New Orleans Basketball: Privateers in position to win Southland

Nov 28, 2015; Evanston, IL, USA; New Orleans Privateers guard Nate Frye (3) looks to pass the ball against Northwestern Wildcats guard Bryant McIntosh (30) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Evanston, IL, USA; New Orleans Privateers guard Nate Frye (3) looks to pass the ball against Northwestern Wildcats guard Bryant McIntosh (30) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans basketball has been a big surprise in the Southland Conference this year.

The Southland preseason poll picked New Orleans to finish ninth in the league. The Privateers have wildly exceeded expectations; they are 12-4 in conference play with games against Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State remaining. Head Coach Mark Slessinger and company have a one game lead over both Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Stephen F. Austin to claim their first Southland title since joining the conference.

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New Orleans has done the job with experience. Four of the top five Privateer scorers are seniors with the eight-man rotation all seniors or juniors.

Erik Thomas, in particular, has exploded this season. The 6’5″ wing has increased his scoring output from 11.8 points to 20.0 points an evening, along with 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He is second in the Southland in scoring average on an incredible 61 percent shooting, which is also second in the conference. Thomas has almost single-handedly put UNO in this position.

It’s not a one-man show in the Bayou, however. Christavious Gill puts up 11.6 points, Nate Frye averages 10.6 points and Travin Thibodeaux chips in 8.6 points, along with 7.4 boards.

Overall the team is a solid offensive squad with shooting splits of 47/33/72, but the advanced numbers tell a slightly different story. UNO is just fifth among their peers in adjusted offense and make up for that with the league’s best defense. They are also among the slower Southland teams in terms of tempo, so the pace combined with solid defense has been relatively suffocating in conference play.

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Coach Slessinger is a definite candidate for Southland Coach of the Year with how he has put this team in position for not just a conference title, but their first NCAA birth since 1996. The team will look very different next year with four big contributors gone, but UNO has put the Southland powers on notice. The Privateers are here to stay.