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 New Mexico Lobos. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. central on Monday, Nov. 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-figure 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 coming from Division I programs. 

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

In last season's opener, Nicholls got out to a fast start before falling to Tulane, 91-81. West poured in 24 points in his first game as a Colonel while Mekhi Collins logged a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Collins returns for his fourth season after averaging 4.1 points and 4.3 rebounds with 21 starts last year.

Nicholls is 0-2 all-time at New Mexico with the last loss being a 75-63 setback in 2015.

The Lobos, which 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 while dishing out over five assists last season and Joseph controlled the paint with 8.2 boards and 49 blocks while scoring 8.2 points per game. 

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