Men's Basketball 1/21/2021 4:20:00 PM

Stars take floor for first time in 2020-21

OCU travels to Central Christian for its season opener

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University gets on the basketball floor for the first time under coach Tim Kisner.
Oklahoma City opens the season 3:45 p.m. Saturday at Central Christian inside Dr. Jerry E. Alexander Arena in McPherson, Kan. Kisner assumed the mantle of OCU head men's basketball coach in April.
The Stars include a veteran backcourt of Kealon Clayborne and Rashaun Coleman. Those two paired as OCU's starting guards 11 times last season.
Oklahoma City possesses a rich tradition having captured six national titles in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007 and 2008 as well as 13 Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season championships and 10 SAC Tournament crowns.

TOP RETURNERS

• Coleman produced 13.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.10 steals a game in 2019-20. Coleman, a 6-foot senior from Houston, fired in 51.8 percent of his field-goal attempts and 37.6 percent of his 3-point shots. His career high of 23 points came at John Brown (Ark.) in an overtime setback Jan. 18
• Clayborne contributed 8.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest last season. Clayborne, a 6-foot-3 senior from Cedar Hill, Texas, posted a career-best 21 points at Panhandle State on Feb. 29
• Elie Ghomsi looks to contribute around the basket. Ghomsi, a 6-7 junior from Bafoussam, Cameroon, chipped in 4.4 points and 4.7 rebounds a game with a 53.5 percent field-goal percentage

NEW FACES

• Eric Amandio, a 6-3 junior from Luanda, Angola, put together 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.19 thefts per game with a 39.3 percent 3-point percentage with Southeastern (Iowa) last season
• Ryan Birt, a 6-2 senior from Plano, Texas, averaged 12.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.40 steals a contest for Texas A&M-International in 2019-20
• Vaughn Raney came to OCU after spending his previous four years at Rogers State. Raney, a 6-2 senior from Cashion, Okla., scored more than 1,600 points in his prep career. He is pursuing a master's degree in healthcare practice management at OCU

PRESEASON BUZZ

• The Stars racked up 37 points in the preseason SAC poll to stand eighth among the league teams according to SAC coaches

MEET THE COACH

• Kisner sports experience both as a college head coach and as a professional player. Kisner spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at John Brown, where he contributed to the Golden Eagles' 51-16 record, two national-tournament berths and two appearances in the SAC Tournament championship game
• Kisner's head-coaching experience came at Fresno Pacific (Calif.), which improved by five wins over its previous season under his guidance
• Kisner had an eight-year career in the pro ranks in the Continental Basketball Association and overseas in Finland and Poland

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

• OCU's home opener will be 7:45 p.m. Jan. 28 against Texas Wesleyan at Abe Lemons Arena
• The Stars' schedule includes five consecutive home dates between Feb. 6-16
• The SAC Tournament will be Feb. 25-March 2 with the higher seed hosting each game. The quarterfinals are slated for Feb. 25 with the semifinals March 1 and the championship March 2
• The NAIA Championship Tournament will include a 48-team field. The NAIA Opening Round will be comprised of eight six-team tournaments March 12-13 on campus sites. The remaining teams reach Kansas City, Mo., on March 18-23

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Players Mentioned

#1 Kealon Clayborne: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#2 Rashaun Coleman: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#15 Elie Ghomsi: F; 6' 7"; Junior

#3 Ryan Birt: G; 6' 2"; Senior

#10 Eric Amandio: G; 6' 3"; Junior

#20 Vaughn Raney: G; 6' 2"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#1 Kealon Clayborne
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#2 Rashaun Coleman
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#15 Elie Ghomsi
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F

#3 Ryan Birt
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G

#10 Eric Amandio
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

#20 Vaughn Raney
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G