CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Highlighted by 14 home contests at the American Bank Center and road games at Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, the Islanders men's basketball schedule for the 2016-17 campaign has officially been released.
Head Coach
Willis Wilson's squad will look to improve once again in 2016-17, as the Islanders have done every year under Wilson. It won't be an easy task, though, as the 25-win 2015-16 season was one of the best in program history.
The Islanders' journey the NCAA Tournament begins with exhibition play at the Dugan Wellness Center, playing host to Concordia Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Regular season action will also start at home with A&M-Corpus Christi opening up against Our Lady of the Lake for the third straight year.
The Saints will travel to the American Bank Center for a Nov. 11 matchup at 7 p.m., before the Islanders head on the road to take on UTRGV and Texas State. The Nov. 16 matchup against the Vaqueros will be one of two rivalry games on the schedule, as the South Texas Showdown presented by NavyArmy Community Credit Union will continue in Corpus Christi on Nov. 29.
The remainder of the Islanders' non-conference road schedule includes a pair of trips to California to take on Cal Poly (Dec. 3) and Saint Mary's (Dec. 20) and visits to the SEC's Texas A&M (Dec. 5) and the Big 12's Oklahoma State (Dec. 22).
The Blue and Green will also play host to Jarvis Christian (Nov. 23), San Antonio's St. Mary's (Dec. 9) and UTSA (Dec. 18) during the non-conference portion of the schedule.
The always important Southland Conference slate starts up on New Year's Eve when the Islanders take on New Orleans in the Big Easy.
A&M-Corpus Christi will play home-and-home series with Lamar, Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist, McNeese, Incarnate Word and defending league champion Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks come to the American Bank Center on Jan. 19 for a 7 p.m. matchup.
In addition to New Orleans, the Islanders will play only on the road against Southland foes Nicholls (Jan. 2) and Sam Houston State (Jan. 21). Northwestern State (Jan. 7), Central Arkansas (Jan. 14) and Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 8) will only face off with the Islanders at the American Bank Center in 2016-17.
The 2016-17 season will once again come down to the Southland Conference Tournament, scheduled for Mar. 7-11 in Katy, Texas. Played Wednesday through Saturday, the top teams during the regular season will receive byes to the later rounds of the tournament.
Last season, the Islanders held the second best record in the league and earned a bye to Friday's semifinal round. After defeating Sam Houston State in spectacular fashion and reaching the finals for the first time since 2007, the Islanders were defeated in the title game by Stephen F. Austin.
ISLANDERS DIGITAL NETWORK
All Islanders home events for soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball will be broadcast live and for free on the Islanders Digital Network during the 2016-17 season. Fans can access the live video at GoIslanders.com, clicking the "Video" dropdown tab and selecting "Watch Live."
GET ON BOARD
Get on board with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Athletics by purchasing season tickets for the 2016-17 basketball campaign today. Call (361) 825-BALL or visit GoIslanders.com for more information.
STAY SOCIAL
To keep up with everything involving Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Athletics, follow the Islanders on
Twitter (@Go_Islanders),
Instagram (@Go_Islanders) and
Facebook (/GoIslanders).
