July 20, 2011
2011-12 Schedule
DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis will host Stanford in an exciting early-season matchup while playing three teams, including UCLA and San Diego State, that advanced to last year's NCAA Tournament, in the 2011-12 Aggie men's basketball schedule announced on Wednesday by first-year head coach Jim Les.
The schedule includes 28 games during the regular season, including 12 at The Pavilion, and precedes the Big West Tournament which returns to Honda Center in Anaheim for the second consecutive year. The tournament, which awards an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Championships, is scheduled for Mar. 8-10.
Eight letterwinners, including three starters, return for Les who joined the program in May after amassing 154 wins at Bradley while also taking the Braves to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2006.
UC Davis season ticket information is available by calling the Athletics Marketing office at (530) 752-8962. Ticket plans will be available soon.
Les' inaugural year promises to be both exciting and challenging. Besides hosting Stanford for the first time since 2005 and just the second time ever, the Aggies will travel to face national powerhouse San Diego State (Nov. 13) during the season's opening weekend and will meet UCLA (Dec. 17) at Honda Center. The Aztecs and Bruins, along with Big West champion UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 26, Mar. 3) each earned bids to last season's NCAA Tournament with San Diego State making it to the Sweet 16.
"I think the schedule presents a really nice challenge for our players as they learn a new coach and a new system," said Les. "There are some exciting games where we're seeing schools from different leagues that have been very formidable in those leagues.
"I'm excited about this team getting off to a good start and heading into Big West Conference play with a winning record and the schedule will be a good test on seeing who we are and how good we can be." he added.
San Diego State, which will host the Basketball Traveler's Tournament from Nov. 11-13, are the last of the Aggies' three opponents that weekend. UC Davis will open with Bryant on Friday and Southern Utah on Saturday. The Aztecs were one of the biggest stories in college basketball last season after finishing 34-3 and capturing the Mountain West Conference championship.
They beat eighth-ranked BYU to claim the MWC title before opening NCAA Tournament play with wins over Northern Colorado and Temple. The Aztecs lost to eventual national champion Connecticut, 74-67, in the Sweet 16.
Following the tournament, UC Davis will return for its home opener against UC Santa Cruz (Nov. 15) before entertaining Stanford three days later. It's the first of a three-game series with the Cardinal and the first matchup between the programs since 2009. Stanford, coached by former Duke great Johnny Dawkins, holds a 15-1 series lead but the Aggies won 64-58 in 2005, the last time the teams met at The Pavilion.
"Getting a marquee matchup like Stanford and having Johnny Dawkins willing to come here and play us is huge for our program and for our fans," said Les. "Those are the kinds of games that we want to try and schedule going forward."
Rival Sacramento State visits on Nov. 22 for the annual Causeway Classic showdown, bringing to a close the first of two three-game homestands this upcoming season. The Aggies beat the Hornets last year, 61-54.
Games against Big Sky member Eastern Washington (Nov. 27) on the road and the Western Athletic Conference's Idaho (Dec. 3) at home precede a tough five-game road swing throughout the rest of December. The first game, set for Dec. 11 at Hawaii, will give the Aggies a preview of the Big West's newest member. The Rainbow Warriors will join the league beginning in 2012-13 and will be facing UC Davis for the second consecutive season after they squared off in February on Hamilton Court.
The roadtrip continues with a Dec. 17 matchup against storied UCLA, the second straight year and third time overall the programs have met on the hardwood. The game, however, will be the first away from Pauley Pavilion which is undergoing major renovations and forcing the Bruins to play their home games at Honda Center. UCLA has won both previous matchups with the Aggies including a hard-fought 74-67 game last season.
Two more games away from The Pavilion - Dec. 20 at San Jose State and Dec. 22 at Southern Utah - will close out the pre-conference portion of the schedule while another road game at Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 29 will open the 16-game Big West season.
The first half of the conference schedule features four home games but three straight on the road, while the final eight games offer three in a row on Hamilton Court against Cal State Northridge (Feb. 9), Long Beach State (Feb. 11) and local rival Pacific (Feb. 15). The Aggies play the rival Tigers at the Spanos Center on Jan. 21.
"I've been a fan of the Big West, the competitiveness of the league and the coaches of the league for a long time," said Les. "It's going to be an honor and a challenge to compete in the Big West. I think the schedule sets up nicely for us to show people in our league that UC Davis basketball is going to be a force to be reckoned with."
A pair of nonconference games will break up the Big West season. UC Davis will participate in the ESPN Bracketbusters for the fifth consecutive season and for the third time on the road. That game, scheduled for Feb. 18, will be announced during the season. The Aggies will also play at Seattle on Feb. 20.
UC Davis finished the 2010-11 season with a 10-20 overall record.
