MBB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Ron Boerger]

Trinity posted their schedule today (roster, not yet).  After an exhibition at UTSA, they travel to Colorado Springs to take on Bethany Lutheran and Pacific.  Before Thanksgiving they travel to Huntsville (TX) for an exhibition at Sam Houston State, then take a short drive down th road to Houston where they will take on UW-Superior.  After Thanksgiving they travel to Claremont where they take on CMS and Pomona-Pitzer.  Two weeks later they'll be at Hardin-Simmons.

The first home game of the season doesn't come until the weekend before Christmas, when they'll face Illinois College and Wisconsin Lutheran on the 20th and 21st.  New Years Eve will see the start of SCAC play at Schreiner, with Rochester (NY) paying a visit early in the New Year before the rest of the final SCAC season begins in earnest.

SCAC home games:  Schreiner, McMurry, Concordia, Ozarks, Centenary, TLU, Southwestern.
SCAC away games:  Schreiner, TLU, Dallas, Austin, McMurry, Concoria, Southwestern, St. Thomas, Colorado.

All in all, Trinity will have 10 home games to go with 14 away and three neutral site games before the conference championships, to be held at UDallas. 

[Greek Tragedy]

Why 7 home conference games and 9 away conference games?

[Ron Boerger]

Why 7 home conference games and 9 away conference games?

It has to do with the SCAC splitting into two divisions; you play your division mates twice, home and away, but the other division's teams only once.  The women are subjected to the same issue.

Gold:  Concordia, Schreiner, Southwestern, Texas Lutheran and Trinity
Blue:  Austin College, Centenary, Colorado College, Dallas, McMurry and St Thomas

The disparity comes from the Blue teams as Trinity gets two of them at home (compared to four road).  With six teams you only play once, for travel purposes you're going to play four either at home or away on two weekends, with the other two the opposite location another weekend, thus the discrepancy and Trinity drew a short straw.  I'm *sure* it's totally a coincidence with it being our last year in the SCAC.    Southwestern also gets the 7/9 split in their last season.

[Greek Tragedy]

Thanks. It makes sense if I actually think about it. The travel distances can be so long down there, so I forget they have "travel partners" and can play consecutive home/away weekend games.

[TLU05SA]

Gold:  Concordia, Schreiner, Southwestern, Texas Lutheran and Trinity
Blue:  Austin College, Centenary, Colorado College, Dallas, McMurry and St Thomas

This can't be right.  What about College of the Ozarks? 

Looking at TLU's schedule, I see the divisions as:

(a) TLU, Southwestern, McMurry, Trinity, Schreiner and Concordia

(b) St. Thomas, Colorado College, Ozarks, Centenary, Dallas and Austin

[Ron Boerger]

My bad.  I copied the divisions from a volleyball post.  The rest still holds true. 

[Pat Coleman]

College of the Ozarks is an NAIA school.
University of the Ozarks is the one in your conference.

[Ron Boerger]

One final note about the Trinity schedule:  per the Xitter post announcing the season, seven of the nine D3 non-conference games are against teams that won at least 17 games last season, with four winning at least 22:

(@Colo College) Bethany Lutheran 24-4
(@CC) Pacific 15-11
(@St Thomas TX?) UW-Superior 18-9
(@CMS) Pomona-Pitzer 19-7
@ Claremont Mudd-Scripps 22-7
@ Hardin-Simmons 19-7
Illinois College 24-5 (first home game)
Wisconsin Lutheran 24-5
Rochester 10-15

[TLU05SA]

TLU has released their schedule.  Like Trinity, TLU has 9 road games but only 7 home games. Weird but I am certain this has to do with the divisions/travel partners setup.

To start conference play, TLU plays two games against Southwestern (one home and one away). TLU then hosts St. Thomas and Colorado College before going on the road for four road games (Ozarks, Centenary, Dallas, Austin).  They then return home for four straight games (McMurry, Concordia, Trinity and Schreiner) before ending the season with four road games (Trinity Schreiner, McMurry and Concordia).  This just seems like an odd conference schedule to me.

[Ron Boerger]

Trinity, has, at long last, posted its roster for the upcoming season.

