This ASC Tournament Preview is brought to you by The Best Of Belton
For the second straight year, the road to the ASC men’s basketball tournament title goes through Belton.
The UMHB men’s basketball team finished alone atop the ASC standings with a 16-2 conference record, earning the right to host the semifinals and championship game of the 2023 ASC Tournament on their home court. The action begins on Friday afternoon, with a pair of semifinal matchups.
Friday Schedule (All games played in Belton)
East Texas Baptist vs. UT-Dallas, 5:00 p.m. CT
Hardin-Simmons vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, 7:30 p.m. CT
Tuesday’s quarterfinal contests were played between the bottom four seeds in the six-team tournament, with fourth-seeded Hardin-Simmons edging fifth-seeded Concordia (TX), 101-96, and ETBU, the No. 3 seed, prevailing in a 77-65 win over LeTourneau, the sixth seed. UMHB and UT-Dallas, by finishing 1-2 in the ASC standings, earned a quarterfinal round bye.
Here is a look at what to expect from the final four teams still alive in the ASC Tournament hunt:
Note: All NCAA tournament projections, unless otherwise noted, are from Drew Pasteur’s D3 Bubble Watch, which also projects strength of schedule and win percentage for a team. Check out his work here. Also be sure to check out Matt Snyder’s Twitter account (@FFTMAG) for daily updates on the NCAA Tournament projections.
#1 Seed: Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders
Led by third-year head coach Clif Carroll, the Cru rolls into the postseason ranked No. 17 in the country, boasting a 21-4 overall record as the No. 2-ranked team in Region 10. 46-4 under Carroll’s leadership during regular season ASC play, UMHB finished atop the west division in 2020-21, and atop the league in each of the last two years.
Notable results
UMHB’s non-conference schedule featured a number of nationally-relevant opponents, including three currently ranked in Region 10, a ranking that consists of just seven teams. Those opponents were Pomona-Pitzer, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and Redlands, who each finished in the top three in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and are NCAA Tournament hopefuls. UMHB went 2-1 in those contests, beating both Redlands and Pomona-Pitzer. The Crusaders also swept UT-Dallas and Hardin-Simmons in the conference schedule, along with defeating ETBU, 89-78, at home.
Names to know
Built on senior leadership and a deep bench, UMHB is led by a number of playmakers. Josiah Johnson, at 22.0 points per game, is the top scorer in the ASC, and is also the program’s all-time career leader in points. Ty Prince, who has scored over 1,000 points in a UMHB uniform, averages 17.5 points per contest, along with 6.4 rebounds, which ranked eighth in the conference. Johnson and Kyle Wright each average over 2.0 steals per game, a list that includes only six ASC players.
NCAA Tournament outlook
Based on D3Bubble Watch’s model, UMHB has a 50% chance to win the ASC Tournament and claim the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Cru’s chances of reaching the national tournament are extremely high according to his projections as of Feb. 22, whether by automatic or at-large bid.
#2 Seed: UT-Dallas Comets
Led by longtime head coach Terry Butterfield, who is in his 24th season at the helm of the program, the Comets went 15-3 in the ASC during the regular season, finishing one game outside of a tie for first place with UMHB. 20-5 overall, UTD has tallied at least 20 wins for the third time in the last five seasons.
Notable results
The Comets won at ETBU, 75-69, when the Tigers were receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, and also swept Hardin-Simmons in the regular season series, winning both at home in Richardson and on the road in Abilene. UTD also battled St. Thomas (TX), currently No. 1 in Region 10, and Rochester, who was ranked 11th in the nation at the time of the game.
Names to know
Luke Kiser is a do-it-all player for the Comets, as the native of Burnet leads the ASC in assist-to-turnover ratio, often handling the ball for UTD on offense. He has dished out an average of 4.1 assists per game, while turning the ball over an average of just 1.9 times. Hunter Stevens is right behind Kiser in that category, with a team-high 4.4 assists per contest, along with 2.2 turnovers. The go-to shooter for UTD is Kyle Poerschke, a fifth-year senior who transferred to the Comets after playing four years at Southwestern University. With a 6-foot-4-inch, 185 lb frame, Poerschke is versatile, and dangerous from anywhere on the floor, averaging 19.0 points per contest.
