Lamar sports information

BEAUMONT – Fourth-year Lamar head coach Tic Price brings his most veteran squad into the 2017-18 season as the Cardinals get set to tip off the new year Friday at Tulsa. The game, which will tip off at noon from the Donald W. Reynolds Center, will serve as the season opener for both teams.

LU has received high praise during the offseason with several publications picking the Red and White to return to the top of the Southland Conference standings this season, including one (CollegeSportsMadness.com) who has the Cards advancing to the NCAA championship tournament.

The Southland Conference picked the Cardinals second in a preseason poll of the league head coaches and media relations directors. The Cardinals received five first-place votes and 234 points to finish second behind Stephen F. Austin. The selection is the highest preseason pick for the Cardinals since the 2007 when Big Red was selected to win the SLC East division (that year the league was broken up into the east and west divisions).

A great deal of the excitement surrounding the program is centered around the wealth of talent returning from last year’s 19-15 (.559) squad that advanced to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament – the program’s first postseason appearance since the 2012 season. Big Red returns four starters from last season, including first-team All-SLC selection Colton Weisbrod. The Nederland native ranked among the league’s top 10 in scoring and rebounding last year, and finished fourth in the Southland in double-doubles. He enters his senior season as the league’s top rebounder and top double-double threat. The Cardinals return 73 percent of their scoring and 63 percent of their rebounds from last year’s 19-win campaign.

Friday’s game will be a contest of two teams in a similar position. Tulsa returns five of its top six leading scorers from last year’s 15-17 (.469) squad. The Golden Hurricane struggled down the stretch though closing out the 2016-17 season by dropping three of its final four games and nine of its last 12.

Friday’s game against Tulsa will be the 10th meeting in series history. The Cardinals own a slim 5-4 (.556) advantage in the series, and have won two of the last three meetings. Friday will be the first meeting between the two schools since the 2006-07 season when LU dropped a 78-64 decision on the road. Big Red is 3-2 (.600) all-time against Tulsa away from Beaumont. LU will look to reverse a negative trend in road games from last season. The Cards struggled away from home going 6-11 (.353) in away games last year.

On the flip side, the Cardinals have been very strong in season openers throughout program’s history. LU has posted a 57-9 (.864) all-time record in home-opening games, including victories in their past two home openers. Tuesday’s contest will be the first time in program history LU has opened a season at home against Coastal Carolina.

Friday’s game is set to tip off at noon from the Donald W. Reynolds Center in Tulsa. It can be heard live on Newstalk 560 KLVI.