OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian men's basketball is ready to open the 2022-23 season in-style as the Evangels will host Kansas Christian on Thursday, Oct. 27 for a 12:45 p.m. tip-off at the Paycom Center, the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Evangels will have a quick turnaround as they will then host Ozark Christian in their home-opener at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29 inside the Gaulke Activity Center.
 
MACU TEAM SUMMARY

• 2021-22 Record: 20-13 (12-10 SAC)
• Last Game: Lost vs. No. 14 Montana Tech – 71-67 – Mar. 11, 2022 – Waxahachie, Texas (NAIA Opening Round)
• Top Returners:
  • Jasiah Lewis – R-SR – G
    • 270 Points (9.3 PPG), 104-244 FG (42.6 FG%), 34-106 3FG (32.1 3FG%), 28-41 FT (68.3 FT%), 96 Reb (3.3 RPG), 51 Assists (1.8 APG), 29 Steals (1.0 SPG)
  • Quentin Woodson – SO – F
    • 177 Points (5.7 PPG), 70-119 FG (58.8 FG%), 36-75 FT (48.0 FT%), 105 Reb (3.4 RPG), 21 Assists, 15 Steals, 8 Blocks
  • Tarrence Gaines – R-SO – G
    • 70 Points (2.9 PPG), 26-58 FG (44.87 FG%), 11-33 3FG (33.3 3FG%), 7-11 FT (63.6 FT%), 65 Reb (2.7 RPG), 11 Steals, 10 Assists, 7 Blocks
• Top Newcomers:
  • DaRaun Clark – R-SO – G – UC-Colorado Springs
    • 178 Points (16.2 PPG), 56-145 FG (38.6 FG%), 26-73 3FG (35.6 3FG%), 40-46 FT (87.0 FT%), 29 Reb (2.9 RPG), 11 Ast (1.0 APG), 20 Steals (1.8 SPG) in 2020-21
  •  Trevonte Doolittle – SR – G – Arkansas-Pine Bluff
    • 100 Points (3.7 PPG), 37-94 FG (39.4 FG%), 19-60 3FG (31.7 3FG%), 30 Reb (1.1 RPG), 10 Steals, 9 Assists
  • Seth Hurd – SO – F – Central Oklahoma
    • 65 Games, 20 Starts, 143 Points (2.2 PPG), 49-111 FG (44.1 FG%), 45-63 FT (71.4 FT%), 88 Reb (1.4 RPG), 12 Assists, 12 Blocks in three seasons at UCO
• Team Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian is coming off its fourth straight selection to the NAIA National Championship Tournament. The Evangels gave the No. 14 team in the country in Montana Tech a tough fight in the opening round game, but the Evangels fell by a final score of 71-67. Jasiah Lewis put a great game for MACU, scoring 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting with six boards and three steals.
  • The Evangels are expected to have another big year in the Sooner Athletic Conference after being picked third in the preseason poll. The Evangels are also receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll that was announced on Wednesday.
  • While MACU lost its top five scorers from last season, the Evangels bring in a highly touted recruiting class that is headlined by redshirt sophomore guard DaRaun Clark. Competing at NCAA Division II UC-Colorado Springs, Clark competed in 45 games and made 36 starts with the Cougars, scoring 577 points on a 40.6 shooting percentage, including 36.8 percent from three and 80.6 percent from the free throw line. The Evangels also bring in a strong core of transfers that includes a pair of NCAA D-I transfers in Trevonte Doolittle (UA-Pine Bluff) and Jonathan Alexandre (Oral Roberts), a pair of NCAA D-II transfers from Central Oklahoma in Seth Hurd and Conner Calavan and a NAIA powerhouse transfer in Tichic Fikipo (Oklahoma Wesleyan). The Evangels also added a prominent high school player in Jalen Goar, who was an All-State competitor in the State of New Mexico competing for Hobbs High.
  • Of the returners, Jasiah Lewis will be looking to lead the team in his third season in the program while sophomores Quentin Woodson and Tarrence Gaines will bring another year of great experience in after being named to the All-SAC Freshman Team a year ago.

