SMU Announces 2003-04 Hoops Slate
Oct 9 | Men's Basketball
DALLAS (SMU) - The SMU men's basketball team will play as many as 11 games against teams that reached the postseason in 2003 according to the 2003-04 schedule released Thursday, Oct. 9, by SMU Head Coach Mike Dement.
The Mustangs will face NCAA Tournament participants San Diego, Wake Forest, Oklahoma State and Tulsa, with a chance of taking on Purdue. The slate also features battles with NIT teams Texas Tech, Nevada and Hawaii.
SMU opens with a pair of tough road challenges, vs. Texas-Pan American on Nov. 22 and at San Diego on Nov. 28 before opening the home slate with Bobby Knight and the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Dec. 1.
After a trip to Big 12 foe Baylor on Dec. 3, SMU will host preseason top-20 Wake Forest on Dec. 15 and Southern Conference favorite Appalachian State on Dec. 18.
A trip to the Boilermaker Invitational Dec. 20-21 will allow for a game against the MAC's Miami of Ohio and host Purdue should the Ponies and Boilermakers advance to the championship game. After a short Christmas break, SMU will travel to Annapolis, Md., to face Navy in a New Year's Eve showdown before tripping to Oklahoma City to face Oklahoma State in the Touchstone Energy Classic on ESPN on Jan. 3.
WAC play opens on Jan. 6 with a run of perennial league title contenders Tulsa, Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii and wraps up with a home battle versus Rice on Mar. 6.
"As a program, we have adopted the philosophy that we play a tough non-conference schedule. We will always play Big 12 schools, ACC schools, Big Ten schools and the like and we again are going to have the toughest schedule in our conference."
"We've established a winning tradition at SMU now," closed Dement. "The schedule is tough and we certainly have some question marks, but we're committed to continuing our success. It should be a very exciting and competitive season."
One familiar name missing from the Mustang schedule in 2003-04 is TCU. Due to scheduling conflicts for both schools, the two teams will miss each other on the hardwood this year. The rivalry will resume in 2004-05.
Exhibition play is set for Nov. 8 and Nov. 16 as the Ponies will host InterHoops from Lithuania and EA Sports at Moody Coliseum.
