Game #1
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. SF State Gators (0-0)
Friday, November 8, 2024 at 5 p.m.
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves' Den
Live Stats | Live Video
 
Game #2
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Sonoma State Seawolves (0-0)
Saturday, November 9, 2024 at 7 p.m.
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves' Den
Live Stats | Live Video
 

Coming off a season highlighted by the program's first Pacific West Conference Regular Season Championship, Academy of Art men's basketball tips off 2024-25 seeking its fourth consecutive campaign with 20+ victories. The program's sixth year under Head Coach Scott Waterman features an experienced roster of four returning seniors as well as talented new Urban Knights from around the country.

Once again receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches DII Preseason Poll and picked to finish second in the PacWest Coaches Preseason Poll, Academy of Art plays nearly all of its non-conference slate in November beginning with SF State (Nov. 8) and Sonoma State (Nov. 9) in the Seawolves' Sonoma State Tip-Off Classic. Chico State will then be ART U's first home opponent on Nov. 16 before three road contests take the Urban Knights to Saint Martin's (Nov. 21), Western Oregon (Nov. 23), and Stanislaus State (Nov. 27). A five-part homestand is next as Academy of Art welcomes Simon Fraser (Nov. 29), Vanguard (Dec. 5), Point Loma (Dec. 7), Fresno Pacific (Dec. 13), and Chaminade (Dec. 21) to the Bay Area to both start PacWest play and close out the month of December.

At home just once in January, ART U starts at Biola (Jan. 2), PLNU (Jan. 4), and Jessup (Jan. 8) before turning around to host Jessup on Jan. 18. Trips to FPU (Jan. 20), Menlo (Jan. 25), UH Hilo (Jan. 30), and Chaminade (Feb. 1) take the Knights into four straight home games featuring Dominican (Feb. 5), Menlo (Feb. 8), UC Santa Cruz (Feb. 11), and Westmont (Feb. 15). The last stretch leading to the postseason includes a road game at Dominican (Feb. 17), two home contests versus Hawaii Pacific (Feb. 20) and UH Hilo (Feb. 24), and two more in Southern California at Concordia (Feb. 27) and Azusa Pacific (Mar. 1). Hosted by Dominican this year, the PacWest Championship Tournament will take place in San Rafael on Mar. 6-8. To view the 2024-25 schedule, click here!

Returning for their final year of collegiate basketball are senior guards Treylon Payne and Rodney Munson along with forwards Quintin Metcalf and Isaiah Williams. A two-time PacWest Defender of the Week, Payne tied with Williams for fourth in the conference in steals per game (1.9) last season while Munson, a 2023-24 All-PacWest Third Team honoree and 2024-25 PacWest Player to Watch, checked in at eighth (1.6). Munson begins this campaign ranked second in ART U history in career three-point percentage (.392) as well as top 10 in steals (88) and 3-pointers made (72). Meanwhile, Metcalf put himself inside the program's top 10 in single-season field goal percentage (.558) in his debut and Williams finished as one of just two Knights in Academy of Art history among the single-season top 10 in both steals (54) and blocks (21).

Redshirt junior guards Eli Taylor and Donovan Vickers add to the Urban Knights' familiar core while forward Peter-Kaci Gwananji joins the squad as a junior following his time with Western Oregon. Taylor wrapped up 2023-24 within the PacWest's top 10 in assists per game (2.7) while Vickers comes in two years removed from averaging 3.1 assists per contest for University of Missouri-St. Louis. Bringing hustle and athleticism, Gwananji ended as one of just three Wolves with double-digit steals and blocks last season.

Three new faces extend the Academy of Art junior class as forwards Bryce Moore, Damarcies Moore, and Robbie Armbrester prepare to don the ART U red and black for the first time. Damarcies Moore previously averaged 14.5 points and 7.4 rebounds for Richard J. Daley College, leading him to a NJCAA Region 4 Second Team selection.

The lone two underclassmen suiting up for Academy of Art in 2024-25 are sophomore forward KJ Dunn and redshirt freshman forward Mason Hudnall. An ACCAC Regular Season Champion with Chandler Gilbert Community College, Dunn was All-ACCAC and All-Region Division II Second Team award winner.

Driven to reach new postseason heights, the Urban Knights unitedly take the court for the first time this week.