GAME DAY INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH WONDER BOYS 0-0	UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS EAGLES 0-0
Friday, January 1 | 2 p.m. Russellville, Ark. | Tucker Coliseum LIVE STATS | LISTEN LIVE | ATU NOTES

TIPPING OFF 
As the calendar flips from a tumultuous 2020 to a hopeful 2021 and after months of uncertainty that resulted in the ultimate suspension of all athletics by the Great American Conference through December 31 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-21 college basketball season for Arkansas Tech is set to finally tip-off on Friday afternoon as the Wonder Boys play host to nearby University of the Ozarks. 

The Wonder Boys and Eagles have not played one another since 2005 and under normal circumstances that fact would remain unchanged as both teams would be gearing up to navigate their respective conference schedules. Rather, with the effects of COVID-19 still taking place in the world of college athletics, both teams are preparing to play their first competitive games of the year. For the Wonder Boys, this game against a former AIC rival will count toward their record, while the Eagles are playing the game as an exhibition.

Along with the usual excitement of a new season getting underway, Wonder Boys fans are equally, if not more, excited about the return to the sidelines of Mark Downey, who returns for his second stint as head coach at Tech. 

The first stint ended a decade ago back in 2009-10 and saw the Wonder Boys reach new heights. That final year under Downey the first time around, the Wonder Boys won a program-record 30 games and started the year winning its first 25 games. Ascending to the No. 1-ranking in NCAA DII during that season, Downey also led the Wonder Boys to a GSC-West Division Regular Season Title as well as a GSC Tournament Championship and earned the right to host the DII South Regional in Tucker Coliseum.

Upon leaving Tech, Downey made stops as a DII head coach at his alma mater University of Charleston (2010-13), West Alabama (2013-14) and most-recently at Northeastern State (2017-20). In between his head coaching stints at West Alabama and Northeastern State, Downey was an assistant coach at the DI level at Bowling Green State (2014-15) and Purdue Fort Wayne (2015-17). 

In his return to Tech, Downey inherits virtually a new team with only one starter and five letterwinners returning from last year. Gone from a year ago when Downey was at Northeastern State is a majority of the Wonder Boys' offensive production, but that void is going to be looked at to be filled by a bevy of talented newcomers, most of which are transfers into the program. 

SCOUTING THE EAGLES 
The University of the Ozarks Eagles are led by Travis Carruthers, who is in his fourth season as head coach. Last year, the Eagles finished 8-17 overall and were 4-12 in the American Southwest Conference. Nine players return from a year ago with four having started at least 10 games. 

Offensively, the Eagles averaged 74.4 ppg last year and allowed 79.8 ppg on defense. Two of the top-two scorers from a year ago return for the Eagles with Zach Bobo (12.8 ppg) and Bryson Johnson (12.7 ppg) back for their senior seasons. 

In addition to their returners, the Eagles welcome in six new players with three coming in as transfers and three via the prep ranks. Of the newcomers, one has previously played against Tech in Ray Fresh. Last year, Fresh was at Southern Arkansas and appeared in five total games with one of those contests being against Tech. In that game, Fresh played only two minutes. 

UP NEXT 
Following the game with the University of the Ozarks, the Wonder Boys will remain at home for their second and final non-conference tune-up on Sunday, January 3. That day, the Wonder Boys will take on Southwestern Christian University. Tip-off is scheduled for at 30 minutes after the completion of the Golden Suns' game against Ozarks which is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.