THE MATCHUP
Teams: Tarleton (6-9, 1-1 WAC) vs. Sam Houston (7-8, 2-0 WAC)
Date: 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 6
Location: Wisdom Gym in Stephenville, Texas
TELEVISION: ESPN+
Kyle Youmans, Play-by-Play
Mike Hardge, Analyst
RADIO: Tarleton Sports Network, KTRL 90.5 FM
Casey Hogan, Play-by-Play
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
For the first time in 45 years, the Texans and Bearkats are set to square off on the hardwood.
And the long-overdue reunion – Stephenville and Huntsville are separated by 220 miles – carries high stakes in the early going of Western Athletic Conference play.
Thursday's matchup marks the first time Tarleton and Sam Houston are meeting on the WAC and Division I stage. The game also signifies the Texans' first against one of the four Texas-based schools the WAC annexed from the Southland Conference in 2021.
The Texans can jump as high as third place in the conference standings with a victory over the Bearkats. A win also would give Tarleton its first 2-1 start to their conference slate since 2018 and be the team's sixth win in its last eight tries.
A Sam Houston victory, coupled with a loss by Abilene Christian on Thursday, gives the Bearkats sole possession of first place in the expanded WAC.
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Tarleton is 5-1 in home games this season and 11-4 all time under Gillispie inside Wisdom Gym. The Texans have outscored opponents by 85 points (423-388) in home games this year. Tarleton turns teams over an average of 21.4 times per game in home contests under Gillispie.
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The Bearkats are winless (0-4) on the road thus far. Sam Houston has been competitive away from home in spite of its 0-4 record. Its losses have come by an average of eight points.
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The Texans anticipate a clean bill of health on Thursday. Tarleton was without five players and two coaches due to COVID-19 protocols in road games against Dixie State on Dec. 30 and Utah Valley on Jan. 1. The team notched a wire-to-wire 83-69 win over the Trailblazers despite having 10 available players and entering just six.
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The Bearkats are coached by Jason Hooten, who served as an assistant coach under Lonn Reisman from 1993-2004 following a two-year playing career from 1989-1991. Hooten helped the Texans to a 204-111 record during his tenure at Tarleton.
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Sam Houston owns a 15-3 edge in the all-time series.
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Tarleton sits in front of SHSU in both the NCAA NET Rankings and Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings. The Texans rank 179th in the NET Rankings while the Bearkats are 260th. Tarleton is No. 184 in KenPom whereas SHSU is No. 239.
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For the Bearkats, 6-7 graduate student Savion Flagg leads the WAC in scoring (19.5 ppg) and is second in rebounding (8.5 rpg). Jaden Ray is sixth in the WAC in total assists with 64. The 5-10 guard has dished out 22 dimes in the Bearkats' last three outings.
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Tarleton and Sam Houston are polar opposites at the charity stripe. Whereas Tarleton leads the WAC in free throw percentage (74.7 percent), the Bearkats are dead last at 55 percent.
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The Bearkats will be the second straight team to test Tarleton on the boards. Sam Houston ranks 40th nationally in rebounding margin (+6.4) and third in the conference in the category as well as rebounds per game (39.6). Utah Valley, Tarleton's most recent opponent, is 15th nationally in both rebounding margin (+9.1) and rebounds per game (41.6).
GAME COVERAGE
Fans can access a live stream to the game at Plus.ESPN.com. Links to the video broadcast as well as live stats can be found on the men's basketball schedule page at TarletonSports.com. A complete radio broadcast of the game can be heard on the Tarleton Sports Network at TarletonSports.com/Watch and on the flagship station of Tarleton athletics – KTRL 90.5 FM in Stephenville. The pregame show begins 30 minutes before tipoff.
