STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton State Men’s Basketball begins its 2024-25 slate with its first of six power four conference opponents opening with SMU at the Moody Coliseum on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and ACCXN. Live stats will be provided by StatBroadcast available on tarletonsports.com. Follow @tarletonmbb on Instagram, X and Facebook for live updates, highlights and content.
Senior transfer Freddy Hicks is back for his fourth and final season in the ‘Ville. Hicks was named to the five-man 2024-25 Preseason All-WAC Team. The senior earned his second preseason All-WAC selection, after earning second team honors ahead of the 2022-23 season. In his third season with the Texans, Hicks was named to the 2022-23 All-WAC Second Team. He led the team in both scoring and rebounds, averaging 16.2 points and 6.0 boards. The Searcy, Ark. native was named the 2020-21 WAC Freshman of the Year after his first year in Stephenville. Hicks led all WAC first-year players in scoring 8.2 points per game.
The Krass brothers are the first pair of brothers to both enter their first year at Tarleton together. Once on the court, the brothers will be the second set to be on the team at the same time, joining Jim and Joel Moreno who played together during the 1991-92 season. The brothers are one of 17 sets of brothers to be on the same D1 roster this season. The Krass brothers spent two seasons together at St. Patrick Catholic HS in Gulfport, MS.
Tarleton returns just 2 players to play in a game from last year’s squad and has 15 newcomers for its roster. Last season the Texans 18 newcomers was the most in the country. This year their 15 ties for the second most behind four schools with 16. Tarleton has resorted to freshman this season with nine true freshmen on the roster. This marks ranks second in the country behind Air Force’s 10. Tarleton returns less than five percent of their production last year in the following categories: FG made (4.94%), points (4.67%), 3FG Made (3.94%), FT Made (3.89%) and rebounds (3.1%).
For the first time in program history, the Texans have six Power Four Opponents on their schedule. The Texans will take on three ACC programs, a pair of Big 12 schools and one big Ten school, all on the road. In the ACC, the Texans will travel to SMU, Florida State and UCF. In the Big 12, Baylor and Oklahoma State are on the Texans’ slate. For the second time in program history, the Texans will head to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan.
Shakur Daniel recently signed to the NBA G-League with the San Diego Clippers. The San Diego Clippers are the affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers. Daniel will have the opportunity to be selected by the Clippers or another NBA organization if desired to be on an NBA roster at some point this season. Daniel played for the Texans from 2020-23. He was named Honorable Mention All-WAC in his first season. In his final season, he started all 33 games and led the WAC playing 35.7 minutes a game. Daniel spent last season in Macedonia averaged 8.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game with KK Feniks 2010.
Since 1988, Tarleton State is 30-6 in its regular season opener. Prior to 2020 the Texans were 29-3. In its Division I era, the Texans are 1-3 in the opener and 0-3 when it occurs on the road. Monday will mark the first time the Texans play on November 4th. In true road games, the Texans are 0-5 on the regular season opener. Away from Stephenville for the regular season opener, the Texans are 3-6, with a 3-1 victory in neutral sites.
Monday will mark the first all-time series matchup between the Texans and the Mustangs. Coach Gillispie will be coaching against SMU for the first time in his career.
Tarleton will return to Wisdom Gym for its regular season home opener against Sam Houston. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. in the first game of the final season in Wisdom Gym.
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