Page 25 - DBU Basketball 24-25 Media Guide

HEAD COACH DR. BLAKE FLICKNER
Dr. Blake Flickner is in his 19th season as the Head Basketball Coach at DBU. In 18 years at the helm for the Patriots, Flickner boasts a record of 346-211 and has guided DBU to the NCAA Division II Tournament eight times, including seven of the last nine years. During Flickner’s tenure at DBU, the Patriots have won two Lone Star Conference Division titles, a pair of Heartland Conference regular-season titles and two Heartland Tournament championships. Flickner is also a two-time Heartland Conference Coach of the Year, claiming the league’s top coaching honors in 2009 and 2017.
Flickner’s teams have produced two All-Americans and 79 All-Conference selections, including 15 players who have garnered First Team All-Conference honors. His Patriots have also seen six players named the Conference Freshman of the Year (5 Heartland & 1 Lone Star), three Defensive Player of the Year award winners (1 Heartland & 2 Lone Star), two LSC Sixth Man of the Year, and a pair of Heartland Conference Newcomers of the Year. Under Filckner’s direction, DBU has also produced 13 players who have continued their basketball careers professionally overseas.
YEAR-BY-YEAR
The Patriots are coming off a 2023-24 season in which they advanced to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the South Central Regional. DBU finished the regular season with a 25-6 record and won the LSC East Division title with an 18-4 record in league play. The Patriots were led by Cameron Kahn, who became the second All- American in program history after ranking third in the LSC in scoring, averaging 19.5 points per game. DBU notched an 86-73 win over No. 13 Colorado School of Mines in the Quarterfinals of the South Central Regional and reached the Semifinals for the third time in school history.
In 2022, DBU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season and finished the year with a 17-12 record. The Patriots went 10-5 in Lone Star Conference play and finished in third place in the league standings. DBU opened the season with a win over No. 4 Colorado Mesa at the Burg Center and punctuated their year with a 75- 73 road win over a Lubbock Christian team that was ranked No. 1 in the nation. The Patriots concluded their season with a loss to No. 22 Black Hills State, who eventually reached the Final Four.
The Patriots posted a 17-5 overall record and reached the NCAA Tournament during the COVID abbreviated 2020-21 season. With a win over Southern Arkansas in the South Central Regional, DBU reached the Regional Semifinals for the second time in school history. On January 9, the Patriots took down the No. 3 ranked team in the nation to end West Texas A&M’s nation-leading home-court winning streak. It was the fourth season in a row DBU had defeated a team ranked in the Top 10. The Patriots also continued their dominance at the Burg Center, posting an 11-0 record on their home court and have gone 75-11 at the Burg since the start of the 2015-2016 season. DBU finished the 2020-21 season ranked No. 16 in the NABC’s Top 25 and posted their highest ranking in school history when they were ranked No. 9 by the D2SIDA poll on January 26.
In DBU’s first season in the Lone Star Conference in 2019-20, Flickner coached the Patriots to a 21-9 overall record and earned the No. 7 seed in the NCAA South Central Regional. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NCAA to cancel the national tournament. DBU’s 21 wins marked the fifth consecutive season of 20 wins or more for the program and propelled the Patriots into the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year.
In 2018-19, Flickner guided the Patriots to a 23-11 record and a trip to the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament, where they earned the No. 5 seed, marking the highest seed tournament bid in school history.
The 2017-18 season saw the Patriots finish with the most wins in program history with a record of 26-6, as DBU won the Heartland Conference regular season championship for the second straight year and the Heartland Conference Tournament championship for the second time over a three-year stretch. DBU also returned to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history, where they punched their ticket to the South Central Regional Tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Patriots spent
most of the 2017-18 campaign ranked in the Top 25, including a final ranking of No. 16 in the nation according to the NABC Coach’s Poll.
In 2016-17, Flickner was selected as the Heartland Conference Coach of the Year after DBU clinched their first-ever regular-season league title. Flickner was also tabbed the NCCAA Central Region Coach of the Year at season’s end.
The Patriots finished the 2015-16 campaign in the NCAA Division II National Tournament, where they fell to the No. 2 seeded team in the region, after winning the Heartland Conference Tournament championship.
In 2011, the Patriots won a National Championship in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association).
In 2008-09, Flickner guided DBU to the program’s first- ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in just his third season at the helm. The Patriots defeated Central Oklahoma in their first-round game of the South Central Regional Tournament to advance to the Regional Semifinals.
Flickner’s teams are known for their great effort and selfless play. The up-tempo style is exciting for fans and players alike and has consistently made them one
of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, as well as one of the top assist teams in the country. Under Flickner’s direction, the Patriots have ranked in the top 25 nationally in 62 statistical categories during the past 18 years.
Coach Flickner’s teams have also excelled in the classroom as they are consistently at or near the top of their Conference for the highest team GPA. During Flickner’s tenure at DBU, his teams have won five Heartland Conference awards for the highest team GPA in the league and have received the NABC Team Academic Excellence award on nine occasions. 100% of all players who have attended DBU out of high school and completed their eligibility have graduated. Many have also gone on to receive Master’s level degrees, or higher, while three former Patriots have earned their Juris Doctor degree from top law schools.
Flickner came to DBU from the U.S. Naval Academy where he served as an assistant coach for the Midshipmen from 2003-05. Before his stint at Navy, Flickner served two years as Director of Basketball Operations or Administrative Assistant Coach for Coach Dale Layer at Colorado State University. While there, the Rams made their first trip to the NCAA tournament in thirteen years after winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Before his time at Colorado State, Flickner worked as the assistant coach at Eastfield College (1998-01) in Mesquite, Texas. During his three-year stay, he helped recruit and develop two All-Americans and led Eastfield College to a share of the 2001 Metro Athletic Conference Championship.
A native of Garland, Texas, Flickner graduated from Garland High School and played at Eastfield College. A point guard for Eastfield College from 1993-95, Flickner helped the Harvesters to win the 1994 Metro Athletic Conference title. An outstanding student, Flickner was named a Distinguished NJCAA Academic All-American.
He continued his education at the University of Kansas, serving as a student manager from 1996-98 and assuming the head manager position in his senior campaign. Flickner graduated with distinction from Kansas in May of 1998 with a degree in business administration. He earned his Master of Arts in Christian education at Dallas Theological Seminary in May of 2001, graduating with honors. In addition, he was awarded a Doctor of Education degree from DBU in Educational Leadership (Ed.D) in December of 2016.
Blake and his wife Mary reside in Duncanville, Texas, with their son Isaiah, daughter Ruth, and son Malachi. They are members of Duncanville’s First Baptist Church, where they serve as Journey Group leaders. Blake also serves as the board vice-chairman for UME Preparatory Academy in Dallas.
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