Arkansas Tech University head men’s basketball coach Mark Downey was named Division II Bulletin coach of the month for the period ending Dec. 31.
Downey has led the nationally fifth-ranked Wonder Boys to their best start in 57 years.
Arkansas Tech is 13-0, and the Wonder Boys’ string of 13 straight wins is tied for the seventh-longest winning streak in the 95-year history of Tech men’s basketball.
Division II Bulletin, a national publication that focuses on NCAA Division II basketball, selected Downey as its coach of the month after the Wonder Boys went 5-0 in December.
Included in those five victories was a 68-63 win over then 11th-ranked Drury University on Dec. 8, a home-and-home sweep of North Alabama and a 60-47 road win over Alabama-Huntsville on Dec. 21.
Downey is 60-41 in four seasons as the Arkansas Tech head men’s basketball coach.
He has led the Wonder Boys to a 36-9 record (an .800 winning percentage) since the start of the 2008-09 season.
The Wonder Boys will begin Gulf South Conference play by hosting Southern Arkansas at 6 p.m. Saturday at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville.
Game one of Saturday’s GSC doubleheader will pit the nationally 16th-ranked Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (13-0) against Southern Arkansas at 4 p.m.
Admission will be free with a valid Tech identification card. Russellville radio station KWKK 100.9 FM and www.athletics.atu.edu will have live play-by-play coverage.
Arkansas Tech is the only member of NCAA Division II or NCAA Division I that is undefeated in both men’s and women’s basketball this season.
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