The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

TRAVIS Munnings heads into his senior season with the University of Louisiana-Monroe men's basketball programme as its leading returning scorer, an All-Conference player and the unquestioned of the Warhawks for the 2018-19 season.

"Being a senior comes with a lot of responsibility, you've got to bring it each and every day. You can't be lacking because you have guys that are following your lead," Munnings said at Warhawks media day. "I have to come ready to compete each and every day and night and to bee a leader that I was called to be."

They open the preseason with a home exhibition game on November 1 against Henderson State and open the regular season on November 6 on the road against Jackson State.

"This group has come in everyday wanting to work and wanting to get better as a team and I feel like if we continue to do that each and every day we will be a good team. I just the team some days 'I know you wont feel like being in practice, not wanting to do it or your body doesn't feel right,' but at the end of the day you just have to push through it because it will all pay off in the long run," Munnings said.

"I see a good team. I think we'll be very quick and very active. We've got a lot of talent and guys who can play multiple positions. I feel like we won't have situations where we go four or five minutes without scoring. We have aggressive guys who are athletic."

After testing the market last spring and facing evaluation from scouts and coaches, Munnings withdrew from the NBA Draft and decided to return to the Warhawks.

"I'm excited to come back for my senior year," Munnings said. "I want to complete unfinished business and try to make it to the NCAA Tournament. I want to compete at a high level and try to push my team to be the best it can be."

Last season, he was named a Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) Men's College Basketball Team Third-team selection to add to his postseason accolades.

As a junior, he averaged 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He was previously honoured as Second-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection and won Sun Belt Player of the Week.

En route to winning Conference Player of the Week honours, Munnings averaged 21 points and 5.5 rebounds while helping ULM to a homecourt sweep over UT Arlington (84-71) and Texas State (79-71).

He also made 9-of-21 three pointers (41 per cent) during that two-game stretch.

Munnings led the team in both scoring and rebounding and is a member of the 1,000-point club. As a freshman, the 6'6" forward averaged 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds and increased those numbers to 13.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

"Travis is having an outstanding career. What I hope for him is that we're really good his senior year."

He expects those numbers to increase this season.

"I stayed in the gym. I tried to stay consistent with my work. Working on the things I lacked, tried to get better so I can better myself and be better for my teammates," Munnings said.

"I just want us to compete every night and whatever happens…happens. We need to leave it all on the floor every game, every practice. I just want to let them know to still have fun with it because at the end of the day, it's basketball, so I want them to enjoy their time and give it their all.