DBU Patriots vs Colorado Mesa Mavericks in a NCAA D2 South Central Regional basketball game at The Burg Center on the campus of Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, March 14, 2026 (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)

Eddie Kelly/ ProLook Photos

No. 5 Patriots Tip Off 2026-27 Season at South Central Region Challenge in Grand Junction

11/12/2026 7:41:00 PM | By: Madison Sorrell

No. 5 DBU (0-0, 0-0 LSC) AT SOUTH CENTRAL REGION CHALLENGE
#5 DBU vs. COLORADO CHRISTIAN (0-1, 0-0 RMAC)
November 13 | 3:30 PM | Grand Junction, CO | Brownson Arena

#5 DBU vs. COLORADO MESA (0-0, 0-0 RMAC)
November 14 | 8:00 PM | Grand Junction, CO | Brownson Arena

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COUNTDOWN TO TIP-OFF
The No. 5 Patriots will travel to Grand Junction, Colorado, to compete in the South Central Region Challenge at Brownson Arena. DBU will join host Colorado Mesa, Colorado Christian, and St. Edward's for the four-team showcase.

The Patriots will open the 2026-2027 campaign against the tournament host Colorado Mesa before taking on Colorado Christian the following day, with both opponents representing the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

2025-2026 IN REVIEW
The Patriots put together another standout season in 2025-2026, finishing with a 29-7 record (18-2 LSC) and a No. 15 national ranking. DBU captured its second consecutive Lone Star Conference regular-season and tournament championships before advancing to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year.

The Patriots also garnered several postseason honors, led by now-professional player Xavion Brown, who earned his second consecutive LSC Defensive Player of the Year honor. Brown also secured First Team All-Conference recognition and was named an LSC Scholar-Athlete.

TJ Thomas added to the accolades, earning LSC Sixth Man of the Year honors, while Trevor Frank landed on the All-Conference Second Team and Drew Calderon earned Third Team recognition.

DBU's success extended into the South-Central Regional Tournament, where Brown and Cody Stevens each earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

Head Coach Dr. Blake Flickner was also recognized among the Top 50 Most Impactful NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Head Coaches. The distinction follows another historic stretch for the Patriots, highlighted by the program's 10th NCAA Tournament appearance, consecutive Sweet 16 runs, and a Final Four appearance in 2024-2025.

PATRIOT STORYLINES
Top Five Territory: The Patriots enter the season ranked No.5 nationally
Good Things Come in Threes: DBU is predicted to claim their third consecutive LSC Championship in the 2026-2027 preseason poll.
Stealing the Show: The Patriots led the nation in steals per game in the 2025-2026 season, averaging 13 per game.
Reinforcements: The Patriots led the LSC in the most bench points per game, averaging about 38.42 per game.
Pressure Point: The Patriots led the conference and ranked second in the nation in the greatest number of turnovers forced, averaging 21.19 per game.

SCOUTING COLORADO CHRISTIAN
- Colorado Christian closed out the 2025-2026 season with a 13-15 overall record, finishing with a .464 winning percentage.
- The Cougars enter the new campaign with a balanced roster featuring a combination of returning players and newcomers.
- Defensively, Colorado Christian ranked third in the RMAC in scoring defense, allowing just 73.2 points per game.
- The Cougars will look to fill the void left by Pierce Bazil, who ranked among the conference's top players in field goals, free throws, and scoring last season. Porter Bazil, a 6-foot-7 senior, will be a key presence for the Cougars after ranking among the conference leaders in blocks with 30 total and an average of 1.07 blocks per game.
- Colorado Christian also found success on the glass, finishing among the RMAC's top five in rebound margin while out-rebounding opponents by an average of three boards per game.

SCOUTING COLORADO MESA
- Colorado Mesa put together a strong 2025-2026 campaign, finishing with a 21-11 overall record (.656 winning percentage) while dominating on its home floor with a 12-1 record.
- The Mavericks' season ended in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals following a matchup against DBU.
- Colorado Mesa showcased exceptional efficiency at the free-throw line, leading the nation with an 81.4% shooting percentage.
- The Mavericks also led the RMAC in three-point shooting, connecting on 38.7% of their attempts from beyond the arc.
- Colorado Mesa continued to find success offensively, ranking second in the conference in effective field-goal percentage (.549) and overall field-goal percentage (48.7%).
- The Mavericks will be led by their two seniors, transfer guard Cole Johnson (6-foot-2) and forward Drew Larson (6-foot-7), as they bring veteran experience to the roster.

SERIES HISTORY
Colorado Christian
DBU and Colorado Christian have faced off regularly since the 2014-2015 season, with the Patriots holding a 10-3 advantage in the all-time series. DBU has dominated the recent matchups, carrying an eight-game winning streak against the Cougars dating back to the 2017-2018 season.

Colorado Mesa
The Patriots hold a 7-5 advantage over Colorado Mesa in a series that dates to the 2014-2015 season.

UP NEXT
The Patriots will hit the road following the South-Central Region Challenge, traveling to Searcy, Arkansas, to face Harding on November 19.

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