ABILENE, Texas — The Wildcats will embark on their 104th season starting Monday, November 4, with the team aiming to have a historic season.
Last season under the direction of Brette Tanner in his third year as head coach, the Wildcats finished 16-18 with a 10-10 record in Western Athletic Conference play.
The season was highlighted by the 'Cats first win over a Power 4 program since ACU beat Texas in the NCAA Tournament in 2021. This time, it was a season-opening win on the road in Stillwater, Oklahoma, against Oklahoma State, 64-59.
ACU also ended the 2023-24 season on an 8-0 win streak to earn a spot in the WAC Tournament for the third consecutive season, and went on to compete in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament until they fell in the finals against Tarleton State.
Meet the New 'Cats on the Block
At the end season, the Wildcats saw the departure of over half of their roster, including the last remaining players who were a part of the program's historic 2021 season, Airion Simmons, Cameron Steele and Immanuel Allen.
To fill the holes of those who left, Tanner and his staff eight new Wildcats to the roster, five transfers and three freshmen. Those new faces include:
- Rich Smith, a junior guard from Bronx, N.Y. transferring from St. Thomas Aquinas
- Quion Williams, a junior guard from Jonesboro, Ark. transferring from Oklahoma State
- Dontrez Williams, a freshman guard from Sikeston Mo.
- Christian Alston, a freshman guard from Memphis, Tenn.
- Jack Sawyer, a freshman forward from Aledo, Texas
- Bradyn Hubbard, a junior forward from Tulsa, Okla. transferring from Connors State
- Joseph Venzant, a senior guard from Midland, Texas transferring from Liberty
"We have more new faces in the program than we have had in a long time," head coach Brette Tanner said. "It has made practice fun. Everyone is eager to learn because they all want to contribute immediately. It is too early to tell the impact that any one individual will have, but every new player will for sure have a chance to make an impact."
The Familiar Faces
Though there are a lot of new faces on ACU's roster, the Wildcats have six players returning to play for the Purple and White.
Two starters from last year, senior guard Hunter Jack Madden and junior Leonardo Bettiol make their return competing for ACU for a third season. Madden averaged 32.6 minutes, 11.8 points and a .393 shooting percent for ACU last year. Meanwhile, Bettiol averaged 21.4 minutes, 9.8 points and 5.0 rebounds for the team last season.
The Wildcats also return four other key players from off the bench. Three guards, juniors Nasir DeGruy and Colby Tanner and sophomore Yaniel Rivera return alongside sophomore forward Ma'Shy Hill, who all hope to expand their roles this season.
"We will need our returners to accept leadership responsibilities and we have some that can definitely do that," Tanner said.
The Nonconference Slate
Before the start of conference play, the Wildcats first have to play through a gauntlet in nonconference play, including two road Power 4 matchups and five games against Group of Five schools among other big games.
To start the season will start with four straight home games for the Wildcats. It all starts on Nov. 4 as ACU takes on Howard Payne. Then the 'Cats will take on Middle Tennessee on Nov. 9, McMurry on Nov. 12 and Texas State on Nov. 16.
Then, ACU will be on the road for six straight games. First, ACU will head to Kennesaw State on Nov. 20. Then, they will head to Bozeman, Montana for two matchups against Southern Mississippi and Montana State in the Basketball Travelers Invitational. ACU will close out November at Omaha on Nov. 30.
The 'Cats start the month of December wrapping up their road trip, with a game on Dec. 4 at New Mexico State, followed by a trip to Waco to take on Baylor on Dec. 9.
ACU finally returns home on Dec. 14 to take on Hardin-Simmons, then gets right back on the road to play Texas A&M-Commerce on Dec. 18. ACU's last game before a quick break for Christmas will be on Dec. 21 against Texas Southern.
To wrap up the 2024 calendar year and the nonconference schedule, ACU will play two games after Christmas. First, ACU will head down to College Station for a rematch against Texas A&M on Dec. 28, then return to Moody Coliseum on Dec. 31 to take on longtime rival Stephen F. Austin.
"We can't wait to get it started," Tanner said. "This is by far one of the toughest nonconference schedules we have ever put together. It will prepare us for the always tough WAC schedule. We want to challenge ourselves against the best so we can be at our best in February and March."
Looking Ahead to WAC Play
With the entrance of 2025, the Wildcats will see the entrance of Western Athletic Conference play.
The WAC is just as strong as ever, being ranked 10th in the preseason Kenpom.com NCAA Division I ranking of all 31 conferences. In the WAC Preseason Pool, the Wildcats were chosen to finish seventh in the field. Ultimately, all eyes will be toward the WAC tournament, with all nine teams hoping to earn the top prize, a tournament championship and an NCAA tournament bid.
The format of conference play will be the same as last year. ACU will play each other the eight teams, including preseason favorite Grand Canyon, UT Arlington, Seattle U, California Baptist, Utah Valley, Tarleton State, Utah Tech and Southern Utah, twice. ACU will play each once at home, and once on the road. The Wildcats will ring in the new year in Orem, Utah on Jan. 4 against Utah Valley and conclude the regular season at home on March 8 against Grand Canyon.
"We are always trying to compete for a conference title and the WAC is as tough as it has ever been," Tanner said. "Every single night you are going to have to come ready to compete at a high level or you will get beat. This is one of the reasons we built our nonconference schedule the way we did. We have to be used to playing at that level before we get to conference play."
First Up, a Doubleheader
The men's basketball program will not be the only team opening their season in Moody Coliseum on Nov. 4. Before the men's game against Howard Payne, the women's basketball program under head coach Julie Goodenough will begin their season in a game against Southwest.
"I am fired up to open the season with our women's team on November 4," Tanner said. "We went an entire season last year without playing a single doubleheader. It is going to be a great opportunity for our fans to see both teams in action and a great chance for our players and coaches to support one another. We are going to need as many people as we can get to come out on Monday night to support these athletes."
The women will begin their season on Nov. 4 against Southwest at 5:30 p.m., with the men beginning directly after at 7:30 p.m. Fans can secure their spots in Moody by going to tickets.acusports.com. Fans who can't make the game will also be able to watch live on ESPN+ or listen on 101.7 FM, the Patriot.
To follow the Wildcats behind the scenes throughout the season, you can follow the program on X, Facebook, Instagram or acusports.com.
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