New Orleans Men's Basketball Gears Up for Showdown in Hammond

NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans men's basketball team (8-19, 3-11 SLC) will journey to Hammond to take on Southeastern (13-14, 8-6 SLC) this Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and NASH ICON 106.1 FM, featuring Jude Young as the play-by-play announcer.

New Orleans holds the advantage in the all-time series against SLU, leading 19-13. Their most recent victory over the Lions dates back to the 2023 Southland Conference Championship Tournament in Lake Charles.

Currently positioned ninth in the Southland conference, the Privateers aim to clinch a victory on Saturday, potentially securing a spot in the conference tournament with four games remaining in the season.

In their recent matchup, New Orleans saw four Privateers achieve double-digit scoring in the 89-77 loss against Nicholls State at Lakefront Arena on Monday night. Junior Carlos Hart delivered an exceptional performance at home, leading the team with 20 points, seven rebounds, three steals, one block, and an assist.

Joining Hart were Jah Short and Jordan Johnson, each contributing 13 points. Short led with five steals, in addition to three rebounds, two assists, and a block. Mason Jones completed the quartet with ten points, along with a steal and a rebound. Notably absent for the second consecutive game was Turk Vincent, sidelined due to an injury sustained at Northwestern State.

Jordan Johnson maintains his lead as the top scorer for the Privateers, averaging 21.2 points per game, along with leading in three-point percentage (36.3%), free-throw percentage (82%), assists (4.0), and steals (1.6). The senior stands atop the conference and ranks tenth nationally in scoring. Additionally, he leads the conference in field goals (171), free throws (140), and overall points (552).

Khaleb Wilson-Rouse is another key contributor for the Privateers, averaging 11 points per game. The senior from Chicago boasts an 85% shooting accuracy from the foul line on 44-of-52 attempts.

In the past two games, two Privateers have reached the 20-point mark. Hart achieved his second 20+ point game in the last outing, while Wilson-Rouse secured his fourth such game this season against Lamar.

New Orleans continues to dominate the conference in free throws made per game (16.4) and has exhibited above-average shooting in their last three games. The team currently averages 74.9 points per game, shooting 42.3% from the field and 32.4% from beyond the arc this season.

The Lions seek to bounce back from a 77-72 overtime loss to Lamar, which ended their six-game winning streak. Nick Caldwell led SLU with 30 points and 12 rebounds, marking his third consecutive double-double. Caldwell's performance earned him back-to-back SLC Player of the Week honors, Louisiana's Player of the Week, and recognition as the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week. Roscoe Eastmond also contributed with 17 points.

Caldwell leads SLU in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per game while shooting 55.6% from the field and 42.4% from beyond the arc. Roger McFarlane averages 14.6 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with 8.3 boards.

SLU maintains an average of 69.3 points per game this season, shooting 43.6% from the field and 34.9% from three-point range as a team.
 

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