NCAA Tournament outlook
Based on the model from D3Bubble Watch, UTD’s chances of an at-large national tournament bid appear to be doubtful (2% chance), with a projected strength of schedule at .513. That means the Comets will probably need to win the ASC Tournament and claim the automatic qualifier in order to extend their season past this week. They are ranked 7th in Region 10.
#3 Seed: East Texas Baptist University Tigers
A program on the rise, ETBU has won six straight games entering Friday’s semifinal. At 21-5 overall, the Tigers clinched their 20th victory of the year with a narrow 74-72 win at UT-Dallas on the final day of the regular season. ETBU is 14-4 in the ASC, having won two more league games than they did a year ago, which was head coach Chris Lovell’s first season as head coach in a non-Covid-abbreviated schedule.
Notable Results
Perhaps the best non-conference win on ETBU’s resume is the 97-91 defeat of Redlands, currently fifth in Region 10, on Dec. 15 in Marshall. The Tigers also took down Centenary, 95-76, early in the year, and nearly defeated St. Thomas (TX) as well, falling 83-81. In ASC play, the Tigers swept the season series against Hardin-Simmons in addition to winning at UTD on Saturday.
Names to know
Darry Moore is the No. 2 scorer in the ASC, just behind UMHB’s Johnson, at 21.6 points per game. With his 6-foot-7-inch frame, he is a challenging matchup for opponents, with range on his shot, as well as an exceptional ability to score in the low post. Moore also averages 6.7 rebounds per game, which is seventh in the league, but interestingly, is not ETBU’s top rebounder. That honor belongs to Kevin Charles, a 6-foot-9-inch senior forward, who averages 7.5 boards per game, which is good enough for fourth in the conference. Aaron Gregg is ETBU’s leading scorer, at 18.9 points per game.
NCAA Tournament outlook
The Tigers are “on the bubble”, meaning if they reach the championship game in Belton, it could propel ETBU to an at-large tournament berth, while taking a loss in Friday’s semifinal could likely be the end of their season. They are in a group of about 15 teams who are not the favorite to win their conference tournaments, but in the conversation for one of the tournament’s 20 at-large bids. D3 Bubble Watch gives ETBU a 52 percent chance to make the tournament as an at-large selection.
#4 Seed: Hardin-Simmons
The Cowboys enter the ASC Tournament semifinals having won five of their last six, with the only loss in that span coming to UMHB this past Saturday in the regular season finale. Their 18 wins this season are the most in program history since 2016-17, when HSU went 24-7. The Cowboys finished fourth in the league with a 12-6 mark and are in their sixth season under head coach Matt Brackett.
Notable results
HSU is the only team in the ASC to have beaten St. Thomas (TX) this season, as the Cowboys prevailed in a non-conference contest on Jan. 5, winning 66-63 in Abilene. They also won at George Fox and Willamette in late December on the west coast. HSU’s best conference victories are likely their season sweep of Concordia, who was the fifth finisher in the league.
Names to know
Steven Quinn is at the heart of HSU’s scoring attack, averaging 21.2 points per game, which ranks third in the conference, and shooting 52 percent from the field. Quinn is not the only Cowboy to have started all 26 games for head coach Matt Brackett this season; Will Bartoszek has been in the lineup for each of those contests as well, and averages 15.9 points per game along with a team-high 7.9 rebounds per contest. Aidan Walsh is also a senior guard who has started in 16 games, with 6.2 points and 2.0 assists per game.
NCAA Tournament outlook
HSU is currently not included in the Region 10 regional ranking, which is made up of the Top 7 teams in the region. The Cowboys’ path to the NCAA Tournament is in winning the conference title and claiming the league’s automatic bid.
