Fifteen new players and a new assistant coach have Mark Downey feeling like he’s starting over despite the fact he is beginning his 10th season as the head men’s basketball coach at Arkansas Tech University.
“It feels like I just got the job,” said Downey. “A brand new team…new staff…it feels like I was hired three months ago. We’re going to go through some growing pains. This new world of college basketball…the transfer portal, NIL (name, image and likeness)…we have one player back (sophomore Aiden Underdown of Elkins) who played minutes last year. There are only three guys on the team who were in the program last year (Underdown, redshirt freshman Damon Augustus of Texarkana, Texas, and redshirt freshman guard Bryce Beavers of Russellville), so it is difficult.
“We’re trying to streamline this thing,” continued Downey. “We’re trying to get where we are still creating our culture of toughness that we try to instill, but trying to get guys to be everyday players…guys that show up to work every day…that has been the greatest challenge. Is it working? I really don’t know yet, but I think the guys have gotten closer and it’s a good group to be around.”
Arkansas Tech will begin its 103rd men’s basketball season by facing Missouri Southern State University for a 7:30 p.m. non-conference game in Joplin, Mo., on Friday, Nov. 14.
ATU will play its first home men’s basketball game of the season at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, against Dallas Baptist University, which reached the NCAA Division II Final Four in March.
Downey and his staff, led by new top assistant coach Harrison Burton, saw signs of promise when the Wonder Boys went to NCAA Division I Little Rock and played the Trojans within 72-67 during an exhibition game on Oct. 28.
Junior David Elliott IV of Los Angeles, Calif., scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor, while graduate student Kiran Oliver of Chicago, Ill., notched 13 points and junior Sam Bradford of Houston, Texas, recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Other new faces with track records of producing at the collegiate level include graduate student Connor Davis of Naperville, Ill., who averaged 20.5 points per game at Culver-Stockton College in 2024-25; graduate student Devin Foster of Morrilton, who was twice named to the conference all-defensive team during three seasons at Central Baptist College; and junior Donyae May of Russellville, who dished out 434 assists over two seasons at Connors State College.
“Donyae led the country in junior college as a sophomore in assist-to-turnover ratio,” said Downey. “He shot 43 percent from 3-point and made 60 3s, which that was not Donyae’s strength coming out of high school. To have Donyae in our rotation, leading our team now and being our point guard…he’s not yet where he was two years ago in junior college with some injuries and sitting out last year…but I love coaching him. He’s a great kid.
“We have the right pieces,” continued Downey. “We just need to get them on the right page and get them to be a little more consistent.”
Live coverage of Arkansas Tech basketball during the 2025-26 season will be provided by KCJC 102.3 FM, the EAB Media Group app and www.arkansastechsports.com.
Talk to you on the radio.
Tech Tidbits is a column written by Sam Strasner, ATU director of university relations and radio play-by-play voice for ATU football and basketball.
