UNCG announces 2005-2006 men's basketball schedule

GREENSBORO, NC – UNC Greensboro men’s basketball coach Mike Dement announced his 2005-2006 schedule on Thursday, which will feature 13 home games and a nonconference schedule containing some of the top teams in the country.

In Dement’s first season back with the Spartans, UNCG will take on North Carolina State, Duke, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, and go to the Black Coaches Association (BCA) Classic to possibly face Miami (FL), Washington, UW-Green Bay or Air Force in Seattle’s Bank of America Arena. In addition, UNCG has been invited to take part in the ESPN-sponsored Bracket Busters series in mid-February.

“I think to say that this schedule will challenge us is an understatement,” said Dement, who coached the Spartans from 1991-95 and was the University’s first head coach in its NCAA Division I era. He returned to UNCG on April 7. “We’ll have an indication of just how good we can be by how well we play in some very difficult environments early in the season.”

In addition to an upgraded schedule, the Spartans will play in an upgraded facility. Fleming Gymnasium is in the process of a two-stage renovation to add new chairback seating. This summer, crews will install chairback and new bleacher seating to the West side of Fleming Gym. Next year, the East side of Fleming will receive similar upgrades.

UNCG will open the season with an exhibition contest on Nov. 7 against Belmont Abbey at 7 pm. UNCG’s regular season will get underway at the BCA Classic on Sunday, November 13. While pairings for the tournament have not yet been set, the tournament field will contain host Washington, Miami (FL), UW-Green Bay, Air Force, Morgan State, UT-Arlington and Southern University. The tournament continues with games on Monday and Tuesday, as well.

UNCG will then travel to Nashville, TN, to take on Vanderbilt on Tuesday, Nov. 22, for an 8 pm ET (7 pm local) tip-off before its home opener on Thanksgiving weekend. UNCG will take on Hampton on Saturday night, Nov. 26, in the first of 11 home dates at Fleming Gymnasium.

UNCG will take the road again to take on South Carolina on Nov. 30 before returning home for its SoCon opener against College of Charleston on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7 pm.

The month after that will see the Spartans take on East Carolina, Delaware, William & Mary and North Carolina State on the road, while playing host to Gardner-Webb and Greensboro College at Fleming and Duke at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Dec. 31 clash with the Blue Devils will mark UNCG’s first return to the Coliseum since Feb. 2003.

“We’re excited about playing in the Coliseum again,” said Dement. “What a way to turnover the calendar... taking on Duke in front of 20,000 fans.”

For the first time, the Spartans have also been selected to participate in the Bracket Buster series on Saturday, Feb. 18. The series has been expanded to include close to 100 teams this season in games nationwide. With the addition of ESPN’s new network ESPN-U, Bracket Busters will receive more television exposure than ever before. Pairings for the event are announced in mid-January.

“The Bracket Buster series is a great thing for mid-major college basketball,” said Dement. “It helps all of us with our scheduling from the point that each school is then locked into a quality non-conference game with another mid-major school for two seasons, one as a part of the Bracket Buster and one the following year as the return game. It is a great tool to help all of us who have difficulties getting quality opponents to play us on our home court.”

The Southern Conference portion on the schedule features home dates with College of Charleston, Western Carolina, Appalachian State, The Citadel, Furman, Chattanooga and Elon, as well as road contests with Elon, Georgia Southern, Wofford, Davidson, Western Carolina and Appalachian State.

Despite the departure of East Tennessee State from the SoCon to join the Atlantic Sun Conference, the SoCon will continue to play its North-South Divisional format. Teams in the North Division will play 14 games, while teams in the South Division will play 15 games. Seeding for the conference tournament, however, will be changed to seed teams first through 11th by winning percentage, regardless of division standing.

Season tickets for UNCG basketball will go on sale on Monday, Aug. 1. UNCG’s new expanded season ticket packages include admission to all 13 men’s and 14 women’s home basketball games. All season ticket packages also include premium seating for the UNCG-Duke game at Greensboro Coliseum. Season ticket packages start at $95 for adults and $55 for youth and senior citizens for general admission seating. Reserved seating season tickets are $125 for adults and $75 for youth and senior citizens. Spartan Club members can get Spartan Spirit Season Ticket packages, which include center court chair back seating at Fleming Gymnasium, for $150 for adults and $90 for youth and senior citizens.

In addition, UNCG has added two new family season ticket packages. Families can purchase four general admission season tickets, which include four premium tickets for the Duke game, for $210. Spartan Club members can purchase a Spartan Spirit Family Package, which includes four center court chair back seats at Fleming Gym and four premium tickets for the Duke game, for $340.

For more information about season tickets and single-game ticket pricing, contact the UNCG Athletics Ticket Office at (336) 334-3250 or go on-line to www.UNCGSpartans.com.

2005-2006 UNC GREENSBORO MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE (Home games in CAPS; All times ET and are subject to change for television): Nov. 7 vs. BELMONT ABBEY (exh.), 7 pm; Nov. 13-15 at BCA Classic (Seattle, WA - teams include Washington, Miami-FL, UW-Green Bay, Air Force, Southern, UT-Arlington, Morgan State); Nov. 22 at Vanderbilt, 8 pm; Nov. 26 vs. HAMPTON, 7 pm; Nov. 30 at South Carolina, 7 pm; Dec. 3 vs. COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, 7 pm; Dec. 6 at East Carolina, 7 pm; Dec. 11 vs. GARDNER-WEBB, 2 pm; Dec. 16 vs. GREENSBORO COLLEGE, 7 pm; Dec. 19 at Delaware, 7:30 pm; Dec. 21 at William & Mary, 7 pm; Dec. 31 vs. DUKE, 1 pm; Jan. 3 at North Carolina State, TBA; Jan. 7 at Chattanooga, 7 pm; Jan. 11 at Montreat, 7 pm; Jan. 14 at Elon, TBA; Jan. 16. vs. WESTERN CAROLINA (DH), 7 pm; Jan. 21 vs. APPALACHIAN STATE, 7 pm; Jan. 23 vs. THE CITADEL (DH), 7 pm; Jan. 28 at Georgia Southern TBA; Jan. 30 at Wofford, 7 pm; Feb. 4 vs. Furman, 7 pm; Feb. 6 at Davidson, 7 pm; Feb. 11 vs. CHATTANOOGA, 7 pm; Feb. 18 at ESPN Bracket Busters (opponent and site TBD), TBA; Feb. 21 at Western Carolina, 7 pm; Feb. 23 at Appalachian State, 7 pm; Feb. 25 vs. ELON, 7 pm; Mar. 1-4 at Southern Conference Tournament (North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, SC), Times TBA.

- UNCG -