NEW ORLEANS, La. - New Orleans men's basketball (5-8, 0-0 SLC) will kick-off the new year and Southland conference play against Southeastern at Lakefront Arena Saturday. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. or approximately 30 minutes following the women's game. The game will air on ESPN+ and 106.1 NASH FM with Jude Young on the call.
Monday's game against Texas A&M-Commerce (5-8, 0-0 SLC) is set to tip off at 6:30 p.m. at Lakefront Arena.
New Orleans leads the all-time series against Southeastern 19-12. The Privateers ended SLU's 2022-23 season in the SLC Championship Tournament quarterfinal round 82-78. Jordan Johnson scored an astounding 32 points, while Turk recorded a double-double with 18 points and a team-high 13 rebounds.
PREVIEW
New Orleans looks to remain undefeated on the Lakefront after falling to Stephen F. Austin 80-51on the road to close out non-conference play last timeout. Jordan Johnson led New Orleans with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Khaleb Wilson-Rouse and Carlos Hart chipped in eight points apiece, while Jah Short led defensively with six rebounds and three steals.
New Orleans has sweltered opponents defensively as they force 16.23 turnovers per game to rank 16th in the NCAA. The Privateers also lead the SLC in free throws made per game with 16.5.
Johnson reached 1,000 points in the 91-51 win over Birmingham Southern on 16 points, five assists, and four rebounds.
Johnson leads the Privateers in points per game (21.1 ppg), three-pointers (38), and assists (52), and he's 11th in the nation in scoring. He also topin the conference in field goal attempts (218), free throw percentage (89.2%), scoring, and total points (274).
Wilson-Rouse is averaging double-figures (10.4) while leading the team in steals (24). He averaged nearly 20 points over four games (North Dakota, UCA, Minnesota, and Belhaven) leading into December.
Turk Vincent is averaging 7.5 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game. The New Orleans native recorded his first double-double this season with 14 points and 12 rebounds against Brimingham-Southern.
SCOUTING THE SLU LIONS
The Lions have won three-straight games to include its most recent 87-64 win over Loyola-New Orleans. Nick Caldwell led in scoring with 17 points. Roger McFarlane put in 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Roscoe Eastmond, 10 points and a career high 13 assists. Kam Burton totaled 15 points, three rebounds and a pair of steals.
Roger McFarlane leads SLU's scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.5 points and 6.9 rebounds a game. Nick Caldwell is also averaging 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds a game.
SCOUTING THE A&M-COMMERCE LIONS
The Lions are 6-7 in their second season in the NCAA Division I FCS. Their most recent victory came over Arlington Baptist, 130-53, Dec. 18. Since joining the SLC, Commerce has won one out of two games against New Orleans, who defeated the Lions in the last match up 84-78. Turk led six Privateers in double-figures with 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Johnson had 14 points and five assists while Wilson-Rouse put up 11 points and four assists. Jackson also chipped in ten points and five rebounds.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow @PrivateersHoops on Twitter, @PrivateersMBB on Instagram, like /PrivateersMBB on Facebook and subscribe to the PrivateerAthletics YouTube channel.
WE ARE YOUR KREWE
For 54 seasons, Privateer student-athletes have had the unique experience of wearing New Orleans across their chests. Like the city itself, our sports teams have been fueled by resiliency, grit, and the unquenchable desire to win. Our city also houses the nation's biggest celebration each year. And much like a Mardi Gras parade krewe, we are tethered to our community through pride, tradition, a culture of acceptance, and finally our commitment to show that New Orleans is a world-class city to live, learn, play and work. We invite you to become more involved with the only University that truly represents New Orleans all day, every day. Join #NOLAsTeam, We Are Your Krewe! To make a direct impact on the student-athlete experience, visit here.
