With the 2010-2011 men’s basketball season rapidly approaching the Lions look to embark on another winning season after finishing 19-12 in the previous season.

The Lions return along with Head Coach Jim Yarborough, who is entering his fifth season as the Lions head coach, four seniors from last year’s team in which three starters including senior guard Trent Hutchins, who led the Southland Conference in three point percentage and will return as the team’s leading scorer. Hutchins will be joined by a 15-man roster that includes: senior guards Rodney Jones, Gary Dixon and the versatile junior guard/forward Deshawn Patterson who all played key rolls in the Lions success last season.

Jones averaged 7.6 points per game while Dixon averaged 8.4 points as Patterson lead the team in steals racking up 52. The Lions will open up their season at home where they went 14-1 last season, in a double header on Friday night at 7:45 p.m. versus Millsaps soon after the Lady Lions play Millsaps at the University Center.

This will be the first of a tough non-conference schedule that will include the likes of two NCAA championship participants UNLV and Vanderbilt, two SEC opponents in Alabama and Ole Miss, who went to the semifinals in the NIT last season and a C-USA opponent in UCF.

The Lions will also face other non-conference opponents such as, Jacksonville State and in state opponent Southern University Jaguars of Baton Rouge. The Lions will then prepare for a busy holiday as they will compete along with 3 other teams in the Hardwood Club Holiday Tourney at the University of Southern Mississippi Dec. 29-30, where they will open versus Savannah State and look to face the winner between USM and Mississippi Valley State.  

The Lions will then prepare to take on a 16 game SLC schedule where they are expected to contend for the east division and Southland Conference title after going to the semi-finals of last year’s SLC Tourney. The Lions will open conference play at home on Jan. 8 versus Stephen F. Austin. Some key conference games will include matchups versus McNeese State, Northwestern State, another match versus UTSA, Lamar, UT-Arlington, Central Arkansas and wrap up the season versus Nicholls, all home conference games where the Lions went 7-1 last season. The Lions will then look to compete in the SLC Tournament in Katy, TX lasting Thurs.-Sun. Mar. 10-13.  

For more information on Lions athletics and ticket purchases for the 2010-2011 basketball season visit www.lionssport.net or contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985)-549-5466.