STEPHENVILLE - The Tarleton Texan men's basketball team will open the 2010-11 season at home against Arlington Baptist at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13.

The Tarleton Texan men's basketball team reached their seventh NCAA Division II South Central Region tournament in the last nine seasons, and the Texans lost just two key players off that squad for the 2010-11 season.  And head coach Lonn Reisman is excited about what that means for the new season.

Tarleton returns four of the top six scorers from last year's 24-8 team that finished second in the Lone Star Conference South Division and as runner-up at the LSC Championship Tournament.  The Texans also finished the season as one of the top 32 teams in the nation - losing in the semi-finals to Midwestern State, the eventual regional champion.  The four scorers represent 63 percent of the scoring from last season's top players while all of the returners for the 2010-11 season account for 65 percent of the entire scoring from last season.

"Our biggest strength heading into this season is that we return so many lettermen," Reisman said.  "If we can continue to improve, our foundation will be set to have a chance to play in the postseason."

The head coach enters his 23rd season at the helm of the Texans, and he has led the squad to a 219-67 record in the last nine seasons, including a 140-16 mark at home in that span.  Under Reisman, the Texans made the 2005 and 2006 Elite Eights, winning the South Central Regional title in both seasons.  And the head coach believes this year's team has the ability to be one of the best teams ever.

"I really believe that this team has the ability to contend in the LSC if we continue with to progress and improve in practices," Reisman said. "Our returning players had a good taste of the NCAA championships last season after reaching the conference tournament final.  I hope that experience will get us back to the postseason."

Reisman said both his starters and other returners will contribute to the new season.

"I fully believe our returners understand the competition at this level," Reisman said.  "We have three starters returning, but several of our other returners got good, quality minutes for us last year.  We expect a great season in 2010-11."

Four of the losses by the Texans in 2009-10 came at the hands of the MSU, but the team hopes to reverse those results in new season - starting with the three starters.

Devon Hills, Corin Henry and Wale Oguonye started most of the games for the Texans last season.

Hills, a 6-4, 190-pound senior, led he team with 13.0 points per game last season.  He averaged 4.0 rebounds per game and shot .459 from the floor and .748 from the charity stripe.

Henry, a 5-11, 165-pound senior, was the starting point guard for the Texans last season, and for a long period of time, led the team in scoring.  He averaged 11.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.  He recorded 133 assists and 54 steals to lead the team in both categories while shooting .391 from the field.

Ogunoye, a 6-6, 230-pound senior, started all 32 games as a junior.  He averaged 5.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting .492 from the field and .628 from the free throw line.

Donta Smith, 1 6-4, 220-pound senior, was second on the team last season in rebounding with a 6.5 average.  He also totaled a 7.6 points per outing mark while shooting .525 from the floor.  He had 29 steals and was second on the squad with 18 blocks.
   
Several other Texans provided quality time for the Texans, and Reisman believes his newcomers will be strong additions to the 2010-11 roster.
   
Tarleton had three redshirts last season, including freshmen Chris Marshall and James Thomas as well as junior Wes Dipprey.
   
Dipprey, a 6-8, 220-pound forward/center, sat out last season after transferring from Cal Poly where he averaged seven points and five rebounds per game as a sophomore.  Prior to his one season at the Division I school, Dipprey played basketball at Temple College and was named a first team all-conference selection.  He averaged 13 points, nine rebounds and two steals per game as a freshman.
   
In high school, Dipprey, a native of Shallowater, was named the Most Valuable Player for the district as well as an all-region and all-state member as a junior and senior.  He was a member of the 2004 Shallowater state championship team as a freshman, and he helped his team to the runner-up slot as a senior.
   
Thomas, a 6-4, 205-pound freshman from Irving, will be a freshman for the Texans after averaging 16.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game for the Tigers.  He also added 2.0 assists per contest while leading the area schools in Class 5A in rebounding.
      
“Our coaching staff targeted James early during his senior season,” Reisman said. “Everyone on our staff that saw him play, including myself, was instantly impressed with the level of energy he plays with. James has a great motor and doesn't take any plays off. At 6-4, James is athletic and was one of the top rebounders in the state of Texas while leading the DFW metroplex.  He also attacks the basket very well and keeps the defense on their heels.”
      
