Video of Presser (Courtesy of SportsNOLA.com)
NEW ORLEANS – An 18-game Southland Conference schedule and a home meeting at Lakefront Arena against 2013 NCAA Tournament at-large selection Boise State highlight the 2013-14 New Orleans men's basketball schedule released Tuesday.
Head coach Mark Slessinger unveiled the slate during his 2nd Annual Schedule Release, Shootaround and Media Luncheon event. Lunch was provided by UNO alum Scot Craig of Katie's Restaurant.
Slessinger will begin his third year at the helm of the Privateer program after directing the squad to an 8-18 mark as an NCAA Division I Independent in 2012-13. UNO will open its campaign on Nov. 12 against Millsaps at Lakefront Arena. The Privateers are 21-6 at home under Slessinger in two previous seasons.
UNO's first road game is Nov. 19 at LSU with the team returning home to host BSU on Nov. 23.
The Privateers will then play four of its remaining five out of conference contests on the road with stops at Hawaii (Nov. 27), Minnesota (Dec. 7), UTEP (Dec. 16) and 2013 NCAA 'Sweet 16' participant Michigan State (Dec. 28). The lone home date during the stretch is Champion Baptist on Dec. 14.
"I feel if we can play like we did against nationally-ranked Butler last season, we can play well against a lot of good teams," said senior guard Isaac Mack. "We have to adjust to the scouting report that our coaches give us so we can be prepared each night out."
"Last year, we had a spurt where we played a lot of good schools and the results were not what we wanted. We know that this year we can come out and look to make it a different outcome."
The trip to Hawaii is the second in three years for Slessinger at UNO while the game against UTEP will feature a meeting against former Privateer head coach Tim Floyd. Floyd coached at UNO from 1988-94, compiling a 127-58 mark and directing the team to the postseason on five occasions.
"We felt it was important to play a challenging and competitive non-conference schedule," said Slessinger. "We wanted to challenge our team to prepare for Southland Conference play and we also wanted to renew the great rivalry that existed between UNO and LSU."
"Our team will get to participate in two nationally-televised games on the Big Ten Network with Minnesota and Michigan State. Obviously our game at UTEP with Coach Floyd will carry significance within our UNO family and being able to play Hawaii is not only a great basketball experience, but a great life-learning experience for our student-athletes."
When the calendar turns to January, UNO will focus its attention on the program's first-ever Southland Conference schedule beginning Jan. 2 at Nicholls State. The contest against the Colonels is the first of 18 games against league opposition, including nine at home. The Privateers will play its first Southland home game on Jan. 9 versus fellow newcomer Abilene Christian.
Each Southland contest – both home and away – will serve as part of a doubleheader with the UNO women's team. During the Southland slate, the weeks will consist of games on Thursdays and Saturdays with the exception of a Sunday, Feb. 16 date against McNeese State and both contests against travel partner Southeastern Louisiana.
."We are so proud to be a part of the Southland Conference," said Slessinger. "We are excited for the challenge of playing great in-state rivals like McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana, in addition to the rugged weekly schedule in one of the best coached leagues in college basketball."
One of the five returning scholarship players on the 2013-14 squad is Cory Dixon, who played as a true freshman at Northwestern State. He is the only player on the roster to have experienced up close what a Southland slate is like.
"We are coming into the Southland Conference in our first year and looking to work and compete for a Southland championship," said Dixon. "As a senior, it is my one shot at the Southland and I want to make sure we come out on top."
"There are a lot of good teams in the Southland and a lot of good home games. We play the defending Southland champs Northwestern State at home and hopefully our fans come out, watch us in our first year in a conference. It is going to be a special year."
A final roster, game times, television/radio availability and season ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information on the UNO basketball program, fans are encouraged to visit UNOPrivateers.com.
2013-14 University of New Orleans Men's Basketball Schedule
(as of 7/20/2013)
DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME SITE
NOVEMBER
Tues. 12 MILLSAPS 7:30 p.m. NEW ORLEANS
Tues. 19 at LSU TBA Baton Rouge, La.
Sat. 23 BOISE STATE (DH) TBA NEW ORLEANS
Weds. 27 at Hawaii TBA Honolulu, Hawaii
DECEMBER
Sat. 7 at Minnesota TBA Minneapolis, MN
Sat. 14 CHAMPION BAPTIST TBA NEW ORLEANS
Mon. 16 at UTEP TBA El Paso, Texas
Sat. 28 at Michigan State TBA East Lansing, Mich.
JANUARY
Thurs. 2 * at Nicholls State (DH) TBA Thibodaux, La.
Sat. 4 * at McNeese State (DH) TBA Lake Charles, La.
Thurs. 9 * ABILENE CHRISTIAN (DH) TBA NEW ORLEANS
Sat. 11 * INCARNATE WORD (DH) TBA NEW ORLEANS
Thurs. 16 * LAMAR (DH) TBA . NEW ORLEANS
Sat. 18 * SAM HOUSTON STATE (DH) TBA NEW ORLEANS
Thurs. 23 * at Houston Baptist (DH) TBA Houston, Texas
Sat. 25 * at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (DH) TBA Corpus Christi, Texas
FEBRUARY
Sat. 1 * at Southeastern Louisiana (DH) TBA Hammond, La.
Thurs. 6 * at Oral Roberts (DH) TBA Tulsa, Okla.
Sat. 8 * at Central Arkansas (DH) TBA Conway, Ark.
Thurs. 13 * NICHOLLS STATE (DH) TBA . NEW ORLEANS
Sun. 16 * McNEESE STATE (DH) TBA NEW ORLEANS
Sat. 22 * SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (DH) TBA. NEW ORLEANS
Thurs. 27 * STEPHEN F. AUSTIN (DH) TBA NEW ORLEANS
MARCH
Sat. 1 * NORTHWESTERN STATE (DH) TBA NEW ORLEANS
Thurs. 6 * at Lamar (DH) TBA Beaumont, Texas
Sat. 8 * at Sam Houston State (DH) TBA Huntsville, Texas
All times Central and subject to change
Bold indicates home contest at Lakefront Arena
(DH) denotes doubleheader with UNO women's basketball team
* indicates a Southland Conference contest
