Isabel Gonzalez
@cisabelg
The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team has officially released its 2018-19 schedule.
“We are ecstatic about the depth of competition in this schedule. It is exactly what we set out to do when we put it together,” said UNM head coach Paul Weir on the official press release. “To be able to have this type of competitiveness top to bottom is not just a major challenge for our team but it also presents us ample opportunity to position ourselves for postseason play.”
The Lobos begin their season on the road on Nov. 6 as they take on CSUN. They then return home to play an exhibition game against Northern New Mexico on Nov. 10. Weir said that although an exhibition game after the season has started is a little odd, the date worked well for all parties involved.
As expected, UNM will face New Mexico State twice for the traditional in-state rivalry. The first of these games is on Nov. 17 in Albuquerque. The Lobos travel to Las Cruces on Dec. 4.
Perhaps one of the coolest venues the Lobos will get to experience is Staples Center on Dec. 7. New Mexico will be in Los Angeles for a match against Saint Mary’s as part of the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. Another interesting venue is when UNM takes on the University of the Southwest in Hobbs, NM on Dec. 30. Weir had previously expressed how much he wanted to have a game there this year.
“Taking the Lobos to Hobbs is something we are also incredibly excited about adding this year,” Weir said on the press release “We are hoping it can create many meaningful opportunities for both our direct and extended communities.”
New Mexico hasn’t played an Ivy league team since the 2013 NCAA Tournament when the then-No. 14 Harvard pulled off an upset against the then-No. 3 Lobos. This season, Weir is ready to expose New Mexico to a new Ivy league challenge as the Lobos host Penn on Dec. 22.
As of today, 22 of the 30 games in the schedule will be televised on either CBS Sports Network, AT&T SportsNet or an ESPN channel.
A press conference is scheduled for Thursday Sept. 19 for more updates.
Printable schedule.
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