UTRGV hoops return to the hardwood

The UTRGV Women’s and Men’s Basketball Teams have officially made their return to the hardwood as fall practice is in full swing in preparation for the tipoff of the 2017-2018 season.

While every team in the country is 0-0, both UTRGV teams have high hopes to turn in a successful campaign. Here’s an early look at UTRGV basketball.

Women’s Basketball Team

Fresh off winning the first postseason game in program history, Head Coach Larry Tidwell and his team will be after a third straight season with a winning record, something that hadn’t been done in UTRGV/UTPA program’s 32 years. Tidwell has built the UTRGV Women’s Basketball Team into a yearly contender that has made a name for itself as a tough competitor within the Western Athletic Conference.

“I know we’ve broken quite a few school records and we’ve had three winning seasons in a row, 19 wins each year, and when we inherited the program it had been a long time since they’d had a winning season,” he said. “Basketball in the Valley is growing and we’re very happy to be a part of that.”

The Vaqueros face a tall task in 2017 as Hildur Kjartansdottir and Shawnte’ Goff, the program’s all-time leading scorer, are gone but Tidwell is confident his group of eight new faces and eight returners can produce on the court that could lead UTRGV to a fourth consecutive winning season.

“A lot of people think we’re going to be in rebuilding mode, because I’ve lost my leading scorer, rebounder, assists, defender, but I tend to think with the kids we’ve signed and brought in, I think we’re in more of a reload mode instead of a rebuilding year,” Tidwell said. “Our kids are going to be athletic, they’re going to be hard-nosed, and I think we’re going to play extremely well.”

Returners Idil Turk, Nichele Hyman, Megan Johnson and Laura Van Tilburg will be leaned on to lead UTRGV with their experience on the floor, something Tidwell has no doubt they can do.

The Women’s Basketball Team begins its season with the Islander Classic tournament Nov. 10 to 11 in Corpus Christi.

Men’s Basketball Team

The Vaqueros increased their win total by two games in Lew Hill’s first year as Head Coach at UTRGV. Entering year two under Hill, the change in culture and

competitiveness can be seen on the court and felt by UTRGV’s opponents.

“We look forward to competing against everyone,” he said. “I just think we’re a new and better team this year, and I don’t know if that’s going to all equate to wins and losses, but they’ll know they’ve been in a fight after they’ve played us this year, they’ll know they’ve been in battles.”

Much of the team spent last year playing under Hill and his fast-paced style of play. Upperclassmen Nick Dixon, Lew Stallworth, Dan Kimasa, Adonis Rwabigwi and Mike Hoffman prepare to lead the Vaqueros, while Jordan Jackson, Greg Bowie and Javon Levi look to be key contributors in their first year with the team. Also returning are Xavier McDaniel Jr., Moe McDonald and Lesley Varner Jr. who bring energy and length to the team defensively.

Coach Hill is focused on turning the program into winners, and he believes the Vaqueros are on the right track.

“I think we’ve got a veteran team this year, you know, a little mixture of seniors, freshmen and sophomores,” Hill said. “I think we’ll be more athletic this year; we’ll be tougher for sure, we’ll be better than we were last year. We’re going to improve each and every year.”

The UTRGV Men’s Basketball Team is set to start its season Nov. 10 against Nicholls State University in the UTRGV Fieldhouse.