ATTENDING THE GAME
Fans can purchase single-game general admission tickets in one of three ways: online at TarletonSports.com/Tickets, in person at the Tarleton Athletic Ticket Office or by calling 254-968-1832. The Tarleton Athletic Ticket Office is located on the west side of Memorial Stadium and is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. A link to purchase tickets to all Tarleton men's basketball home games can be found on the team's schedule page at TarletonSports.com. Doors will open hone hour before tipoff at 6 p.m.
A WIN OVER SAM HOUSTON WOULD
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Be Tarleton's third consecutive home victory
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Mark Tarleton's second-ever WAC home victory
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Improve the Texans' all-time WAC record to 7-8
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Hand Sam Houston its first conference loss of the season and fifth consecutive road defeat
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Boost Tarleton's record in January games to 5-7 as a D1 program
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Be the Texans' ninth true D1 victory
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Make Tarleton 6-1 in home games this season
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Raise the Texans record inside Wisdom Gym since 2007-205-36
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Signify Tarleton's sixth win in it last eight tries
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Spike Gillispie's home record at Tarleton to 12-4
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Give Gillispie his 165th career D1 victory
TEXAN NOTABLES
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Tarleton has suffered just one home loss when leading at halftime under Gillispie. The Texans are 11-1 when ahead on the scoreboard entering the intermission.
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The Texans are 8-2 in conference home-openers over the last decade. Tarleton won eight consecutive ballgames of such from 2011-2018.
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Tarleton is tied with Kansas for the 22nd-best turnover margin (+4.7) in the country. The Texans rank second in the WAC in the category.
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The Texans continue to lead the WAC in free throw percentage with a 77.4 percent clip.
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Tarleton is one of just two teams with a pair of top-10 scorers in the WAC in Montre Gipson (14.5 ppg) and Tahj Small (14.4 ppg). They rank ninth and 10th, respectively.
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Tarleton has limited opponents to 56 points per game in home contests this season. It has held four opponents under 60 points and most recently rendered Air Force to a season-low 45 points on Dec. 21
INDIVIDUAL NOTABLES
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FREDDY HICKS has scored 52 points (17.3 ppg) over Tarleton's last three outings. He tallied a game, season and career-high 27 points on 9-18 shooting in Tarleton's win at Dixie State. Hicks' 27 points scored were tied for the second-most in a single game by any Texan this season
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HICKS has been at his best on the glass inside Wisdom Gym. The 6-6 sophomore averages a team-best 6.7 rebounds per home game. Hicks is scoring an average of 10.3 points per game at home and snagged 24 rebounds in Tarleton's three D1 vs. D1 home games.
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HICKS increased his scoring average from 8.1 points per game to 9.7 points per game following his pair of double-digit scoring efforts in the Beehive State. He has delivered his best performances in Purple and White in conference road games. All three of his double-doubles in 2021 came away from Stephenville. Hicks' 27 points against Dixie State on Thursday were the most in a true D1 road game by any Texan.
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SHAMIR BOGUES is among the conference and nation's elite on-ball defenders. Bogues ranks third in the WAC in steals per game (2.1) and tied for ninth nationally int total steals. He turned in one of his best all-around performances of the year at Utah Valley on Saturday, tallying a team-high 17 points to go with six points, four assists and two steals.
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BOGUES has recorded 17 multi-steals games in his career and seven this season. His seven steals at South Alabama were a conference single-game high.
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MONTRE GIPSON earned the distinction of becoming the first player in Tarleton's D1 era to reach 500 career points on Saturday at Utah Valley. Gipson is Tarleton's active leader in points scored (507) and minutes played (1,142).
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GIPSON is tied for seventh in the nation in minutes played (518). The senior has played 39 minutes in 10-of-15 contests this season. He has gone the full 40 minutes six times vs. WAC foes in his career.
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GIPSON has scored in double figures in six straight conference games and eclipsed 10-points on 13 occasions this season. He is Tarleton's active leader in career 10-point games (26).
