 Nicholls 67
 
1994
First Round
No. 3 Nicholls 101, No. 6 UTSA 89
Semifinals
No. 2 Texas State 68, No. 3 Nicholls 65
 
1995
First Round
No. 1 Nicholls 88, No. 8 McNeese 69
Semifinals
No. 1 Nicholls 91, No. 4 Stephen F. Austin 89
Championship
No. 1 Nicholls 91, No. 2 ULM 87
 
1998
Semifinals
No. 1 Nicholls 79, No. 4 Texas State 71
Championship
No. 1 Nicholls 84, UT-Arlington
 
1999
First Round
No. 5 McNeese 100, No 4 Nicholls 87
 
2000
First Round
No. 1 Sam Houston State 49, No. 8 Nicholls 48
 
2001
First Round
No. 6 Northwestern State 68, No. 2 Nicholls 61
 
2009
First Round
No 2. Nicholls 80, No. 7 Texas State 75
Semifinals
No. 6 UTSA 57, No. 2 Nicholls 55
 
2010
First Round
No. 1 Sam Houston State 62, No. 8 Nicholls 57
 
2011
No. 1 McNeese 61, No. 8 Nicholls 54
 
Against The Field
Since joining the league in the early 1990s, The Colonels have faced seven of the current 12 team membership of the Southland, as well as former member ULM, in the tournament. Nicholls has taken wins over five active league teams, with winning records over the Bobcats, Jacks and Warhawks. The only teams the Colonels have yet to beat are the Demons and Bearkats.
 
vs UTSA: 1-2
vs UTA: 1-1
vs Texas State: 2-1
vs McNeese: 1-2
vs SFA: 1-0
vs ULM: 1-0
vs Northwestern State: 0-1
vs Sam Houston State: 0-2
 
Seeding in the Tournament
As winners of the regular season twice in team history, the Colonels are undefeated at 5-0 in the top spot, winning both tournament title crowns in '95 and '98. Nicholls has never been seeded fifth, sixth or seventh, but is winless when seeded fourth or lower.
 
As a No. 1 Seed: 5-0
As a No. 2 Seed: 1-3
As a No. 3 Seed: 1-1
As a No. 4 Seed: 0-2
As a No. 5 Seed: None
As a No. 6 Seed: None
As a No. 7 Seed: None
As a No. 8 Seed: 0-3
 
No stranger to the postseason
Assistant coach Rennie Bailey has been a part of many Southland Conference tournament appearances, both as a coach and player. As a coach, Bailey was a member of Danny Kaspar's SFA teams that made consecutive Southland Conference tournament final appearances in 2003 and 2004. As a senior in 1984, he was a member of Louisiana Tech's SLC championship team, earning all-tournament honors along with two future NBA hall of famers in teammate Karl Malone and McNeese's Joe Dumars.
 
Charging Colonels
After beginning the conference schedule 1-7 and getting beat by an average of 16 points per game, the Colonels have become a completely different team in the second half rattling off five of their last seven in conference, and five of their last eight games total. Not including the Bracketbuster game against IUPUI, the Colonels have won by an average of seven points over their run, including two blowout wins over Lamar and Texas State in the process. Nicholls' only conference losses came in overtime on the road against Stephen F. Austin and against Northwestern State without Dantrell Thomas. The Colonels have held their conference opponents to just over 67 points per game during that time, while the Colonels have been shooting a blistering just over 52-percent from the field, while holding Southland foes to just around 41-percent.
 
Colonels field one of the most youthful teams in the nation
Coming into the season, the Colonels knew they would be tested in terms of knowing how to win, but this year might prove to be the toughest yet as Nicholls will field one of the least experienced teams in the country. With four true freshmen, and two junior transfers, among four other players who did not play in 2010-11, only St. John's matches the Colonels in freshness as the Red Storm lost seven players from last year's team and more than 95-percent of their overall production from a year ago. The Colonels and Red Storm each have ten players who will see time on the floor for the first time this year.
 
