SAN ANTONIO -- University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball coach,
Dr. Carson Cunningham, has announced the Cardinals' 2018-19 basketball schedule, a slate the first-year coach calls "dynamic."
"It will take the Incarnate Word hoopers from the plains of East Texas to the Atlantic shores of the Bahamas, from the Windy City to the Big Easy, from the heart of 'Ol' Man River to the Gulf of Mexico.
"It will present us with some stiff headwinds, rocky shores, and thunder-laden storms," Cunningham continued. "But if we battle together and stay the course, we should come out alright, emerge from it closer, wiser, tougher, and feeling quite fulfilled from a hard-played journey. What a great opportunity!"
The 31-game schedule pits UIW against 13 teams that saw postseason action in 2017-18: three in the NCAA tournament, two in the NIT, three in the CBI, and five in the CIT.
"When you count repeat games with conference opponents, some 17 of our games are against teams that made the postseason last year," Cunningham observed. "We'll be tested mightily."
The Cardinals open the season with a Nov. 6 road game against Texas Tech, which is riding a 38-game, non-conference home winning streak. Last season, the Red Raiders made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA, falling to eventual national champion Villanova.
"They present a major challenge," said Cunningham. "They're coming off a fantastic year and return a lot of talent, including yet another likely first-round pick in the NBA draft."
Another early-season feature is the three-day, eight-team Islands of the Bahamas Showcase in Nassau, in which UIW plays a first-round game against defending Big Sky champion and NCAA tournament participant Montana. CBI tournament team Miami-Ohio also plays in the Showcase.
"A lot of folks go to the Bahamas for vacation," Cunningham said. "When you look at the slate of foes we'll face in Nassau, it's clear that we'll have to bring a hard-hat mentality to paradise."
Other schedule highlights include:
- the home opener against St. Francis of Illinois on Nov. 9.
- a Nov. 21 home tiff against CIT champion Northern Colorado.
- a neighborhood rivalry game against Trinity at UIW on Dec. 4.
- UIW's first game against LSU, Dec. 9, in Baton Rouge.
- a Chicagoland trip with games against Illinois-Chicago and DePaul, Dec. 17 and 19, respectively.
- an 18-game Southland Conference schedule.
"The Southland is ultra-competitive," said Cunningham. "I think our tough pre-conference slate will help us prepare for the battle that is the Southland."
To purchase tickets to any home event, contact the ticket office at 210-805-3000.
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit
uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.
| University of the Incarnate Word |
2018-19 Men's Basketball Schedule
(all times to be announced) |
| |
|
| Nov. 6 |
@ Texas Tech |
| Nov. 9 |
St. Francis-Illinois |
| Nov. 10 |
UT-Tyler |
| Nov. 12 |
Texas Lutheran |
| Nov. 16-18 |
Islands of Bahamas Tournament |
| Nov. 21 |
Northern Colorado |
| Nov. 25 |
@S. Illinois-Edwardsville |
| Dec. 4 |
Trinity |
| Dec.9 |
@LSU |
| Dec. 17 |
@Illinois-Chicago |
| Dec. 19 |
@DePaul |
| Jan. 2 |
McNeese |
| Jan. 5 |
Nicholls |
| Jan. 12 |
@Sam Houston |
| Jan. 16 |
Central Arkansas |
| Jan. 19 |
Stephen F. Austin |
| Jan. 23 |
@Lamar |
| Jan. 26 |
New Orleans |
| Jan. 30 |
HBU |
| Feb. 2 |
@New Orleans |
| Feb. 9 |
@Texas A&M-CC |
| Feb. 13 |
@Southeastern Louisiana |
| Feb. 16 |
Abilene Christian |
| Feb. 20 |
Lamar |
| Feb. 23 |
@Stephen F. Austin |
| Feb. 27 |
@Northwestern State |
| Mar. 2 |
Texas A&M-CC |
| Mar. 6 |
@HBU |
| Mar. 9 |
@Abilene Christian |
| Mar. 13-17 |
Southland Conference Tournament |
