RICHMOND, Ky. – After losing 75% of its points, 77% of its assists and 82% of its rebounds from the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship squad, a rebuilt Eastern Kentucky University men's basketball team won 18 games and competed for another conference title up until the final weeks of the season in 2024-25.
 
The Colonels lost four starters from its championship squad but head coach A.W. Hamilton constructed a new team that was ready to go when the season began.  The Colonels went on the road and beat East Tennessee, led Clemson by four with less than 13 minutes left in the game and nearly beat Louisville during the non-conference portion of the schedule.  The Cardinals had to hit a last second shot to beat EKU by one.
 
EKU played four games during the 2024-25 season at the Seabury Center on the campus of Berea College while construction continued on the renovation of Baptist Health Arena.  With the second phase of the renovation nearing completion, the Colonels returned to campus to host North Florida on Jan. 9.  The newly renovated arena – with brand new locker rooms, team lounge, video room, training room and hospitality space – was reopened with a 79-74 victory. 
 
Once conference season started, EKU put together its longest conference winning streak in 59 years.  The Colonels used an 8-game ASUN winning streak to climb to the top of the league standings, beating eventual champion Lipscomb twice during that run.  The team also had three wins against two more postseason tournament teams – Florida Gulf Coast (2) and Queens (1).  Those three teams were a combined 40-12 in ASUN games at the time they faced the Colonels.
 
In its second game against Lipscomb, EKU held the Bisons to 28% shooting from the field, the lowest percentage for an opponent during the entire season.
 
EKU is the only team in the ASUN to have a winning streak of seven or more conference games in each of the past two seasons.  With 12 league wins, EKU now has 36 conference victories over the past three seasons, which is the most for any 3-year stretch in program history.  Hamilton has led the team to 12 or more conference wins five times in the last seven seasons.  In the 70 years prior to his tenure as head coach, the program totaled 12 or more conference victories just three times. 
 
During the 2024-25 season, the Colonels ranked 14th in NCAA Division I in offensive rebounds, 25th in turnovers committed, 25th in turnover margin, 33rd in steals and 37th in 3-pointers made.  EKU has finished among the top 50 teams in the nation in steals in six of Hamilton's seven seasons as head coach and has ranked among the top-55 teams in the nation in 3-pointers made four times in the last five seasons.
 
This year's team posted a 14-2 record when scoring 80 or more points.  The Colonels have won over 80% of their games during the Hamilton era when scoring 80 or more.
 
Devontae Blanton capped his stellar career by earning first team All-ASUN honors.  He was a candidate for ASUN Player of the Year after putting together a season in which he was the only player in the conference ranked among the top-15 in points, rebounds, assists, steals and field goal percentage.  He is the only player in program history to score 1,600 points, grab more than 800 rebounds and dish out more than 400 assists.  He concluded his time as a Colonel ranked second in EKU history in scoring, fourth in assists and seventh in rebounds.
 
George Kimble III joined the program after one season in Division II and became a second team all-conference selection.  One of the premier defenders in the ASUN, Kimble finished sixth in the nation in steals per game.  He was voted as the ASUN Newcomer of the Week twice. 
 
Mayar Wol was chosen as the ASUN Sixth Man of the Year.  He also earned ASUN Newcomer of the Week recognition on Feb. 18. 
 
Former Kentucky Mr. Basketball Turner Buttry turned in his best season and set a new program record with 47 consecutive free throws.
 
Montavious Myrick was one of the most improved players in the nation.  In 2023-24, Myrick averaged 1.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.4 blocks, 0.2 steals and 0.04 assists per game.  In 2024-25, he averaged 6.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.  He finished third in the conference in rebounding, first in offensive rebounds, fifth in blocks and 13th in steals.  He was second in the ASUN with 10 or more rebounds in 13 games.
 
Jordan Crawford finished seventh in the conference with 1.37 steals per game.
 
Buttry and Jackson Holt were selected to the 2024-25 Academic All-District Team ®, the second straight season for Buttry.