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TAHJ SMALL is Tarleton's leading rebounder at 5.8 boards per outing. He ranks in the top-20 in the WAC in four categories: scoring, free throw percentage (4th, .857), minutes per game (7th, 34.2) and rebounding (17th).
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SMALL has scored in double figures in 10 straight games and 12 times this season.
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JAVONTAE HOPKINS, NOAH MCDAVID and JAYSHAWN MOORE earned their first career starts in Tarleton's games at Dixie State and Utah Valley. Hopkins (18 points) and McDavid (17 points) joined Gipson and Hicks in playing the full 40 minutes vs. the Trailblazers. Hopkins' 18 points were a D1 career high while McDavid's 17 were his most in a true D1 game.
LAST TIME OUT: UTAH VALLEY 77, TARLETON 55
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The Texans won the turnover battle for the 13th time in 15 games this season. Tarleton forced 17 Utah Valley giveaways and had 12 turnovers of their own.
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Tarleton went 17-22 at the foul line. The team's 17 made free throws were its most in a true D1 game this season.
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Tarleton was without six players and two coaches for the second straight game due to COVID-19 protocols and injury.
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The Texans connected at a season-low 29 percent (17-58) from the field while the Wolverines shot 50 percent combined and from behind the arc (8-16).
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Utah Valley opened the game on an 11-0 run. Tarleton began the contest 0-9 from the field and was 4-23 through the game's first 14 minutes.
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The Texans trimmed the deficit down to seven points at 17-10 at the 9:16 mark of the first half but the Wolverines used a 9-2 run to extend their advantage to 26-12 with 5:30 remaining. Tarleton tallied seven straight points to get within single digits and trailed 34-23 entering the intermission.
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The Wolverines scored 16 of the first 22 points in the second half to assume a 52-28 advantage – the largest of the game – and maintained a 20-point lead at 59-37 with 11:47 to go.
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Utah Valley out-rebounded Tarleton 48-29 and finished with a 38-18 edge in points in the paint.
UP NEXT: STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Tarleton caps a two-game homestand on Saturday with its first-and-only meeting with the Lumberjacks this season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Lumberjacks are 8-4 this season and are expected to make their WAC debut on Thursday at ACU.
A win over SFA would be Tarleton's first in the all-time series between the schools. SFA owns a 15-0 head-to-head record over the Texans.
ACROSS THE RANKINGS
NCAA NET Rankings
Tarleton has risen 89 spots in the rankings over the last three weeks, climbing from No. 268 to No. 179 following wins in three of its last four ballgames.
The Texans have faced off with five teams currently ranked inside the top-80 of the rankings in No. 4 Gonzaga, No. 8 Kansas, No. 43 Michigan, No. 74 Utah Valley and No. 78 Wichita State.
South Alabama was ranked 79th when Tarleton defeated the Jaguars 65-52 inside Wisdom Gym for its first win over a top-100 team. Tarleton is slated to draw three more foes ranked inside the top-100 in Abilene Christian (No. 59), Grand Canyon (No. 81) and New Mexico State (No. 82) during conference play.
NET Rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee to help set the 64-team field. The NET utilizes two factors in ranking teams: Team Value Index (factors in results, quality of opponent and location) and the team's NET efficiency (metrics scaled for quality of opponent and location). The rankings do not include games played against non-Division I opponents.
Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings
The Texans sit at No. 184 in the rankings as of Dec. 16.
Tarleton is rated sixth among its conference peers. New Mexico State, GCU, ACU, UVU and SFA are the conference's highest-rated teams.
The Texans are slotted in front of Seattle U (No. 194) California Baptist (No. 213), Sam Houston (No. 233), UTRGV (No. 279), Dixie State (No. 314), Lamar (No. 315) and Chicago State (No. 349).
BEST OF THE WAC
Tarleton is featured across the top of the Western Athletic Conference stat leaderboards in multiple categories through the first week of conference play.
