SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State men's basketball team, off to its best start to a season since Vinay Patel took over the reins of the Rams basketball program, takes their 5-0 record west for a non-conference matchup against Sul Ross State.

LAST TIME OUT
The Rams opened their home schedule in style, defeating Western Colorado 91-72 before closing the weekend with a 68-61 win over Adams State. Jesaiah McWright and Jaqai Murray led the Rams in scoring, averaging 16.5 and 15.5 points per game, respectively. 

KIRBY NAMED LSC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior forward Ja'Queze Kirby was named the LSC Defensive Player of the Week following a pair of standout performances in his first two games inside the Junell Center/Stephens Arena. Kirby, a product of Hazlehurst, Georgia, averaged ten rebounds, three steals, and two blocks as the Rams opened their home schedule with wins over Western Colorado and Adams State. In 23 minutes against Western Colorado, Kirby scored eight points while grabbing seven rebounds, blocking a pair of shots, and nabbing three steals. Against Adams State, the Coaching, Sport, Recreation, and Fitness Administration student fell one point shy of a double-double, scoring nine points and securing a season-high 13 rebounds. He also blocked two shots and grabbed three steals against the Grizzlies. 

RAMS SWEEP LSC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS TO OPEN SEASON
Rams forwards Jaqai Murray and Zyon Little swept the Lone Star Conference player of the week awards on Tuesday for their performances at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic at the Trailhead to start off the 2025-26 season. Murray led the Rams in scoring with 14.7 points per game. He shot 60 percent from the field and averaged 6.7 rebounds per game. He ended the weekend with 20 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in the win over No. 10 Colorado School of Mines. Little led the Rams' rebounding effort, averaging seven rebounds per game. The Dickinson native also nearly recorded two double-doubles with 11 points and eight rebounds against Nebraska-Kearney and ten points and eight rebounds against No. 10 Colorado School of Mines. 

SCOUTING SUL ROSS
Sul Ross is 0-2 on the season, with both losses coming on the road against Black Hills State and MSU Denver. The Lobos fell to BHSU 86-54 before dropping a 113-103 shootout against the Roadrunners. Last season, two of their three wins came on home court. Antwonne Holmes leads the team with 17.5 points per game on 42.1 percent shooting. Jackson Thoele and Camren Roper lead the team with six rebounds per game each. Roper also leads the team with ten steals. Opponents are shooting 55.7 percent from the field against SRSU, scoring 99.5 points per game. 

NEW TEAM, WHO DIS?
The Rams will have a new look in the 2025-26 season as they return only two players - Chace Fields and Darius Brady - from last year's team. The Rams' coaching staff brought in 13 new players, five of whom come from the Division I ranks. Four of the newcomers join ASU from a JUCO, while two are from Division II, and two are high school products. 

RAMS RANKED SIXTH IN LSC PRESEASON POLL
The Rams were picked sixth in the LSC Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's coaches, sports information directors, and media members. Defending regional champions DBU were picked to repeat as LSC Champions, followed by St. Mary's, Lubbock Christian, St. Edward's, and West Texas A&M. 

HOME COURT DOMINANCE
Under head coach Vinay Patel, the Rams are 36-4 inside the Junell Center/Stephens Arena, good enough for a .900 winning percentage. They have won their last nine games on their home court, including a win over No. 5 DBU last spring. The Rams won their first 21 games on their home court under Patel's guidance, including a 13-0 mark in 2022-23, Patel's first season in charge. 

RAMS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
Under head coach Vinay Patel, the Rams have a 17-5 record in non-conference play. The Rams previously played Sul Ross State in non-conference play during the 2022-23 season, when the Rams claimed a 75-53 victory. This marks the Rams' second visit to Alpine - last season, the Rams left the Gallego Center with a 77-64 win over the Lobos. 

RAMS STATS
The Rams have players ranked in the top ten in the country in numerous categories. Jordan Crawford is eighth in the country in assists, while Jhordan Ryan is third in Division II with eight blocks. Jaqai Murray is fourth in the nation with 33 field goals made and ranks fourth with 38 free-throw attempts, while ranking seventh in points scored. Jesaiah McWright leads Division II with 31 made free throws and is third nationally with 39 free throw attempts. Zyon Little is sixth with 37 steals, and Kailon Nicholls is fourth in Division II with 12 steals. 

In the LSC, Jhordan Ryan leads the conference in blocks while Jesaiah McWright and Jaqai Murray rank 1-2 in free throws attempted and free throws made. Zyon Little leads the LSC in rebounding, while Kailon Nicholls leads the conference in steals.