Semi-automatic Smith
Redshirt sophomore Jeremy Smith is having one of the most pleasantly surprising seasons for any Colonel this season. Coming into this season with only 13 games played total in his Nicholls career, Smith will look to have more starts by the end of this season, and more than double that in games played in just one year. The former John Ehret Patriot is shooting 56-percent from the field, and has made at least five shots in a game seven times. Since the year started, Smith has is one of three players to play in every game this year for the Colonels, has made a shot in every game except for one and is only one of two players to do so this year and tied a Nicholls record going 5-of-5 from the field against Dillard. He's garnered two double-doubles on the year and has seven double-digit scoring games this year. He also made the first three pointer of his career this season, and has made four this year after only attempting one in the season before. He was named the College Sports Madness Southland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week Feb. 27.
 
Many reasons for success
Sophomore Dantrell Thomas, who has battled a calf injury since the beginning of the season, has turned up his offensive play as of late, with six straight double-digit scoring games, earning Southland Conference Player of the Week honors the week of Feb. 6. He showed his aggressive play over the course of two games earlier in the season, scoring nine points in five minutes against ULM and six points in seven minutes against Texas. Since league play began, Thomas is averaging over 14 points a game, three points better than his season average, and averaged 20 points per game over four games from Feb. 1-11.
 
HAMM-ing it up
Sophomore Bryan Hammond has taken advantage of his increased playing time, leading the team in scoring five times already this year, with 11 double-digit scoring games to his credit. Against Southeastern Jan 21, Hammond played every minute on the court and hit the game-winning shot to snap the Colonels six-game losing streak. Bryan Hammond also ranks in the top 200 individual players in the nation with a 1.7 assist-turnover ratio, and in the top ten in the conference in that category and assists. Against Central Arkansas Feb. 22, Hammond dished out a season-high eight assists in the Colonel win, upping is total to over three assists per game.
  
Going the distance
Shane Rillieux played all 40 minutes in the 86-65 loss to the Warhawks Nov. 28, but in the process scored 12 points for the second straight game and dished out a season-best four assists. Against the Lumberjacks Feb. 4, Rillieux played 42 minutes, the most for the Colonels in the overtime game, and scored a career high 17 points. On the season Rillieux has played in 37 minutes or more in a game six times.
 
Sterling performance
Heading into the game against the Warhawks, Sterling Bailey had two points off of free throws in nine total minutes on the season. Against ULM the redshirt freshman set career highs in every major statistical category except for blocks and steals. In 19 minutes off of the bench Bailey shot an efficient 75-percent from the field and drained two of three 3-point attempts and was a perfect 2-of-2 at the free throw line. Coming off of the bench again against Northwestern State, Bailey drained five of nine shots on the night and hit a game-high four 3-pointers to finish tied for second on the team in points with 14. It's a new career mark in points for Bailey.
 
Injuries mount
Already without Fred Hunter for the entire season, the Colonels have dealt with a rash of injuries as of late, without the services of starters in Ben Martin, Dantrell Thomas Chris Talkington and Lachlan Prest. Martin (back) has not played since the win over Houston Baptist in the ULL tournament, while Thomas has missed games with a deep calf bruise sustained in his 17-point performance in the HBU win. Thomas only played six minutes against ULL the next day and finally returned to the lineup against UTA Jan. 7. While Prest came off the bench to play against UTSA, he did not play against the Mavericks three days later and will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Talkington, who suffered a knee sprain against UNC, will be a game-to-game decision. The bug has also hit the reserves as well, affecting junior guard Pedro Maciel who has been battling a knee injury. Maciel played in the Colonels' exhibition against Mobile but has been held out to recover.
 
Talkington, Lewis named to Beryl Shipley All-Tournament Team
Sophomore Chris Talkington and Freshman Trevon Lewis were named to the 2011 Beryl Shipley Classic All-Tournament team after both averaged double-digit points over the three day tournament. Talkington averaged 17 points per game in the tournament and finished as the second leading scorer in the classic. Talkington was leading scorer in two of the three games for the Colonels. Against the Titans, Talkington scored the first eight points for Nicholls to start the game, had 14 of Nicholls' 35 points in the first half against the Huskies and was one rebound away from the first double-double of his career against the Ragin' Cajuns. Lewis was one of a handful of players to drop in more than 20 points in the classic, and his 21 points against the Huskies is the highest by a Nicholls player this year. Lewis made his first seven shots and did not have a miss until midway through the second period as he finished the game going 8-for-9 from the floor and a perfect 2-for-2 from behind the 3-point line. It is the second time this year he's come off the bench to be the leading scorer.
 
