The UTRGV Womenโs and Menโs 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. Hereโs an early look at UTRGV basketball.
Womenโs 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 hadnโt been done in UTRGV/UTPA programโs 32 years. Tidwell has built the UTRGV Womenโs Basketball Team into a yearly contender that has made a name for itself as a tough competitor within the Western Athletic Conference.
โI know weโve broken quite a few school records and weโve had three winning seasons in a row, 19 wins each year, and when we inherited the program it had been a long time since theyโd had a winning season,โ he said. โBasketball in the Valley is growing and weโre very happy to be a part of that.โ
The Vaqueros face a tall task in 2017 as Hildur Kjartansdottir and Shawnteโ Goff, the programโs 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.
โA lot of people think weโre going to be in rebuilding mode, because Iโve lost my leading scorer, rebounder, assists, defender, but I tend to think with the kids weโve signed and brought in, I think weโre in more of a reload mode instead of a rebuilding year,โ Tidwell said. โOur kids are going to be athletic, theyโre going to be hard-nosed, and I think weโre going to play extremely well.โ
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 Womenโs Basketball Team begins its season with the Islander Classic tournament Nov. 10 to 11 in Corpus Christi.
Menโs Basketball Team
The Vaqueros increased their win total by two games in Lew Hillโs 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 UTRGVโs opponents.
โWe look forward to competing against everyone,โ he said. โI just think weโre a new and better team this year, and I donโt know if thatโs going to all equate to wins and losses, but theyโll know theyโve been in a fight after theyโve played us this year, theyโll know theyโve been in battles.โ
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.
โI think weโve got a veteran team this year, you know, a little mixture of seniors, freshmen and sophomores,โ Hill said. โI think weโll be more athletic this year; weโll be tougher for sure, weโll be better than we were last year. Weโre going to improve each and every year.โ
The UTRGV Menโs Basketball Team is set to start its season Nov. 10 against Nicholls State University in the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
