Monday, November 4
Nacogdoches, TX
7:30 PM
Stephen F. Austin
vs
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
University of Dallas
Lumberjacks Basketball Starts 2024-25 Campaign at Home vs. University of Dallas
11/2/2024 2:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NACOGDOCHES, Texas- The 2024-25 basketball season will tip off for the men's basketball team on Monday, November 4th when they host the University of Dallas Crusaders in a non-conference matchup. Game time is set for 7:30 pm at the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks return to a new yet familiar chapter in their team's storied history for their 2024-25 season. Following a three-year stint in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), the Lumberjacks will return to the Southland Conference (SLC) where they had spent 34 years prior to moving to the WAC for the 2021 season. Over the course of their 34-year history in the SLC, the Lumberjacks experienced great success in their men's basketball program as they amassed five conference titles as a program.
The Lumberjacks return to the Southland Conference after a winning 2023-24 season that saw SFA compile an 18-15 overall record, which marked the program's fifth consecutive winning season and their 20th winning season in the last 22 years. The Lumberjacks went 10-10 in conference play last season, ending the season with a pair of crucial conference wins over Southern Utah and Utah Tech, which was good enough to earn them a spot in the WAC Tournament as the number six seed. The first round of the WAC Tournament saw the Lumberjacks matched up with the seven-seeded ACU Wildcats and provided a game that will be remembered for years to come as guard AJ Cajuste drained a last-second three-pointer to lift the Lumberjacks over the Wildcats 60-57 and give Head Coach Kyle Keller his first WAC Tournament win.
The Lumberjacks' schedule this season features 16 home games and 15 road games with plenty of big moments packed into the schedule. The Lumberjacks open their season on Monday, November 4th at home as they host the University of Dallas, and just over two weeks later will host the Axe'Em Classic presented by Etech that will see SFA square off against Presbyterian College, Monmouth University, and Youngstown State University over a three-day weekend tournament (Nov. 21-23) hosted at the Sawmill. Just over two weeks after the Axe'Em Classic, the Lumberjacks will get set for one of the biggest games in program history as they travel to Eugene, Oregon, on December 15th to square off with the high-powered Oregon Ducks in a Sunday evening classic. SFA will then flip into the new year with their home conference schedule as they get set to tip-off their 2024-2025 conference slate when Incarnate Word travels to the Sawmill on Saturday, January 4th. As the season comes to an end, the Lumberjacks will have a four-game road trip when they visit Northwestern State (Feb. 15), Texas A&M Commerce (Feb. 17), Incarnate Word (Feb. 22), and Houston Christian (Feb. 24). The 2024-25 regular season concludes with the Lumberjacks at home vs. Nicholls (March 1) and McNeese State (March 3).
Guiding the Lumberjacks basketball program for the ninth consecutive season is Lumberjack basketball head coach Kyle Keller. In his eight seasons leading the Lumberjacks basketball team, Keller has had a winning record in seven of his eight years, (including the last five), averaged 20 wins a season, posted an overall winning percentage of .634, and a 99-23 record at the Sawmill. Keller has adopted a "Giant Killers" mentality that has seen SFA knock off powerhouse schools such as LSU, Baylor, and most famously knocked off #1 ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 2019.
SFA retains a pair of key players from last year's team that made the WAC Tournament in senior guard Matt Hayman and senior forward Nana Antwi-Boasiako. Hayman, a 6-5 guard from Delhi Louisiana, started in 29 games last year shooting 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc in route to averaging 9.8 points per game. Antwi-Boasiako, a 6-9 forward and Nacogdoches local, comes off a year in which he posted 8.1 points per game, averaged 4.3 rebounds per game, and shot 76 percent from the line. Joining Hayman and Antwi-Boasiako as returning lettermen for Kyle Keller this season are 6-5 forward/guard Chrishawn Christmas, 6-8 forward Clayton Southwick, and 6-7 forward Juhlawnei Stone.
