Here are 5 things you need to know about Texas A&M-Corpus Christi basketball in 2023-24
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi begins its 2023-24 basketball season on Tuesday at the Dugan Wellness Center coming off two consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and winning the program's first NCAA Tournament game.
But this year's Islanders look much different than the team that left the floor after a loss to No. 1 seed Alabama in the Big Dance last season.
Here are five things you need to know heading into the season.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi basketball has new man at the top
After Steve Lutz moved to Western Kentucky after guiding the Islanders to two NCAA Tournament appearances, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi AD Adrian Rodriguez did not go far to fill the role.
The school promoted assistant coach Jim Shaw to the top spot.
Shaw, a longtime college assistant with stops at Texas Tech, Nebraska, UTEP, Texas State and Tarleton State, takes his first head coaching post with the Islanders.
The Islanders have some continuity among the coaching staff as Shaw retained assistants Ralph Davis and Cole Dewey.
New faces, a lot of them
Redshirt sophomores Owen Dease and Stephen Giwa headline five returnees for the Islanders after the team saw most of the team look to the transfer portal after Lutz's departure.
Shaw and his staff brought in 10 new players to accompany Dease, Giwa, Jordan Roberts, Jaren Marshall and Aaron Harden, grabbing from the junior college and high school ranks and even bringing in grad transfers from other Southland Conference schools.
The A&M-Corpus Christi roster does not return a player who has made a start for the school.
Looking for buckets
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi lost its top six leading scorers from last season.
Dease (5.2 ppg) came on strong in the second half of the season and was instrumental both in the team's Southland Conference Tournament championship win (16 points vs. Northwestern State) and against No. 1 Alabama in the NCAA Tournament (14).
Giwa owns a 20-point game in his career, after playing in 32 of 33 games two years ago before redshirting last season due to injury.
Picked fourth
With coaching change and player movement across the Southland Conference, Southeastern edged McNeese, helmed by former LSU coach Will Wade, as the league favorite.
The Islanders, who won both the regular season and tournament crowns last season and two straight Southland tournaments was slotted fourth behind Southeastern (144 points), McNeese (142) and New Orleans (132).
A&M-Corpus Christi, though assigned fourth, garnered five first-place votes.
Trying for three
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi goes into the season looking for its third consecutive Southland Conference Tournament crown and accompanying NCAA Tournament berth.
The Islanders would be the first team since Stephen F. Austin (now in the WAC) to win three straight conference tournament crowns. The Lumberjacks accomplished the feat from 2014-16.
More: College basketball: Islanders women picked to finish second; men fourth in preseason poll
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi basketball roster
0 Marion Humphrey, Guard, 6-3, 180, Grad, Hoover, Ala.
1 Dian Wright-Ford, Guard, 6-3, 210, Jr., Bay Shore, N.Y.
2 Jordan Roberts, Guard, 6-4, 170, Jr., Grand Prairie
3 Christian Villegas, Guard, 6-0, 155, Jr., El Paso
4 Kam Parker, Guard, 6-2, 180, So., Tulsa, Okla.
5 Amont’e Allen-Johnson, Guard, 6-1, 180, Fr., Flint, Mich.
10 Teddy Washington, Guard, 6-2, 175, Jr., Blytheville, Ark.
12 Owen Dease, Forward, 6-8, 180, R-So., Evansville, Ind.
13 Shilo Jackson, Center, 6-9, 210, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.
14 Jaren Marshall, Guard, 6-1, 168, So., Omaha, Neb.
21 Aaron Harden, Forward, 6-7, 190, R-Fr., San Antonio
23 Xavier Glenn, Guard, 6-4, 185, Jr., Bixby, Okla.
32 Stephen Giwa, Center, 6-9, 220, R-So., Houston
33 Garry Clark, Forward, 6-8, 210, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.
40 Lance-Amir Paul, Guard, 6-0, 185, Grad, Kingston, Jamaica
44 Dayne Prim, Forward, 6-6, 195, R-Sr., Aurora, Colo.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi basketball schedule
November
7 — Southwestern Adventist, 7:30 p.m. at Dugan Wellness Center
11 — at Houston, TBA
13 — Dallas Christian, 7:30 p.m. at Dugan Wellness Center
16 — at Texas Tech, 7 p.m.
22 — at Northern Kentucky, 6 p.m.
24 — vs. LIU at Highland Heights, KY, 1 p.m.
29 — at UTEP, 8 p.m.
December
6 — UTRGV, 7 p.m.
9 — Omaha, 3:30 p.m.
15 — at UTRGV, 6:30 p.m.
18 — Texas Lutheran, 11 a.m. at Dugan Wellness Center
22 — at Texas, 2 p.m.
30 — Schreiner, 3:30 p.m.
January
6 — at UIW, TBA
8 — HCU, 7 p.m.
13 — at New Orleans, 4 p.m.
15 — at Southeastern, 6 p.m.
20 — Nicholls, 3:30 p.m.
22 — McNeese, 7 p.m.
27 — at Northwestern State, 3 p.m.
29 — at Texas A&M-Commerce, 7 p.m.
February
3 — Lamar, 3:30 p.m.
10 — at McNeese, 4 p.m.
12 — at Nicholls, 6:30 p.m.
17 — Texas A&M-Commerce, 3:30 p.m.
19 — Northwestern State, 7 p.m.
24 — at Lamar, 6 p.m.
26 — at HCU, 7 p.m.
March
2 — Southeastern, 4:30 p.m.
4 — New Orleans, 7 p.m.
6 — UIW, 7:30 p.m.
10-13 — Southland Conference Tournament
All home games at American Bank Center unless noted
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi basketball: 5 things to know
