2023–24 Tarleton State Texans men's basketball team

2023–24 Tarleton State Texans men's basketball
CIT, Semifinals
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
Record25–10 (16–4 WAC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Joseph Jones (acting head coach as of November 14)
  • Luke Adams
  • Damon Archibald
Home arenaWisdom Gym
Seasons
2023–24 WAC men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Grand Canyon † 17 – 3   .850 30 – 5   .857
Tarleton* 16 – 4   .800 25 – 10   .714
UT Arlington 13 – 7   .650 20 – 14   .588
Seattle 11 – 9   .550 23 – 14   .622
Utah Valley 11 – 9   .550 16 – 16   .500
Stephen F. Austin 10 – 10   .500 18 – 15   .545
Abilene Christian 10 – 10   .500 16 – 18   .471
California Baptist 8 – 12   .400 16 – 17   .485
Utah Tech* 7 – 13   .350 11 – 20   .355
Southern Utah 5 – 15   .250 10 – 21   .323
UT Rio Grande Valley 2 – 18   .100 6 – 25   .194
* Ineligible for the NCAA tournament due to transition from Division II
† 2024 WAC tournament winner

The 2023–24 Tarleton State Texans men's basketball team represented Tarleton State University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Billy Gillispie and played their games at the Wisdom Gym as members of the Western Athletic Conference. They finished the season 25–10, 16–4 in WAC play, to finish in second place. As the No. 2 seed in the WAC tournament, they lost to UT Arlington in the semifinals. They received an invitation to the CIT, where they defeated Texas A&M–Corpus Christi in the first round, and fellow WAC member Abilene Christian in the quarterfinals, before losing to Purdue Fort Wayne in the semifinals.

This season marked Tarleton State's final year of a four-year transition period from Division II to Division I. As a result, the Texans were not eligible to play in the NCAA tournament, but were eligible to play in the WAC tournament.

On November 14, just four games into the season, head coach Billy Gillispie took a medical leave of absence, leaving Joseph Jones as the acting head coach. Gillespie later signed a two-year contract extension on March 5, but announced he would remain in an advisory role for the remainder of the season in order to fully recover.[1]

Previous season

The Texans finished the season 17–17, 9–9 in conference play, to finish in seventh place. In the WAC tournament, the team defeated UT Rio Grande Valley in their first round game before falling to Utah Valley. While not eligible to be invited to the NCAA tournament during their four-year transition from Division II to Division I, the Texans were invited to the College Basketball Invitational. They were defeated by the Radford in the first round to end their season.

Roster

2023–24 Tarleton State Texans men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Izzy Miles 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Grissom HS Huntsville, AL
G 1 Miles Lewis 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Jr Sacramento HS Sacramento, CA
F 2 Traivar Jackson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Jr West Anchorage HS Anchorage, AK
G 3 Quinton Perkins II 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 173 lb (78 kg) Fr Lake Highlands HS Rowlett, TX
G 4 Lue Williams 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 197 lb (89 kg) Sr Coastal Alabama CC–South Atmore, AL
F 5 KiAndre Gaddy 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Sr Walla Walla Dallas, TX
F 6 Jakorie Smith 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Sr East Mississippi CC Utica, MS
G 7 Kaya Mutambirwa 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Real Madrid HS Geneva, Switzerland
G 8 Joseph Martinez 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) RS Fr Canutillo HS El Paso, TX
F 9 Emmanuel Innocenti 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 198 lb (90 kg) Fr ITC Piero Calamandrei Ranzanico, Italy
G 10 Adam Moussa 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Sr Black Hills State Cairo, Egypt
G 11 Bubu Benjamin 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Fr Edge HS Medicine Hat, AB
G 12 Nasan Ayala 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 188 lb (85 kg) Jr Pratt CC Queens, NY
G 13 Devon Barnes 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 171 lb (78 kg) So Shiloh HS Hinesville, GA
C 20 Kevin Paul Jr. 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 202 lb (92 kg) Fr Open Tent Academy Grand Prairie, TX
G 22 Jalen Thomas 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sr Oklahoma Panhandle State Amarillo, TX
F 23 Dario Domingos 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Jr UT Arlington Midland, TX
G 26 Jayden Gordon 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 159 lb (72 kg) Fr Harlan HS San Antonio, TX
F 40 Blake Brinkmeyer 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Sr Kirkwood CC West Des Moines, IA
G 76 Zaakir Sawyer 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 208 lb (94 kg) Jr Trinity Valley CC Dallas, TX
F 77 Adil Lalji 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 190 lb (86 kg) So Seattle Pacific Seattle, WA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: October 27, 2023

