All-time record 1301–1042 (.555) Head coach Sam Walker Conference Lone Star Conference | Location Commerce, TX Nickname Lions | |
University Texas A&M University–Commerce Arena Texas A&M–Commerce Field House
(Capacity: 5,000) | ||
The Texas A&M–Commerce Lions men's basketball team (formerly the East Texas State Lions) is the men's intercollegiate basketball program representing Texas A&M University–Commerce. The school competes in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Lions were members of the NAIA from 1940-1982, and joined the NCAA for the 82-83 season. The A&M–Commerce men's basketball team plays its home games at the University Field House on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. The Lions have won one national title and numerous conference titles. The team is currently coached by Sam Walker.
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History
The men's team was formed in 1916, and played the 1916–17 season under the first head coach John Garrity and went 3–3. The university joined the Lone Star conference in 1931 and since that time the team has won a grand total of 22 conference titles as well as one national title. The team has been to the national playoffs numerous times but since joining the NCAA they have not made it past the elite eight in the national tournament. The team is currently coached by Sam Walker who has coached the team since 2000 and has a combined record of 249–180, and 103–93 in conference games, he has more wins than any other basketball coach in the program's history. The team was featured as an opponent of Texas Western University's (now The University of Texas at El Paso) historic color barrier breaking team in the Walt Disney film Glory Road during the 1966 season. The game was shown as being played in Commerce as the arena it was shot in had very close resemblance to the University Fieldhouse, where the Lions play to this day. The team saw a lot of success under head coach Bob Rodgers, who has the highest winning percentage in the program's history to this day .769, he led them to the playoffs in 3 out of his 5 seasons and in the 1954–55 season he led the team to the national championship where they defeated Southeastern Oklahoma by a score of 71–54 for their first (and only) national title in addition to this he also led the team to 4 conference titles. The program also had lots of success throughout the 1970s under head coach Jim Grudger who led the team to three conference titles and took the team to the national tournament four times and came really close to winning a national title in 1978 when he took the team to the NAIA semi-finals and was defeated by Quincy by a score of 87–73.
Arena
The A&M-Commerce men and women's basketball teams both share the university field house along with volleyball . The field house was constructed in 1950 and has been home to Men's basketball for over six decades. The Field House covers 69,000 square feet and will seat 5,000 people for either a volleyball or basketball contest. The facility is also the host to the University's Athletic Administration staff, the Sports Medicine Department and the Health and Human Performance Department; in addition to the offices for the basketball, cross country and track and field, golf, soccer and volleyball teams.
The Field House is shaped like an airplane hangar and has space for three basketball courts crossways. The floor allows three games to be played at the same time under one roof. The one lengthwise court is reserved for A&M-Commerce basketball and volleyball matches. With an arched roof, 58 feet from the ground at the highest point, is supported on steel beams that are stationed at one end. The university recently upgraded the hardwood court and placed a giant lion head logo in the center of the court similar to the one at Memorial Stadium.