# 2024–25 East Texas A&M Lions men's basketball team

The 2024–25 East Texas A&M Lions men's basketball team represented East Texas A&M University in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Lions, led by seventh-year head coach Jaret von Rosenberg, played their home games at The Field House in Commerce, Texas as members of the Southland Conference. The Lions finished the 2024–25 season 5–26, 3–17 in conference play to finish in eleventh place. Failing to qualify for the SLC tournament, the Lions' season ended with a 63–59 victory over Houston Christian.
This season marked Texas A&M–Commerce's third year of an originally scheduled four–year transition period from Division II to Division I. As a result, the Lions were not be eligible for NCAA postseason play until the 2026–27 season. However, the Division I Council is preparing to vote on a proposal to shorten the period for such a transition to three years. Should the proposal be approved in January 2025, the Lions would be eligible in 2025–26.
This was the first season for the university under its then-current identity. On November 7, 2024, after the Lions had played their first two games of the 2024–25 season, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved the proposed change of the university's name to East Texas A&M University. The name change took effect immediately.

## Previous season

The Lions finished the 2023–24 season 13–20, 6–12 in Southland play, to finish in seventh place. They defeated Northwestern State, before falling to Nicholls in the second round of the Southland tournament.

## Preseason polls
### Southland Conference Poll

The Southland Conference released its preseason poll on October 16, 2024. Receiving 54 votes overall, the Lions were picked in a tie to finish tenth in the conference.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | McNeese | 242 (21) |
| 2 | Stephen F. Austin | 208 |
| 3 | Nicholls | 205 (3) |
| 4 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 191 |
| 5 | Lamar | 143 |
| 6 | Southeastern | 121 |
| 7 | Incarnate Word | 117 |
| 8 | UT Rio Grande Valley | 112 |
| 9 | Northwestern State | 90 |
| 10 | Texas A&M–Commerce | 54 |
| 10 | New Orleans | 54 |
| 12 | Houston Christian | 48 |

