Game NotesNEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers men's basketball team will start up the 2014-15 season on Tuesday night against the Pensacola Christian Eagles (1-4) at the Lakefront Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
The Privateers are coming off a debut season in the Southland that saw
Mark Slessinger's bunch go 8-10 in conference play while getting tested with one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. Tuesday will mark the first of three non-conference home games.
Among those returning from last year's squad for the Privateers is
Kevin Hill. Entering his junior season, Hill had a strong close to his sophomore campaign by registering four consecutive double-doubles from Feb. 20-Mar. 6. Hill averaged 7.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in 2013-14 in 20.9 minutes per contest.
Terrance Syon also returns in the post for the Privateers. Syon enters his senior season after transferring from Navarro JC as a junior. In 2013-14, Syon averaged 4.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in just over 17 minutes of action.
Sophomore guards,
Christavious Gill and
Nate Frye also return along with sophomore,
Tevin Broyles. The trio each saw significant playing time as freshmen. Broyles started in 20 games and averaged 5.6 points per game. Gill finished with 7.8 points per game and had a stretch with eight of nine games in double figures from the start of conference play through Feb. 6. Frye played in 25 games and started last season with an 11-point performance against Millsaps.
New Orleans will also feature six newcomers including transfer,
Kevin Brown who comes over from defending Sun Belt champion, Louisiana-Lafayette who comes over for his final collegiate season. Brown averaged 5.5 points per game for the Cajuns last season.
The Privateers are 2-0 in the all-time series against Pensacola Christian. The two teams met twice in the 2010-11 season with New Orleans taking a 76-58 decision at home and a narrow 64-62 victory in Pensacola. This will be the first meeting between the teams at Lakefront Arena.
The Eagles are coached by Mark Goetsch who enters his 21
st season with the program. Goetsch has been head coach at Pensacola Christian since 1994. On the season, the Eagles have gotten off to an 0-5 start and most recently suffered an 83-66 loss to Talladega.
The game will be available on unoprivateers.com/watch to subscribers with Jude Young on the call.
