By Landon Smith, Louisiana Tech Associate Director for Strategic Communications; featured photo by Josh McDaniel
RUSTON — Louisiana Tech will open the 100th season of Bulldog Basketball with a match against Kent State Monday evening.
Game Information
Date/Time: Monday, Nov. 2 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, LA)
Watch:ESPN+
Listen: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app
Live Stats:LATechSports.com/Stats
About Louisiana Tech
The Bulldogs enter the 100th season with the start of a new era. LA Tech returns to the Sun Belt after thirteen years in Conference USA. Head Coach Talvin Hester will be in his fifth season and face the challenge of a brand new team, except for second year Jaylen Fenner. Hester is looking to lead the ‘Dogs to their fourth straight season with 20 or more wins.
In his first season, Fenner averaged 5.5 points per game, shot 39.7 percent from the field, and 30.8 percent from three. He was named CUSA Freshman of the Week for his performances against Liberty and Delaware in early March. In those games he averaged 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.
LA Tech welcomes twelve new players to Ruston for this season, including the third year transfer from Central Missouri, Kyran Tilley. Tilley was voted to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team. While at Central Missouri, Tilley was named to Third Team All-MIAA as well as the MIAA All-Defensive Team. During his sophomore season, he averaged 12.7 points per game, shooting 43.8 percent from the field, and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc.
About Kent State
The Kent State Golden Flashes come to Ruston after a 24-10 record last season, including a berth to the National Invitation Tournament. They were voted fourth in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll, including a first place vote.
The Golden Flashes will be led by Chansey Willis Jr, who was voted to the Preseason All-MAC First Team. He is a transfer from Minnesota, where he only played seven games before suffering a season-ending injury. Before playing for the Golden Gophers, he spent the 2024-25 season at Western Michigan. While there, he led the MAC with 16.8 points per game and 5.8 assists per game. He was named to the All-MAC Second Team that season.
The Series
Louisiana Tech and Kent State played only twice in the two program’s history. LA Tech leads 2-0. The most recent match was in 1983 in Ruston, with a final score of 75-66. The other match was two years earlier in Kent, Ohio, with a score of 60-55.
The MAC-SBC Challenge
This is the fourth season of the MAC-SBC Challenge. On the men’s side, the Sun Belt reigns victorious, winning both the 2023-24 and 2025-26 seasons. In 2024-25, the Sun Belt and MAC tied.