Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
St. Thomas
November 13, 2026 | Men's Basketball
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point men's basketball (1-2) makes it return to Christl Arena on Saturday, Nov. 14, where they will take on the University of St. Thomas Tommies (2-2).
The Tommies make the return trip to West Point after the teams faced ofd for the first time ever on Nov. 8, 2025, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The two teams squared off inside the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, where the St. Thomas narrowly defeated the Black Knights, 83-76.
The game will be the first of a doubleheader inside Christl Arena, where women's basketball will also take on St. Thomas directly after the conclusion of the men's matchup.
It will also be Military Appreciation Day, where Army Athletics will honor the service and sacrifice of our military members and recognizes the military community that supports the Black Knights, as well as celebrate Lee Anderson ('61), who will be making his return to West Point. The first 500 fans will also receive exclusive Army Rally Towels to help cheer on the Black Knights.
The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET first-tip, and will broadcast live on ESPN+ with Rich Demarco on the call and Kyra Schwanz on the sideline.
ARMY STORYLINES:
McDONOUGH FROM DOWNTOWN – Freshman Patrick McDonough has made an immediate impact for the Black Knights, emerging as one of Army's top perimeter threats through the opening three contests. The Rockville, Md., native made his collegiate debut against Mount Saint Mary, finishing with nine points after knocking down three of his four attempts from beyond the arc. McDonough followed that performance with a team-high 12 points against New Haven, connecting on four of his six three-point attempts. Through his first two collegiate appearances, the freshman is averaging 10.5 points per game while shooting an impressive 70.0 percent from three-point range, going 7-for-10 from deep. His seven made triples rank second on the team, trailing only Kevin McCarthy, while McDonough has also added three assists and two steals.
THE WALLET – Junior Kevin McCarthy continues to lead the Black Knights offensively, averaging a team-high 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game through the first three contests. McCarthy opened the season with a game-high 17 points against Duke, shooting 6-for-11 from the field and 4-for-9 from beyond the arc. Through three games, the junior has connected on a team-leading eight three-pointers, shooting 42.1 percent from deep and 44.8 percent from the floor. His 35 total points lead Army, while his 16 rebounds are tied for second on the team.
CHEF (RYAN) CURRY – Senior captain Ryan Curry continues to lead Army's offensive efforts, averaging 9.3 points and a team-high 4.0 assists per game through the opening three contests. Curry opened his senior campaign with seven points, seven assists and three steals against Duke before helping lead the Black Knights to a record-breaking victory over Mount Saint Mary. Through three games, Curry has collected 28 points, 12 assists and four steals. The senior is also approaching a major career milestone, having appeared in 99 career games while making 96 starts. Curry is just one appearance away from his 100th career game in an Army uniform and four starts shy of reaching 100 career starts. He has accumulated 1,178 career points and 368 assists.
TATE ON THE BOARDS – Senior captain Tate Laczkowski continues to anchor Army's presence in the paint, averaging 6.3 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game through the opening three contests. Laczkowski opened the season against Duke with six points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and a career-high three blocks. Through three games, the senior has collected 19 rebounds, including five offensive boards, while adding a team-high five steals and four blocks. Laczkowski also pulled down a season-high nine rebounds against New Haven, helping Army win the rebounding battle in the road contest.
THE BOOGEYMAN – Junior Jacen Holloway continues to serve as a key piece of Army's starting lineup following a breakout sophomore campaign in which he averaged 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Through the opening three contests, Holloway is averaging 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while adding five assists and two blocks. The Schwenksville, Pa., native finished with 12 points against New Haven, bringing his season total to 22 points. Holloway has also collected 16 rebounds, including five offensive boards, tying him for second on the team in total rebounds.
A WATT OF ENERGY – Sophomore Dillon Watt has provided an early spark for the Black Knights, averaging 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game through Army's first three contests. Watt opened the season with nine points against Duke before adding 12 points in the home-opening victory over Mount Saint Mary. Through three games, the Plano, Texas, native has connected on seven field goals, including three triples, while shooting 43.8 percent from the floor. His seven assists rank second on the team behind senior captain Ryan Curry, while his 23 total points rank third among the Black Knights.
IKECHI MAKING AN IMPACT – Junior Nnaemeka Ikechi has emerged as a contributor in Army's frontcourt, averaging 5.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game through the first three contests. After appearing in just six games across his first two seasons, Ikechi has taken on an increased role in the Black Knights' rotation. Against Mount Saint Mary, the junior posted career highs with 11 points and six rebounds, connecting on nine of his 10 free-throw attempts. He followed that performance with a career-high eight rebounds and three blocks against New Haven. Through three games, Ikechi leads Army with nine offensive rebounds and is tied for the team lead with four blocks.
