SAN ANGELO, Texas – Angelo State basketball will get its season rolling with the Texan Tip-Off Classic in Stephenville, Texas, this Friday, Nov 13 at 2 p.m. against Adams State and will then follow up with a game against the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs on Sunday, Nov 14 at 2 p.m.
The Rams enter the 2015-16 seasons coming off a 28-6 overall record in which they advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. The Rams are 2-2 all-time against Adams State which enters their 2015-16 season coming off a 19-9 season and returns three lettermen. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs currently sits at 1-2 on the season having gotten an early start in the Disney Tip-Off Classic in Anaheim, California. The Mountain Lions gained their first win against the University of Alaska Anchorage and have returned the majority of their roster.
"Initially we are looking to come out and be as aggressive as we can be," said ASU men's basketball head coach Cinco Boone. "We will be looking to put forth 100 percent effort in executing the game plans that we put together for this week, but more so towards the overall game plan that we have put together since October 15. We have two good opponents in Adams State and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs which both present challenges. Adams State is a more guard oriented team in which we will have to defend the bounce and face multiple defenses. Then the following day we will have to play against some size in which we will have to rebound and defend in the post really well. I think that these will be two great games that will prepare us for what we will see in our conference play this season so we will be looking for great effort and enthusiasm in taking this first step in the process and our journey."
Returning only forward Omari Gudul from the historic 2014-15 season, the Rams will look to a host of new talent and a new coaching staff to continue its programs success. Head coach Boone received the promotion to head coach after helping guide the Rams to a 47-15 record over the past two seasons as the associate head coach. Boone sports an impressive resume with prior coaching experience at the Division I, Division II, junior college and high school levels. Prior to holding the position of associate head coach he was an assistant coach at McMurry University during the 2012-13 season which followed a pair of seasons as an assistant at Stephen F. Austin. His aforementioned head coaching experience came at Jacksonville College, a junior college two hours southeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He was also a graduate assistant at Hardin Simmons University and an assistant coach at Portales High School in Portales, New Mexico.
Boone will be supported by assistant coach David Lewis, who is an up and coming star in the basketball coaching ranks. The Kingwood, Texas, native came to ASU following up a stint with the Orlando Magic organization where he worked as a video analysis and opposition scout. Prior to the Magic, Lewis was student and graduate assistant at UT from 2007-13 and helped develop multiple student-athletes that were selected in the NBA Draft. During his tenure with the Longhorns they won a Big 12 championship and made an NCAA Elite Eight appearance.
The Rams will look to the on court leadership of returning senior forward Omari Gudul. A native of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gudul started in 21 games for the Rams last season in which he played an average of 19.2 minutes per game. He sported the highest field goal percentage for the squad draining 106 out of 164 field goal attempts. The senior also averaged 7.3 points per game during the 2014-15 campaign and accounted for 247 total points. Gudul was third on the Rams with 153 total rebounds cleaning up with a team second 63 offensive rebounds.
Some of the Rams newcomers that will take to the court on Friday will include Tre Bennett, Shelton Boykin, DeVonte' Pratt, Stedman Allen, and Prince Foster. ASU will look to Bennett to facilitate the squad as the main point guard. The Houston, Texas native averaged eight points per game and received honors in the Missouri Valley Conference as a vital member of the Indiana State University bench.
Boykin, a versatile guard from Long Beach, California, can score in a variety of ways and came to ASU from Antelope Valley College (California). The junior transfer assisted AVC to a 2015 conference championship while being named 1st team All-State and averaging 18.8 points per game, to go along with six rebounds.
Hailing from the Bronx, New York, forward Allen was named athlete of the year while at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas. He was also named to the All-Region and All-Conference teams while averaging 19 points and seven rebounds per game. A great rebounder and hard worker with a great motor, the Rams will look to him to continue his on court successes.
Junior guard, Pratt, previously played at St. Petersburg College (Florida) where he was named to the All-State team and received an All-American honorable mention. He averaged 14.1 points per game, five rebounds and three assists for the SPC Titans. Fellow guard and SPC former team member, Foster, originates from Miami, Florida and averaged 12 points per game, four rebounds, and two assists for the titans last year.
