2023–24 Tarleton State Texans men's basketball team

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.

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
2023–24 WAC men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Grand Canyon173 .850305  .857
Tarleton*164 .8002510  .714
UT Arlington137 .6502014  .588
Seattle119 .5502314  .622
Utah Valley119 .5501616  .500
Stephen F. Austin1010 .5001815  .545
Abilene Christian1010 .5001618  .471
California Baptist812 .4001617  .485
Utah Tech*713 .3501120  .355
Southern Utah515 .2501021  .323
UT Rio Grande Valley218 .100625  .194
* Ineligible for the NCAA tournament due to transition from Division II
2024 WAC tournament winner

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
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 0 Izzy Miles 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)185 lb (84 kg) FrGrissom HS Huntsville, AL
G 1 Miles Lewis 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)160 lb (73 kg) JrSacramento HS Sacramento, CA
F 2 Traivar Jackson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg) JrWest Anchorage HS Anchorage, AK
G 3 Quinton Perkins II 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)173 lb (78 kg) FrLake Highlands HS Rowlett, TX
G 4 Lue Williams 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)197 lb (89 kg) SrCoastal Alabama CC–South Atmore, AL
F 5 KiAndre Gaddy 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)215 lb (98 kg) SrWalla Walla Dallas, TX
F 6 Jakorie Smith 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)215 lb (98 kg) SrEast Mississippi CC Utica, MS
G 7 Kaya Mutambirwa 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)185 lb (84 kg) FrReal Madrid HS Geneva, Switzerland
G 8 Joseph Martinez 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)175 lb (79 kg) RS FrCanutillo HS El Paso, TX
F 9 Emmanuel Innocenti 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)198 lb (90 kg) FrITC Piero Calamandrei Ranzanico, Italy
G 10 Adam Moussa 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg) SrBlack Hills State Cairo, Egypt
G 11 Bubu Benjamin 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)205 lb (93 kg) FrEdge HS Medicine Hat, AB
G 12 Nasan Ayala 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)188 lb (85 kg) JrPratt CC Queens, NY
G 13 Devon Barnes 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)171 lb (78 kg) SoShiloh HS Hinesville, GA
C 20 Kevin Paul Jr. 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)202 lb (92 kg) FrOpen Tent Academy Grand Prairie, TX
G 22 Jalen Thomas 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)185 lb (84 kg) SrOklahoma Panhandle State Amarillo, TX
F 23 Dario Domingos 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)250 lb (113 kg) JrUT Arlington Midland, TX
G 26 Jayden Gordon 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)159 lb (72 kg) FrHarlan HS San Antonio, TX
F 40 Blake Brinkmeyer 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)225 lb (102 kg) SrKirkwood CC West Des Moines, IA
G 76 Zaakir Sawyer 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)208 lb (94 kg) JrTrinity Valley CC Dallas, TX
F 77 Adil Lalji 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)190 lb (86 kg) SoSeattle 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 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 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.
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