The most compelling question surrounding Arkansas Tech University basketball as a new calendar year begins is this: can the Golden Suns send head coach Dave Wilbers into retirement with one more memorable season?
Arkansas Tech’s women are in position to do exactly that. The Golden Suns are 7-2 overall and 3-2 in Great American Conference play as they prepare to return from a 16-day holiday break and resume their 2025-26 campaign.
ATU will host Ouachita Baptist University for a 1 p.m. women’s game at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville on Saturday, Jan. 3. The men’s game between Tech and Ouachita will follow at 3 p.m.
Tickets are available at www.arkansastechsports.com/tickets.
The Golden Suns rank among the top teams in NCAA Division II in scoring offense (seventh, 83.2 points per game) and turnover margin (16th, +7 per game).
When asked where the Suns need to improve in 2026, Wilbers’ mind went right to the free throw line.
“We’re getting beat in the free throw situation,” said Wilbers, who announced in November that he will retire following the 2025-26 season, making this his 19th and final season at Arkansas Tech. “Our opponents are making more free throws than we are, and we’re giving up an offensive rebound on a missed free throw every game. Everywhere else…I think we’re doing a good job and getting better, but we have to focus on our free throws. We have to concentrate and make them under stress. We’re really looking forward to the second semester. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Every game is going to be tough, but that’s what we signed up for.”
Ouachita’s women (6-3, 3-2) suffered back-to-back losses to Southern Arkansas University and Harding University in their final two games before the holidays.
The Tigers are led by senior Madeleine Tipton, who has scored 1,132 career points and is 17 points away from joining the top 10 scorers in Ouachita Baptist women’s basketball history. She averaged 18.5 points per game in two contests against Arkansas Tech last season.
The Golden Suns will counter with GAC freshman of the year candidate Logan Young. The Dover product had 17 points to lead Tech to a 67-57 win at the University of Arkansas-Monticello in its final game before the holidays. It marked the sixth time in the Golden Suns’ last seven games that Young reached double figures in scoring.
The second half of Saturday’s doubleheader will feature two teams that completed the 2025 calendar year moving in opposite directions.
Ouachita’s men (9-2, 5-0) won their final five games of 2025 to seize sole possession of first place in the GAC men’s basketball standings. The Tigers are doing it with their defense, which ranks fourth in NCAA Division II in scoring defense (59 points allowed per game) and field goal percentage defense (.368).
Arkansas Tech’s men (4-7, 2-3) lost their final three regular season games of 2025 and added a 107-63 setback in an exhibition contest at Arkansas State University on Tuesday.
The road ahead is no easier for the Wonder Boys. Including Ouachita Baptist, Arkansas Tech’s first three men’s basketball opponents of 2026 have a combined overall record of 28-5 so far this season.
“We can’t turn the ball over 27 times,” said Mark Downey, ATU head men’s basketball coach, following the exhibition at A-State. “We just threw them the ball, and that’s the second time we’ve done that this season. This team is baffling me. When we do things that we’re supposed to, we’re pretty good. When we get total buy-in, this team can be pretty good…but they’re just not there consistently yet.”
Live coverage of the Tech-Ouachita doubleheader 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.
