Texans

Tarleton State Texans
General Information
NCAA Division: Division I
Conference: Western Athletic Conference (2020-present)
Past Conferences: None
City: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Wisdom Gym
NCAA Tournaments: None
Championships:
- National Championships: None
- Conference Tournament Titles: None
- Conference Regular Season Titles: None
Tarleton State Texans Team History
The Tarleton State Texans are a Division I school located in Stephenville, Texas. Upon reclassifying from Division II in 2020, Tarleton State joined the Western Athletic Conference.
Tarleton State competed in the Lone Star Conference from 1994 to 2020 and won four regular season titles, three conference tournament titles and made 14 trips to the Division II NCAA Tournament. The Texans were a steady contender, making the Sweet 16 six times and the Final Four twice. They were 0-2 in the national semifinals, losing in 2005 to Bryant and in 2015 to Indiana (Pa.). Tarleton State was also previously a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Tarleton State must complete a four-year reclassification process as part of the move from Division II, meaning the school will not be eligible for Division I postseason play until the 2024-25 season. The Texans are also ineligible to participate in WAC postseason competitions during that period, however, they are eligible to win regular season championships in all WAC-sponsored sports, including men’s basketball.
Coach Billy Gillespie
Well-traveled coach Billy Gillespie was hired in 2020 to guide Tarleton State through the transition. Gillespie, who had stints with four different Division I programs, including Texas A&M and Kentucky, went 10-10 (5-7 WAC) in Tarleton State’s first Division I season. The Texans built on that mark in Year Two, going 9-9 in conference play and 14-17 overall.
Despite that improvement, Tarleton State faced long odds entering the 2022-23 season. The Texans were picked to finish 10th in the WAC preseason coaches’ poll and 11th in the media poll. They had to replace leading scorer and Second Team All-WAC performer Montre Gipson, who transferred to Charlotte for his final year of collegiate eligibility.
Impressively, Tarleton State began the season 3-1, including wins over Belmont and Boston College at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Tarleton State Texans All-Time Records
Points Scored
- Montre Gipson: 752
- Freddy Hicks: 562
- Tahj Small: 555
Rebounds
- Freddy Hicks: 272
- Tahj Small: 260
- Montre’ Gipson: 220
Assists
- Montre Gipson: 155
- Shamir Bogues: 96
- Shakur Daniel: 89
Tarleton State Texans FAQs
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