Thomas Assembly Center Game Day

THOMAS ASSEMBLY CENTER

GAME DAY

Standing tall and serving as a landmark in Ruston, the Thomas Assembly Center is entering its 40th season of Louisiana Tech basketball for the 2021-22 year.

Since its unveiling in 1982, numerous Bulldog basketball teams have seen success from Andy Russo’s early-80’s Dunkin’ Dogs all the way to the current Dunkin’ Dogs head coach Eric Konkol.

Starring for some of these teams inside the TAC include NBA legend Karl Malone and current Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap as well as PJ Brown, Lonnie Cooper, Gerrod Henderson, Kyle Gibson, Magnum Rolle, Kenyon McNeail, Speedy Smith, Raheem Appleby, Michale Kyser, Alex Hamilton, Erik McCree, Jacobi Boykins, Derric Jean and DaQuan Bracey. Each was a superstar in his own time in a Bulldog uniform and under the lights of the Thomas Assembly Center.

THE BULLDOGS’ home record in the Thomas Assembly Center is an astounding 412-104 for a winning percentage of 79.8. The team is a remarkable 136-12 in the TAC since February of 2012, the 6th-best home winning percentage in the country during that span. Included in that was the second longest home winning streak in program history (39 straight).

The 8,000-seat facility has also seen 36 WINNING SEASONS for the Bulldogs, including a stretch of 10 straight beginning with the opening of the arena in 1982.

THE SEASON-BY-SEASON HOME RECORD FOR THE BULLDOGS IN THE TAC INCLUDES:

• 1982-83: 12-1 • 1983-84: 13-0 • 1984-85: 14-0 • 1985-86: 10-3 • 1986-87: 12-1 • 1987-88: 13-0 • 1988-89: 10-1 • 1989-90: 10-0 • 1990-91: 9-1 • 1991-92: 13-1 • 1992-93: 3-8 • 1993-94: 2-10 • 1994-95: 9-3 • 1995-96: 7-5 • 1996-97: 7-5 • 1997-98: 9-4 • 1998-99: 9-0 • 1999-00: 10-1 • 2000-01: 9-3 • 2001-02: 13-2 • 2002-03: 9-4 • 2003-04: 8-5 • 2004-05: 8-4 • 2005-06: 10-2 • 2006-07: 7-4 • 2007-08: 5-8 • 2008-09: 8-4 • 2009-10: 12-2 • 2010-11: 8-6 • 2011-12: 11-4 • 2012-13: 14-0 • 2013-14: 14-1 • 2014-15: 17-0 • 2015-16: 16-1 • 2016-17: 15-2 • 2017-18: 11-5 • 2018-19: 15-1 • 2019-20: 15-1 • 2020-21: 15-1

Over the years, opponents have had very little success playing in the Thomas Assembly Center. The arena’s history indicates that something special happens for the Bulldogs anytime they don their jerseys and walk out onto the court to a packed TAC.