SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State men's basketball team faces the same team twice this week, facing Texas A&M-Kingsville inside the Junell Center/Stephens Arena on Wednesday night before the Rams travel down to Kingsville for a rematch on Saturday afternoon. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Rams defeated UT Permian Basin on a short week, winning last Tuesday 80-77 over the Falcons before dropping their first-ever matchup against UT Dallas 65-53 last Thursday. Zyon Little and Jhordan Ryan each recorded double-doubles, with Little tallying 19 points and ten rebounds while Ryan turned in a 13-point, 11-rebound performance. Against the Comets, Ryan scored 18 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. 

SCOUTING TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE
Texas A&M-Kingsville is 7-9 on the season and 4-4 in conference play. They are 5-3 on their home court and 2-6 in neutral and away games. They haven't won away from Kingsville since December 11, when they beat UT Permian Basin in Odessa. The Javelinas score 69.9 points per game on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 30.9 percent shooting from three. Bryson Goldsmith leads the team with 10.9 points; the junior has scored in double figures in each of the last six games, including a season-high 27 against Cameron. Bryce Smith spearheads the Javelinas' efforts on the boards (3.7 rebounds per game) as well as playmaking (3.3 assists per game) and on defense (2.0 steals per game). Opponents score 74.3 points per game, shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three. The Rams are 62-57 all-time against the Javelinas and have won the past five meetings by an average of 6.6 points per game. 

AIR J(H)ORDANS
The duo of Jordan Crawford and Jhordan Ryan had a pair of standout performances last week. Against UT Permian Basin, Ryan had 13 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals, while Crawford scored nine points and assisted nine times. In their game against UT Dallas, Ryan scored 18 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, and Crawford assisted seven times and nabbed seven steals. Ryan's 19 rebounds are tied for the fifth-most in a single game in program history and is the first Ram to grab that many rebounds in a game since Andres Ibarguen grabbed 19 against West Texas A&M on March 7, 2020. Crawford's seven steals are tied for the second-most in program history. He is the third player under head coach Vinay Patel to record seven steals in a game, joining Steve Webb and Kevon Godwin. 

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. 

LITTLE NAMED LSC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK TO OPEN SEASON
Rams forward Zyon Little was named the Lone Star Conference defensive player of the week for his performances at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic at the Trailhead to start off the 2025-26 season. 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. 

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 12 new players, four of whom come from the Division I ranks. Four of the newcomers join ASU from a JUCO, two from Division II, and two from high school. 

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 39-6 inside the Junell Center/Stephens Arena, good enough for a .867 winning percentage. 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 are 21-7 in non-conference play and 4-1 in true road non-conference games. 

RAMS IN LSC PLAY
Under head coach Vinay Patel, the Rams have a 49-26 record in LSC play.