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University of Houston Athletics
Men's Basketball Announces 2008-09 Schedule
10/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 13, 2008
2008-09 Houston Men's Basketball Schedule in PDF Format 
2008 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer Bracket in PDF Format
HOUSTON - Fifteen home games - beginning Nov. 15 - highlight the University of Houston men's basketball schedule, head coach Tom Penders announced Monday.
The Cougars regularly face top competition, and the 2008-09 season certainly is no different. With a schedule loaded with games against Memphis, Massachusetts, Mississippi State and Arizona, the Cougars will have their hands full, but it's a challenge that Penders welcomes.
"We always try to play as tough a schedule as we can. We are young this season, but that's the way that I like it," said Penders, who enters his fifth season at UH. "I would rather be tested in the non-conference season and toughened for the league season."
The Cougars open their 2008-09 season Nov. 10-11 when they compete at the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. There, UH will face Georgia Southern at 3 p.m. (CDT), Nov. 10 before squaring off against the winner/loser of the Duke-Presbyterian game Nov. 11.
This marks the third consecutive season that the Cougars will compete in at least one regular-season tournament.
With back-to-back wins at the Durham Regional, the Cougars would advance to the tournament's Championship Rounds on Nov. 20-21 at New York's Madison Square Garden.
But between those tournament dates, UH opens its home season on Nov. 15 when it meets Western Kentucky at 3 p.m., Nov. 15 at Hofheinz Pavilion. That will be the middle part of a busy day around the UH Athletics Department, which sees the women's basketball team play host to Gardner-Webb at noon, and Conference USA rival Tulsa in football at 7 p.m. on John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium.
In addition, the Cougars meet North Texas (Nov. 18), Mississippi Valley State (Dec. 13), Iowa State (Dec. 28), Massachusetts (Dec. 30) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Jan. 6) in non-conference action in Houston.
A year ago, the Cougars posted a 17-2 record at Hofheinz Pavilion, the second-highest, single-season win total in school history.
On the road, the Cougars travel to face Middle Tennessee (Dec. 2), Toledo (Dec. 20), Mississippi State (Jan. 3) and Arizona (Jan. 24).
The Cougars open their C-USA schedule on Jan. 10 against UAB. League rivals East Carolina (Jan. 21), UTEP (Jan. 28), Rice (Feb. 7), Tulane (Feb. 14), UCF (Feb. 21), Memphis (March 4) and SMU (March 7) also are scheduled to make appearances at Hofheinz Pavilion this season.
On the road in C-USA action, UH faces UTEP (Jan. 14), Southern Miss (Jan. 17), Memphis (Jan. 31), UCF (Feb. 4), SMU (Feb. 11), Marshall (Feb. 18), Tulsa (Feb. 25) and Rice (Feb. 28).
Following the regular season, the Cougars head to Memphis to compete at the C-USA Championship, hosted by Memphis on March 11-14 at FedExForum. The winner of the tournament receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Cougars take their first step toward the 2008-09 season Saturday with the start of practice at Hofheinz Pavilion.