Thomas was rated No. 108 on the Texas prospect list by TexasHoops.com.  He was named an all-region 5A selection and was a First Team All-District 7-5A honoree.  His district includes state powers Duncanville and Cedar Hill.  He was the district's Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to both the Whataburger and Mansfield All-Tournament teams.  Thomas was named the Irving High School Team Most Valuable Player and his team's Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
      
Thomas helped his team advance to the area quarterfinals with a 23-9 record this seasons.  He scored a season-high 36 points against Fort Worth Dunbar while adding 10 rebounds.
   
Marshall, a 6-8, 240-pound freshman from Irving, should see playing time this season as well.
   
“We really feel like we have gotten a big time sleeper with Chris Marshall,” Reisman said. “At 6-8, he has good size, athleticism and a world of potential. What makes him even more intriguing is he's a late bloomer and will not turn 18 until this coming August. I'm excited to see what Chris can develop into while working with our strength coach and basketball staff.  As Chris continues to work hard and develop his skill-set and body, he is going to have a great career at Tarleton.”
      
Marshall, who averaged six points and six rebounds per game as a senior as he helped his team to a 23-9 record, was selected as an honorable mention honoree in District 7-5A, and he ranked No. 10 in rebounding in the district as he helped his team to the area quarterfinals of the playoffs.
      
Marshall scored a season-high 17 points while pulling down 12 rebounds against Grand Prairie High School.
      
The two freshmen from Irving had a strong warm-up for making it to the next level of basketball.  IHS is a member of District 7-5A that included Duncanville, where all five starters went Division I in basketball, and Cedar Hill, whose coach has more than 700 wins.
   
The Texans received a mid-season transfer that sat out the 2009-10 season and should be ready to play in 2010-11.  Fabian Wilson, a 6-8, 250-pound power forward, transferred to Tarleton from Los Angeles City College where he played for one season as a sophomore.  He averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game in 2008-09 and was named the South Coast Conference First Team.  As a freshman, he played at Coastal Georgia in 2007-08 where he was also a first team all-conference selection after tallying 16.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per outing.
   
"Fabion needs to continue to improve his strength and physical play," Reisman said.  "He is still adjusting to NCAA-level of play, and he needs to continue to improve his fitness, conditioning and endurance.  He is not at the level he needs to be to compete, but he if he continues to absorb mentally and work hard, then he could be a player to help push us into postseason play."
   
Wilson, a native of New Orleans, La., was recruited out of junior college by East Tennessee State, Idaho, Oregon, Providence, Washington and Wyoming.  
   
Tarleton has thrown in three new signings for the 2010-11 season, including Nick Mosley of Belleville, Carrington Tankson of Brooklyn Park, Minn. and Coleman Furst of Denison..
   
Mosley, a 6-9, 220-pound forward from Belleville, will have one season left to play collegiate basketball after transferring from the University of Houston, and the Texans will suit him up in 2010-11.
   
“Nick brings an immediate need next year at the forward spot with the loss of Jeremiah Wilson,” Reisman said.  “Nick comes from a high level of basketball playing in Conference USA for three seasons. He has the ability to score from both the inside and from the perimeter and brings an immediate need in the areas of rebounding and shot-blocking. Nick is a very athletic forward that can really change the complexion of a game.”
   
Mosley scored a career-high 11 points against Rice on February 28, 2009 and had 11 rebounds against Prairie View A&M on November 29, 2006 as a freshman. The three year letterman at Houston came on strong toward the end of the season in 2009 while appearing in 29 games with starts against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and against Conference USA-rival Memphis. He posted nine points with five rebounds over Central Florida while adding eight points with four boards and two blocked shots in only 10 minutes against Tulane. Had the 11 points with nine rebounds, including eight off the offensive glass, to help the Cougars to the win over Rice in his career-high game. He also recorded seven rebounds with two blocked shots in the conference tournament against Texas-El Paso.
   
As a sophomore in 2007-08, Mosley played in 17 games after playing in 28 games as a freshman. He had 10 points and eight rebounds against Memphis while pulling down seven rebounds against Southern Mississippi, Tulsa and Grambling State.   
   
