SMU Announces 2002-03 Hoops Schedule
Aug 14 | Men's Basketball
DALLAS (SMU) - The SMU-TCU basketball game on Nov. 24 has been rescheduled for 5:05 p.m., Head Coach Mike Dement announced today.
"Originally, we wanted to play an afternoon game," said Dement. "But with the Dallas Cowboys playing at noon that day, we decided to move our game to 5:05 p.m. We wanted to give our fans and sports enthusiasts in the Metroplex an opportunity to catch both games, and with a later tip time, we'll be able to to accomplish that."
The match-up with the Horned Frogs will be the season opener for the SMU Men's Basketball Team, and will be part of a tough schedule that will see the Mustangs play at least 10 games against teams that reached the postseason in 2002.
After hosting TCU, the Ponies will traveling west to Lubbock to take on 2002 NCAA Tournament team Texas Tech and Head Coach Bobby Knight on Nov. 26.
SMU then hosts North Texas on Nov. 29 before making a three-game road trip to Oral Roberts, Wake Forest and Appalachian St. The Dec. 15 game against 2002 NCAA participant Wake Forest will also be televised nationally on Fox Sports.
SMU then returns home to play host to Baylor on Dec. 21 before departing for Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 28-29, where the Ponies will compete in the Jim Thorpe Classic against Gardner-Webb in opening round action and face host and 2002 NIT participant UNLV in the final.
SMU closes out the non-conference portion on their 2002-03 slate by hosting San Diego on Jan. 2.
In addition to the non-conference games, SMU will play home-and-home series against all Western Athletic Conference foes, including postseason participants Fresno State, Hawaii, Tulsa and Louisiana Tech.
?We?ve responded to our fans?, students? and faculty?s requests to upgrade our schedule," said Dement. "We should lead the league in strength of schedule. With games against TCU, Baylor, North Texas and San Diego along with the WAC schedule, we have a very strong home slate. Add to that road games at Texas Tech, Oral Roberts, Wake Forest and Appalachian State and the Jim Thorpe Classic with teams like Gardner-Webb and UNLV, and we?ve got an extremely challenging schedule."
?With the exciting players we have and the quality games we?re playing, we?re asking our fans to respond," Dement continued. "It?s going to be an exciting and competitive year. Hopefully our followers will come out and fill up Moody so we can match and exceed the home court advantages that we will see on the road.?
