NSU closing in on SLC goal, but mission not yet accomplished

To say Nicholls State basketball has been through tough times would be an understatement.

Following an 11-year stint with the Colonels, former head basketball coach Rickey Broussard resigned after the 2001-02 basketball season. Broussard, who led the Colonels to their only two NCAA tournament appearances in 1995 and 1998, accepted a position with the LSU Tigers.

Then unfortunate times struck.

Two years into Broussard-successor Ricky Blanton’s tenure as coach, the Colonels were faced with NCAA allegations that forced Blanton to resign, and the Colonels to be penalized.

J.P. Piper took over in 2004 as an interim coach with one goal in mind – to turn a sinking program around.

Mission accomplished.

It took five years and four seasons of mustering no more than 10 wins, but for the first time since Broussard’s 2000-01 team, the Colonels find themselves where they feel they belong – the Southland Conference Tournament.

Last Wednesday’s 60-58 win over Central Arkansas officially punched the Colonels’ ticket to the eight-team conference tournament in Katy, Texas beginning next Thursday.

Piper said clinching the SLC bid was a testament to not only his team, but also to those who’ve backed the team through the rough times and anyone who has ever worn a Colonel uniform.

He said rebuilding the program would not have been possible without the hard work of all of his players over the last four years.

“What I want people outside the program to understand is we have an incredible collection of young men here,” Piper said. “I’ve said it time after time through the years. It’s an honor to coach them. They are just a tremendous group of people. They bought in to what we’ve asked them to do.”

Needless to say, the bus ride home from Conway, Ark. was a little more enjoyable when the team heard the news.

“It’s nuts,” Piper said of the feeling. “I told them when we got on the bus they had clinched, and they were going to the tournament. There was a very subdued ‘all right’ and then they were out sleeping. We had two long road trips in a row, so to clinch on the road was special.”

Four days earlier, the Colonels missed out on the chance to clinch with a 71-66 loss to Texas State in San Marcos, Texas.

Senior guard Justin Payne said the moment was both exciting and humbling because the Colonels still have plenty of work to do.

“This is a great way to end my senior year,” the Opelousas native said. “But at the same time we don’t want to let it get to us. We know our toughness can lead us to bigger things. We knew we could play with the best. We just want to stay humble and keep being tough.”

Having already clinched a berth in the tournament takes pressure off the team, Piper admitted, but the team is still looking to finish the regular season strong – especially with the chance to get a higher seed, and maybe a regular season conference title on the line.

“We’re going to talk about playing without any pressure on us,” the coach said. “Just really letting it all hang out, going for broke. We really have nothing else to lose. We’re in the tournament so that monkey is off our back. We can play loose and confident. Hopefully that’s how we’ll approach these final games.”

The success of the team the remainder of the regular season and in the tournament will hinge on the leadership of their two seniors – Payne and Ryan Bathie.

Bathie has led all Colonel scorers this season with 15.6 points per game, while Payne has led in assists, averaging 2.8 per game.

Piper credits the two for taking charge of the team and being the field generals they have become.

“Those two guys key us on both ends of the floor,” Piper explained. “Ryan is making big buckets late in the game. Justin is playing well late in the game. Guys on the team start and stop with them, they deserve all the credit.”

Bathie, however, is quick to pass the praise.

“We’ve become more of a team,” he said. “We’re finishing games this year. We’ve had so many close games that we’ve lost by one or two points. The experience this year has been great, especially for the seniors. Going to the conference tournament is a lifetime experience and I’m just glad I get to share it with these guys.”

However, getting into the tournament isn’t just what the Colonels had in mind. They have their eyes on a bigger prize – a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Piper believes if the Colonels continue to play their best, they’ll be dancing even longer in March.

“We’ve surprised ourselves and what we learned is we can compete with anybody,” he said. “And on the right night we can beat anybody. I love our chances in the tournament. We need to peak at the right time. I know their confidence and belief are high. I think we are a dangerous team.”

Senior Ryan Bathie’s play this season has helped the Colonels clinch a berth in the Southland Conference Tournament, the team’s first return to the post-season tourney since 2000. Bathie’s 15.6 points per game helped carry the Colonels to a 17-10 overall record. * Photo by KYLE CARRIER