However, the talent for SFA this season will go far beyond just the returners as Kyle Keller and his staff stayed busy in the transfer portal during the offseason bringing in four key players to help SFA on both ends of the court. One of the additions is Chris Johnson who joins the Lumberjack family from the University of Texas. Johnson, a 6-5 guard from Missouri City, was ranked as the 44th best recruit in the country by ESPN in the final class of 2023 rankings and appeared in 17 games for the Longhorns last season shooting 42 percent from the floor. Joining Johnson as a transfer to SFA is Keon Thompson, a 6-0 guard from the University of Massachusetts. Thompson started in 30 games for the Minutemen last season as a sophomore, averaging 9.3 points per game on 45 percent shooting from the floor helping lead UMASS to a 20-11 record. Thompson was voted to the 2024-25 Preseason Second Team All-Southland Conference. Keith Lamar, a 6-5 forward, joins the Lumberjacks from Florida A&M University where he averaged 13.8 points per game and was a prolific shooter from beyond the arc as he shot 42.4 percent from three-point range. Thierno Sylla, a 6-11 forward from the University of Central Florida, rounds out the transfer class for the Lumberjacks. Sylla appeared in 32 games for UCF drawing a start in 10 of them which included posting a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double against Jacksonville on December 6th.
The Lumberjacks added to their roster from outside the transfer portal as well as Keenan Emmanuel, and Dominic Pangonis committed to SFA as freshmen. Pangonis a 6-5 guard from Burlington, Ontario comes to SFA as a three-star recruit, was listed as the third-best overall recruit in Ontario and ranked the 46th-best guard in his class as he averaged 20 points per game and shot 52 percent from the field last season. Meanwhile, Emmanuel a 6-2 guard from Mississauga, Ontario comes to SFA from Long Island Lutheran where he played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), where he averaged 23 points per game and was top three in the EYBL in points, assists, and steals in the league.
TICKET INFORMATION
Join SFA Basketball at William R. Johnson Coliseum this season. Season and single-game tickets are on sale now. Fans can visit SFAtickets.com for more information.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA basketball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks return to a new yet familiar chapter in their team's storied history for their 2024-25 season. Following a three-year stint in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), the Lumberjacks will return to the Southland Conference (SLC) where they had spent 34 years prior to moving to the WAC for the 2021 season. Over the course of their 34-year history in the SLC, the Lumberjacks experienced great success in their men's basketball program as they amassed five conference titles as a program.
The Lumberjacks return to the Southland Conference after a winning 2023-24 season that saw SFA compile an 18-15 overall record, which marked the program's fifth consecutive winning season and their 20th winning season in the last 22 years. The Lumberjacks went 10-10 in conference play last season, ending the season with a pair of crucial conference wins over Southern Utah and Utah Tech, which was good enough to earn them a spot in the WAC Tournament as the number six seed. The first round of the WAC Tournament saw the Lumberjacks matched up with the seven-seeded ACU Wildcats and provided a game that will be remembered for years to come as guard AJ Cajuste drained a last-second three-pointer to lift the Lumberjacks over the Wildcats 60-57 and give Head Coach Kyle Keller his first WAC Tournament win.
The Lumberjacks' schedule this season features 16 home games and 15 road games with plenty of big moments packed into the schedule. The Lumberjacks open their season on Monday, November 4th at home as they host the University of Dallas, and just over two weeks later will host the Axe'Em Classic presented by Etech that will see SFA square off against Presbyterian College, Monmouth University, and Youngstown State University over a three-day weekend tournament (Nov. 21-23) hosted at the Sawmill. Just over two weeks after the Axe'Em Classic, the Lumberjacks will get set for one of the biggest games in program history as they travel to Eugene, Oregon, on December 15th to square off with the high-powered Oregon Ducks in a Sunday evening classic. SFA will then flip into the new year with their home conference schedule as they get set to tip-off their 2024-2025 conference slate when Incarnate Word travels to the Sawmill on Saturday, January 4th. As the season comes to an end, the Lumberjacks will have a four-game road trip when they visit Northwestern State (Feb. 15), Texas A&M Commerce (Feb. 17), Incarnate Word (Feb. 22), and Houston Christian (Feb. 24). The 2024-25 regular season concludes with the Lumberjacks at home vs. Nicholls (March 1) and McNeese State (March 3).