“I think he's excited about going to a program that will better utilize his skill-set and give him an opportunity to be an impact player that competes for a championship,” Reisman said. “Out of high school, he was one of the top players in the state and was recruited by a lot of high-major programs. Once he gets back into the flow of things, I think he will be a huge asset for our team next season.”
   
In High School, Mosley averaged 21.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.6 blocked shots, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game for coach Kirk Collier at Belleville High School. He was ranked among the Top-20 high school seniors in Texas by TexasHoops.com and was nominated for the McDonald's High School All-Star game. Mosley was also a three-time District 20-3A high jump champion.
   
After his stellar senior season, Mosley was named to the all-state first team and was the district's Most Valuable Player. He was selected to the all-tournament team after he recorded 24 points, 23 rebounds and three blocked shots against Cameron. He registered 31 double-doubles in 32 games and tallied a season-high 41 points to go along with 20 rebounds against Smithville.
   
Tankson joins the Texans as the No. 30-ranked junior college player in the country by jucojunction.com.  He transfered to Tarleton from San Jacinto College.
   
“Tank [nickname] is the proven scoring guard we have been looking for,” Reisman said. “He played in a very tough juco conference and had shown throughout his career to be a great scorer and to have a very high basketball IQ. He comes from a San Jacinto program that I have the utmost respect for, and he has had a great coach the last two years in Scott Gernander. We are really looking forward to the next two years with Tank.”
   
In his sophomore season in 2009-10, Tankson led the squad in scoring with 15.8 points per game, which was eighth-best in the league. He averaged five rebounds and was second on the team with 37 steals. He was a second team all-region selection and led his team to a 25-5 regular season record. Tankson was given a grade of 88, according to ESPN.com College Basketball Recruiting Service.
   
As a freshman at SJC, Tankson was third on the team in scoring with 12.4 points per game. He played in all 32 games, starting 26. He averaged four rebounds per outing and shot 78 percent from the free throw line.
   
A 2008 graduate of Osseo Senior High School, Tankson helped the Orioles to three-straight conference championships and was picked as a first team all-conference honoree. Tankson was also named all-state and was a member of the 1,000-point club. He was named the conference's Most Valuable Player and ranked in the top 10 of Minnesota players while serving as the team captain as well.
   
For OHS, Tankson averaged 17.3 points, 4.5 assists, two steals and 4.7 rebounds per game as a senior and was named a two-star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.
   
The newest was being recruited by Midwestern State, Valdosta Sate and Minnesota-Mankato, but he chose Tarleton.
   
“I was really impressed on how the staff at Tarleton really sold the school and academics, and not just the basketball program,” Tankson said. “I really enjoyed meeting the players and can really see myself playing alongside them. Coach Lonn Reisman is a wonderful man and after speaking with him, I just knew he was the right coach for me. Tarleton is a great basketball school and they have an amazing game atmosphere that I'm excited about playing in front of. Coach Chris [Reisman] and I really had a good relationship, and he did a good job recruiting me.”
   
The Texans lost just two players from the 24-8 team that reached the NCAA Division II South Central Region semifinals last season, and Tarleton has added three new players to the squad while three other players who redshirted in 2009-10 will join the active roster as well.
   
“I really think this team has the potential to be one of the best we have ever had at Tarleton,” the elder Reisman said. “Like every year, there are a lot of expectations on our program, and I am excited to see if this roster can come together and be successful.”
   
Furst, a 6-1, 190-guard, was a standout at Denison High School where he averaged 11.5 points, 3.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game while helping the school to the second round of the 4A playoffs in 2010.  He received the Defensive Player of the Year award for District 9-4A.
   
"We are excited to have Coleman join our team," Reisman said.  "He is a quick player that can handle the ball well and is a good defensive player.  He will grow into the point guard position, and he can shoot the ball well while getting to the rim."
   
Furst is said to have chosen Tarleton over The Citadel, West Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Commerce and Collin County.  
   
As a junior, Furst averaged 14.7 points per game as well as 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest.
   
Another addition might come to the squad as well, as the coaching staff is searching for one more peice of the puzzle, but whether that piece does fall into place or not, anyone looking at the 2010-11 roster can now see why the Reismans and their squad are pleased.  The year will not just be about being successful and adding to Reisman's 461-204 record at Tarleton over the last 22 years.
   
They believe this could be a year of something special. A year of something exciting.