San Antonio - The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference head coaches have spoken, and the Trinity men's basketball team has been touted as the next champion of the league.

The Tigers finished last season with a 15-12 overall record and 7-6 mark in the SCAC. Trinity opened the 2018 SCAC Tournament with a decisive 63-47 win over host Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Tigers came up short 74-67 to eventual champion Schreiner (TX) University in the semifinals.

Led by 20th-year Head Coach Pat Cunningham, Trinity returns 12 veteran players from the 2017-18 campaign. Included on the list are two All-SCAC honorees and three starters. Additionally, there are 13 newcomers eager to contribute to the Tigers' success this season.

Senior forward Danny Rivara was selected as the SCAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, as well as being elected to the all-conference First Team. Rivara was the 2016-17 SCAC Newcomer of the Year and made the All-SCAC Second Team. 

Rivara started 25 games for the Tigers last season and led the team with 16.2 points per contest. He also was the top rebounder with 8.0 boards per contest, along with blocking 46 shots. An excellent shooter, Rivara hit .495 from the field, as well as posting 20 steals. 

Senior forward Isaiah Specks made the All-SCAC Third Team last season. Specks accounted for 11.4 points per game and 4.9 rebounds, as well as shooting .479. He also accounted for 15 steals.

Junior guard Brooks Mays will also be returning and averaged 5.7 points per game last year. Mays shot .364 and was second on the team with 44 assists.

Senior forward Aaron Knopp and sophomore guard Stephen Molina each averaged 4.8 points. Knopp also blocked 12 shots in the process. Senior guard Nylan Yancy scored 4.4 points per game and made 16 steals. Another solid returner is senior forward Matthew Colliflower who averaged 3.4 points and 2.6 rebounds.

Senior guard Taylor Kim returns to the backcourt, as does junior Tyler Peavy. Returning forwards include junior Kevin Owens and sophomores Karthik Reddy and Kobe Patterson. 

The Tigers averaged 75.6 points per game, while opponents made 73.3 points each matchup. Trinity shot .434 from the field and the opposition hit .405. In the rebounding department, the Tigers' opponents held a slight 38.7 to 37.6 advantage. 

Coach Cunningham is Trinity's all-time winningest men's basketball coach and has chalked up a record of 335-185 (.644) over 19 seasons. He has guided the Tigers to seven SCAC Championships, including two "three-peats" from 2003-2005 and 2012-2014. Under Coach Cunningham's leadership the Tigers have advanced nine times to the NCAA Division III Playoffs, including the 2005 Elite Eight.

Trinity opens the season November 14 with a home game against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX). The Tigers will host the Leslie Robinson Invitational Classic November 23-25. The SCAC season begins for Trinity on December 18 at Austin (TX) College in Sherman, Texas, and the first conference home game is scheduled for January 5 with Texas Lutheran University. 

The SCAC Championship will be played February 22-24 in Seguin, Texas, with Texas Lutheran serving as the host institution.