If you walk into Bloomer Sullivan Arena on a Thursday night in Durant, you’re going to hear it. The squeak of sneakers on the hardwood, the rhythmic thumping of the ball, and that specific brand of roar that only comes from a Great American Conference (GAC) crowd. It’s loud. It’s intimate. It’s Southeastern Oklahoma State basketball.
But honestly, if you’ve been checking the box scores lately, you might be wondering what’s going on with the Savage Storm.
The 2025-26 season hasn't exactly been a cakewalk. After years of sitting comfortably at the top of the GAC—including those regular-season titles in 2022 and 2024—the Storm has hit a bit of a rough patch. As of mid-January 2026, the men’s team is sitting at 4-12 overall. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a fan base used to seeing 20-plus win seasons.
The Reality of the Savage Storm's Current Run
Let’s be real for a second. Transitioning from a championship-caliber roster to a rebuilding phase is brutal in Division II. You don't just replace guys like Brennen Burns or Kody Clouet overnight. Those were the anchors. Now, head coach Kelly Green is in his 15th season, and he’s facing one of the more challenging stretches of his tenure in Durant.
Green isn’t a stranger to winning, though. The man has nearly 600 career wins. He knows how to coach. But this year, the "margin for error" basically doesn't exist.
Looking at the stats, the offense is still putting up points—averaging around 73 per game. The problem? Defense. The Storm is currently giving up about 82 points a night. In the GAC, where teams like Ouachita Baptist and Southern Nazarene are playing lockdown defense, giving up 80+ is a recipe for a long night.
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Why the GAC is a Meat Grinder
If you think Division II ball is "lower tier," you haven't been watching the Great American Conference. It’s a league where any team can beat anyone on a random Saturday in January. Take the December 10th game against Northwestern Oklahoma State. The Storm pulled out a gritty 99-91 win in overtime. It was vintage SE. High energy, clutch shooting, and a refusal to quit.
Then, a week later, they dropped a home game to Southwestern Oklahoma State.
That’s just the nature of the beast. The travel across Oklahoma and Arkansas is grueling. By the time you get to the Jan. 15th matchup against Harding—where the Storm struggled in an 87-54 loss—the "bus legs" start to become a real factor.
Kelly Green: The Man Behind the Program
It's impossible to talk about Southeastern Oklahoma State basketball without talking about Kelly Green. He took over in 2011 and took a program that had been struggling and turned it into a perennial contender.
Green comes from a "coaching royalty" family in Oklahoma. His dad, Cletus Green, is in the Hall of Fame. His brother Steve won national titles at the NJCAA level. This isn't just a job for him; it's a craft.
Under Green, the program has produced 34 all-conference players. He’s the type of coach who recruits guys that fit a specific system: high IQ, tough, and capable of shooting the lights out. Even in a "down" year, the fundamentals are usually there. The team is currently shooting about 45% from the floor, which isn't bad at all. They just need to find a way to stop the other guys from shooting 49%.
The Roster Breakdown: New Faces in Durant
The 2025-26 roster is a mix of fresh faces and guys trying to step into bigger roles. You've got players like:
- Tyler Long (R-So. Guard)
- Bela Clobes (R-Fr. Guard)
- Ethan Scott (Guard)
- Jalen Williams (Guard)
It’s a guard-heavy lineup, which explains the high-scoring games and the occasional struggle on the boards. When you’re playing "small ball" in the GAC, you live by the three and you occasionally die by the three.
What Most People Get Wrong About SE Basketball
There’s this misconception that because Southeastern is a DII school in a small town, the basketball is "slower" or less athletic. Go watch a game at Bloomer Sullivan. It’s the opposite. The pace is frantic. The shooting is elite.
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Another thing people miss is the history. People forget that before they were the "Savage Storm," they were just the "Savages." The name changed in 2006, but the grit stayed the same. This program has a legacy of being the "tough out" in the postseason. Even when they enter the GAC tournament as a lower seed, nobody wants to play them.
Looking Ahead: Can They Turn it Around?
So, where does the Savage Storm go from here?
The schedule doesn't get any easier. They have a massive rivalry game against East Central (ECU) in Ada on January 22nd. If you know anything about the "Cross-Bridge Rivalry," you know that records don't matter. It’s about bragging rights. A win there could be the spark they need to close out the season strong.
The key to a turnaround in February is going to be defensive rotation. They’re allowing opponents to shoot nearly 50% from the field. That has to drop. If they can tighten up the perimeter defense and force a few more turnovers, those close losses (like the two-point heartbreaker against Cameron in double OT) start turning into wins.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Analysts
If you're following Southeastern Oklahoma State basketball this season, keep an eye on these specific metrics:
- The 75-Point Mark: When the Storm keeps opponents under 75, their win probability jumps significantly.
- Home Court Advantage: Watch the remaining home games at Bloomer Sullivan Arena. The energy in that gym is worth about 5-8 points for the home team.
- Rotation Depth: See how Coach Green manages the minutes of the younger guards. Their development over the next few weeks is the blueprint for the 2026-27 season.
The season is far from over. In the GAC, a late-season surge can land you in the conference tournament, and once you're in, anything can happen. Kelly Green has been in this position before. Don't count the Storm out just yet.
Track the upcoming games against Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist at the end of January to see if the defensive adjustments are sticking. These back-to-back home games will define whether Southeastern makes a push for the postseason or starts looking toward next year's recruiting class.