NCAA Division I basketball seasons tip off tonight across the country and Northwestern State’s teams are in action, with the women at home and the men in Waco, Texas, to play Baylor.
LADY DEMONS: Alan Frey’s debut as the NSU women’s basketball coach is tonight as the Lady Demons welcome Ecclesia College at 6:30 p.m. at Prather Coliseum.
“The word I’d use to describe finally getting the season started is excited,” Frey said. “I’ve been getting texts from people all over the country asking if I am excited for Monday, and I really am. I can’t wait to see us, as we’ve been working really hard on this product for six months and hopefully, we’ll have a product that NSU will be happy about.”
Frey and staff brought in 11 new players, with eight transfers and three freshmen.
NSU is led by junior point guard KP Parr, who had strong seasons at Wichita State and Texas State before finding her way to Natchitoches.
Last season at Texas State, she led her team with 93 assists after being second in that category at Wichita State as a freshman.
The four returning players for NSU are Mina Kassim, Payton Miller, Cimiya Rideaux and Stephie Salumu.
During Frey’s introductory press conference, he saw the talent in the state of Louisiana and wanted the heart and soul of the team from the state.
Stella Allison comes in as a freshman from French Settlement with local ties after an outstanding prep career, where she was named all-state all four years.
As a senior, she averaged 21 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals per game, which earned her All-State First Team and district MVP. She was the Most Outstanding Player at the state tournament as French Settlement won the Class B state title.
Fans can watch on ESPN+ if unable to attend with Patrick Netherton and Jordan Dupuy on the call.
DEMONS AT BAYLOR: The Northwestern State men’s basketball team opens its 2026-27 season in Waco, Texas, tonight with the momentum built from an impressive exhibition victory. When the Demons take the Foster Pavilion floor at 8:30 p.m. Monday on ESPN+, they will do so against a Baylor team that is feeling the same way.
Northwestern carries with it a 62-60 win against North Texas in the Demons’ lone exhibition game of the preseason while the Bears knocked off preseason No. 1 Florida, 82-76, and No. 3 Illinois, 95-91, in their exhibitions.
“Baylor’s a phenomenal team,” fourth-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. “They’ve had two great exhibitions, beating Illinois and Florida. They’ve got really, really good guards. They’ve got good post players who know their role, but our guys, I only have one form of language when I’m talking to our players. We’re going into every game to win.”
The Demons enter the 2026-27 season with 11 newcomers on their 14-person roster.
“We’ve got 11 new guys, but we’ve got a really close-knit group of new guys,” he said. “They have welcomed each other with open arms. It has made our job as coaches easier. They’re very coachable young men, who are very physical, talented and aggressive. They get after it after every practice.
“This is the start of year four (at Northwestern). I really liked my Year 2 team, but I really love this team coming up. Since June up to the two scrimmages and the exhibition, they have done everything we’ve asked and more.”
What the Demons also have is a deeper roster for Cabrera and his staff.
Northwestern grabbed its exhibition win at North Texas while playing without injured senior guard Izzy Miles, its leading returning scorer (10.5 points per game) from a season ago.
“Izzy has been our best player in the summer and the fall, but we have depth,” Cabrera said. “We have a second group that can step in and be starters just as much. Do we need (Miles) back? Absolutely. When he’s going to come back, I don’t know. He’s getting better every day, but we’ve got good players.”
A pair of newcomers – junior guard Kai Simpson and sophomore forward Isaiah Vick – combined for 37 points leading NSU over a North Texas squad aiming for its sixth straight postseason tournament appearance.
Simpson’s second-chance floater provided the winning points after North Texas erased an 11-point Demon lead in the closing minutes.