MAVS BEGIN MADNESS
10/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 13, 2006
UT Arlington men's head basketball coach Scott Cross and women's head coach Donna Capps will waste little time as they begin the 2006-07 season workouts with opening practices on Friday night and return to the court for 9 a.m. workouts Saturday.
The women will meet at the Physical Education Building beginning at 7 p.m. The men will workout at Texas Hall following the conclusion of the Mavericks' volleyball match against McNeese State, scheduled for a 7 p.m. start. Both groups will practice on Saturday at 9 a.m. - the women at Texas Hall and the men at the Physical Education Building.
For Cross, he will view the practice from the head coaches seat rather than the assistant's chair he held for eight seasons.
"I'm excited to get started," said Cross. "We've got a lot of work to do before the season opener, but we have some guys returning who are capable of being among the league's best and we have a group of freshman who will have the opportunity to come in and make an immediate contribution."
The Mavericks finished last season 14-16 and seventh in the SLC with a 7-9 mark.
Capps' returns four starters, including 2005-06 SLC Player of the Year senior guard Terra Wallace (Round Rock, Texas), off a 20-9 season.
Also returning is preseason all-SLC players Maryann Abanobi (Sugar Land, Texas) and Ashley Bobb (Garland, Texas). The seniors were selected to the second-team preseason squad and after starting a combined 56 games a year ago and averaging 19.0 points and 10.2 rebounds pre game.
"We have a tough non-conference schedule, so we have to be ready to go early in the season," said Capps of a schedule that has the Mavericks playing eight teams that made either the NCAA Tournament or the National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). "I like our group of players and I know they are going to work hard to get our program to the next level."
Both teams open the season November 11 at Texas Hall. The women will face Northern Arizona at 2 p.m. and the men will follow with Texas-Tyler at 4:30 p.m. For season ticket information, call 817-272-7167.
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