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BELTON, Texas – McMurry University's men's basketball team will begin play in the American Southwest Conference tournament on Friday afternoon (5 p.m.) versus East Texas Baptist University with something extra not all of the other participants can claim: Tournament savvy.

That's because the War Hawks (17-8, 13-8 ASC) return an armload of players from last season's ASC regular season and tournament championship squad, buoyed by four seniors among that group. McMurry won four of its final five regular season games heading into the 2012 ASC tourney.

Friday's game – as well as all McM men's basketball games in the ASC post-season tourney – can be heard live in the Abilene area on KZQQ 1560 AM, with David Bacon calling the action. Links to live video, as well as other tournament links, can be found trough the McMurry web site at mcmurrysports.com.

McMurry will be making its 12th ASC tournament appearance and fourth in a row. Last year, the War Hawks topped this year's host school, Mary Hardin-Baylor, in the finale. Overall, McM has a record of 12-8 (.600) in its ASC tournament history.

“We feel good about it,” McMurry head coach J.D. Isler surmised of his team entering the event. “We've been playing pretty good basketball. We've also played under a lot of pressure the last three weeks (trying to clinch a tournament berth), so the actual tournament won't be a feeling we haven't gone through already.

“We are also a team that matches up well with different types of teams.”

East Texas Baptist, the War Hawks' first round foe, is the No. 2 seed from the ASC East and enters the tourney with a 14-11 overall record. McMurry won the regular season match-up 92-71 back on December 8.

“(ETBU) is a very quality opponent,” J.D. Isler said. “They have a pair of guards that can really play and who are a perimeter threat every time they touch the ball. They can also get it done inside, as well.

“We need good defense on every possession.”

While the War Hawk mentor is stressing good defense, offense has been something that J.D. Isler has not had to worry about too much in 2011-12. McMurry is one of the nation's top scoring teams, averaging 87.3 points per game. The War Hawks have a total of four 100-plus point games this year, all in the second half of the season. McMurry is also the nation's top rebounding team, grabbing an average of 12.8 rebounds per game more than its opponent, often leading to second-chance points.

McMurry can boast a total of eight players averaging better than 6.0 points per game, with three in double figure scoring.

Senior forward Steven Jones is one of the returnees from last year's title team, earning all-tournament accolades. Jones, picked as 2012 ASC pre-season Player of the Year, has been nothing less than rock solid for the War Hawks. He has given the squad double-digit scoring in 22 of 25 games the season, including back-to-back career-high scoring games to close out the regular season and helping to clinch the ASC berth.

Jones is among the ASC leaders in both scoring (17.2 p.p.g.) and rebounds (8.4 r.p.g.), all while shooting an impressive 49.0 percent from the field. He also ranks third on the team in steals (46).

Also earning all-tourney recognition last season was senior point guard Jaden Isler. Isler not only averages 12.8 points per game, but leads the ASC (and is among the NCAA III national leaders) in assists at 5.8 a.p.g. He has also been the War Hawks' most larcenous player with 2.0 steals per game.

Bryce Hill – the only senior who was not a part of last year's championship run after transferring in this season – has become one of the nation's top threats from beyond the arc. Hill averages 3.1 treys made per game and is shooting a cool 41.1 percent (76-185) from long distance. Hill averages 14.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, usually coming off of the War Hawks' bench.

Anthony Johnson (6.0 p.p.g.) and Bryant Taylor (7.2 p.p.g.) are the team's other seniors from the 2011 tournament championship squad. Taylor, who averages 3.8 assists per game and has committed just 31 turnovers all season, is another reason that the deft passing of the War Hawks has produced an assist on nearly 58 percent of all of the team's field goals made.

“Our seniors give us a 'calming approach',” J.D. Isler said. “They give us experience and that's important, especially when you are playing for your season.”

But McMurry has received positive contributions from numerous others, not the least of which is junior post player Dominick Walker. Walker has scored 7.2 p.p.g. and ranks among the ASC elite in rebounds, cleaning the glass at a rate of 9.5 caroms per game.

Freshman Connor Robinson (6.0 p.p.g.) and junior newcomer Takoby Jackson (6.9 p.p.g.) has also provided offensive depth for J.D. Isler's team. Sophomore Alfred Perez has come on of late to provide McMurry with depth underneath.

But J.D. Isler knows that all of the regular season statistics and hype go out the window at tournament time.

“We have to play consistent,” J.D. Isler said. “We have to do what we do. In a tournament, it's not always the best team on paper that wins; it's which one can string together three complete games.

“We have got to put one together (versus ETBU) and then go from there.”