Game #1
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. SF State Gators (0-0)
Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 1 p.m.
San Rafael, Calif. – Conlan Center
Live Stats | Live Video
 
Game #2
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Sonoma State Seawolves (0-0)
Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 1 p.m.
San Rafael, Calif. – Conlan Center
Live Stats | Live Video
 
With a historic 2021-22 campaign now in its rear view, Academy of Art men's basketball prepares to defend its first Pacific West Conference Tournament crown and return to the NCAA Division II postseason here in 2022-23. Head Coach Scott Waterman, last season's PacWest Coach of the Year, and his coaching staff return as several of the Urban Knights who blazed the program's new trail combine with incoming dynamic student-athletes for the stretch run.

Across the San Francisco Bay in San Rafael for the PacWest/CCAA Challenge, ART U begins its 2022-23 campaign versus SF State (Nov. 12) and Sonoma State (Nov. 13) before a series of four more non-conference matchups at Cal State East Bay (Nov. 16), hosting Chico State (Nov. 19) in a rematch of last year's NCAA Tournament opening round, at Stanislaus State (Nov. 22), and at Saint Martin's (Nov. 25). The Urban Knights commence PacWest play in Southern California on Dec. 1 with Point Loma followed by Concordia (Dec. 3). A four-part homestand follows as Academy of Art welcomes Chaminade (Dec. 10), Azusa Pacific (Dec. 17), and Biola (Dec. 19) to the Bay Area.

As the calendar turns, ART U will start five consecutive road games at Holy Names (Dec. 30) and Fresno Pacific (Jan. 2) then in Hawaii against Hawaii Pacific (Jan. 8), Chaminade (Jan. 10), and UH Hilo (Jan. 12). The Knights' second rounds with conference opponents begins a sequence of four home contests, rematching CUI (Jan. 19), PLNU (Jan. 21), HPU (Jan. 24), and UH Hilo (Jan. 29) to close out the month. Six February matchups include another trip south to face APU (Feb. 2) and BU (Feb. 4), hosting the PacWest's Northern California trio of Dominican (Feb. 11), HNU (Feb. 19), and FPU (Feb. 23) as well as NCAA DIII UC Santa Cruz (Feb. 14) for non-conference action, then one final pairing with DU on Feb. 25. Hosted by Chaminade this year, the PacWest Championship Tournament tips off in Honolulu Mar. 2-4. To view the 2022-23 schedule, click here!

Two integral parts of Academy of Art's PacWest Tournament Championship squad, senior forward Mike Asante and guard Klay Brown prepare their encore to their PacWest All-Tournament Team selections complemented by Asante's Tournament Most Valuable Player honor and Brown's Defender of the Year distinction. Asante, who earned a spot on this year's Preseason All-PacWest Team, averaged 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in the tournament while Brown, a three-time PacWest Defender of the Week, provided the 11th-highest steals per game average in NCAA DII (2.4) for an ART U team ranked fourth in the country thefts per contest (10.3).

The duo of Asante and Brown are complemented by a graduate student guard trio of returner Deang Deang plus newcomers Will Balata and Stephon Hall. Deang was the Knights' leading scorer last season (11.5 points per game) while Balata was one of Simon Fraser's top scorers in three seasons (13.1 points per game) and Hall is fresh off becoming University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma's program record holder for assists (417).

Two forwards compose Academy of Art's junior class this season with Latrell Williams back for his second stint as an Urban Knight alongside Richard Rivers Jr., a transfer from Andrew College. Williams follows up a year that saw him on the PacWest All-Tournament Team, All-PacWest Second Team, and the conference's third-leading rebounder. Rivers Jr. shot over 52 percent from the field while averaging 12.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game for the Tigers last season.

Joining returning guard Maurice "Tre" Elrod in the sophomore contingent are guards Rodney Munson and Eli Taylor as well as forward Jamal Fuller. The three newcomers all shot over 40 percent in their respective previous seasons with Munson and Taylor each averaging 3.0+ assists per game at Independence Community College and Ranger Junior College respectively while Fuller adding 5.0 rebounds per contest en route to two All-Conference Second Team honors at Hill College.

Each set to make their collegiate debut in 2022-23, ART U offers a freshman class made up of forward Shawn Woodson as well as guards Kyle Houston and Malachi Guice. The trio was each part of dominant campaigns in their high school careers with Woodson's Cathedral squad going 24-5 in 2019-20, Houston's Torrey Pines team posted a 53-8 record the last two seasons, and Guice's Samuel Clemens Buffaloes finishing 27-7 in 2021-22.

With a talented roster of seasoned competitors, Academy of Art men's basketball sets out to make the program's 15th year a historic one yet again.