The Prairie View A&M University men's basketball team opens the 2017-18 season at Utah in the MGM Resorts Main Events Tournament.
The Panthers and Utes will tip off just after 9 p.m. CT on the Pac-12 Networks. It's the first of five games in the pre-season tourney sandwiched around a two-week road trip for men's basketball.
Prairie View A&M will play at Oregon on Monday in a game not affiliated with the tournament before getting back into 'event' play at UNLV on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
The Panthers will remain in Las Vegas to face Eastern Kentucky on Monday, Nov. 20 before playing either Georgia State or Eastern Washington on Wednesday, Nov. 22 to complete play in the season-opening event. PVAMU will complete the two-week road trip at UC-Santa Barbara on Friday, Nov. 24.
Prairie View A&M went 13-20 in the first full season under head coach
Byron Smith, with a 10-8 mark in Southwestern Athletic Conference play to finish tied for third.
Two of the top four scorers from last year's team return in
Zachary Hamilton and
Troy Thompson. Hamilton was fifth in the SWAC in scoring (15.1), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (40.0%), third in free throw percentage (82.9%), and tied for first in made three's per game (2.4). Thompson averaged 10.2 points per game and was third in the league in three-point percentage (42.0). Hamilton (80) and Thompson (60) are among the top returning three—point duos in the country, as they combined to make 140 last season.
The twosome are among six returning players to Smith's team, as he and his staff have worked to integrate the seven new players into the mix for the upcoming season.
"It's been good," Smith said. "Obviously with a bunch of new guys, it always about getting them acclimated. They're smart basketball guys. I think we're a smarter basketball team, and a deeper basketball team than we were last year. The month of practice has been really good. We've gotten better each day and each week. We're probably the most prepared to start the season than at any other time since I've been here."
The Panthers face a Utah team that went 20-12 a year ago and finished fourth in the Pac-12 at 11-7. The Utes lost in the first round of the NIT last season.
"It's going to be a tough challenge," said Smith of facing Utah. "Utah lost a lot, especially likely NBA all-rookie team player in Kyle Kuzma from last year team, and three or four other guys. However, they have a good core of return guys and have added some Division I transfers. They have a tremendous home crowd advantage in a great place to play, and a heck of a basketball coach in Larry Krystkowiak. I expect them to be just as tough, but I think we're a little bit better prepared to face them this year than we did last year."
