VANCOUVER - An early start to the 2010-11 campaign for the UBC Thunderbirds men's basketball team begins Thursday, August 12th as they take on the University of San Diego Toreros (NCAA Div. I) in an exhibition game at the
Richmond Olympic Oval. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and tickets are $5 at the door.
This meeting renews the T-Birds tradition of taking on NCAA schools in exhibition tilts, something they did not do in 2009-10. UBC was 2-1 versus their American counterparts in 2008-09, defeating San Francisco State (Div. II) and Cal State Fullerton while losing to Tulsa.
"It's always good to play against NCAA schools because they bring a different style of play and level of athleticism to the game. We want to measure ourselves against the best competition possible and playing NCAA schools certainly does that," says UBC head coach
Kevin Hanson.
On September 2, the T-Birds will suit up against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in their second exhibition tilt of the season. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m at War Memorial Gym.
For the Toreros, Thursday's game will be the final leg of a three-game trip through British Columbia. They open their road trip on Monday against TRU before squaring off against UFV on Wednesday.
In April, the NCAA changed a rule on foreign trips to allow incoming freshmen and transfers to play on the trip. With four incoming freshmen and a junior college transfer, the Torero coaching staff thought a trip to BC would be a great opportunity for team bonding and a chance to get a jump start on the season.
The Toreros come into the season having lost their top four scorers and will rely on the addition of the five newcomers and three 2009-10 redshirts to bolster a group of seven returnees. Last season San Diego was 11-21 overall.
-30-