Schedule and Results

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 30, 2023*
8:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Howard Payne W 105–42 
 30 – Smith   15 – Gaddy   4 – Miles  Wisdom Gym (720)
Stephenville, TX
Regular season
November 6, 2023*
6:00 p.m. 		at Virginia L 50–80  0–1
  11 – Barnes   5 – tied   3 – Benjamin  John Paul Jones Arena (14,080)
Charlottesville, VA
November 9, 2023*
6:00 p.m. 		at FIU
C–USA/WAC Alliance 		W 82–65  1–1
  34 – Smith   14 – Gaddy   5 – tied  Ocean Bank Convocation Center (1,242)
Miami, FL
November 11, 2023*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		UNT Dallas W 93–52  2–1
  20 – Gaddy   13 – Innocenti   5 – Barnes  Wisdom Gym (1,040)
Stephenville, TX
November 14, 2023*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Bradley
SoCal Challenge campus game 		L 63–86  2–2
  16 – tied   6 – Williams   1 – tied  Carver Arena (4,032)
Peoria, IL
November 20, 2023*
4:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		vs. Austin Peay
SoCal Challenge Sand Division semifinal 		W 66–59  3–2
  28 – Smith   7 – tied   4 – tied  The Pavilion at JSerra (113)
San Juan Capistrano, CA
November 22, 2023*
4:30 p.m., FloHoops 		vs. Cal State Bakersfield
SoCal Challenge Sand Division championship 		W 59–40  4–2
  17 – Smith   13 – Innocenti   5 – Moussa  The Pavilion at JSerra (259)
San Juan Capistrano, CA
November 29, 2023
6:30 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Stephen F. Austin W 68–66  5–2
(1–0) 		 18 – Williams   9 – Williams   3 – Lewis  William R. Johnson Coliseum (2,032)
Nacogdoches, TX
December 2, 2023
4:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		UT Rio Grande Valley W 77–75  6–2
(2–0) 		 18 – Gaddy   10 – Gaddy   5 – Barnes  Wisdom Gym (1,327)
Stephenville, TX
December 5, 2023*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Hardin–Simmons W 92–56  7–2
  16 – Williams   6 – Benjamin   3 – Moussa  Wisdom Gym (1,210)
Stephenville, TX
December 12, 2023*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Sterling W 85–47  8–2
  17 – Smith   12 – Gaddy   4 – Smith  Wisdom Gym (605)
Stephenville, TX
December 18, 2023*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Jacksonville State
C–USA/WAC Alliance 		L 62–65  8–3
  20 – Barnes   9 – Innocenti   4 – tied  Wisdom Gym (1,754)
Stephenville, TX
December 21, 2023*
5:30 p.m., ESPN+ 		at No. 8 Tennessee L 46–65  8–4
  12 – Barnes   8 – Smith   5 – Williams  Thompson-Boling Arena (17,609)
Knoxville, TN
December 29, 2023*
9:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Loyola Marymount W 79–66  9–4
  24 – Gaddy   12 – Gaddy   8 – Innocenti  Gersten Pavilion (818)
Los Angeles, CA
January 4, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		UT Arlington W 78–76  10–4
(3–0) 		 19 – Innocenti   8 – Jackson   5 – Barnes  Wisdom Gym (1,078)
Stephenville, TX
January 11, 2024
9:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at California Baptist L 63–77  10–5
(3–1) 		 12 – Barnes   5 – Innocenti   2 – tied  Fowler Events Center (3,676)
Riverside, CA
January 13, 2024
8:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Grand Canyon L 48–74  10–6
(3–2) 		 11 – Barnes   5 – Gaddy   2 – tied  GCU Arena (7,233)
Phoenix, AZ
January 18, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Abilene Christian W 79–71  11–6
(4–2) 		 25 – Smith   9 – Innocenti   4 – tied  Wisdom Gym (2,104)
Stephenville, TX
January 20, 2024
6:30 p.m., ESPN+ 		at UT Rio Grande Valley W 77–73  12–6
(5–2) 		 28 – Williams   8 – Gaddy   7 – Innocenti  UTRGV Fieldhouse (1,514)