3rd in steals (2.1 spg, 31 steals)
4h in free throw percentage (.857, 24free throws made)
7th in minutes (34.2 mpg, 444 minutes)
10th in scoring (14.4 ppg, 187 points)
17th in rebounding (5.8 rpg, 76 rebounds)
9th in scoring (14.5 ppg, 217 points)
T-5th in minutes per game (34.5 mpg, 518 minutes)
11th in free throw percentage (.739, 46 free throws made)
11th in blocks (0.7 bpg, 11 blocks)
9th in free throw percentage (.754, 57 free throws made)
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"That was tough. Billy did a great job. We saw that - how they played Michigan. Even their KU game was tough deep into the second half. On short prep, we tried to get the guys ready for that and it was harder than it looked on film. We just did a great job of surviving it. Intense, pressure on the basketball, and they front, they rake you in the lane, and they reach, and poke, and grab, and they do a good job with it." - Mark Few, Gonzaga head coach
"You've got a chance to have a good team. A really good team. You've got interchangeable parts, everybody's about the same size, and as you get into the season, that will become much harder to score against because you guys are tough. You won't let bigs be bigs because you're tough." - Bill Self, Kansas head coach
"Coach told us going in it was going to be a tough game, and they were going to pressure us a lot. That's something we didn't see against Michigan State, it was pretty much the opposite. Coach told us it was going to be a dog fight the whole time." - Christian Braun, Kansas guard
"Tarleton is very good at getting into passing lanes, being active with their hands, feet, and their energy." - Juwan Howard, Michigan head coach
"We got what we signed up for. They're scrappy. They play incredibly hard. They're arguably one of the hardest-playing teams in the country. They're really well-coached. Coach Gillispie is a great coach. I'm from Kentucky. I remember when he coached at Kentucky, Texas A&M and UTEP. He's done this for a long time. He's got a scrappy group. We saw it when they went to Gonzaga, we saw it when they went to Michigan, we've seen it every game they've played. They made us uncomfortable." - Richie Riley, South Alabama head coach
"Billy Gillispie's teams really get after you defensively." - Isaac Brown, Wichita State head coach
"The pressure certainly bothered us. Their game plan was really, really good, and they executed it very, very well." - Jerod Haase, Stanford head coach
THE HARDEST SCHEDULE IN THE COUNTRY
The words spoken by Gillispie on Tarleton's Preseason WAC Media Day on Oct. 19 have never been more true.
Tarleton was ranked first in the nation in strength of schedule in the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings following its game at Gonzaga on Nov. 29.
Six of their first seven games - all of which were on the road - came against teams ranked in the top-150 of the rankings. Three of the contests were against teams ranked in the top-10 at tipoff time. Gonzaga occupied the top spot when the teams squared off on Nov. 29, Kansas ranked No. 2 when the teams met at Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 12 and Michigan was eighth prior to the teams' game on Nov. 24.
In total, 13 of the Texans' games are opposite teams ranked inside the top-150 while the team will face seven top- 130 programs and draw five foes listed in the top-100. Tarleton has already squared off with No. 75 Wichita State and No. 86 Stanford as well as North Dakota State, which was ranked 146th when the teams met on Nov. 22. Tarleton will face New Mexico State (No. 106), Abilene Christian (No. 121), Grand Canyon (No. 122), Utah Valley (No. 126) and Stephen F. Austin (No. 143) during conference play.
This season, Tarleton will play three teams ranked in the top-10 of the Preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, draw six opponents who made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and face 14 opponents who posted winning records last season. Abilene Christian, Gonzaga, Grand Canyon and Michigan earned automatic berths to the Big Dance in March as conference regular season and tournament champions while Kansas and Wichita State secured at-large invitations.
GIPSON STARS IN BIGGEST GAMES IN SCHOOL HISTORY
The national stage and high-profile matchups have elevated the play of the Preseason All-WAC first team honoree.
