BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University men's basketball team will be one of the first games in the country Monday when they tip off the season at 11 a.m. against Texas A&M-San Antonio. Scheduled as the Cardinals' Education Day, several local elementary schools will be on hand to watch the Red and White tip off a new year against the Cougars.
 
The Cardinals will officially be the fourth game to tipoff nationally at the NCAA Division I level, as Big Red looks to build upon a 2024-25 season that saw Lamar win 20 games, finish second in the Southland Conference and just miss out on a trip to the NCAA Championship tournament.
 
Led by fifth-year head coach, Alvin Brooks – who is in the Cardinal Hall of Honor as a player, Brooks has guided the Cardinals to more wins than the year before each season since his arrival. Making that number more impressive is the fact he has had to do it without returning his leading scorer from the year before.
 
Last year, the Cardinals set a single-season school record for Southland Conference wins and return the heart of its squad this season. LU brings back two starters and six letterwinners, but those numbers are a bit skewed because they don't include junior B.B. Knight who sat our last season with an injury. Knight averaged nearly 10 points per game and was one of the league's top three-point shooters during the 2023-24 season.
 
Monday's game is slated for an 11 a.m. tip off from the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
   
LU vs. Jaguars
Monday's contest will be the second meeting between the two schools. The Cardinals defeated Texas A&M-San Antonio, 82-65, last season in Beaumont.
 
Defending the Nest
Lamar has made the Neches Arena one of the toughest venues for opponents to play over the course of its 40-plus year history. The Cardinals are 380-192 (.664) all-time in Neches Arena. Lamar recorded a program-best 15 home wins in the 1987-88 season and were 10-4 (.714) last season.
 
Building on the Foundation
After a two-win season during his first year, LU head coach Alvin Brooks has only improved on each previous season culminating in last year's 20-win campaign. What is even more impressive about the Cardinals current run is that it is done while also losing their leading scorer each season. If the Cardinals were to improve this season, it would mean at least a 21-win season and that would be the program's first back-to-back 20-win campaigns since 1983-84 and 1984-85.
 
Let's Run It Back
The Cardinals enter 2025-26 looking to become just the third team in program history to record improved win totals over a five-year stretch, and the first since 1973-74. For Lamar to do that this season, they would have to get to 21 wins.
 
Records Are Meant to Be Broken
Last year, the Cardinals recorded their best conference season since 2007-08, in addition to that, LU set a program record for Southland wins in a season (14).
 
Returning Talent
The Cardinals return two starters and six letterwinners from last year's squad - a number that does not include B.B. Knight (10.7 ppg, 37 percent on three-pointers in 2023-24) who was sidelined last season due to injury.
 
The Great Wall of Beaumont
Known for what he does on the offensive end of the floor, senior Andrew Holifield is just as impactful on the defensive end. The Cardinals led the league in blocks last season (5.0 bpg) due in large part to Holifield. The Beaumont native ended the year second in the conference with 54 total blocks (1.6 pg). Holifield is also the team's top returning scorer (10.4 ppg) and rebounder (5.6 rpg).
 
Building on the Past
Head coach Alvin Brooks has a direct link to Lamar's successful history. One in a long line of LU standout point guards, Brooks guided the Cardinals to a 47-16 (.746) overall record, two conference titles, the NCAA Sweet 16, a 3-2 NCAA tournament record and graduated as the school's all-time leader in assists. He was also a 2019 inductee into the Cardinal Hall of Honor.