When Dave Wilbers displays on his first 17 basketball seasons at Arkansas Tech College, he notes that the student-athletes he coached introduced him probably the most pleasure.
“We've had some superb younger women come by means of this system,” Wilbers stated. “We've had All-People, we've had all-conference gamers and we've had function gamers on the basketball crew and numerous them come again and go to us … what nice function fashions they’re. Touring with the gamers was the most important factor.”
These gamers helped Wilbers accumulate 356 profession wins, seven regular-season convention championships, 5 convention match titles and 9 NCAA match appearances. Solely Joe Foley, who gained 456 video games main the Golden Suns from 1987-2003, has gained extra video games as a head basketball coach at Arkansas Tech.
As he prepares to start his 18th season at Arkansas Tech, Wilbers is impressing upon his basketball crew the significance of consistency.
“In the event you have been to ask our gamers what coach Wilbers says probably the most, it might be that you need to be an everyday participant and an everyday particular person in our program,” Wilbers stated. “It's about creating a very good work ethic and the method of enhancing daily. We misplaced numerous gamers from final 12 months. Out of 350 basketball groups (NCAA Division II), we most likely return the least factors and manufacturing of anybody within the nation. So it's been a rebuilding course of like no different, however the gamers have finished a very good job of being constant daily. I believe that course of will present some outcomes throughout the season.”
Two Golden Suns who exemplify what Wilbers expects from his crew are seniors ClaraGrace Prater and Julie Wagner.
“These two ought to be celebrated in our program,” Wilbers stated. “Children who stick with a program for 4 years aren't going to occur a lot anymore. The 2 received concerned within the course of. They fought, and now they’ve been very profitable. We should always all be happy with the youngsters who need to keep at Arkansas Tech for 4 years, love Arkansas Tech, and are dedicated to Arkansas Tech. They’re each very particular in my coronary heart.”
The Golden Suns have been 14-13 general and reached the Nice American Convention match in 2023-24. It was the 43rd profitable season within the 47-year historical past of ladies's intercollegiate basketball at Arkansas Tech and was the Golden Suns' 18th straight postseason.
ATU is picked to complete fifth within the GAC ladies's basketball rankings in 2024-25.
Arkansas Tech's 48th intercollegiate ladies's basketball season will start with a non-conference contest towards the College of Arkansas-Fort Smith at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, November 13 at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville.
Tickets can be found at www.arkansastechsports.com/tickets.
Reside protection will probably be accessible on KCJC 102.three FM, the EAB Media Group app and www.arkansastechsports.com.
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Tech Tidbits is a column written by Sam Strasner, ATU director of college relations and radio play-by-play voice for ATU soccer and basketball.