HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball team kicks off its 2022-23 campaign on Monday by hosting the defending NAIA national champion Loyola-New Orleans Wolf Pack at the University Center in the season opener.
 
The Lions are looking to build off of its 19-win season, ten-win season in Southland play, and looking to do so with a new cast of characters. Transfers Christian Agnew, Boogie Anderson, Mehdi Pissis, and Donte Houston will help lead the pride of newcomers to the Lions as well as incoming freshmen Brody Rowbury and Sami Pissis should all have prominent roles on this year's team. Meanwhile the consistency from the 2021-22 season will come in the form of returners Roscoe Eastmond, Roger McFarlane, and Matthew Strange among others.
 
Agnew averaged 5.2 points over two seasons at UTEP. Houston averaged 4.7 points last season at Texas-Rio Grande Valley and Anderson averaged 4.7 points over the last two seasons at South Dakota, including 6.7 points last season.
 
Monday night's opponent is not a typical warm-up game. Loyola became the first men's basketball team from the state of Louisiana to win a national championship of any kind since Grambling State took home the NAIA Championship in 1961 back in March when they knocked off Talladega College in the Finals. It was Loyola's second national championship, 77 years after winning their first back in 1945.
 
While the Wolf Pack are missing the NAIA Coach of the Year, the NAIA Player of the Year, and the NAIA Tournament MVP from last season, they are off to a 2-0 start this season, averaging 96 points per game in those two games. Six Loyola players are averaging double figures through the two games, led by Jalen Galloway's 22.5 points per game on 54.8% shooting. Michael Harden averages 13.5 points and Milan Mejia averages 12.5.
 
Southeastern leads the all-time series over Loyola 18-9, including winning the last 12 over the Wolf Pack with Loyola's last win in the series coming back in the 1959-60 season.
Tip off of Monday's season opener against the Wolf Pack is set for 7:30 P.M., or about 30 minutes following the end of the women's game against LSU Alexandria, and it'll be Lion Slam inside the University Center with plenty of giveaways being done throughout both games. Both games will be streamed on ESPN3.
 
HARDWOOD CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the basketball program are encouraged to join the Hardwood Club.  Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letterwinners.  All membership fees and donations to Hardwood Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern basketball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Basketball, follow @LionUpMBB and @DavidKieferSLU on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.