FORT WORTH, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University men’s basketball program has evolved into one of the elite programs in the country over the past eight seasons not only at the NAIA level, but at all levels.

The Rams have dominated the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) in the last four seasons winning the regular season title in each of those years, while dropping only seven conference games in the last three seasons. During the four-year conference reign, the Rams have had two first team All Americans who were also named RRAC Player of the Year in Chris Berry  (2008-09) and Brian Wanamaker (2009-10) in addition to one of the most exciting players to ever play in the RRAC former University of Nebraska standout Jamel White. In the last four years, Texas Wesleyan holds a league record of 65-11 and a home court record of 55-5.

 

The Rams finished the 2010-11 season with a stellar 21-1 league record, another conference championship, and their fourth consecutive trip to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. The Rams ended the season with a 30-4 record, matching the most wins in the 74-year history of the program, and ranked fifth in the country in the final regular season poll.

“We feel we have started from the ground floor and built our program to be one of the best in the nation,” said head coach Terry Waldrop.  “We had a good season winning the RRAC title and going 30-4, but we didn’t accomplish all we set out to, which was to play for another National Championship and that was the toughest part.  Winning a 22 game regular season dog fight over the course of three months is a grind and over the amount of time covered it is one of the hardest things to do, but I am proud of the way our players  and our staff persevered and overcame every obstacle in our way to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive RRAC title and consistent top 10 national ranking again this year.

The Rams, who were ranked fifth in the final national poll released by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, had climbed as high as number three during the season. After being ranked eleventh in the preseason poll, the Rams did not fall out of the top-ten all season. In addition, Texas Wesleyan holds the third longest current streak, having been rated in the top-25 in 43 consecutive NAIA Coaches’ Polls.

In the Massey Ratings, a version of a rating system that is much like that of the BCS, the Rams finished the season at No. 10 in the country after being among the top 5 most of the season.  The Rams were the highest ranked team in any rankings consistently during the season which includes all NCAA Division II, III and NAIA teams.

The Rams’ defense finished the season No. 1 in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.362), and 3 point field goal percentage defense (260), while also leading the nation in total rebounds per game (47.853) and total rebounding margin (12.941).

The 2010-11 Rams were led by First Team All-American and RRAC Player of the Year Brian Wanamaker, a senior guard out of Philadelphia, PA, who averaged 19.2 points per game.   Six foot seven inch senior swingman Jonathan Blake also was recognized as a First Team All-RRAC selection and was named Honorable Mention All-American for his stellar play. The Rams perhaps had one of the most imposing front lines in the country with 6’10” All-RRAC Jeremy Mayfield and 6’9” All-RRAC Ty Gough.   Former UT-Arlington starting point guard and All-RRAC selection Jeremy Smith anchored the quarterback spot while 6’4” junior Ryan Glanzer had key contributions while battling injuries all season. Senior Cody Waldrop, son of Head Coach Terry Waldrop, completed his career with four consecutive conference championship rings and four trips to the big dance. He was a key reserve and holds the distinction of being the winningest player in the history of Texas Wesleyan University Basketball at 103-31. 

Despite going 21-1 the coaching staff of Texas Wesleyan was not selected as RRAC Coach of the Year, instead that honor went to a coach whose team moved from 10th  to 5th in one season.   However, Waldrop and fellow RRAC Coach Chad McDowell were both selected as finalists for National Coach of the Year by College Insider. During a three-year span that has seen the Rams lose only seven total conference games the staff has only been selected once as Coach of the Year. However, that does not detract from the remarkable run that Coach Waldrop and his staff have produced. In twelve seasons, he is the program’s all-time winningest coach at 245-131 overall. Under his guidance the Rams have made five NAIA National Tournament appearances. In 2006, the team won the NAIA Division I National Championship and Waldrop was named Rawlings NAIA and NABC NAIA National Coach of the Year.

 

 
TOPS IN THE NATION
The Texas Wesleyan scoring defense was the best in the nation in 2010-11 allowing opponents to shoot at an anemic 36.2% from the field. The Rams also led the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 26% and was the national leader in rebound margin at +12 per game and also total rebounds at 47.7 per game.

RAMS RRAC TITLE RUN
The Rams clinched sole possession of first place and did not relinquish it in a thrilling overtime win over NAIA top-five rival LSU-Shreveport in Fort Worth on Valentine’s Day. The Pilots, who were ranked No. 1 in the country for several weeks this year, finished in second place after giving the Rams their only conference set back with a narrow five-point win in Shreveport in early January.

 

The Rams have been almost unstoppable in front of the Blue Crew at the Sid Richardson Center in the last three seasons going a mind boggling 45-1. The lone loss came to RRAC member Texas College in 2010 in the midst of a flu epidemic that saw the Rams 32-game home court win streak end. Nationally ranked opponents to have fallen in Fort Worth during that period include Top-10 teams Oklahoma Baptist University, LSU-Shreveport, Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma City University, Belhaven University, and NAIA DII powerhouse Oklahoma Wesleyan. The Rams have also claimed victories over nationally ranked opponents including Westmont (CA), Columbia (MO), and Missouri Valley University. The team’s current win streak within the not-so-friendly confines of the Sid Richardson Center stands at 18 games after taking the final four home contests in 2009-10 and going a perfect 14-0 last season.

PICK OF THE POLLS
Texas Wesleyan finished the 2010-11 season ranked No. 5 in the final poll conducted by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Rams have been rated in the top-25 in 43 consecutive NAIA Coaches’ Poll, marking the third longest active streak.