Three's the key
The Colonels have established themselves as one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league, sitting in the top half in the Southland. The Colonels have attempted over 100 already, and along with Texas State, has had two double-digit three point field goals made in games this season. The Colonels have the most with the 13 they made against LSU in the season opener. Of the nine players that have hit four in a game this year, Talkington has done it twice.
 
Lewis leading the way
Freshman Trevon Lewis scored 19 points to lead all scorers against LSU in his first game as a Colonel. The Houma native hit his first six shots in the game and finished going 7-of-8 from the field and 2-of-2 from the behind the three point line. For his efforts he earned honorable mention in Southland Player of the Week voting the week of Nov. 14. Lewis is in the top ten in field goal percentage and scoring shooting 50-percent from the field and averaging 13.0 points per game.
 
Youth will be served
With the graduation of four seniors from last year's team, including 2011 Louisiana Player of the Year Anatoly Bose, the Colonels will rely on just one senior (Ben Martin) to lead this year's squad. There are a total of seven newcomers that dot the lineup, including four freshmen (Lachlan Prest, Sam McBeath, Shane Rillieux, Trevon Lewis), two transfers (Pedro Maciel, Linden Smith-Hyde) and one walk-on (Zach West). The only returning players with significant playing time are Bryan Hammond and Dantrell Thomas who each saw playing time in all 28 games last year.
 
Hunter to sit out season to rehab
Nicholls' second leading scorer from last year, Fred Hunter, will sit out the 2011-12 season while he continues to rehab after suffering a season-ending knee injury 20 games into the season. Averaging over 15 points per game, the Colonels will need a combined effort to make up for the loss of production.
 
 
Extended stay
In the offseason Nicholls Athletics signed J.P. Piper to a three-year extension, the first multi-year deal in program history. Entering his eighth season, it means that Piper will be only the third coach in team history to have a tenure that will last a decade. It would make him the second longest tenured coach in team history, with 11 years, just one shy of tying Don Landry and Rickey Broussard who each had 12. He also holds special company with those two coaches as he has had four-straight double-digit winning seasons. If he can add a fifth in 2011-12, he will tie the record with Broussard for the second most ever with five-in-a-row.
 
Southland releases 2011-12 conference polls
The Southland conference released its SID and coaches polls, and the Colonels are picked to finish fifth in one and sixth in the other. The Colonels are tied with Central Arkansas in the SID poll with 26 points, while the coaches placed the Colonels in the sixth spot with 22 points.
 
Colonels Tabbed For Three TV Games
The Nicholls State University men's basketball team will have three games televised this year featuring the Colonels taking on the Texas Longhorns, North Carolina Tar Heels and Northwestern State Demons the conference announced. The Colonels-Demons matchup on Feb. 29 is one of the 15 featured games for the Southland Conference Television Network schedule in 2011-12, and will include 10 regular-season tilts along with the men's and women's tournament semifinals and finals in March. Before conference, the Colonels' games against the Longhorns on Dec 13 will be televised on the new Longhorn Network, and clash with preseason No. 1 North Carolina will be covered on ESPNU.
 
Martin named to College Sports Madness Preseason All-Conference Team
Redshirt senior Ben Martin was named to the 2011 CollegeSportsMadness.com Preseason All-Southland teams, earning a fourth team selection. The 6-1 guard started all 28 games for the Colonels last year, averaging 4.5 points in 29 minutes of action per game. He was a 31-percent shooter from the field and from beyond the arc.
 
No “Hand down, Man down”
Nicholls was one of the best defensive teams in the nation last year, holding opponents to just under 63 points per game. That number put them in the top-40 in the country and was the second best mark in the league. The 8.8 steals per game average was also the second best in the Southland and was ranked 39th nationally, while having a positive turnover margin of 4.4 was the sixth best in the country.
 
Home is where the wins are
Since the 2008-09 season, the Stopher Gym has become a nearly impossible place to win for opponents, having a combined 31-6 record the last three years. In that time the team has had records of 11-2, 9-2 and 11-2 in the friendly confines.
 
TV: None
Radio: 100.3 FM KLRZ (Larose, La); 1600 KLEB (Golden Meadow, La.)
Broadcast Team: Mike Wagenheim (play-by-play)
Colonels on the Internet: www.klrzfm.com
Live Stats: www.southland.org