BEAUMONT, Texas – For the first time since 2012, the Lamar University men's basketball team is headed to the postseason. A team that wasn't even expected to advance to the Southland Conference Championship tournament at the beginning of the season will travel to San Marcos, Texas Thursday to take on Texas State in the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).
 
The Cardinals' bid to the CIT probably came as a shock to everyone accept the LU locker room. Picked 12^th in the preseason SLC polls, the Cards were written off before the season got started. Once LU finally got the season underway, they began to turn heads beginning with a shocking upset at Oregon State – a 2016 NCAA tournament participant – in November. Before it was all said and done, the Cardinals racked up 19 wins (an eight-game improvement from the previous season), posted its first winning season and first conference tournament berth since 2012.
 
After going 1-1 in the Southland tournament, the Cardinals now turn their focus to the CIT and Texas State. A former member of the Southland Conference, Texas State has a history with LU. A series that dates back to the 1951-52 season, Thursday's contest will be the 57^th meeting between the two schools on the hardwood. The Cardinals hold a slim 29-27 (.518) advantage in the series, but it will be the first meeting since the 2014-15 season.
 
The Cardinals went 1-1 in the SLC tournament knocking off Southeastern Louisiana before falling to third-seeded Stephen F. Austin (who also accepted a bid to the CIT). The Cardinals head to San Marcos having won three of their past four games, and four of their last six.
 
It was a similar story for Texas State who also raised some eyebrows during the 2016-17 season. The Sun Belt Conference's No. 4 seed, Texas State helped flip the conference tournament on its side after battling their way into the tournament finals where it dropped a six-point decision to No. 6-seed Troy. Prior to the loss, the Bobcats had won three consecutive and five of their last six.
 
The berth in the CIT also gives the Cardinals another crack at 20 wins on the season. If LU can get past Texas State and advance to the second round of the tournament it would be the 13^th time in program history it has won 20 games in a season.
 
The Cardinals finished the year ranked second to only Houston Baptist in scoring offense. LU averages nearly 78 points per game, led by first-team all-conference selection Colton Weisbrod. The Nederland, Texas native finished the year ranked among the league's top 10 in points (15.3 ppg) and rebounds (8.3 rpg).  
 
That should present an interesting battle against a Texas State squad which led the Sun Belt in scoring defense (63.4 ppg). The Cardinals scored 70, or more, points in a game 20 times this season. Contrast that with a Texas State squad which held opponents to 60 or less 15 times this season.
 
Thursday's game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. from Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos, Texas. The game can be heard live on Newstalk 560 KLVI. It can also be viewed via Facebook Live.
 
If the Cardinals get past Texas State, they will have to wait until all of the CIT opening-round games are complete to find out who their next opponent will be. The CIT will reseed the tournament field after the opening round and announce the next match ups, with the top three remaining seeds receiving byes into the third round.
 
-LU CARDINALS-