ALWAYS A NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDER
Starting with the improbable 2006 National Championship run, the Rams have made four additional trips to Nationals and Kansas City. Twice the Rams have fallen in the Sweet 16, the last being in overtime to eventual National Champion Oklahoma Baptist University.  Texas Wesleyan is the ONLY four-year team in Texas (NCAA/NAIA) to win a National Championship since the St Mary’s Rattler’s did it in 1989.

PLAY THE BEST TO BE THE BEST
Texas Wesleyan’s non-conference schedule is one of the toughest in the country. In the last several seasons the Rams have played at Oklahoma Baptist, at Oklahoma City, at Belhaven, at Xavier, at Oklahoma Christian, at Oklahoma Wesleyan, at Texas A&M-International, at UTPB, at UTSA, at UTA, at McNeese State, at Sam Houston State and have played neutral site and national tournament games against such highly regarded opponents as Columbia (MO), McKendree (IL), Rogers State (OK), Missouri Valley, Carroll (MT), Lindsey Wilson (KY), and Union (TN) among others.

ALL-CONFERENCE
Brian Wanamaker was RRAC Conference Player of the Year in 2020-2011. Jonathan Blake was All Conference as was inside enforcer Ty Gough.   Jeremy Mayfield and Jeremy Smith were also the recipients of All Conference recognition. In 12 seasons, Coach Waldrop has produced 33 All-Conference selections, including three Players of the Year, and 13 All-Americans

 

CHAMPIONS OF CHARACTER AWARD
Stephon Mudiay was selected as the NAIA/TWU Champion of Character Award winner for the 2010-2011 season.

NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR FINALIST
Head Coach Terry Waldrop was named a finalist for College Insider’s National Coach of the Year.   Waldrop was also a finalist for the Texas Association of Basketball Coach of the Year Award. Waldrop is a former National Coach of the Year, winning the Rawlings NAIA and NABC NAIA Coach of the Year awards in 2006.

ALL THEY DO IS WIN WIN WIN
The Rams finished the season 30-4 overall  and 21-1 in the RRAC.  The Rams have ripped off four consecutive 20-win seasons and have notched at least 20 victories in seven of the last nine years.

 

LAST 4 YEARS
The Rams are one of the most successful collegiate teams at any level in the state of Texas during the last four years. They have posted 103 wins to the University of Texas’ 106, however, the Rams have a higher winning percentage (.769) than the Longhorns (.741).

TAKING THE SHOW ON THE ROAD
The Rams have been one of the best road teams in the country over the past 11 seasons, claiming wins over homestanding powerhouses such as Oklahoma Christian, Our Lady of the Lake (San Antonio), Langston University (OK), NCAA Division II power Tarleton State, LSU Shreveport, Belhaven University, and NCAA Division II programs such as SW Oklahoma, Lincoln University, Rockhurst University, UTPB, Texas A&M International, and Incarnate Word University.

GOING HOME AND TAKING DOWN THE BIG BOYS
In a foreshadowing of what was to come the 2005-06 Texas Wesleyan Rams ventured into NCAA Division I and back-to-back Southland Conference Champion Southeastern Louisiana University and snapped a 20-plus game home winning streak. Head Coach Terry Waldrop was an assistant Coach at Southeastern Louisiana and current Associate Head Coach Brennen Shingleton was a player and worked together to bring the Lions their first conference title since the late 1970’s, so the win in Hammond was especially meaningful.   

MAKING IT LOOK EASY
Thanks to the defense, the 2010-11 Rams had the eighth best scoring margin in the country with a plus16.8 margin.

GET THE BALL!
The Rams were number one in the country in total rebounds and rebounding margin.
 
WINNING IS A TRADITION
Under the direction of Terry Waldrop the Rams have put up ten winning seasons in twelve tries including seven 20-win seasons.  Waldrop is easily the program’s most successful coach in terms of conference titles, national championships, and number of wins. Consequently, the Ram record books are dominated by players who have excelled during his tenure.

 
SECOND SEASON
During Waldrop’s tenure the Rams have reached the post season every single year with the exception of his initial season when the Rams went 15-12.   That season the Heartland Conference was not eligible for NCAA Division II play, however Waldrop and the Rams had the single biggest turnaround in NCAA play that year going from six wins the previous season to 15. The Rams have qualified for the NAIA Nationals in Kansas City five times, including the last four consecutive years.   In 2001-2002 the Rams were the second ranked team in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association and traveled to Detroit Michigan for the USCAA Championships. Each of the past ten seasons the Rams have reached the Red River Conference Tournament. No other current RRAC team has won more Conference Tournament games or has a consecutive appearance streak to match the Rams.

 

CONSISTENCY WINS
For the last 12 seasons, the Texas Wesleyan Rams  have had the same head basketball coach, and Terry Waldrop, along with his longtime Associate Head Coach Brennen Shingleton (10 years) and now Tim Bellmon (3 years) has put the program among the nation’s elite at any and all levels.   

HE KNOWS HOW TO WIN
Texas Wesleyan Head Coach Terry Waldrop has roamed the sidelines for 12 seasons, tallying an overall record of 245-131.

 

During Waldrop’s tenure the Rams have developed a reputation nationally and in fact internationally in resurrecting careers of NCAA Division I players both on the court and also in the classroom.   EVERY SINGLE PLAYER on Waldrop’s 2006 National Championship team received their college degree. The Rams’ staff have acquired players who have played at:

University of Nebraska

Baylor University

TCU

UT-Arlington

Texas State

SE Louisiana

Nicholls State

University of Oklahoma

St Francis (PA)

University of Alabama-Birmingham

Sam Houston State

Stetson University

UNC-Wilmington

Tennessee State University

Southern-Baton Rouge

UT-Chatanooga

Stephen F. Austin State

Australia

Slovenia

Serbia

England