2009 Basketball Spring Review

 

 

The Dallas Baptist University Patriot Basketball team finished the historical 2008-2009 season with a trip to the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Tournament for the first time in school history.  The team finished the season with a 24-7 overall record and a 12-4 Heartland Conference record in only their third year.

The Patriots finished the regular season ranked second in the Heartland Conference after receiving a preseason ranking of fourth.  The Patriots defeated St. Mary’s in the Conference Semi-Final game, but fell to the University of Incarnate Word in the Conference Championship.  

DBU received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament, which consists of the top 64 teams in Division II.  The University of Central Missouri hosted the South Central Region, where DBU was the sixth seed.  In their first game, the Patriots started the tournament on fire as they came out and defeated the number three seeded and nationally ranked University of Central Oklahoma, 89-75.  

DBU came up short, however, in the Regional Semi-Final game as they fell to Southwest Baptist University, 74-68, to end the 2008-2009 campaign.   

“It has been an outstanding year.  God has blessed us in so many ways.  I am proud of how hard these young men worked and how unselfishly they played this year.  It was very special,” Head Coach Blake Flickner said about the season.

The Patriots finished their year off in the top tier in many national statistical categories, including an 11 game regular season winning streak.  DBU finished third in all of Division II with the third best three-point field goal percentage, as they shot 42.2% from behind the arc.  They were also ranked 12th in scoring per game, posting an impressive 88 points per game, 12th in assists per game with 17.9, 16th in free throw percentage per game, shooting 75.5% on the season, and 20th in scoring margin (+12.0).  Along with top national rankings, the Patriots finished first in the Heartland Conference in points per game, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, assists per game, and steals per game.  DBU finished in a close second in the conference in scoring margin, free throw percentage, three-point field goal percentage defense, and three-point field goals made.

Individual awards for the Patriots during the 2008-2009 season included Head Coach Blake Flickner being named the Heartland Conference Coach of the Year.  Flickner was also named the Co-NCCAA coach of the year.  Senior Shelby Lewis was named to the All-Heartland Conference Second Team after receiving Heartland Conference Player of the Week once during the regular season.  Sophomore Braxton Adamson had a standout year, being named to the All-Heartland Conference Second Team as well as receiving CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team for his success on the court as well as in the classroom.  Adamson finished the season ranked 16th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage, finishing the year with an impressive 42.7% from behind the arc.

Junior Bryan Baumann played his first year as a Patriot and received All-Heartland Conference Honorable Mention after receiving Heartland Conference Player of the Week twice during the regular season.  Junior Eddie Gloviak also received All-Heartland Conference Honorable Mention.  Newcomer Freshman Jordan McGowen had an outstanding first year receiving Heartland Conference Player of the Week once and finished the year as Co-Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year.

Flickner added, “This team reaped the rewards that grew out of the hard work of players on our first two teams.  They have continued to build on that foundation and have now set the bar higher.  I am excited to see what God has planned for the future of DBU Basketball.  I hope that our program will become a mainstay in the NCAA tournament, but I do not ever want to take it for granted.  What these young men have accomplished is great, and we have a lot to be thankful for.”