SCOUTING REPORT
Kansas Christian

• 2021-22 Record: 11-16
• Last Game: Lost vs. Champion Christian (Ark.) – 87-69 – Mar. 4, 2022 – Joplin, Mo.
• Series vs. MACU (2016-): MACU leads 1-0
• Last Game vs. MACU: MACU won 127-56 – Nov. 22, 2016 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Players to Watch:
  • Jay Washington – SO – G
    • 258 Points (10.8 PPG), 99-212 FG (46.7 FG%), 12-37 3FG (32.4 3FG%), 48-77 FT (62.3 FT%), 101 Reb (4.2 RPG), 75 Assists (3.1 APG), 54 Steals (2.3 SPG)
  • Jahreese Jordan – SO – G
    • 234 Points (10.2 PPG), 93-173 (53.7 FG%), 10-35 3FG (28.6 3FG%), 38-50 FT (76.0 FT%), 55 Reb (2.4 RPG), 68 Assists (3.0 APG), 36 Steals (1.6 SPG)
  • Boog Lewis – SR – G (Randall)
    • 345 Points (14.4 PPG), 113-284 FG (39.8 FG%), 39-141 3FG (27.7 3FG%), 80-108 FT (74.1 FT%), 121 Reb (5.0 RPG), 89 Assists (3.1 APG), 47 Steals (2.0 SPG), 11 Blocks
• Team Notes:
  • Kansas Christian is coming off an 11-16 season under then first year head coach Jamie Cuellar.
  • The Falcons bring back three of their top six scorers from last season, headlined by sophomore guards Jay Washington and Jahreese Jordan as well as sophomore forward Elazar Conley.
  • KCC also brought in a talented pair of players from Randall (Okla.) in Boog Lewis and Jamal Clark. Both players were elite scoring threats for the Saints last season with Lewis pouring in 345 points (14.4 PPG) while Clark notched 215 point (18.1 PPG).
  • It is just the second time in the history of both programs that the two squads will be going head-to-head. The last time the two teams met, the Evangels cruised to a 127-56 victory inside the Gaulke Activity Center. In the win, six MACU players broke into double-digit scoring, led by Olajuwon Garner with 24 points while Trey Slate scored 22 as the two players combined to go 13-of-17 from the three-point arc.

Ozark Christian (Mo.)

• 2021-22 Record: 18-19
• Last Game: Lost vs. Bob Jones (S.C.) – 99-71 – Mar. 11, 2022 (NCCAA D-I National Championships)
• Series vs. MACU (2003-): MACU leads 8-0
• Last Game vs. MACU: MACU won 108-48 – Oct. 23, 2021 – Gaulke Activity Center
• Players to Watch:
  • Tyler Alarid – SR – G
    • 640 Points (17.8 PPG), 220-558 (39.4 FG%), 72-178 3FG (40.4 3FG%), 128-159 FT (80.5 FT%), 245 Reb (6.8 RPG), 186 Assists (5.2 APG), 74 Steals (2.1 SPG)
  • Josiah Beckenhauer – SO – G
    • 436 Points (14.1 PPG), 146-359 FG (40.7 FG%), 73-199 3FG (36.7 3FG%), 71-89 FT (79.8 FT%), 154 Reb (4.9 RPG), 77 Assists (2.5 APG), 29 Steals (0.9 SPG)
  • Aason Cross – SO – G
    • 354 Points (9.6 PPG), 128-277 FG (46.2 FG%), 54-130 3FG (41.5 3FG%), 44-68 FT (64.7 FT%), 80 Reb (2.2 RPG), 52 Assists (1.4 APG), 16 Steals
• Team Notes:
  • Ozark Christian is coming off an 18-19 season after earning a No. 7 seed at the NCCAA Division II National Championships.
  • The Ambassadors are led by the NCCAA Division II's top scorer in Tyler Alarid, who finished with 640 points while knocking down 39.4 percent of his shots and 40.4 of his attempts from three-point range.
  • Overall, the Ambassadors bring back five of their top six scorers from last season.
  • Mid-America Christian has dominated the all-time series and are coming off a huge win over Ozark Christian inside the Gaulke Activity Center last season. In last year's meeting, Isaiah Hammons put up a monstrous game, scoring 32 points on 12-of-14 shooting to go with five assists and five steals.