A&M-Commerce Lions vs. UT-Permian Basin Falcons
Friday, November 8 • 8 p.m.
Aggie Gymnasium • Lawton, Okla.
A&M-Commerce Lions vs. Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggies
Saturday, November 9 • 8 p.m.
Aggie Gymnasium • Lawton, Okla.
Region Classic Tournament Central
Live Video: CameronAggies.com
Live Stats: CameronAggies.com
Opening Tip
A&M-Commerce opens up the 2013-14 season this weekend, heading to Lawton, Okla. for the 2013 Region Classic and a pair of contests against Heartland Conference opponents. The Lions tip off the year taking on UT-Permian Basin at 8 p.m. Friday, November 8, followed by a showdown with Oklahoma Panhandle State on Saturday, November 9 at 8 p.m.
Lions on the Web
Stay up to date with A&M-Commerce as the Lions tip off the 2013-14 season in Lawton, Okla. Hosted by Cameron University, the 2013 Region Classic has a tournament central website located at CameronAggies.com. Live stats and live video of both of A&M-Commerce's games this weekend will be available by following the link.
Scouting the Opposition
With the 2013-14 season getting underway this weekend, A&M-Commerce prepares for a pair of games with a handful of question marks. UT-Permian basin finished the 2012-13 season with a 9-16 overall record, including a 5-9 mark in Heartland Conference play, placing seventh. Oklahoma Panhandle State notched a 5-23 overall record last season and finished one spot back of the Falcons in the Heartland standings with a 1-13 conference mark.
Series Information
Friday marks the third all-time meeting between A&M-Commerce and UT-Permian Basin as the Lions swept the season series in 2012-13. A&M-Commerce won 80-65 in Austin, followed by an 84-76 decision in Stephenville one week later. A&M-Commerce is 3-0 all-time against Oklahoma Panhandle State as the two meet for the first time since the 1997-98 season. A&M-Commerce captured a 53-39 decision in 1937, the first meeting between the two, then captured a pair of victories in 1997-98, notching 76-56 and 81-65 decisions against the Aggies.
Walker Against the Heartland
A&M-Commerce head coach Sam Walker historically has been quite successful against the Heartland Conference, posting a 19-5 record against current conference institutions. Walker's Lions have had the most success against St. Edward's, posting an 8-2 mark against the Hilltoppers during Walker's tenure, while going 4-2 against St. Mary's and 2-1 against Dallas Baptist. Under Walker, the Lions are undefeated against Texas A&M International (2-0), UT-Permian Basin (2-0) and Arkansas-Fort Smith (1-0).
Walker Returns For 14th Season
A&M-Commerce head coach Sam Walker returns for his 14th season at the helm of the Lion basketball program and his 22nd with the program. 2012-13 was a milestone season for Walker as he not only notched his 200th career victory, but also surpassed Jim Gudger as the all-time winningest coach in A&M-Commerce Athletics history, boasting a career record of 206-163. Under Walker's guidance, A&M-Commerce has advanced to nine-straight Lone Star Conference tournaments, including capturing the title in 2004-05 en route to advancing to the NCAA Regional Finals. Joining Walker on the Lion sideline will be assistant coach Robert Taylor, returning for his third season with the program, while Jaret von Rosenberg was added to the staff in the offseason.
Walker Stepping Into Leadership Role
Heading into the 2013-14 season, senior forward Devondrick Walker has emerged as the Lions' on-court leader. The Garland native enters his third season with the program, appearing in 56 games with 35 starts and averaging 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. "Tuss" had his best season in an A&M-Commerce uniform in 2012-13, averaging 9.5 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 82.3 percent from the free throw line, ranking among the LSC leaders. Walker also shot 41.5 percent from the floor and 41.9 percent from beyond the arc, ranking among the team leaders in both categories.
Wooten Controls the Backcourt
One of the players that emerged for A&M-Commerce last season was guard Tyrie Wooten. A transfer from Neosho Community College in Chanute, Kan., the Saginaw, Mich. native provided a key boost in the backcourt for the Lions, averaging 8.8 points, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals in 2012-13, ranking among the LSC leaders in both assists and steals. Wooten notched his first career double-double in an 11-point, 10-assist performance at Tarleton State on January 26th and is expected to provide stability for the A&M-Commerce backcourt.
A Glance at the Returners
Despite losing a large chunk of the roster following the conclusion of the 2012-13 season, a handful of returners will be back to help the Lions make a run at the postseason. One of the key returning starters is forward Kenny Brown, who notched 4.5 points and 4.2 rebounds with 15 blocks in 11 starts for the Lions. Forward Craig Fofang and Donavon Gage both played key roles for A&M-Commerce off the bench last season as the pair combined for nearly six points and four rebounds per game. Guards Daniel Ehambe and Taylor Phelps both saw limited action off the bench as well in 2012-13 as guard Nick Ross and forward Bryan Curtis are both coming off redshirt seasons.
Lion Newcomers
A handful of newcomers will be suiting up for coach Walker this fall, helping to fill the 2013-14 A&M-Commerce roster. The Lions added a handful of transfer guards, including LaDon Carnegie (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Eddie Leal (Mansfield), Kameron Price (Fort Worth) and Daniel West (Saginaw, Mich.), all of which could see playing time for A&M-Commerce along with freshman guard De'Andre Carson (Kyle). At the forward position, Walker added Cameron Blue (Pflugerville), while also adding some height in the paint with 6-9 center Christian Macauley from Washington, D.C.
Home Sweet Home
The A&M-Commerce Field House has proven to be a tough venue for opponents to win during his run as the Lions' home court as Walker's bunch hopes 2013-14 will add to that reputation. A&M-Commerce plays 11 home dates at the Field House, including all seven Lone Star Conference schools making their yearly trip to Commerce. The Lions also face some tough non-conference home dates against Southern Arkansas (Nov. 13), Dallas Baptist (Nov. 20), Northwood (Dec. 9) and Henderson State (Dec. 18), leading into the start of conference play once the calendar turns to 2014.
Looking Ahead
Following the trip to Lawton, Okla., A&M-Commerce opens up its 2013-14 home schedule when it faces Southern Arkansas on Wednesday, November 13 at the Field House as opening tip against the Muleriders is scheduled for 7 p.m. A&M-Commerce then heads to Stephenville for the 2013 Tarleton Texan Tip-Off Classic next weekend, facing Bloomfield (N.J.) on Friday, November 15 before taking on St. Edward's on Saturday, November 16.
