EMPORIA, Kan. – The SWOSU men's basketball team will begin the 2023-24 campaign on November 10-11 at the GAC/MIAA Challenge where they will take on Fort Hays State and Emporia State.

A new era is upon SWOSU this season. Brett Weiberg was hired as the new head coach in July after previous coach Terry Evans stepped away from the program earlier in the summer. Weiberg has accrued 25 years of coaching experience spanning across the collegiate and high school landscapes. 20 of those years have come at the college level including 12 as a head coach.

Weiberg hired Dan O'Dowd as his assistant coach, who brings another 37 years of basketball coaching experience with him which includes 25 at the Division I level. Kamden Gipson, SWOSU's all-time Division II leading scorer and assist man, goes from player to coach this year as a familiar face on the sidelines.

SWOSU concluded last season at 12-16 overall with an 8-14 mark in conference play. The Dawgs narrowly missed the postseason, one year after winning the GAC Tournament Championship for the first time in school history.

The Bulldogs lost a pair of key contributors to graduation, Kamden Gipson and Chris Braggs, Jr., but returned a few others. These returners include All-GAC selection and leading scorer Ben Smith, who averaged 15 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game last season, MJ Warrior, Jr., who led the team in three-point percentage, and Nate Goodlow, the league leader in steals.  

Joining 10 returners will be eight newcomers, including three freshman and five transfers from both the NCAA Division I & II, and junior college ranks.

For a fourth consecutive season (excluding the shortened covid year) SWOSU opens against Fort Hays State (Nov. 10) and Emporia State (Nov. 11). They'll have three other non-conference matchups including their home opener on November 21 against Cameron.

The GAC slate begins on the road November 30 against Oklahoma Baptist and will span through March 2. Fans will have 11 chances to catch a conference home game inside the Pioneer Cellular Event Center this season.

The GAC Tournament falls on March 7-10 and returns to FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma where the top eight seeds in the conference will converge to earn an automatic spot into the NCAA Tournament.

"I really have enjoyed working with my guys," said Weiberg during last month's GAC Media Day. "They have been very open to what we are trying to do. We have some good guys returning and some new ones who will have to play, and I like those guys too. We're just very excited and trying to make each day count since November 10 will be here before we know it"

You can watch the entirety of SWOSU's 2023'24 Great American Conference Media Day with Coach Weiberg and MJ Warrior, Jr. below.