LONGVIEW, Texas -- Hoops season is back.
LeTourneau men's basketball will open the 2024-25 regular season on Saturday at St. Thomas (3 p.m.) in Houston.
Coming off a 17-10 season last year, fourth-year head coach
James Wallace has his YellowJackets primed for another strong season. Equipped with a talented roster of veteran players and a large crop of newcomers, LeTourneau has its sights set on climbing the ladder in its final year in the ASC.
THE ROSTER
Led by preseason D3hoops.com All-America selection
Deonte Jackson, the YellowJackets return over 80 percent of its scoring last year. In all, nine players return for Wallace's team.
Jackson, a first team All-ASC honoree last year, returns for his fifth season with LeTourneau. The senior guard was named to the Preseason D3hoops.com All-America fifth team this year after leading the YellowJackets in scoring at 22.2 points per game, while shooting a career-high 50 percent from the field and 86.0 percent from the free throw line. Jackson enters the year sixth all-time on the program's scoring list with 1,670 points.
Jackson is one of two returning All-ASC selections from a season ago, joining senior
Caedmon Liebengood.
Liebengood earned All-ASC third team honors after a breakout year. He was second on the team in scoring at 16.0 points per game and led the YellowJackets with 7.6 rebounds per game.
Senior
Jackson Mayes and graduate student
Walker Blaine also return. Mayes was third on the team in scoring (12.3) and shot 45.3 percent from the field. Blaine opted to return for a fifth year after he averaged 11.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Teigan Edwards rounds out the senior class in his second year with the YellowJackets. He played in 20 games a season ago and averaged 6.3 points and 2.4 assists per game.
Logan Brinkoeter,
Branson Lynn, and
Gavin Landenberger all return. All four saw playing time a season ago with Brinkoeter and Lynn playing in over 20 games each.
Nine newcomers make up the recruiting class for LeTourneau.
Hamilton Hamm (Ouachita Baptist) and
Connor Miller (Victoria College) enter with collegiate experience as juniors, while
Alex Bossinakis (Eastern New Mexico) is a sophomore transfer.
Kasen Hastings,
Cooper Smith,
Dalton White,
Ezra Seay,
Ben Formby, and
Luke Anderson make up the freshmen class.
ASC OUTLOOK
The YellowJackets nabbed one first place vote and 28 total points to place third in the ASC preseason poll.
Reigning ASC regular season champion Hardin-Simmons notched eight first place vote and is the preseason favorite, while Mary Hardin-Baylor received the other first place tally.
Jackson, Liebengood, and Mayes were all named to the Players to Watch List.
THE SCHEDULE
After opening the season at St. Thomas, the first of two Division I exhibitions is set for Nov. 12 at Stephen F. Austin (6:30 p.m.). The YellowJackets will also make a return trip to Lake Charles, La., to face McNeese on Dec. 7 (3 p.m.).
The YellowJackets will play seven new opponents during the regular season. LeTourneau plays the first two of those new teams on Nov. 14 and 16 at the Zweifel-Pritchett Classic in Wilmore, Ky., hosted by Asbury. LeTourneau plays Asbury on Nov. 14 followed by Centre on Nov. 16.
On Nov. 22-23, Solheim Arena will play host to the LETU Classic. The YellowJackets will face Sewanee on Nov. 22 and Concordia Chicago on Nov. 23. McMurry will also be part of the tournament as each day will feature a pair of contests.
LeTourneau and McMurry then face off with each other on Nov. 25 in Longview.
The YellowJackets travel to Ausitn, Texas on Nov. 30 to face Concordia Texas before heading to Seguin, Texas, on Dec. 2 for a matchup with Texas Lutheran.
Centenary comes to Longview on Dec. 6 and LeTourneau will host Dallas (Dec. 11), George Fox (Dec. 16), and Pacific Lutheran (Dec. 19) to conclude the pre-Christmas schedule.
Following Christmas, LeTourneau heads to the UMHB Classic on Dec. 29-30 to face Concordia (Minn.) and Illinois Wesleyan. The YellowJackets head to Centenary on Jan. 7 before starting ASC play.
ASC play begins on Jan. 16 against Howard Payne. LeTourneau will play eight countable ASC games. ETBU comes to Solheim Arena on Jan. 30.
The ASC consists of LeTourneau, East Texas Baptist, Howard Payne, Hardin-Simmons, Mary Hardin-Baylor, and UT Dallas in 2024-25. Teams will play twice during the regular season. Games against UT Dallas will not count toward league standings as the Comets transition to Division II.
The ASC Tournament will begin during the week of Feb. 24.
FOLLOW THE YELLOWJACKETS
Be sure to follow LeTourneau athletics all season long on letuathletics.com and on social media at Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news, and other information.
