COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Teams with high expectations for 2014-15, high-scoring Northwestern State and defensive-oriented Texas A&M, collide in a college basketball season opener Friday night at 7 p.m. in the Aggies' Reed Arena.

The Demon Sports Network will carry the game on new Shreveport-Bossier City basketball affiliate SportsTalk 100.7 FM and SuperTalk 1340 AM, with a live audio stream available at SuperTalk1340.com; and also on KWLV FM 107.1 in Many, serving the Natchitoches area. The pregame show starts at 6:45.
 
The game will be streamed on SEC Network + which is available to SEC Network subscribers via SEC Network Plus as part of the WatchESPN app and ESPN3.com.
 
The Demons, featuring the last two Southland Conference Freshmen of the Year with guards Jalan West and Zeek Woodley, were 17-14 last year and have been picked to finish second in the 13-team Southland Conference in a poll of league coaches.
 
The Aggies return four starters from last season's 18-win team, including junior guard Alex Caruso, who led the Southeastern Conference in assists a year ago and is a second-team Preseason All-SEC selection.
 
NSU coach Mike McConathy begins his 16^th season running the Demons' program just eight wins shy of 600 in a 32-year collegiate coaching career. He's familiar with Aggies' coach Billy Kennedy, the former head coach at Centenary and Southeastern Louisiana, and an assistant at NSU in 1989-90 on Dan Bell's first staff in a season the Demons knocked off Kentucky in Rupp Arena.
 
"Billy is as good tactically as any coach in the country, and he's a special person," said McConathy. "His teams play tough defense, smart basketball and he has some very good players back from an 18-win team last season. It's a big challenge for us and a great opportunity to compete in a big-time environment against a quality SEC opponent."
 
NSU hopes to score its second SEC win in as many years. The Demons blew away Auburn last Nov. 14 in a 111-92 contest on the Tigers' homecourt.
 
The Demons have ranked second nationally in scoring in each of the last two seasons, including West's freshman year in 2012-13 when NSU went 23-9 and played in its third NCAA Tournament under McConathy.
 
West averaged 19.4 points, 6.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals last season. Woodley scored 13.9 per game, averaged 4.6 rebounds and ranked fourth in the country with his 61.7 percent shooting aim.
 
The Demons also return senior center Marvin Frazier, who averaged 14 points in two Southland Conference Tournament games and is expected to increase his production over last year's averages of 5.3 points and 4.6 rebounds. He led the Southland in blocked shots, averaging 2.1, and ranks fourth in NSU history with 109.
 
NSU returns home to play host to Lyon College Monday night at 6:30 aiming for the Demons' 400^th all-time win in Prather Coliseum, which opened 50 years ago.