RETURNING FIREPOWER – Army West Point brought back 11 players from its 2025-26 roster, providing the Black Knights with a strong foundation of experience, leadership and offensive firepower. Through three games, junior Kevin McCarthy leads the team with 11.7 points per game, followed by senior captain Ryan Curry (9.3 ppg), sophomore Dillon Watt (7.7 ppg) and junior Jacen Holloway (7.3 ppg). McCarthy has knocked down a team-high eight three-pointers, while Curry leads the Black Knights with 12 assists. Senior captain Tate Laczkowski continues to provide a strong presence down low, leading the team with 6.3 rebounds per game. Army's returning core has helped the Black Knights average 74.3 points and 40.7 rebounds per contest.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK – Army West Point welcomed five freshmen for the 2026-27 season, with all five making their collegiate debuts in the Black Knights' home-opening victory over Mount Saint Mary. Patrick McDonough has led the newcomers offensively, averaging 10.5 points through his first two appearances while shooting 70.0 percent from three-point range. McDonough followed his nine-point collegiate debut with a team-high 12 points against New Haven. Michael Masini added seven points and four rebounds in his debut, while Henry Rasmussen chipped in five points. Deke Cooper Jr. has contributed five points and six rebounds through two appearances, while 7-foot center Parker Henderson has recorded two points and two blocks. The freshman class has provided valuable depth and scoring to Army's rotation early in the season.
SHARING IS CARING – Army has emphasized ball movement through its opening three contests, averaging 15.0 assists per game. The Black Knights have dished out 45 assists on 81 made field goals, with senior captain Ryan Curry leading the charge with 12 assists. Sophomore Dillon Watt follows with seven, while Tate Laczkowski and Jacen Holloway have each contributed five. Against Mount Saint Mary, Army recorded 26 assists on 41 made baskets while committing just seven turnovers. Through three games, the Black Knights have averaged 12.3 turnovers per contest.
MIGHTY DEFENDERS – The Black Knights have made their presence felt on the defensive end through the first three contests, averaging 6.3 blocks and 6.3 steals per game. Army has recorded 19 blocks and 19 steals while holding opponents to 35.8 percent shooting from the floor and 25.4 percent from beyond the arc. Senior captain Tate Laczkowski leads the team with five steals and is tied with junior Nnaemeka Ikechi for the team lead with four blocks. Army's defensive efforts were on full display against Mount Saint Mary, as the Black Knights recorded 11 blocks and nine steals while limiting the Knights to 41 points.
CONTROLLING THE GLASS – Army has established a strong presence on the boards through its first three games, averaging 40.7 rebounds per contest while holding a plus-4.0 rebounding margin. Senior captain Tate Laczkowski leads the Black Knights with 19 rebounds, averaging 6.3 per game, while Kevin McCarthy, Jacen Holloway and Nnaemeka Ikechi have each collected 16 boards. Army's rebounding efforts were highlighted against New Haven, where the Black Knights grabbed 45 rebounds, including 19 offensive boards. Ikechi has led the charge on the offensive glass with nine offensive rebounds through three contests, while Holloway and Laczkowski have each added five.
History with St. Thomas
- The Tommies lead the series, 1-0
- Current Streak: St. Thomas, 1 win
- Last Army win: N/A
- Last Duke win: Nov. 8, 2025, 83-76
Scouting the Tommies
- Johnny Tauer enters his 16th season as head coach of the Tommies, having guided the program through its transition from Division III to Division I. Tauer earned his 300th career victory in December 2025 and has led St. Thomas to at least 19 wins in each of the past four seasons.
- In 2025-26, St. Thomas finished with 24 victories, tying its Division I single-season record. The Tommies advanced to the Summit League Tournament semifinals for the fourth consecutive season and earned their first National Invitation Tournament appearance of the Division I era.
- The Tommies enter Saturday's matchup against Army with a 2-2 record, averaging 83.8 points per game while allowing 78.0. St. Thomas is shooting 47.0% from the field, 36.1% from three-point range and 83.7% from the free throw line. The Tommies are also averaging 17.0 assists and just 9.5 turnovers per contest.
- Redshirt junior guard Hayden Tibbits leads St. Thomas in scoring, averaging 15.0 points per game while shooting 50.0% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. Tibbits also leads the team with 17 assists through four contests, averaging 4.3 per game.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Tim Franks ranks second on the team with 13.3 points per game, followed by redshirt junior forward Jeremy Lorenz with 12.8. Franks opened the season with a career-high 24 points and six three-pointers against Presbyterian, while Lorenz added 16 points in his St. Thomas debut.
- Graduate students Carter Bjerke and Kendall Blue, along with redshirt junior Austin Herro, earned Preseason All-Summit League First Team honors. Bjerke returns after shooting 44.9% from three-point range in 2025-26, while Blue rejoins the Tommies after spending last season at Nebraska. Herro led the Summit League in assist-to-turnover ratio last season.
- St. Thomas is coming off a 119-82 victory over Macalester, with six Tommies scoring in double figures. Brogan Madson led the way with 23 points, followed by Tibbits with 19 and Blue with 16. The Tommies recorded 28 assists and 18 steals in the victory, with the 119 points marking their highest scoring output since January 2025.
Follow Along
For complete coverage of Army West Point men's basketball, follow the Black Knights on X and Instagram at @ArmyWP_MBB and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.
Army West Point Athletic Association, Inc. (AWPAA)
AWPAA is an IRS code 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to execute the United States Military Academy's intercollegiate athletics program. AWPAA is led by a board of directors that provides guidance to the director of athletics, who serves as the primary advisor to the USMA Superintendent and the USMA leadership on all NCAA operations. The AWPAA mission is to recruit, educate, train and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the Army values through an extraordinary Division I athletic experience.
