For the non-conference schedule, all tickets are $5 at the door as the Lady Panthers will have one game at home while the men will have three home games as they'll face Schreiner University on Monday, Nov. 11, Sam Houston State on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. and Dallas Christian at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8. Tickets will increase to $10 for SWAC play which begins on Jan.4 versus Southern at 3 p.m.

Led by eighth-year head coach Byron Rimm II, the men's team will face Mississippi State for the first time since 1992 in Starkville, Miss. A member of the SEC, Mississippi State finished 10-22 last season and lost to fellow SWAC member Alabama A&M. However, MSU does return all five starters from last season so they will be more seasoned under second-year coach Rick Ray.

During the offseason, the Panthers underwent a wave of change with the departure of four starters, which included their top two scorers from a season ago. In addition, the Panthers also added veteran assistant coach Byron Smith to the staff which should pay immediate dividends as Smith has experience as an assistant in the Big 12, Conference USA, SWAC and junior college ranks in addition to serving as head coach of the Harlem Globetrotters for a season.

With the departure of their top two scorers, the bulk of the load will fall on 2013-14 SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Jules Montgomery, junior guard Montreal Scott, senior guard Louis Munks and senior forward Demondre Chapman.

Montgomery finished last season with 7.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while also blocking a team-high 31 shots. Scott came on strong at the end of the season and finished with 5.1 points per game while Munks returns from a season-ending injury which forced him to miss most of the 2012-13 campaign. Chapman, a three-year letterman, is the most experienced player on the roster and should provide a presence in the paint with averages of 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds last season.

Head coach Byron Rimm II had a solid recruiting campaign as he brought in several players with significant experience in the high major and junior college ranks which should help offset last year's departures.

The Prairie View A&M women's basketball team begins the season off with a familiar opponent in Rice University. Friday's 7 p.m. game in the William Nicks Building (The Baby Dome) marks the third-consecutive season-opener the Lady Panthers have faced the Owls, but it will be the first time with interim head coach Dawn Brown at the helm.

"Rice is a very talented team. They return four starters," Brown said. "They are going to come in here very hungry and very experienced. We've got to focus on what we do well – playing together,distributing the ball and playing our best defense at home." 

Brown, now in her fourth month leading a program that has established itself as the premiere women's team in the Greater Houston Area with three-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, has the luxury of returning three starters from last season's Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship team. Junior point guard Jeanette Jackson and junior forward Larissa Scott, who was voted as an All-SWAC First Team Preseason selection, will take on larger roles than in previous years as they return as the elder-statesmen of a seasoned team.

"Larissa and Jeanette have been working extremely hard in the preseason," Brown said. "Jeanette has been more of a leader. She's getting on her teammates. She's pushing them. I can actually see some fire coming from her in wanting to have a successful junior campaign as well as Larissa.

"Larissa has been working more on her mid-range shooting, so she can be effective for us 15 feet and in. She has been great in the past with her back to the basket, but we wanted to add more versatility to her offensive game."

Scott established herself as one of the premiere post players in the SWAC last season, averaging 8.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Sharing the floor with Williams, who was a double-double machine Scott managed to put up outstanding numbers and be a game-changer on both sides of the court.

Jackson averaged 8.2 points, 2.9 assists and 1.5 steals as a sophomore. She and Scott are the first and second-leading scorers that are returning from last season. Jackson and Scott were starters for the 2012 and 2013 seasons and know what it takes to win championships and how it feels to have the target on their backs the next season. Brown said the team as a whole is prepared to defend its title.

The race for the fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament starts with Rice and dominant post player Jessica Kuster, who was the 2013 Conference USA Defensive Player Of The Year. Kuster Averaged 16.1 points and 10.1 rebounds in the 2012-13 season and put up 21 points and 12 rebounds in a 57-42 win over Prairie View A&M on Nov. 9, 2012. The Lady Panthers will do their best to slow down that attack.