BEAUMONT, Texas – Fresh of their 19-win season a year ago, the Lamar University men's basketball team – under the direction of fourth year head coach Alvin Brooks – will open the 2024-25 regular season Monday evening against Paul Quinn College. The game against the Tigers will tip off at 7 p.m. from the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center.
 
The Cardinals take the court looking to build off of the success of the previous two years. Two years ago, Lamar posted a seven-win improvement from the previous year and last year Big Red posted a 10-win upgrade from 2022-23.
 
The reason Lamar feels it has the opportunity to improve upon a 17-win improvement over the past two seasons has everything to do with the returning talent from last season. The Cardinals bring back three starters from 2023-24 and the other three returning letterwinners each have starting experience.
 
Representing the Red River Athletic Conference, the Tigers head into the new season looking to build off a disappointing 2023-24 season that saw just seven wins. Unfortunately for PQC,  it will look to take this step forward without a senior on the roster.
 
Monday's contest will be broadcast live on Newstalk 560 KLVI and streamed live on ESPN+.
   
LU vs the Tigers
The Cardinals and Paul Quinn have met only one other time in program history with that contest coming last season. Big Red recorded a 91-64 decision last December.
 
LU in Season Opener
Lamar is 53-20 (.726) all-time in season openers and have won eight of their previous nine season-openers with the lone setback during that stretch coming during the 2020-21 season against Houston (when current head coach Alvin Brooks was still an assistant at UH). Monday's game marks the eighth time since the 2015-16 season that LU has opened a new year at home. The Cardinals are 40-3 (.930) in season openers at home.
 
LU in Home Openers
The Cardinals have been nearly unstoppable in home-openers throughout their history. The Cardinals have posted a 63-10 (.863) all-time record in home-opening games, including victories in their past two home openers. Monday's opener marks the first time Big Red has opened the season against Paul Quinn College.
 
Building Off the 2023-24 Momentum
Lamar enters the 2024-25 season looking to build off the momentum from last season. Not only does LU enter 2024 after earning its highest conference tournament seed since 2011-12, last season also saw the Cards record more NCAA Division I wins in a season since 2012 (and the third most wins since 1988), record the most conference wins since 2018, most home wins since 2019, finish eighth nationally in fastbreak points per game, and set a school record by posting a perfect 4-0 mark in overtime games during 2023-24.
 
Program on the Rise
The Cardinals continue to improve upon previous seasons. The 2022-23 season saw Lamar make a seven-win improvement from the year before. Last season, saw the Red and White make a 10-game improvement from the 2022-23 season. 
 
Looking for Back-to-Back
After posting a 19-win season in 2023-24, Lamar University enters the 2024-25 campaign looking to post back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2018-19 and 2019-20.
 
Winning Season
LU returns six letterwinners and three starters from last year's 19-win team that made a return to the conference tournament earning the No. 4 overall seed. It was the most wins in a season for the Red and White since posting 20 wins in 2018-19.
 
The Cardinal Rule
Lamar University has been one of the Southland Conference's more dominant teams. LU has won 53 percent of the league games and has more NCAA tournament appearances than any of the current SLC schools (6), and their five NIT berths are also tops in the league. LU had 84 players earn All-SLC honors, including 32 first-team selections. Six players were named league newcomer of the year, five SLC tournament MVPs, four SLC Players of the Year, two freshmen of the year and a defensive player of the year.