TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Tarleton State Men's Basketball returns to Wisdom Gym after starting with two its first three contests on the road to take on the Tabor College Bluejays on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
 
Thursday night has been dubbed Canned Food Drive Night presented by Surepoint ER. Fans that bring a canned food item on Thursday night will receive a free general admission ticket to the game against the Bluejays. All proceeds go towards Saint Luke's Food Pantry in Stephenville.
 
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and ACCXN with Scott Garner and Jeremy Bryant on the call. Kyle Crews will have the call on the Tarleton Sports Radio Network on 90.5 KTRL. Live stats will be provided by StatBroadcast available on tarletonsports.com. Follow @tarletonmbb on Instagram, X and Facebook for live updates, highlights and content.
 
In just his third game as a Texan, Chris Mpaka posted five blocks in a game, the second most in a game in Tarleton's D1 era. Mpaka also posted his first double-double as a Texan with 15 points and 11 boards. He matched his scoring high after scoring 15 over the weekend against Sam Houston. Mpaka and Bubu Benjamin are the only Texans to notch a double-double or at least ten rebounds.
 
Freshman Matt Krass came to Tarleton on the reputation that he can shoot, and he is proving it early. The Gulfport, Miss., native, has made at least two triples in each of the Texans first three contests. The freshman has connected on seven of 12, a 58.7 percent rate. 
 
Tabor College is an NAIA school, playing in the KCAC. This marks the Texans' first matchup against the Bluejays, but its second in two seasons against a KCAC member. Tarleton took care of business against Sterling College last season, 85-47 on Dec. 12. Tarleton is 27-15 all-time against current members of the KCAC.
 
The Krass brothers are the first pair of brothers to both enter their first year at Tarleton together. The brothers are the second set to be on the team at the same time, joining Jim and Joel Moreno who played together during the 1991-92 season. The brothers are one of 17 sets of brothers to be on the same D1 roster this season. The Krass brothers spent two seasons together at St. Patrick Catholic HS in Gulfport, MS.
 
Tarleton returns just two players to play in a game from last year's squad and has 15 newcomers for its roster. Last season the Texans 18 newcomers was the most in the country. This year their 15 ties for the second most behind four schools with 16. Tarleton has resorted to freshman this season with nine true freshmen on the roster. This marks ranks second in the country behind Air Force's 10. Tarleton returns less than five percent of their production last year in the following categories: FG made (4.94%), points (4.67%), 3FG Made (3.94%), FT Made (3.89%) and rebounds (3.1%).
 
Three Texans from last year's squad all signed on to play overseas. Lue Williams has started all five games for Lahti Basketball in the Finnish 1st Division A. Williams has scored 20-plus in four games and posted a career-best 33 points on Nov. 8. The Alabama native is averaging 22.4 points, 6.4 boards and 2.2 steals per game. He is 10-for-30 from deep, a .333 clip. KiAndre Gaddy has started all eight games for BBC Arantia Larochette in the Luxemborg LBBL. Gaddy has scored at least 20 in seven games and posted 30 in one as well. The power forward is averaging a double-double with 22.5 points and 11.1 boards per contest. He is shooting 64 percent from the floor and is averaging 2.0 blocks a game. Jakorie Smith has played in eight games while starting seven for K.B. Golden Eagle Ylli in the Kosovo-Superliga. He is averaging 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest.
 
Senior transfer Freddy Hicks is back for his fourth and final season in the 'Ville. Hicks was named to the five-man 2024-25 Preseason All-WAC Team. The senior earned his second preseason All-WAC selection, after earning second team honors ahead of the 2022-23 season. In his third season with the Texans, Hicks was named to the 2022-23 All-WAC Second Team. He led the team in both scoring and rebounds, averaging 16.2 points and 6.0 boards. The Searcy, Ark. native was named the 2020-21 WAC Freshman of the Year after his first year in Stephenville. Hicks led all WAC first-year players in scoring 8.2 points per game.
 
Head Coach Billy Gillispie is chasing the 200-career win mark, needing nine more to eclipse the milestone. Gillispie returns to the floor after stepping away due to medical circumstances last season after the fourth game of the season.
 
Tarleton will play its third power four conference opponent of the season on Sunday against Baylor. The Texans will take on the 12^th ranked team in the nation at the Foster Pavilion in Waco at 7 p.m.