SWOSU Men's Basketball is gearing up for its first GAC action of the 2025–26 campaign. They open on the road at Harding, looking to get one back after the Bisons ended their season in last year's GAC Tournament, before heading to Russellville to take on Arkansas Tech on Saturday afternoon.

Harding is coming off a 22-10 season in which it won the GAC Tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, where the Bisons fell to No. 4 Washburn in the opening round. This year, after starting the season with two losses, they have won four straight heading into Thursday's matchup.

Historically, the Bisons hold an 18-15 edge over the Dawgs since 1998. In Rhodes-Reaves Field House, the Dawgs have won six of 16 meetings and have dropped their last two trips there.

Harding's leading scorer is freshman Reggie Webster, who averages 11.7 PPG. Keyln McBride is next at 10 PPG and leads the team with 5.3 assists — the second-highest mark in the conference — despite appearing in only three games this season. Wesley Booker averages 1.5 blocks per game, tied for the third-best mark in the GAC.

The Bisons average 77.5 PPG, eighth in the conference, while allowing just 66.3 PPG, the third-lowest total in the league. They shoot only 37.3% from the field, the lowest percentage in the GAC, but make up for it by grabbing a conference-best 44.7 rebounds per game. Their 19.2 offensive boards per contest rank third in the nation.

Arkansas Tech comes into the week at 1-4, with its lone win coming against Northeastern State. The Wonder Boys have losses to both Missouri Southern and Newman — teams SWOSU went 1-1 against. Tech hosts Northwestern on Thursday before facing the Dawgs on Saturday.

All-time, Tech holds a 26-13 lead over the Dawgs, taking four of the last five meetings. In Russellville, the Bulldogs have won just two times in 17 trips.

Sam Bradford leads the Wonder Boys with 15.4 PPG, along with 4.4 rebounds and 2 steals per game. David Elliott IV adds 13.4 points per contest and averages 1.6 made threes on 32% shooting from beyond the arc.

Tech ranks last in the league in scoring at just 72.2 PPG while allowing 81 points on the defensive end. The Wonder Boys sit ninth in the GAC in field-goal percentage at 45.3%, while opponents shoot 44.9%. They also average a league-low 11.8 assists per game.

SWOSU enters the game led by Ty Frierson, who averages 13.2 PPG along with 2.3 assists and a team-high 1.7 steals. Kayden Carter adds 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and one block per game. Kray Rogers is averaging nine points while leading the team with 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest.

The matchup with Tech will feature the two lowest-scoring offenses in the league, with the Dawgs sitting 11th at 73.7 PPG. Defensively, the Bulldogs allow 66.3 points per game, tied with Harding for the third-best mark in the GAC. SWOSU also limits second-chance opportunities, pulling down 26.3 defensive rebounds per game, the second-best total in the conference.