Tickets | Live Video | TuneIn Radio | | UTA Game Notes | TSU Game Notes | Homecoming 2016 |

ARLINGTON, Texas - The UT Arlington men's basketball team officially opens its 2016-17 season Saturday when it hosts Texas Southern University in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at College Park Center.

The showcase event of the University's popular homecoming weekend, the contest features the preseason favorites of the Sun Belt and Southwestern Athletic Conferences and showcases two of the top college forwards in the state of Texas in UTA's Kevin Hervey and TSU's Derrick Griffin.

Tickets are available through the College Park Center Box Office online at UTATickets.com, by calling (817) 272-9595 during weekday business hours or at the box office prior to the game. Season, single game and group ticket packages for every UTA men and women's basketball game are available.

Although the game will not be televised, a variety of live coverage options are available. Through partnership with Learfield Sports, every UTA men's basketball game will be broadcast live throughout the D-FW Metroplex on the radio via KEXB 620 AM with Josh Sours calling the action. The broadcast can also be heard through TuneIn.com or on the TuneIn app on smartphones and tablets.

In addition, a live video stream of the game is available through the UTAMavs.com's All-Access subscription service, while the site will also provide a live statistical Gametracker feed.

Fans can also keep up-to-date with the Mavs via social media through Twitter (@UTAMavs), Instagram (@UTAMavs), Facebook and Snapchat (UTAMavs).

Led by 11th year head coach Scott Cross, the Mavericks return all five starters and 10 letter winners from last year's team that equaled the program record with 24 victories and was invited to play in the postseason for the third time in the last five seasons.

Despite losing Hervey to a season-ending knee injury for its final 17 games, the Mavericks led the nation in rebounding and finished among the top 25 nationally in 11 different statistical categories.

In addition to the return of Hervey, UTA welcomes back first team all-Sun Belt guard Erick Neal. The Dallas native was a second team all-district selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches after posting the second-highest single season assist total in program history. He led the Sun Belt and finished among the top 20 nationally in assists per game and registered the program's first-ever triple double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists against ULM.

Senior guard Jalen Jones was one of three players to make a significant increase in production after Hervey went down last season. The Cedar Hill native averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds over the final 17 games of the season.

Classmates Drew Charles and Jorge Bilbao have combined for 179 appearances in their first three seasons at UTA and comprise the rest of the expected starting lineup for UTA. Charles, a native of Azle, needs just 27 3-point field goals to enter the program's top 10 career list. Spain native Bilbao was one of just two players to start all 35 games a year ago and ranked seventh in the SBC in average rebounds.

Texas Southern enters Saturday's game after winning the SWAC regular season championship last year and advancing to the NIT with an 18-15 overall record. Veteran head coach Mike Davis is in his fifth season at TSU after coaching for six years at UAB.

Quotable Scott Cross

"Our team got two scrimmages under our belt during the preseason and we learned a lot about ourselves. I think it woke us up and gave us a reality check of exactly where we are as a team right now. The toughest team always wins. It isn't always about having the most talented team. I think our guys have to have that blue-collar, hard hat mentality if they expect to win a conference championship. We can't read our press clippings. We have to approach things day-by-day and win a championship every single day. That has to be our mentality all the way through the season.

"Being homecoming, it is extremely important that we perform well for our fans and those who could be attending our game for the first time. There will be a lot of festivities going on throughout the week and, especially, on game day. It makes for a great week and a great time to build some excitement for our basketball program.

"It is very important to get off to a good start to the season, especially playing so many games in a compact period of time. Every season, there is going to be a stretch where you hit a rough patch. It is about weathering the storm and not focusing on the one game where you didn't play very well. Our focus is about getting better every day. We can't look at those four games in front of us. We just have to put all our attention on Texas Southern, then we can move on to the next one.

"Texas Southern has a very good basketball team. I watched Derrick Griffin play AAU basketball. He was one of the most dominant players I watched. He was a guy that could play about anywhere in the country. He might be the most explosive athlete we face this year. They are very talented. They are picked to win the SWAC and they have a couple of transfers. They can shoot it and they have good size and are well-coached. They are going to executive offensively and guard you defensively. We are going to have to play our best basketball."

Game Notes: UT Arlington is ranked sixth among mid-major programs nationally by CollegeInsider.com ... UTA and Texas Southern have met just three times previously with the Wildcats owning a 2-1 series advantage ... The last time the two teams met, UTA claimed a 102-72 victory on Nov. 14, 2007 in Texas Hall ... UT Arlington was picked by league coaches as the favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference, while forward Kevin Hervey was named the preseason Player of the Year and joined guard Erick Neal as first team all-conference selections ... TSU's Derrick Griffin earned preseason SWAC Player of the Year honors after claiming the league's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards as a freshman last year ... Griffin also played football at TSU as a freshman, earning second team all-SWAC honors.

Next Up
Following Saturday's game against Texas Southern, UT Arlington hits the road for three games in five days beginning Monday night at the University of Minnesota. The Mavericks will also play at Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of Arkansas before returning to College Park Center for a home game on Nov. 21.