SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Angelo State Rams conclude their regional road trip on Saturday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. CT tipoff against Western Colorado at Paul Wright Gym in Gunnison, Colorado.

THE MATCHUP                    

ANGELO STATE vs. WESTERN COLORADO
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14 - 1:00 P.M. CT
PAUL WRIGHT GYM  |  GUNNISON, COLORADO

NEWS & NOTES                  

 ANGELO STATE HEAD COACH VINAY PATEL
Vinay Patel enters his fifth season at the helm of the Ram Basketball program for the 2026-27 season after taking over in San Angelo on April 29, 2002. Patel has mentored 14 All-LSC honorees during his time in the Concho Valley including Steve Webb being named the LSC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and Keyshawn Embery-Simpson was named the LSC Newcomer of the Year in 2024.
 
The Shamrock, Texas native holds over 20 years of collegiate coaching experience with stops at Northwestern Oklahoma State, Oklahoma City University, Rogers State and West Texas A&M.
 
A LOOK AT THE MOUNTAINEERS
Western Colorado enters Saturday with an overall record of 1-0 as they handed the UT Permian Basin Falcons a 79-77 loss on Friday afternoon in Gunnison. The Mountaineers outscored UTPB 42-38 in the second half, going 32-of-44 from the free-throw line and forcing 14 turnovers.
 
Quincy Scott led the way offensively for the Mountaineers in the opener as the sophomore guard from Burbank, Washington went 6-of-11 from the floor including 3-of-5 from deep and 12-of-16 from the charity stripe for a game-high 27 points to go along with five rebounds, one assist and a steal in the win.
 
2025-26 saw the Mountaineers go 10-18 overall with an 8-12 record during Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action. Western Colorado was tabbed 13th in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll as they return five players from last year's team with the addition of nine newcomers.
 
Western Colorado averaged 75.6 points per game a season ago as they shot 45.5% (736-of-1619) from the floor including 35.6% (249-of-699) from behind the arc and 78.3% (396-of-506) from the free throw line. The Mountaineers grabbed 33.6 rebounds per contest to go along with 403 assists, 400 turnovers, 120 steals and 87 blocks.
 
Jordan Kuac is the top returning scorer for the Mountaineers as the senior guard from Phoenix averaged 10.4 points per game, going 113-of-257 (44%) from the field with 128 boards, 41 assists, 20 steals and 17 blocks during his 28 appearances with 27 starts to average 29.8 minutes per contest.
 
WESTERN COLORADO HEAD COACH ZAC CLAUS
Zac Claus is now in his fourth season leading the Western New Mexico program. Under Claus' leadership in 2025-26, WCU produced the school's first All-American since 1993. The Mountaineers also earned recognition in the classroom with a First Team All-Academic selection. Claus came to the Western Slope after leading the University of Idaho men's basketball program for four seasons
 
Claus played collegiate basketball at both Creighton and Eastern Washington. His coaching stops include assistant roles at Nebraska Wesleyan, Austin College, Portland State, Sacramento State, Nevada and Idaho.
 
THE SERIES
Saturday afternoon marks the third all-time meeting on the hardwood between the Rams and Mountaineers. Angelo State is 2-0 in the series that dates back to 2014. It is the first ever trip for Angelo State to Paul Wright Gym, the highest elevated collegiate gymnasium in the world at 7,723 feet above sea level. Last season saw the Rams claim a 91-72 victory in San Angelo.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
The Junell Center is one of the most recognizable buildings on the ASU campus and is home to one of the finest playing courts in NCAA Division II – Stephens Arena. The university's Board of Regents approved the plans for the new center, at an estimated cost of $20 million. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held in the summer of 1999, and construction was completed in December of 2001. The first athletic contest held in the facility was on January 17, 2002, as the Rams and Rambelles hosted Texas A&M-Kingsville in a basketball doubleheader.
 
Under head coach Vinay Patel, the Rams are 42-8 inside the Junell Center-Stephens Arena, good enough for a .840 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 during Patel's first season at the helm.
 
OPENING THE SEASON
Angelo State began their 61st season of NCAA Division II Basketball on Friday afternoon in Alamosa as the Rams are now 38-23 in the season opener dating back to 1965.
 
ADAMS STATE RECAP
The Rams suffered a heartbreaking 69-63 loss on Friday afternoon in the season opener at Plachy Hall as the Grizzlies of Adams State battled back from a 15-point deficit. Jabbari Barry led the Angelo State offensive attack as the senior went 7-of-15 from the floor including 3-of-9 from behind the arc for a team-best 17 points.
 
2025-26 REWIND
The 2025-26 campaign saw the Rams win their first five games of the season and 10 of their first 14 games on the way to a 17-14 overall record. Angelo State held the second-best scoring defense in the LSC a year ago, allowing just 67.4 points per game which ranked 30th in all of NCAA Division II basketball.
 
PLAYER TO WATCH LIST
Senior forward Jhordan Ryan was named to the LSC Preseason Players to Watch List following a stelar campaign in 2025-26. The Montserrat native ranked ninth in the league last season with 6.7 rebounds per game as he had eight double-doubles during his first season in the Concho Valley to earn All-LSC Third Team accolades.
 
LONE STAR CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
Angelo State was picked to finish eighth in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll announced on October 19th by the league's offices in Richardson, Texas. The Rams received 499 points in voting conducted by the conference's head coaches, sports information directors and one media representative from each institution.
 
Defending LSC Champion DBU picked up 35 of the possible 49 first place votes for a total of 841 points to sit atop of the poll followed by Eastern New Mexico, Lubbock Christian, St. Edward's, Western New Mexico, St. Mary's, West Texas A&M, ASU, Texas A&M-Kingsville, UT Tyler, Oklahoma Christian, UT Dallas, UT Permian Basin, Midwestern State, Texas A&M International, Cameron and Sul Ross State.
 
ON THIS DATE
The Rams are 5-1 all-time in games played on November 14th.
 
1997 - vs. Concordia-Lutheran - W, 81-59
1998 - at Alaska-Anchorage - L, 81-72
2014 - vs. Oklahoma Panhandle State - W, 97-60
2015 - vs. UCCS - W, 106-92
2021 - vs. Fort Lewis - W, 98-87
2025 - vs. Western Colorado - W, 91-72
 
BUILDING A ROSTER
Angelo State returns six letterwinners from the 2025-26 campaign as four of them started at least one game for the Rams, those six players combined for 2,048 minutes and 37 starts a year ago. The remainder of the roster for Coach Patel is comprised of six transfers and three true freshmen.
 
STAFF CONTINUITY
Every full-time member of the Angelo State coaching staff returns for the 2026-27 season. Connor Moore came to the Concho Valley with Coach Patel in 2022 as the North Dakota native is now in his fifth season on the sidelines in San Angelo.
 
Cole Rabedeaux enters his third season on Patel's staff following time as an assistant at Winona State. ASU also added Gavin Ralph as a graduate assistant following a standout playing career at Wisconsin-River Falls and Wisconsin-Platteville.
 
STARTING OFF STRONG
Angelo State is 18-6 (.750) during the month of November since the start of the 2022-23 campaign while also going 36-12 (.750) in November and December combined under Coach Patel.