BEAUMONT, Texas – The first Lamar University squad to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring, the men's basketball team stepped on the court two weeks ago 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.
 
The Cardinals entered their third week of practice Monday afternoon. LamarCardinals.com would like to continue the breakdown of the men's basketball team. Today LamarCardinals.com will look at the LU forwards.
 
Quick Facts:
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 2/2
Starters Returning/Lost: 1/1
Newcomers: 4 (includes Clayton Carpenter who will sit out the 2020-21 year due to NCAA transfer rules)

Top Returner:
Corey Nickerson. The original plan was to redshirt Nickerson during the 2019-20 campaign but due to injuries on the roster, head coach Tic Price was forced to place him in the rotation. A long athletic, forward who can run the floor, Nickerson showed flashes of what he can bring to the roster during his limited playing time last season. The Houston, Texas native exploded for 21 points and 11 rebounds, including a 10-of-12 (.833) effort from the field in the team's second game of the season.
 
Noteworthy:
The Cardinals graduated Beaumont native, and All-Southland Conference selection T.J. Atwood, but the coaching staff addressed this need during recruiting. In addition to the return of Nickerson and Anthony Cameron, Price and his staff added junior college transfers Tarig Eisa (6-8, 210, Gillette College) and Lincoln Smith (6-5, 210, Central Georgia Tech College) to go along with local products Clayton Carpenter (6-9, 230, Texas State) and Mason Senigaur (6-6, 200, Dodge City CC).
 
The Storyline
In terms of overall LU playing experience, the Cardinals will be young this season. The two returnees account for a total of 29 games played with just one start, with Nickerson accounting for the majority of those games (19). With that being said, the LU coaching staff addressed this issue focusing heavy on junior college talent.
 
Smith inked with the Cardinals last November. The Columbus, Ga. native, comes to Beaumont with the name of being a big-time scorer, but spent his time at CGTC working on his all-around game to become more of a rebounding threat. Smith played in 33 games for the Titans as a sophomore where he averaged nearly 12 points and better than six rebounds per game. Smith transferred to CGTC after spending his rookie season at Southwest Mississippi Community College where he averaged nearly nine points and pulling down better than seven rebounds per game, while shooting 52 percent from the field.
 
"Smith can score, but he is a very good defender," said Price. "He, along with the other guys we brought in during the offseason, will make us better defensively than we were a year ago. He has that mentality of someone who wants to matchup against the other team's best scorer."
 
A transfer from Gillette College, Eisa signed with the Cardinals in May. Eisa brings added size to the LU front court at 6-8, 210 pounds. A two-star prospect coming out of the junior college ranks, Eisa ranked among the North Pole Top 25 high school players in 2018 where he earned Powerade All-America honors. He averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and blocked two shots per game during his senior season at the Polanyi Collegiate Institute.
 
Eisa saw a significant jump in his production from his rookie juco season to his sophomore campaign. After averaging fewer than four points per contest as a freshman, he became one of the team leaders last year. He averaged better than 10 points and pulled down more than four rebounds per game. His point production is even more impressive considering he averaged just 23 minutes per game as a sophomore. If his production was forecast out over a full 40 minutes, he would've averaged better than 17 points per game.
 
"Tariq is a high motor guy who we will run at the four," said Price. "He brings some toughness to the lineup and is a real competitor on the floor. He will give us some added length in the low post this year, which will help us in many ways."
 
Both Senigaur and Carpenter are local products (Senigaur – Beaumont Central HS; Carpenter – West Brook HS) who left the Golden Triangle after their prep careers and have now returned to compete for their hometown school. Carpenter went to Texas State, while Senigaur played for Dodge City Community College.
 
An honorable mention All-KJCCC selection at Dodge City, Senigaur played in 59 games making 47 starts during his two years with the Conquistadors. He averaged 12.1 points and nearly nine rebounds per game during his final season at DCCC. For his junior college career, Senigaur averaged nearly nine points and six rebounds per game. Those stats came following a high school career that saw him average 17.4 points and 12.2 rebounds, while dishing 5.1 assists and recording 3.3 steals per game.
 
"Mason is the type of player who can really lock in in the low post," said Price. "He is going to be a good player for us moving forward. He is been sidelined a little bit but we're looking forward to having him on the court."
 
Carpenter was a two-star prospect coming out of high school after garnering 2018 District 22-6A Defensive MVP honors, and will sit out the 2020-21 season to NCAA transfer rules. The two-year starter garnered 2017 second-team all-state honors after averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior.
 
"All of these guys come in here with a chip on their shoulder when they play, and that gives them a competitive edge when they hit the court," added Price.