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ARLINGTON, Texas - Men's basketball freshman DJ Bryant gripped a white mesh uniform donning a No. 2 hanging in the locker room. Across the chest read 'Mavericks' in royal blue with orange lining and in that moment, he knew it was the start of a journey.

The UT Arlington men's and women's basketball teams unwrapped the 2016-17 campaigns with Media Day Wednesday afternoon at College Park Center. After months of workouts and scrimmages, putting on uniforms again gave the players a rush knowing season is around the corner.

"I've been looking forward to this day my whole life," Bryant said. "It was always something I told myself I was going to do. When I grabbed my jersey in the locker room I just held it and took it all in. I'm excited to see what's in store for UTA this season."

Not only were the teams and coaches present, but the UTA spirit groups and mascot, Blaze, were there to celebrate the ringing in of a new year. All three squads posed for pictures in front of CPC.

UT Arlington head coach Krista Gerlich was accompanied by juniors Rebekah VanDijk and Cierra Johnson in a press conference to open the day's events.

The Lady Mavs return two of their 2015-16 starters in VanDijk and Johnson, both All-Sun Belt Conference selections, to a team that garners three freshman and four transfers. VanDijk was recognized as the Sun Belt's Player of the Year after registering 12.2 points and 9.8 rebounds for her squad last season.

UTA turned in a 15-16 record with a 10-10 performance in league play, good for sixth place. The conference preseason polls slated the team third, an honor Gerlich said is respectable, but motivating in the hunt for a title.

All players were available in one of CPC's two practice gyms following the presser for photos and individual interviews. It also served as a time for media to get to know the team's players and personnel before the season opens.

Senior Ally Te'o said despite already having experienced three Media Days, the fourth was just as thrilling as her first.

"It's not like the kind of adrenaline you get in a game, but it's definitely becoming more real that season is less than two weeks away," Te'o said.

"I like that our team is getting attention because it'll get more people to the games. When fans are in the stands, it motivates us to play better."

Five nonconference games at College Park Center highlight the 2016 portion of the schedule beginning with UTSA on Sunday, Nov. 13 as part of Homecoming weekend on campus.

Next, a media-filled room hosted the men's team press conference featuring UT Arlington head coach Scott Cross, and juniors Kevin Hervey and Erick Neal.

The team's time in the practice gym afterward was filled with flashing cameras and laughs as the team posed for pictures, spoke to media and even competed in a half-court shot showdown.

"Putting on these uniforms is exciting and it feels like we're playing tomorrow," Neal said. "The photos, the press conference, it's all hyping me up. We have a big season ahead of us, so we're ready. We're all brothers."

The Mavericks are awaiting a highly anticipated campaign coming off of one of the most thrilling seasons in school history. UTA returns the five starters and 10 letterwinners that led the nation in rebounding (43.71) and posted a 24-11 mark overall, 13-7 in the Sun Belt. The Mavs were predicted to take home their first-ever Sun Belt Championship.

"That's a tribute to these guys and a number of guys we have returning," Cross said. "We know just like last year that preseason rankings mean absolutely nothing. We have to win a championship every single day. That has to be our mentality if we want to win one in March. As soon as we start looking at rankings and saying we're preseason number one that's when we're going to get beat. You can't do that. Our focus every single day is how do we become better.

The season also signals the return of Hervey, the conference's projected Player of the Year and first team preseason all-Sun Belt selection. The junior forward ranked among the nation's best players with 18.1 points and 9.8 boards prior to a season-ending knee injury.

The Mavericks play a total of 31 regular season games against teams from 13 different conferences, including traditional powers such as the Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern Conferences.

Their campaign opens at home in their traditional homecoming game on Saturday, Nov. 12 against 2016 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) qualifier Texas Southern at 7:30 p.m.

Season, single game and group ticket options are available online at UTATickets.com, by calling (817) 272-9595 or by visiting the UTA Box Office at College Park Center between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.