Gipson has scored in double figures in 11 times during nonconference play and led Tarleton in scoring five times. His 15 points vs. Stanford were a team high as were his 16 at Wichita State and 17 in Ann Arbor. Gipson, who followed Gillispie from Ranger College in 2020, has finished with double-digit point totals in 10 of Tarleton's last 11 ballgames and 11 of 13 dating back to the 2020-21 campaign.
Despite his listed height of 5-11, Gipson has been one of the Texans' most consistent rebounders in primetime. He tied for the game-high on the glass with seven boards at No. 20 Michigan, finished with six rebounds at North Dakota State and No. 3 Kansas.
Gipson was a pest at No. 3 Gonzaga. He led Tarleton with five assists and swiped the ball away a game-high three times.
He scored a season-high 29 points vs. SAGU on Dec. 8 and led all scorers with 27 points in Tarleton's 65-52 victory over South Alabama on Dec. 17.
SMALL PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF
Small delivered one of the finest performances of Tarleton's D1 era against arguably the best team in the country, tallying a career-high 25 points at Gonzaga on Nov. 29. Small led all scorers, knocked down a game and career-high five attempts from long range and led Tarleton in rebounding with seven boards.
He followed up the performance with a 24-point effort on 9-16 shooting to lead all scorers in Tarleton's first of two games against South Alabama on Dec. 14.
The Troy transfer has recorded two double-doubles this season. He scored 13 points and snagged 10 boards vs. Southwestern Assemblies of God on Dec. 8 and delivered a 16-point, 12-rebound performance vs. South Alabama on Dec. 17.
The 6-5 guard has increased his scoring and rebounding averages considerably from 2020-21. He is tallying 14.4 points per game compared to 9.2 in his first year in Stephenville.
GIPSON RACKING UP THE ALL-WAC ACCOLADES
On Oct. 19, the 5-11 senior made history when he became the first basketball player in Tarleton's WAC and D1 era to receive Preseason All-WAC first team honors as voted on by the conference media. Gipson was one of just eight players to receive the distinction. He was also named to the Preseason Coaches' All-WAC Second Team.
The accolade continued Gipson's inceptive two-year run at Tarleton. In April 2020, he became the first-ever Division I basketball signee in Tarleton sports history when he followed Gillispie from Ranger College to Stephenville. Following a standout 2020-21 campaign, Gipson was named to the All-WAC Newcomer and Honorable mention teams. He was also the first men's or women's player in school history to receive TicketSmarter WAC Player of the Week recognition after picking up the honor for March 1-7.
Gipson earned his quartet of credentials on the strength of one of the best individual offensive seasons in the WAC last winter. He led Tarleton in points per game (15.3), assists per game (3.0) and free throw percentage (85.2) and his 50 percent mark on 3-pointers ranked first in the WAC. The 5-11 guard accounted for exactly 20 percent of Tarleton's field goals made with 106. His 290 points scored were tops on the team and represented 19.7 percent of the Texans' cumulative scoring.
FOUR ALL-WAC HONOREES IN FIRST OF FOUR D1 TRANSITION YEARS
Hicks headlined Tarleton's list of award winners last season when he was named the conference's Freshman of the Year on March 9. The award was voted on by conference head coaches, who could not vote for their own players.
No freshman in the conference enjoyed as strong a second half as the Searcy, Arkansas native. The 6-6 swingman led all WAC first-year players in scoring (8.2 ppg) and elevated his game as the schedule shifted to conference play, averaging 8.6 points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game. Hicks led Tarleton with three double-doubles, all of which came on the road vs. conference opponents. He posted seven double-digit scoring games, including three in Tarleton's final five WAC games.
Shakur Daniel and Small joined Gipson and Hicks atop the All-WAC pedestal, as they each were named to the All-Conference honorable mention team in March. Daniel was Tarleton's 'glue guy (7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.6 apg) while Small was Tarleton's leading rebounder (5.8 rpg) and ranked third in the WAC in 3-point field goal percentage (45.7).
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