Oct. 17, 2013
ARLINGTON, Texas - UT Arlington men's and women's basketball held Maverick Madness for hundreds of fans Thursday night at College Park Center. The 2013-14 teams were introduced to the student body and other supporters for the first time.
"Anytime we give our guys an opportunity to get out in front of the fans, especially the students, we want to do it so they can connect with them," UT Arlington men's coach Scott Cross said. "They can start to associate names with players. We have a likeable group of guys and we want them to interact with the fans and students, so that hopefully those students will support them throughout the year."
Women's coach Krista Gerlich, entering her first season at UT Arlington, experienced her first Maverick Madness.
"It's a great way to get the season started off right and to get our kids in front of the student body," Gerlich said. "We've got to have the student body support us and have a great time. They have the opportunity to be the sixth man and fill this place up."
Connecting with the student body is just as important for the student-athletes.
"It's great for them to see us as a whole and who we are," senior women's guard Laila Suleiman said. "We're excited for this year and we want them to be excited and come out and support us. We have pretty good chemistry. We're continuing to grow. We're a big family."
The evening included a performance from the high-flying aerial dunk team AcroDunk. There was also a visit from the 2014 National Championship Trophy, which will be awarded during the Final Four this April in Arlington.
"Of course we went to touch it," junior men's guard Jamel Outler said. "That's a great moment for us. To get close to that trophy, that's our main goal. We're here to win championships."
Contests for UTA students included shot contests for $5,000 and $2,500 prizes. Two students won raffles to take road trips with the basketball teams.
Single game tickets for UT Arlington men's and women's basketball are on sale for the 2013-14 season. Tickets can be ordered by clicking here or calling 817-272-9595.
The men and women each open the season on the road Nov. 8. The men are at Boise State, while the women are at Houston Baptist. The men's home opener is Nov. 12 against Samford at 7:30 p.m., with the women's first home game Nov. 14 against Incarnate Word at 7:30 p.m.
The programs begin the inaugural Sun Belt Conference season with a Jan. 2 doubleheader against Arkansas State. The women tip at 5 p.m. and the men follow at 7:30 p.m.
