By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
SAN ANTONIO – For most of the Northwestern State men’s basketball team, Thursday night’s Southland Conference opener at UIW comes at an early part of their Demon careers.
Then there is JT Warren.
Warren is one of four returners from the 2023-24 Demons, but he has something in common with eight of his first-year teammates – he has never played in a Southland Conference game. As Northwestern enters its 7 p.m. ESPN+ matchup at UIW, Warren will have his first chance to do so after missing all 18 of the Demons’ Southland games a year ago.
“Coming from last year, it was very fun watching my teammates go out there and have fun (in conference play),” said Warren, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound redshirt junior forward. “I’m just ready to go out and have fun with my teammates.”
The earliest conference opener for the Demons (2-5) since joining the Southland Conference in the 1987-88 season comes at a place where and against whom they have had success.
Northwestern has won eight straight games against UIW (4-3), including the past six meetings inside the McDermott Convocation Center, site of Thursday night’s matchup.
“We’re not looking at the past of those two teams (UIW and HCU, whom Northwestern plays Saturday),” second-year coach Rick Cabrera said. “They are both very different teams this year. (UIW coach Shane Heirman) has done a phenomenal job, along with his staff, of bringing in really, really talented offensive players, some real dudes. All conference road games are tough, regardless of where they are, but we have our work cut out for us, but so do they.”
Among the new players the Cardinals added is the backcourt duo of Jalin Anderson and Davion Bailey.
Anderson leads the Southland Conference in assists (48), assists per game (6.9) and in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.67). Bailey, his former Ball State teammate, leads the Southland in 3-pointers (23) and 3-pointers per game (3.29) while ranking second in the conference in scoring (16.9 ppg) and 3-point accuracy (39.7 percent).
As a team, UIW enters the conference opener shooting 49.9 percent from the field, second best in the league. The Demons, meanwhile, rank fifth in the conference in both scoring defense (70.1 ppg) and opponents’ field-goal percentage (41.6).
“Our defense is always going to be our staple,” Cabrera said. “We like to keep teams off balance, but the zone has been our bread and butter. I always tell our guys, if you get stops, I’ll allow you to have more freedom on offense. If the other team is taking the ball out, I’ll take control of the offense.”
Northwestern opens Southland play on the road for the second straight season. The last time the Demons started 1-0 on the road in league play was in 2018-19 when Northwestern knocked off Stephen F. Austin.
The 2024-25 edition of the Demons have had their moments on the road, nearly knocking off Rice for the first time in program history. Northwestern also has had halftime leads at Southeastern Conference opponents LSU and Oklahoma.
“I wish I had the recipe on the why, but they’re hungry for success,” Cabrera said of the Demons’ road performances. “We’ve played well on the road this year, but we have to finish games out. Our guys are prepared to paly away from home, and we’re ready to go.”
And the Demons say they know what to expect as Southland play opens.
“We’re a better team (than last year),” Warren said. “They’re a better team (than last year). It’s going to be a very competitive weekend.”