Guiding the Lumberjacks basketball program for the ninth consecutive season is Lumberjack basketball head coach Kyle Keller. In his eight seasons leading the Lumberjacks basketball team, Keller has had a winning record in seven of his eight years, (including the last five), averaged 20 wins a season, posted an overall winning percentage of .634, and a 99-23 record at the Sawmill. Keller has adopted a "Giant Killers" mentality that has seen SFA knock off powerhouse schools such as LSU, Baylor, and most famously knocked off #1 ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 2019.
SFA retains a pair of key players from last year's team that made the WAC Tournament in senior guard Matt Hayman and senior forward Nana Antwi-Boasiako. Hayman, a 6-5 guard from Delhi Louisiana, started in 29 games last year shooting 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc in route to averaging 9.8 points per game. Antwi-Boasiako, a 6-9 forward and Nacogdoches local, comes off a year in which he posted 8.1 points per game, averaged 4.3 rebounds per game, and shot 76 percent from the line. Joining Hayman and Antwi-Boasiako as returning lettermen for Kyle Keller this season are 6-5 forward/guard Chrishawn Christmas, 6-8 forward Clayton Southwick, and 6-7 forward Juhlawnei Stone.
However, the talent for SFA this season will go far beyond just the returners as Kyle Keller and his staff stayed busy in the transfer portal during the offseason bringing in four key players to help SFA on both ends of the court. One of the additions is Chris Johnson who joins the Lumberjack family from the University of Texas. Johnson, a 6-5 guard from Missouri City, was ranked as the 44th best recruit in the country by ESPN in the final class of 2023 rankings and appeared in 17 games for the Longhorns last season shooting 42 percent from the floor. Joining Johnson as a transfer to SFA is Keon Thompson, a 6-0 guard from the University of Massachusetts. Thompson started in 30 games for the Minutemen last season as a sophomore, averaging 9.3 points per game on 45 percent shooting from the floor helping lead UMASS to a 20-11 record. Thompson was voted to the 2024-25 Preseason Second Team All-Southland Conference. Keith Lamar, a 6-5 forward, joins the Lumberjacks from Florida A&M University where he averaged 13.8 points per game and was a prolific shooter from beyond the arc as he shot 42.4 percent from three-point range. Thierno Sylla, a 6-11 forward from the University of Central Florida, rounds out the transfer class for the Lumberjacks. Sylla appeared in 32 games for UCF drawing a start in 10 of them which included posting a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double against Jacksonville on December 6th.
The Lumberjacks added to their roster from outside the transfer portal as well as Keenan Emmanuel, and Dominic Pangonis committed to SFA as freshmen. Pangonis a 6-5 guard from Burlington, Ontario comes to SFA as a three-star recruit, was listed as the third-best overall recruit in Ontario and ranked the 46th-best guard in his class as he averaged 20 points per game and shot 52 percent from the field last season. Meanwhile, Emmanuel a 6-2 guard from Mississauga, Ontario comes to SFA from Long Island Lutheran where he played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), where he averaged 23 points per game and was top three in the EYBL in points, assists, and steals in the league.
TICKET INFORMATION
Join SFA Basketball at William R. Johnson Coliseum this season. Season and single-game tickets are on sale now. Fans can visit SFAtickets.com for more information.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA basketball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball3.5.26 | MBB Southland Conference Tournament Preview
Friday, March 06
2.23.26 | MBB v UNO Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, February 25
2.21.26 | MBB v Nicholls Postgame Press Conference
Monday, February 23
2.9.26 | MBB v ETAMU Postgame Press Conference
Tuesday, February 10
