11/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2014
UT Arlington (0-0) at Bradley (0-0)
Friday | 7 p.m. CT
Radio: KHVN 970 AM (Online)
Live Stats: UTAMavs.com
Live Video ($): Bradleybraves.com
Game Notes 
Schedule | UTATickets.com
By Art Garcia | UTAMavs.com
ARLINGTON, Texas - The unknown has been a recurring theme for the Mavericks in recent years, as the program has moved from new conference to new conference in the age of realignment.
UT Arlington starts the 2014-15 campaign in the same conference for the first time in three years. The known quantities don't end there. A number of letterwinners return, plus several redshirts that understand the system and are ready to lead.
The season gets underway Friday night with a clash on the road at Bradley in Peoria, Ill. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and Maverick Sports Properties has the radio broadcast on KHVN 970 AM.
"Bradley is a Missouri Valley school and we're playing them at their place," UT Arlington coach Scott Cross said. "I'm sure it will be a tough environment to play in, but Johnny Hill started in that league and I'm sure he's glad to play close to home.
"It's the first game of the season, and all the guys will be fired up and ready to go. I feel we can play with them and will have a great opportunity to win the game."
Bradley is the first step in a challenging nonconference schedule that includes road games at No. 1 Kentucky (Nov. 25) of the SEC and No. 10 Texas (Dec. 2) of the Big 12. UTA opens the home schedule at College Park Center against Buffalo on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.
The heavyweights on the schedule don't intimidate the Mavericks.
"The scrappy teams and the tough teams and the teams that really want to win are the teams that's gonna be at the top," said Hill, a junior guard and Chicago native. "And so I think that that's what kind of our identity is, is just tough, scrappy, a team that's going to work hard every night."
The Mavericks bring back five players who started a combined 66 games last season. Senior guard Lonnie McClanahan started 23 games, and is the team's returning leader in scoring (14.0 per game), rebounding (4.1) and assists (3.5). Senior guard Jamel Outler started 19 times, and his 79 3-pointers last season top all returners.
McClanahan is a preseason first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection by the league coaches. Outler was named to the third team. The seniors were also past of the preseason all-conference team for College Sports Madness.
Sophomore forward Jorge Bilbao (10 starts), senior forward Anthony Walker (seven) and sophomore forward Brandon Williams (seven) also made appearances with the first time. Walker's 22 blocked shots were second on the team last season. Williams' 16 blocks were third.
The Mavericks also have sophomore guard Drew Charles and senior forward Greg Gainey back in the lineup after redshirting in 2013-14. Hill sat out last season after transferring from Illinois State.
The year off paid off in different ways for the trio. Gainey focused on getting healthy, while Hill worked on his shot. For Charles, it was more about the mental approach.
"With me, it was confidence," he said. "My freshman year, confidence level goes up and down, everything's new to you. But with confidence, just being in the gym every day, every day just working on your shots or working on your floaters, working on your ball handling, that gives you confidence."
A talented freshmen class features point guard Erick Neal, forward Kevin Hervey, guard Kaelon Wilson, forward Julian Harris and guard Colten Gober. Bleacher Report predicted Neal would win Freshman of the Year in the Sun Belt. Junior guard Courtney Austin is also back from last season.
The Sun Belt slate begins at home Dec. 30 against Georgia Southern. UTA was picked to finish fourth.
"A championship is what I'm paid and hired to do and that's the expectation for me, I think also from our players, so we're in this thing to win it," Cross said. I know it's an extremely competitive league. I am well aware of what Georgia State is returning also Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas-Little Rock. There are some great teams in this league.
"We've got our work cut out for us, but that's what we have our minds set on doing and the first game of the season that's going to be our mission - to win a conference championship and go to the NCAA tournament." ​
