ALEXANDRIA, La. (2/13/2025) – The Louisiana State University of Alexandria men’s basketball team has been named the No. 1 team in the country in the latest NAIA Coaches’ Poll.
LSU Alexandria received 15 of the 20 first-place votes and displaced Freed-Hardeman atop the Poll. The Generals captured a 69-63 victory over the Lions on November 9, 2024, in their final non-conference game.
No. 1 Spot
The climb to the No. 1 spot in the NAIA Coaches Poll started with a No. 12 ranking on October 23, 2024, in the Preseason Poll. Non-conference wins over Wiley, Loyola University (LA), and Freed-Hardeman University vaulted the Generals from No. 12 to No. 6 in the first Coaches’ Poll on November 13.
In the second NAIA Coaches’ Poll of the season on November 27, LSUA again moved up – this time to No. 3 – following wins over Jarvis Christian, Texas A&M-Texarkana, and Texas College. A brief dip, following their only loss of the season against Xavier (LA), put the Purple and Gold at No. 5 in the final poll of 2024.
A jump to No. 4 greeted the Generals in the first Coaches’ Poll of 2025 on January 15. The Generals closed the 2024 calendar with an 85-71 win over, at the time, No. 20 Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. The Purple and Gold then opened 2025 with a 109-75 victory at home against LSU Shreveport.
The fifth NAIA Coaches’ Poll of the year, released on January 29, placed the Generals at No. 2. LSU Alexandria received three first-place votes in the poll – the first time LSUA had received first-place votes in the season – and put them behind Freed-Hardeman University, before claiming the top spot in the sixth poll today.
“We are grateful to be in this position,” LSUA Head Coach Dimario Jackson said. “It’s a testament to the work by the players and coaches; however, we need to work harder. We must stay focused and win every day.”
Back-to-Back
The Generals (23-1, 20-1 RRAC) clinched back-to-back Red River Athletic Conference Regular Season titles with an 81-62 win over Xavier University of Louisiana on Tuesday, February 11. LSU Alexandria is the first team to clinch an automatic bid to the postseason in the NAIA. It was the Purple and Gold’s 17th consecutive victory, a run which began on December 2, 2024, against crosstown rival Louisiana Christian University.
Last night’s game against Xavier (LA) not only marked the clinching of the regular season title but was a revenge matchup for the Generals. The Gold Rush are the only team to defeat LSUA in the 2024-25 season, inflicting the blow in an 89-72 decision in New Orleans on November 26, 2024.
Prior to last night’s game, Xavier (LA) had won three of the last five meetings between XULA and LSUA.
Spotlight
Kashie Natt poured in a career-high 32 points against Xavier (LA) and captured his 12th double-double of the season with 10 rebounds.
Natt has been a stalwart for the Generals throughout the 2024-25 season after earning NAIA First Team All-American honors and being named the RRAC Player of the Year in 2023-24. The senior from Rayville, Louisiana, is averaging 19.0 points per game and shooting 47.9% from the floor. At the free throw line, Natt is converting 81.8% of chances. He has recorded 64 assists, 46 steals, and 21 blocks. Natt is just shy of averaging a double-double per game, hauling in 9.9 rebounds a night.
Another standout for the Generals is sophomore guard E.J. McQuillan. The Port Allen product averages 12.7 points per game and is shooting 41.2% from the floor. From beyond the arc, McQuillan is knocking down shots at a 40.3% clip as the Generals’ most prolific three-point shooter.
LSU Alexandria has just three games remaining in the regular season. Two of which are at home in the Fort against Our Lady of the Lake and Texas A&M-San Antonio. The Generals face OLLU on Thursday, February 13, at 7:30 p.m. and square off against TAMU-SA on Saturday, February 15, at 3:00 p.m. in The Fort.
Prior to Saturday’s game, the Generals will honor their senior class.
Written by Caleb Dunlop | LSUA Athletics
Photo credit – Adam Lord | LSUA Strategic Communications
Pictured – E.J. McQuillan and the LSUA Men’s Basketball team
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