Eastern New Mexico head men’s basketball coach Tres Segler has recently announced the completion of the 2018-19 regular season schedule.
The season features three Division I opponents in exhibition match-ups as well as nine home games inside Greyhound Arena. The Hounds will also compete in two tournaments to start off the season in Albuquerque, N.M. at the University of New Mexico’s famous Dreamstyle Arena and in San Angelo, Texas at the ASU Ed Messbarger Tip-off Classic.
“We are very excited about this year’s schedule,” coach Segler said, “We really wanted to play tough opponents this season in order to prepare us for the grind of the Lone Star Conference. I think this pre-conference schedule will have our guys ready to do battle in the LSC.”
The Hounds finished the 2017-18 season with an overall record of 11-17 and a conference record of 6-12. With a strong core of returners as well as a talented crop of incoming transfers, a tough preseason schedule as well as the experience gained by taking on Division I competition throughout the season will have the Hounds prepared to do battle with any opponent in the Lone Star Conference.
“It’s a big blessing to be able to play three Division I opponents this year,” coach Segler said, “I believe that playing those D1 teams gives our players exposure on the highest levels. When it comes time for our Greyhounds to try and play professionally overseas, it truly helps to be able to show scouts clips of our players against D1 players.”
The Hounds will take on UTEP in exhibition action on Monday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. in El Paso, Texas before heading north to take on their second Division I opponent in New Mexico State University on Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. in Las Cruces. Eastern will then make the trip out west to take on Grand Canyon University at the end of the regular season on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. in Phoenix, Ariz.
“Coach Rodney Terry is a mentor of mine from my days at the University of Texas,” coach Segler said, “Coach Terry was instrumental in me getting the job here at ENMU, and he is going to do incredible things at UTEP. It will be very humbling to be coaching on the opposite end of the court from him, and I am incredibly grateful for him hosting our team this year. Once again, Coach Jans at New Mexico State is hosting us in Las Cruces. I always think his guys are tough and physical and I am grateful for Coach Jans having us back to his arena, and we look forward to the in-state competition of a D1 versus a D2.”
The Hounds will then wrap up their season with the experience of competing against an NBA legend in Grand Canyon’s head coach Dan Majerle, as well as in front of one of the most hostile crowds in all of Division I basketball.
“Head Coach and NBA legend, Dan Majerle, has GCU building as one of the country’s best basketball atmospheres,” coach Segler said, “We look forward to testing our toughness and feeding off the energy that the GCU Havocs create.”
Eastern New Mexico will follow up their two opening tournaments and road trips to El Paso and Las Cruces with a road test against Washburn University on Saturday, Nov. 24 in Topeka, Kansas. Washburn finished 22-10 last season and posted a conference record of 14-5 in the MIAA, continuing their tradition as one of the league’s perennial powers.
Lone Star Conference play will then kickoff for the Hounds the following weekend with games inside Greyhound Arena against Midwestern State University Texas and Cameron University on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1. The Hounds will then take on three more non-conference opponents in road matches in Arkansas Tech, Regis University and Oklahoma Christian throughout the early stages of the month of December.
A new calendar year for the Hounds will start off with a match-up against in-state rival Western New Mexico on Jan. 3 in Silver City, N.M. in what will begin a crucial stretch of five conference road games over a span of just nine days.
Eastern will then return home for a weekend series scheduled against Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce on Jan. 17 and 19 before welcoming arch-rival West Texas A&M to Greyhound Arena the following Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. The conference schedule will then repeat itself as each team will play each opponent for the second game of the home and away series that the LSC provides with Eastern hitting the road on Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 for games against Cameron and Midwestern State-Texas.
The Hounds will look to continue their push to the best possible seeding for the LSC Conference tournament throughout the month of February with a well-timed four game home stretch that will provide Eastern New Mexico with a good chance to either gain ground in the conference or overtake some teams in the conference standings. Eastern will then end their season with three road games, the final one in Canyon, Texas against West Texas A&M.
The challenging non-conference schedule combined with the experience of taking on three quality Division I opponents will hopefully culminate with a trip to the LSC Postseason Tournament on March 7-9 in Frisco, Texas at the Dr. Pepper Arena.
“As always the Lone Star Conference will be the best D2 conference in America,” coach Segler said, “We are always honored to be a part of the historic league, and we are excited to continue building our name as the season goes on. We had some great moments last season against some of the LSC’s best programs, and we must continue to build toward the head of the pack. One thing is certain. The LSC is a strong as ever, and we must push ourselves everyday so that we can fight to earn a spot at the top by the end of the conference season.”
