COLLEGE STATION, Texas (WNTZ) – The Northwestern State men’s basketball team opens its 2025–26 season Monday night with a tough road test against SEC opponent Texas A&M at Reed Arena, marking the start of a three-game road stretch to begin the year.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will stream on SEC Network+, with radio coverage available on The Demon Sports Network, flagshipped by 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches.

For third-year head coach Rick Cabrera, the start of November means it’s finally time to put months of preparation into action.

“This is the best time of the year,” Cabrera said. “It’s opening day coming up, and this is where it counts. We had two scrimmages where we got a lot of positives out of it. We’re getting back healthy, so it’s a good feeling to go into an SEC university and have a chance to compete and win a game.”

Cabrera enters his third season with something new – stability.

“For the first time, we’ve got six returners,” he said. “It doesn’t automatically equate to winning, but it helps. They’ve led the new guys in the right direction. We’ve got a group that likes each other and likes playing with each other, so we’re excited to have that continuity.”

Among the veterans is guard Micah Thomas, who averaged 12.4 points per game last season and chose to return to chase a championship.

“It was just the love from the coaching staff,” Thomas said. “They invested in us, and I’ve been in this conference for four years. I just want to see a championship. I feel like I owe that to myself.”

Thomas said his focus this year is consistency and leadership.

“Whether it’s scoring, assists, anything – just being a leader,” he said. “Keeping a calm presence on the court when adversity hits. Some nights it’s scoring, some nights it’s getting others involved. I just want to complete my game.”

Forward J.C. Riley Jr., who played under Cabrera at Tallahassee Community College, returns healthy after overcoming multiple injuries early in his career.

“My junior year, I was just finally getting back into it, learning how to play at this level,” Riley said. “Now I’m trying to really show that.”

Cabrera said Riley’s growth has been one of the highlights of the offseason.

“Big men take a little longer to develop, and he’s come a long way,” Cabrera said. “You just hope he stays healthy. I’m excited for our guys to play on the national stage.”

The Demons’ blend of experience and fresh energy has stood out in preseason workouts.

“Their practice habits. This team gets after it,” Thomas said. “They play defense, and it inspires me to be better on my end. They’re young, eager to play, just ready to hoop.”

Texas A&M enters its opener under new head coach Bucky McMillan, giving both sides some uncertainty.

“From a scouting standpoint it’s not easy,” Cabrera said. “We look at past film, but most importantly, we focused on us. At the end of the day, it’s basketball.”

Thomas said the Demons are eager to make a statement.

“Why not go smack them in the mouth?” he said. “Let’s try to steal one our first game. We’re not looking at it as a warm-up; we’re trying to go knock them off.”

While opening with three consecutive road games can be challenging, Cabrera views it as a valuable test.

“We’re going to have to win the Southland Conference Championship on the road,” he said. “So why not learn now? We’ve got some dogs that compete, and that’s why we scheduled our scrimmages that way. We’ll see how it is Monday night.”