BEAUMONT, Texas – The first Lamar University squad to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the men's basketball team, stepped on the court Wednesday for their first official practice of the season. The Cardinals return to the hardwood for the first time since having their postseason run at the Southland Conference Championships cut short after the nationwide cancellation of conference tournaments. Big Red had advanced to the second round of the championships for a second consecutive season following an impressive 21-point victory over rival McNeese in the opening round.
 
"This year's preparation has been one of the most unique and challenging experiences of my entire career," said LU head coach Tic Price. "COVID-19 has changed how we coach and prepare. Who would've ever thought we would have to ever coach with masks or players would have to practice with masks on? It's hard to get in someone's face defensively while stressing social distancing. It has taken a collective effort from the NCAA, the Southland Conference, our administration, the coaching staff and our players. We've had to plan ahead but be able to make necessary changes on a daily basis."
 
Although the Cardinals took their first step in preparation for the 2020-21 season Wednesday, the team is still dealing with the overall adversity from the virus. The schedule for the upcoming season has not yet been released. While fans are still waiting on the official schedule, excitement has been building for the upcoming season. Led by Price, who is entering his seventh year, the Cardinals are coming off one of their most successful four-year runs in the past 40 seasons.
 
One of the school's all-time winningest coaches in program history, Price, and his staff return a healthy mix of veterans to go along with one of Price's most talented recruiting classes.
 
Today LamarCardinals.com will look at the LU guards.
 
Quick Facts: 
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 4/1
Starters Returning/Lost: 1/1
Newcomers: 2

Top Returner:
Davion Buster. The answer to this question equals a one-foot putt for a Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods – A "gimme." Without a doubt, that is not correct usage of the English language, but an accurate description of the category none the less. In just two short years Buster has transformed himself into one of the Southland's most dangerous long-range shooters. Already on pace to become the school's all-time leader in that category, Buster has proven his ability to take over a game – case in point at McNeese last season (39 points on a Southland Conference single-game record 11 threes). Buster has punished other programs who may have overlooked him due to his size during the recruiting process. Although he will never be the biggest guy on the court, his presence always casts a long shadow on opposing defenses.
 
Key Stats:
The Cardinals return more than 34 points, nearly 10 rebounds, more than six assists and nearly five steals per game from last year's squad, while shooting 160-for-484 (.331) from three-point range. Numbers made even more impressive when considering the Cardinals graduated the Southland's second-best leader in assists and steals from last year (V.J. Holmes). The Cardinals return nearly 74 percent of their guard scoring from the 2019-20 squad.
 
Noteworthy:
Despite the graduation of Holmes, the Cardinals enter the year with four players who have the ability to run the point. Included in that group is senior Ellis Jefferson who set a school single-game record with 11 steals last season at Northwestern State.
 
The Storyline
The guard position is the perfect representation of the LU basketball team this season. Big Red has several players who can play at different spots on the floor at every class level with varying skill sets. The group includes shooters, guys who can drive to the basket and strong on-ball defenders.
 
The returners consist of Buster (Jr., 5-10, 150, Austin, Texas), Anderson Kopp (So., 6-5, 190, Houston, Texas), Jefferson (Sr., 6-0, 180, San Antonio, Texas) and Ayaan Sohail (So., 6-3, 185, El Paso, Texas). Buster is the focal point of the group. The team's top returning scorer, Buster was the lightning rod that sparked a nine-game win streak headed into the second round of the tournament at the end of his rookie season. All he did for an encore was improve his scoring production by six points per game (to rank among the league's top 15 in scoring) and connect on 95 three-pointers.
 
Kopp's rookie season was slow to get started all due to an injury right at the tail end of the final practice before the first game of the season. That injury cost Kopp all of the non-conference season, but when he stepped on the floor, the Houston native began to make up for lost time. Kopp averaged nearly 11 points and four rebounds per game during his rookie season and ended the year as one of the league's top freshman scorers.
 
One of three seniors on the 2020-21 squad, Jefferson transferred to LU after a standout career at Clarendon College. Jefferson made 15 starts at the point for the Cardinals during his first season. A strong defender, Jefferson finished tied for seventh in the league last season in steals (1.7 spg), a season that included a school-record 11 thefts at Northwestern State. He closed out his first year by averaging 5.4 points, nearly two rebounds and 2.1 assists per game for the Red and White.
 
A hard-working guard on both ends of the floor, Sohail caught the attention of the LU coaching staff for his ability to shoot the ball. When he arrived on campus, the San Antonio native proved himself to be one of those guys who will do what is needed to help the team win a game regardless if it shows up in the stat sheet. Sohail saw time in 24 games as a rookie earning one start.
 
The Cardinals have 50 combined starts between the returners with every player having recorded at least one start during their career.
 
"Our guard play has been very competitive," said Price. "We have a new group of guys who bring a new attitude and approach to the court. These guys really go out and compete against each other, but it's been tough. Not only has everyone dealt with COVID, but we've also had to evacuate our guys due to (Hurricane) Laura, and this past week it was Delta. It has been challenging time."
 
The newcomers at guard are Quinlan Bennett (6-3, 205, Triton College) and Beaumont product Kasen Harrison (6-1, 190, Beaumont United HS). One of the top prep guards in the state of Texas, Harrison is a true point guard who earned district MVP honors after averaging 15 points and five rebounds per game over the course of his final two seasons at Beaumont United, while leading the Timberwolves to a 60-11 (.845) overall record and consecutive district titles. Harrison is a top 100 player in the state of Texas, who was rated as the No. 58 overall prospect, and No. 6 by RCSsports.com.
 
A two-star prospect following his two seasons at Triton College, Bennett is a combo guard who started 28 games as a sophomore. A second-team All-North Central Community College (N4C) selection, Bennett guided Triton to a regional title as a rookie. Bennett averaged better than 12 points and six rebounds as a freshman and nearly 11 points and six rebounds over the course of his junior college career. His JUCO numbers come on the heels of a high school career that saw him average 13 points per game and gain interest from several division programs.
 
"There is a definite learning curve for our new players but I've been really impressed with Kasen Harrison," said Price. "His basketball IQ and decision making is off the charts. He simply has a great feel for the game. Bennett is a perimeter player who comes in here with a chip on his shoulder. He brings a competitive edge with him when he hits the court. We have some guys that can compete at a high level, but we still need to get into basketball shape."