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utrgv mens basketball schedule

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EDINBURG (UTRGV) – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Sunday that the men’s basketball team will play 31 games leading up to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament, including 14 at home, starting on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 2019 NIT participant South Dakota State.

The home opener is set for Monday, Nov. 11 against Howard Payne at 7 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.

 UTRGV, which is coming off of a 20-win season, will unveil a banner commemorating last year’s run to the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) at UTRGV Madness on Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. The event is free and open to the public.

Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at UTRGVTickets.com or by contacting Carlos Munoz at either (956) 665-3747 or tickets@utrgv.edu.

“It is a challenging schedule,” UTRGV head coach Lew Hill said. “I like to challenge my guys before we go to conference because the WAC is so tough. We will have seen everything that we can possibly see by the time we get there, so we’re very excited about it.”

UTRGV’s schedule features at least 19 games, including seven at home, against teams that competed in the postseason last year.

UTRGV faces four opponents that competed in the NCAA Tournament, including national runner-up Texas Tech (Dec. 21), Oklahoma, which advanced to the third round (Dec. 30), North Dakota State, which advanced to the second round (Nov. 15), and reigning WAC Tournament Champion New Mexico State (Jan. 25 at home and Feb. 22 on the road).

UTRGV plays three opponents that competed in the NIT, including Sam Houston State (Dec. 3 at home), South Dakota State, and quarterfinalist Creighton (Dec. 13).

UTRGV competes against two other CIT participants, Seattle U (Jan. 16 on the road and Feb. 15 at home) and CSU Bakersfield (Feb. 1 at home and Feb. 27 on the road).

UTRGV also takes on four College Basketball Invitational (CBI) opponents, including Stony Brook (Nov. 16), California Baptist (Jan. 2 on the road and March 7 at home), Utah Valley (Jan. 18 on the road and Feb. 13 at home), and Grand Canyon (Jan. 30 at home and Feb. 29 on the road).

“Playing this kind of schedule prepares us a great deal,” UTRGV head coach Lew Hill said. “We need to play strong teams so we can see where we’re at. We need to be challenged every game. Every night we have to come ready to play.”

The games against North Dakota State and Stony Brook are part of the Islander Invitational, which wraps up on Nov. 17 against host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as part of the South Texas Showdown, presented by Navy Army Community Credit Union.

UTRGV then returns home for four games, hosting Texas A&M International on Nov. 25, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, as part of the South Texas Showdown, presented by Navy Army Community Credit Union, on Nov. 30, Sam Houston State on Dec. 3, and Mid-America Christian University on Dec. 6.

UTRGV plays its first WAC home games against Kansas City and Chicago State on Jan. 9 and 11, respectively. The trip to Kansas City and Chicago State is set for Feb. 6-8.

UTRGV also plays a kids day non-conference game against UT Permian Basin on Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. All other home games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

The WAC Tournament runs March 12-14 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The WAC Tournament Champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

“We’re chasing the big bad wolf, trying to knock off New Mexico State,” Hill said. “I think several teams will be good again, like they were last year. We’re going to have five or six teams that just beat each other up.”

 

Complete Schedule

Date                Opponent                                           Site                             Time (CT)

NOVEMBER

5                      South Dakota State                            Brookings S.D.            TBD

11                    Howard Payne                                   Edinburg                    7 p.m.

Islander Invitational

15                    North Dakota State                             Corpus Christi             TBD

16                    Stony Brook                                        Corpus Christi             TBD

South Texas Showdown, Presented by Navy Army Community Credit Union

17                    Texas A&M-Corpus Christi                Corpus Christi             TBD

25                    Texas A&M International                 Edinburg                    7 p.m.

South Texas Showdown, Presented by Navy Army Community Credit Union

30                    Texas A&M-Corpus Christi             Edinburg                    7 p.m.

 

DECEMBER

3                      Sam Houston State                           Edinburg                    7 p.m.

6                      Mid-America Christian University  Edinburg                    7 p.m.

13                    Creighton                                            Omaha, Neb.              TBD

Summit League/WAC Challenge

15                    Omaha                                                Omaha, Neb.              12:30 p.m.

21                    Texas Tech                                         Lubbock                      TBD

30                    Oklahoma                                           Norman, Okla.            TBD

 

JANUARY

2                      California Baptist*                               Riverside, Calif.           9 p.m.

9                      Kansas City*                                      Edinburg                    7 p.m.

11                    Chicago State*                                  Edinburg                    7 p.m.

16                    Seattle U*                                           Seattle, Wash.            TBD

18                    Utah Valley*                                        Orem, Utah                 TBD

25                    New Mexico State*                            Edinburg                    7 p.m.

30                    Grand Canyon*                                 Edinburg                    7 p.m.

 

FEBRUARY

1                      CSU Bakersfield*                              Edinburg                    7 p.m.

6                      Kansas City*                                       Kansas City, Mo.        TBD

8                      Chicago State*                                    Chicago, Ill.                 TBD

13                    Utah Valley*                                       Edinburg                    7 p.m.

15                    Seattle U*                                           Edinburg                    7 p.m.

18                    UT Permian Basin                             Edinburg                    12 p.m.

22                    New Mexico State*                             Las Cruces, N.M.       TBD

27                    CSU Bakersfield*                                Bakersfield, Calif.        9 p.m.

29                    Grand Canyon*                                   Phoenix, Ariz.             7 p.m.

 

MARCH

7                      California Baptist*                            Edinburg                    7 p.m.

12                    WAC Tournament Quarterfinals         Las Vegas, Nev.         2/4:30/8/10:30 p.m.

13                    WAC Tournament Semifinals             Las Vegas, Nev.         8/10:30 p.m.

14                    WAC Tournament Championship      Las Vegas, Nev.         9 p.m.

17-18               NCAA Tournament First Four (If Nec.)    Dayton, Ohio               5:30/8 p.m.

19-20               NCAA Tournament Second Round    Regional Sites            TBA

21-22               NCAA Tournament Third Round        Regional Sites            TBA

26-27               NCAA Tournament Sweet 16             Regional Sites            TBA

28-29               NCAA Tournament Elite 8                  Regional Sites            TBA

 

APRIL

4                      NCAA Tournament Final Four            Atlanta, Ga.                 TBA

6                      NCAA Tournament Championship     Atlanta, Ga.                 TBA

 

All Times CT

*Denotes WAC Match

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