### Preseason All Conference

No Lions were selected as members of a preseason all–conference team.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 4, 2024* 7:00 p.m., B1G+ | at Iowa Kenny Arnold Classic | L 67–89 | 0–1 | 12 – K. Abdul-Mateen | 6 – C. James | 4 – S. Williams, Jr. | Carver–Hawkeye Arena (7,879) Iowa City, IA |
| November 6, 2024* 7:00 p.m., Summit League Network | South Dakota Kenny Arnold Classic | L 83–91 | 0–2 | 18 – K. Abdul-Mateen | 7 – D. Bethea | 3 – K. Abdul-Mateen | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,493) Vermillion, SD |
| November 8, 2024* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | at No. 13 Texas A&M | L 55–87 | 0–3 | 12 – S. Williams, Jr. | 4 – D. Bethea | 3 – S. Williams, Jr. | Reed Arena (8,673) College Station, TX |
| November 13, 2024* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | Southern Kenny Arnold Classic | W 70–68 | 1–3 | 18 – K. Abdul-Mateen | 7 – D. Bethea | 5 – S. Williams, Jr. | The Field House (624) Commerce, TX |
| November 19, 2024* 6:00 p.m., FS1 | at No. 2 UConn | L 46–81 | 1–4 | 18 – C. James | 5 – K. Ugwuakazi | 2 – K. Abdul-Mateen | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT |
| November 21, 2024* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | at Oklahoma | L 56–84 | 1–5 | 9 – J. Taylor | 9 – J. Taylor | 3 – T. Thomas | Lloyd Noble Center (4,678) Norman, OK |
| November 25, 2024* 6:00 p.m., NEC Front Row | at Stonehill | L 65–67 | 1–6 | 14 – S. Williams Jr. | 6 – J. Taylor | 2 – tied | Merkert Gymnasium (1,052) Easton, MA |
| November 30, 2024* 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Purdue Fort Wayne | L 57–77 | 1–7 | 19 – S. Williams Jr. | 9 – J. Taylor | 3 – tied | The Field House (334) Commerce, TX |
| December 5, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at Houston Christian | L 79–83 | 1–8 (0–1) | 16 – S. Williams Jr. | 7 – D. Bethea | 7 – T. Thomas | Sharp Gymnasium (679) Houston, TX |
| December 7, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at Incarnate Word | L 53–65 | 1–9 (0–2) | 10 – S. Williams Jr. | 5 – D. Bethea | 2 – tied | McDermott Center San Antonio, TX |
| December 15, 2024* 11:00 a.m., ESPN+ | South Alabama | L 72–81 | 1–10 | 17 – tied | 8 – D. Bethea | 7 – T. Thomas | The Field House (217) Commerce, TX |
| December 18, 2024* 11:00 a.m., ESPN+ | Abilene Christian | W 68–67 | 2–10 | 19 – S. Williams, Jr. | 6 – S. Williams, Jr. | 5 – K. Abdul-Mateen | The Field House (1,611) Commerce, TX |
| December 21, 2024* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at South Florida | L 62–88 | 2–11 | 12 – T. Mosher | 7 – K. Abdul-Mateen | 3 – S. Williams, Jr. | Yuengling Center (5,735) Tampa, FL |
| January 4, 2025 2:10 p.m., ESPN+ | McNeese | L 56–75 | 2–12 (0–3) | 18 – Y. Salih | 5 – tied | 4 – K. Abdul-Mateen | The Field House (812) Commerce, TX |
| January 6, 2025 2:10 p.m., ESPN+ | Nicholls | L 61–83 | 2–13 (0–4) | 12 – tied | 4 – tied | 4 – tied | The Field House (271) Commerce, TX |
| January 11, 2025 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at Northwestern State | L 67–75 | 2–14 (0–5) | 18 – S. Williams Jr. | 7 – D. Bethea | 2 – tied | Prather Coliseum (289) Natchitoches, LA |
| January 13, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | at UT Rio Grande Valley | L 55–57 | 2–15 (0–6) | 11 – T. Mosher | 6 – D. Bethea | 5 – C. Adlam | UTRGV Fieldhouse (1,286) Edinburg, TX |
| January 18, 2025 2:15 p.m., ESPN+ | New Orleans | L 72–83 | 2–16 (0–7) | 13 – J. Taylor | 7 – T. Mosher | 5 – T. Thomas | The Field House (489) Commerce, TX |
| January 20, 2025 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Southeastern Louisiana | L 68–76 | 2–17 (0–8) | 13 – S. Williams, Jr. | 5 – S. Williams, Jr. | 5 – S. Williams, Jr. | The Field House (412) Commerce, TX |
| January 25, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at Lamar | L 58–61 $^{OT}$ | 2–18 (0–9) | 12 – S. Williams, Jr. | 8 – T. Thomas | 3 – T. Thomas | Neches Arena (1,912) Beaumont, TX |
| January 27, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | at Stephen F. Austin | L 72–79 | 2–19 (0–10) | 18 – K. Abdul-Mateen | 6 – T. Mosher | 5 – T. Thomas | William R. Johnson Coliseum (1,225) Nacogdoches, TX |
| February 1, 2025 2:15 p.m., ESPN+ | Northwestern State | W 72–50 | 3–19 (1–10) | 16 – S. Williams, Jr. | 8 – K. Ugwuakazi | 6 – E. Phelps | The Field House (309) Commerce, TX |
| February 3, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | L 66–78 | 3–20 (1–11) | 22 – C. Adlam | 5 – J. Taylor | 5 – E. Phelps | The Field House (742) Commerce, TX |
| February 8, 2025 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at Nicholls | L 65–81 | 3–21 (1–12) | 22 – S. Williams, Jr. | 9 – J. Taylor | 6 – S. Williams, Jr. | Stopher Gymnasium (567) Thibodaux, LA |
| February 10, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at McNeese | L 51–67 | 3–22 (1–13) | 16 – S. Williams, Jr. | 6 – K. Ugwuakazi | 4 – E. Phelps | The Legacy Center (2,883) Lake Charles, LA |
| February 15, 2025 2:15 p.m., ESPN+ | Lamar | L 55–65 | 3–23 (1–14) | 11 – T. Thomas | 5 – K. Ugwuakazi | 4 – T. Thomas | The Field House Commerce, TX |
| February 17, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | Stephen F. Austin | L 74–76 | 3–24 (1–15) | 17 – T. Mosher | 6 – K. Ugwuakazi | 6 – T. Thomas | The Field House (488) Commerce, TX |
| February 22, 2025 3:30 p.m., ESPN+ | at Southeastern Louisiana | L 65–83 | 3–25 (1–16) | 17 – T. Thomas | 7 – J. Taylor | 2 – S. Williams, Jr. | Pride Roofing University Center (888) Hammond, LA |
| February 24, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | at New Orleans | W 73–71 | 4–25 (2–16) | 20 – T. Thomas | 8 – K. Ugwuakazi | 5 – E. Phelps | Lakefront Arena (850) New Orleans, LA |
| March 1, 2025 2:15 p.m., ESPN+ | Incarnate Word | L 68–75 | 4–26 (2–17) | 14 – J. Taylor | 4 – J. Taylor | 6 – S. Williams, Jr. | The Field House (492) Commerce, TX |
| March 3, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | Houston Christian | W 63–59 | 5–26 (3–17) | 15 – K. Abdul–Mateen | 11 – K. Ugwuakazi | 5 – E. Phelps | The Field House (321) Commerce, TX |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central. |||||||||
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