Departed:

• Tanner Brown, 6'3" G, Sr. (graduation) - 13.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.9 apg
• Grayson Herr, 6'2" G, Sr. (graduation) - 3.6 ppg, 0.9 rpg
• Abdullah Roberts, 6'5" G/F, Sr. (graduation) - 3.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg
• Salim Roberts, 6'4" F, Fr. (no longer on roster) - 0.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg (in six games)
• Nate Thompson, 6'9" F, Jr. (no longer on roster) - 1.0 rpg (in one game)

Newcomers (all freshmen but see below, no stated transfers but see below; TX unless otherwise stated):

• Robert Conrad, 5'11" G, Cedar Creek HS
• Robert Jackson, 6'7" F, San Antonio Brennan (graduated in 2023)
• Julian Dupertuis, 6'3" G, San Antonio School of the Americas
• Trent Medearis, 6'0" PG, Buda Johnson
• Jackson Lawson, 6'5" F, Southlake Carroll
• Maxwell Sprott, 6'3" G, Mission Hills KS Pembroke Hill
• Joshua Chesney, 6'5" F, school not listed (Corpus Christi)
• research shows a Joshua Chesney from CC London HS who played at Merrimack '21-22 (no stats) and St. Edward's '22-23 (10 app, 2.1 ppg. 44 minutes total) and '23-'24 (no stats), and from his Xitter profile this is apparently him
• Jake Miller, 5'11" G, Scottsdale AZ Rancho Solano
• Javon Toliver, 6'5" SF, Schertz Steele
• William Bronson, 6'9" F, Dallas Jesuit

[D3Navy]

Trinity, has, at long last, posted its roster for the upcoming season.

Departed:

• Tanner Brown, 6'3" G, Sr. (graduation) - 13.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.9 apg
• Grayson Herr, 6'2" G, Sr. (graduation) - 3.6 ppg, 0.9 rpg
• Abdullah Roberts, 6'5" G/F, Sr. (graduation) - 3.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg
• Salim Roberts, 6'4" F, Fr. (no longer on roster) - 0.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg (in six games)
• Nate Thompson, 6'9" F, Jr. (no longer on roster) - 1.0 rpg (in one game)

Newcomers (all freshmen but see below, no stated transfers but see below; TX unless otherwise stated):

• Robert Conrad, 5'11" G, Cedar Creek HS
• Robert Jackson, 6'7" F, San Antonio Brennan (graduated in 2023)
• Julian Dupertuis, 6'3" G, San Antonio School of the Americas
• Trent Medearis, 6'0" PG, Buda Johnson
• Jackson Lawson, 6'5" F, Southlake Carroll
• Maxwell Sprott, 6'3" G, Mission Hills KS Pembroke Hill
• Joshua Chesney, 6'5" F, school not listed (Corpus Christi)
• research shows a Joshua Chesney from CC London HS who played at Merrimack '21-22 (no stats) and St. Edward's '22-23 (10 app, 2.1 ppg. 44 minutes total) and '23-'24 (no stats), and from his Xitter profile this is apparently him
• Jake Miller, 5'11" G, Scottsdale AZ Rancho Solano
• Javon Toliver, 6'5" SF, Schertz Steele
• William Bronson, 6'9" F, Dallas Jesuit

Gonna need a longer bench.

[Greek Tragedy]

https://www.scacsports.com/sports/mbkb/2024-25/releases/preseason_poll

1. Trinity (9)
2. St. Thomas (2)
3. Colorado College
4. Centenary (1)
5. Schreiner
6. Concordia TX
7. Texas Lutheran
8. Dallas
9. McMurry
10. Ozarks
11. Southwestern
12. Austin College

[Ron Boerger]

Joshua Chesney's listing has been updated to reflect his HS (CC London as noted earlier) and he is now classified as a sophomore rather than a freshman. 

[Ron Boerger]

Trinity gets off to a strong start, defeating Bethany Lutheran 99-82 after trailing by three at half.  Jacob Harvey led the way with 26 points on 5-11 from deep (1-2 inside the circle) and 9-9 from the line.  Christian Green shook off an injury in the first half to finish with 11 and 10, Dean Balo added 15 and 9, and Ty Williams had 11.  Freshman Trent Medearis made the most of his limited time in his first appearance, scoring eight points and recording two steals in his seven minutes.  16 players got on the court on opening night. 

Trinity was a second-half team last year, and tonight continued the trend as the Tigers shot a blistering 62.5% (50.0% from deep) in the second half while holding Bethany to 34.2% (35.7%) in that timeframe. 

[D3Navy]

The more seasoned players delivered in the 2nd half but many of the new arrivals played very, very well. 

Really nice to see Gabe Parr on the floor after sitting out last season on the bench due to injury. 

Also nice to see more size overall.  Several players 6'6" and above.  Lots of missed layups early, however. 

As the team gels, they should be formidable.