The Lehigh men’s basketball team will open their 2025 season today against the University of Houston in Texas at 8 p.m.
Last season, the Houston Cougars were runners-up in the NCAA March Madness tournament, falling in the national championship against the University of Florida. The USA Today coaches preseason poll ranked the University of Houston No. 2 for the upcoming season on Oct. 22.
Despite Houston’s high ranking and national success, members of the Lehigh basketball team are prepared for the challenge after intense practices to get ready for the season.
Senior center Henri Adiassa said the Mountain Hawks are ready to compete. Adiassa said playing big-time schools will be a learning experience for the team by the time it reaches the Patriot League Championships.
“We are ready to take on any challenges, so we’re not scared of the first game or whoever we play,” he said.
Adiassa has played almost 400 career minutes over 36 career games. After missing significant time last season due to injury, he said he hopes to stay healthy to help the team compete for the season opener.
The Mountain Hawks finished the 2024-2025 season 11-19 with a 6-12 conference record. They fell in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament to Loyola University Maryland by four points.
The team is hoping to reload this year after losing key pieces of its lineup who graduated, including guard Keith Higgins, guard Tyler Whitney-Sidney and guard Ben Knostman, as well as starting point guard Cam Gillus to the transfer portal.
Despite these losses, senior forward Bube Momah said the team’s morale has not altered.
“I think as long as we just keep building, we’re going to be ready for the start of the season and obviously perform where we want to perform for a long time,” he said.
Momah also said the team’s biggest focus is taking it day by day, practicing and getting a little bit better over extended periods of preseason practices.
Scrimmaging as much as possible and running to get into top shape has been at the forefront of the team’s practice plans. Another focus of the team’s offseason training has been conditioning and adapting to a new type of play style to push the floor and move at a faster pace.
After scrimmaging against Princeton University, Momah said the team’s confidence in their offense and defense grew, which was something that was lacking in the past.
Senior guard Brendan Reed said before the season begins, the preseason workouts are a true test of toughness that require mental and physical resilience.
“Preseason is always a grind,” he said. “The high amount of conditioning and laying the foundation for how we play the rest of the year is always tough, but very much worth it in the end.”
Reed, who has played in 24 career games for the Mountain Hawks, also said that despite Houston’s ranking, they will treat this game as if they are playing any other team.
“We believe in our coaches and ourselves that if we do what Lehigh basketball does, we will always have a shot at winning, no matter the opponent,” Reed said.
The Mountain Hawks’s home opener will be Nov. 6 against the University of Valley Forge in Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Their first game hosted at Stabler Arena, the team’s typical home court, will take place on Nov. 18 against Saint Francis University.