(RV) West Texas A&M (2-0) vs. Chadron State (0-0)
Date	Friday, November 14 - 11:00 a.m. | Saturday, November 15 - 1:00 p.m.
Location	Canyon, Texas | First United Bank Center
Live Stats	Friday | Saturday
Watch	FloCollege (Pay-Per-View)
Additional Links	Game Notes

CANYON, Texas – The Buffaloes of West Texas A&M open their 2025-26 home schedule on Friday and Saturday as they host the Chadron State Eagles in South Central Regional action at the First United Bank Center. Friday's opener is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Community Day followed by a Saturday matchup at 1:00 p.m.
 
D2CCA TIPOFF CLASSIC RECAP
The Buffs opened their season two weekends ago at the D2CCA Tipoff Classic in St. Joseph, Missouri as they picked up wins over Missouri Western (87-75) and Pittsburg State (76-70) at Civic Arena. 
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Chadron State begins their campaign in Canyon on Friday morning as they are coming off a 15-14 overall record in 2024-25 with a 11-9 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action. CSC advanced to the opening round of the RMAC Championships before falling to Colorado School of Mines in Golden, 79-74.
 
The Eagles were picked to finish seventh in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll announced on October 21st. Zach Smith is the only returner that registered minutes on the court for the Eagles last season as the guard from Hartford, Connecticut saw time in 29 games with one start. Smith went 25-of-73 (34.2%) from the floor including 8-of-27 (29.6%) from deep and 19-of-26 (73.1%) from the line to average 2.7 points to go along with 32 rebounds, 50 assists and 17 steals.
 
The 2026-26 Chadron State roster features three true freshmen along with a group of talented transfers. Graduate transfer guard Blessing Adesipe is no stranger to the Lone Star Conference, seeing time in 28 games with 10 starts for Angelo State last season as he averaged 3.9 points per game. Senior guard Isaiah Randolph spent the 2024-25 campaign at Eastern New Mexico where the Long Island, New York native played in six games with one start for the Greyhounds.
 
CSC HEAD COACH CHRIS FRANCIS
Chris Francis is now in his second season at the helm of the Chadron State College men's basktball program. Francis led the Eagls to an overall record of 15-14 last season with a 11-9 mark in RMAC play as they fell in the opening round of the RMAC Championships to Colorado School of Mines, 79-74.Francis was hired at Chadron State in July of 2024. 
 
Francis, who has a career record of 191-108, was the head coach at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, an NAIA school in Chickasha, Oklahoma, since 2015. During his time, Francis led the Drovers to five NAIA National Tourney appearances, a Sooner Athletic Conference Championship, and a Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Championship.
 
THE SERIES
Friday morning will mark the first ever meeting on the hardwood between the Buffaloes and Eagles.
 
PITT STATE REWIND
The Buffaloes finished off the opening weekend of the 2025-26 campaign with a 76-70 victory over the Pittsburg State Gorillas at the D2CCA Tipoff Classic in St. Joseph, Missouri.
 
Brock Mishak recorded 13 points, six rebounds, and led the team with seven free throws and five assists. Fontaine Williams scored 16 points, highlighted by nine free throws, and contributed defensively with four steals. Jailyn added 12 points, making three of five from beyond the arc, and blocked three shots. Camden Cowgill finished with 14 points, converting five field goals, including two from three-point range.
 
D2CCA TIPOFF CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
A pair of Buffaloes were honored for their efforts on the court as members of the D2CCA Tipoff Classic All-Tournament Team. Camden Cowgill and Fontaine Williams were selected for the team as Williams was named the MVP of the event. The junior guard went 10-of-28 (.357) from the floor including 2-of-10 (.200) from deep and 11-of-12 (.917) from the charity stripe to score 33 points (16.5/game) with four rebounds, three assists and seven steals. 
 
WT HEAD COACH TOM BROWN
Tom Brown, who enters his 12th season at the helm of the West Texas A&M men's basketball program, has built the Buffs into one of the elite NCAA Division II programs in the nation.  He has guided WT to nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments including the Buffs first-ever NCAA Division II National Championship game in 2021. 
 
Brown was hired as the 17th head coach in program history on April 16, 2014. In the past 10 seasons, Coach Brown and his staff are 268-62 (.812) and an average of 27 wins a season with appearances in the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four (2) and National Title game. During his time in Canyon, Brown is 287-75 (.792) overall and 155-43 (.783) in league action. 
 
LSC PRESEASON POLL
Defending Regional Champion Dallas Baptist claimed 42 of the possible 51 first place votes for a total of 850 points to sit atop of the poll followed by St. Mary's (two first place, 724), Lubbock Christian (four first place, 720), St. Edward's (669) and West Texas A&M (two first place, 654) to round out the top five.
 
Angelo State and Eastern New Mexico tied for sixth with 592 points followed by Midwestern State (558), UT Permian Basin (468), Texas A&M International (one first place, 350), Texas A&M-Kingsville (330), Cameron (301), Oklahoma Christian (266), UT Tyler (260), Western New Mexico (193), UT Dallas (188) and Sul Ross State (88).
 
St. Mary's Damani Claxton was tabbed the league's Preseason Player of the Year. The Bronx, New York native averaged 17.1 points, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season. He made 45 3-pointers and shot 80.4 percent from the free throw line. Claxton was named LSC Newcomer of the Year and earned first-team All-LSC honors.
 
NABC DIVISION II PRESEASON POLL
The Buffaloes are receiving votes in the preseason edition of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll announced earlier this week. The South Central Region is represented by Dallas Baptist (3rd), Colorado School of Mines (10th), Black Hills State (17th), Lubbock Christian (25th), St. Mary's (RV), West Texas A&M (RV) and Colorado Mesa (RV).
 
2024-25 RECAP
The 2024-25 campaign saw WT made the NCAA National Tournament for a ninth-consecutive season where three freshmen made the LSC All-Freshman team. The Buffs also posted a 3.48 GPA in the classroom, tops in the Lone Star Conference for a second consecutive year. WT was named a recipient of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Team Academic Excellence Award as Brock Mishak and Nicholas Jett were named to the NABC Honor Court.