Edinburg, TX
January 25, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Southern Utah L 70–73  12–7
(5–3) 		 22 – Barnes   9 – Innocenti   5 – Innocenti  Wisdom Gym (1,677)
Stephenville, TX
January 27, 2024
4:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Utah Tech W 86–68  13–7
(6–3) 		 28 – Smith   7 – Innocenti   7 – Moussa  Wisdom Gym (2,110)
Stephenville, TX
February 1, 2024
6:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Abilene Christian W 76–73 OT 14–7
(7–3) 		 25 – Williams   12 – Gaddy   3 – Smith  Moody Coliseum (1,652)
Abilene, TX
February 3, 2024
4:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Stephen F. Austin W 75–64  15–7
(8–3) 		 27 – Williams   6 – Gaddy   4 – tied  Wisdom Gym (2,140)
Stephenville, TX
February 8, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Utah Valley W 72–61  16–7
(9–3) 		 21 – Williams   10 – Innocenti   4 – tied  UCCU Center (1,985)
Orem, UT
February 10, 2024
5:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Seattle W 82–77  17–7
(10–3) 		 26 – Smith   7 – tied   4 – Innocenti  Redhawk Center (966)
Seattle, WA
February 15, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at UT Arlington W 80–78  18–7
(11–3) 		 22 – Williams   7 – Innocenti   5 – tied  College Park Center (2,110)
Arlington, TX
February 22, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Grand Canyon W 77–74  19–7
(12–3) 		 24 – Smith   14 – Gaddy   4 – Innocenti  Wisdom Gym (3,000)
Stephenville, TX
February 24, 2024
4:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		California Baptist W 82–65  20–7
(13–3) 		 33 – Barnes   5 – tied   10 – Moussa  Wisdom Gym (2,276)
Stephenville, TX
February 29, 2024
8:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Utah Tech W 85–74  21–7
(14–3) 		 24 – Smith   8 – Williams   5 – Smith  Burns Arena (1,440)
St. George, UT
March 2, 2024
6:30 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Southern Utah W 88–83  22–7
(15–3) 		 22 – Smith   8 – Gaddy   6 – Moussa  America First Event Center (1,119)
Cedar City, UT
March 7, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Utah Valley L 60–63  22–8
(15–4) 		 18 – Barnes   8 – Smith   3 – Jackson  Wisdom Gym (N/A)
Stephenville, TX
March 9, 2024
4:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Seattle W 69–66  23–8
(16–4) 		 21 – Gaddy   10 – Innocenti   5 – tied  Wisdom Gym (2,024)
Stephenville, TX
WAC tournament
March 15, 2024
10:30 p.m., ESPNU 		(2) vs. (3) UT Arlington
Semifinals 		L 84–87  23–9
  24 – Barnes   7 – Innocenti   4 – tied  Orleans Arena (4,057)
Paradise, NV
CIT
March 19, 2024*
6:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Texas Southern
First round – Lou Henson Classic 		W 82–71  24–9
  21 – Williams   10 – Gaddy   6 – Moussa  Wisdom Gym (1,426)
Stephenville, TX
March 20, 2024*
6:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Abilene Christian
Quarterfinals – Lou Henson Classic 		W 86–59  25–9
  16 – Gaddy   8 – Innocenti   6 – Innocenti  Wisdom Gym (1,576)
Stephenville, TX
March 25, 2024*
6:00 pm, ESPN+ 		Purdue Fort Wayne
Semifinals 		L 72–73  25–10
  16 – Moussa   7 – Smith   4 – Moussa  Wisdom Gym (1,686)
Stephenville, TX
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time.

Source[2]

References

  1. ^ Thamel, Pete (March 5, 2024). "Sources: Tarleton State, Billy Gillispie near 2-year extension". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "2023–24 Men's Basketball Schedule". tarletonsports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.