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Memphis Basketball Announces 2006-07 Schedule

Tigers to make more than 15 national television appearances

Sept. 6, 2006

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Major road trips to Arizona, Gonzaga and Tennessee, in addition to a late November trip to the EA Sports Maui Invitational, highlight the 2006-07 University of Memphis basketball schedule, head coach John Calipari announced Wednesday. The Tigers travel to Tennessee Dec. 6, Arizona Dec. 20 and Gonzaga Feb. 17. The EA Sports Maui Invitational is slated for Nov. 20-22.

Game times will be announced at a later date.

The road trips to Spokane and Knoxville are return games from the 2005-06 campaign, while the Arizona contest begins a two-year, home-and-home series with the Wildcats.

Arizona, Gonzaga and Tennessee are three of eight opponents that played in the 2006 postseason. Memphis also faces Houston (NIT), Manhattan (NIT), Oklahoma (NCAA), UAB (NCAA) and UTEP (NIT). The Tigers could also meet another 2006 NCAA Tournament participant in either Kentucky or UCLA, depending on the Maui Invitational results.

The Tigers played 15 regular-season contests on national television in 2005-06, and that number is expected to be more this season. Memphis has national television games slated for CBS, CSTV, ESPN, ESPN2 and Fox Sports Net (FSN). Conference USA is expected to release the league's entire television schedule within the next two weeks.

Memphis tips off its regular season Nov. 16 against Jackson State at FedExForum. After the trip to Maui Nov. 20-22, the Tigers return to FedExForum for a three-game homestand against Arkansas State Nov. 29, Manhattan Dec. 2 and Conference USA foe Marshall Dec. 4. The Memphis-Marshall Dec. 4 contest is the earliest league game played in Conference USA's 12-year history.

After the trip to Tennessee, Memphis hosts Ole Miss Dec. 9 and Austin Peay Dec. 14 before hitting the road to Tucson for the Dec. 20 match-up with Arizona. The Tigers close 2006 with home dates against Middle Tennessee Dec. 23 and Lamar Dec. 28.

Memphis faces long-time rival Cincinnati Jan. 4 at FedExForum before picking up Conference USA play again in mid-January. The Tigers have two additional mirror opponents along with Southern Miss (Jan. 13 in Hattiesburg; Jan. 27 in Memphis), Tulsa (Jan. 24 in Memphis; Feb. 14 in Tulsa) and UAB (Jan. 16 in Memphis; Feb. 8 in Birmingham). Memphis also has home-and-home league series with Houston (Jan. 11 in Houston; Feb. 25 in Memphis) and SMU (Feb. 3 in Memphis; Mar. 3 in Dallas).

The Tigers' "Senior Day" is slated for the final home game against Houston Feb. 25. In early March, the Tigers travel to El Paso to play UTEP in a match-up of mentor versus student as Calipari faces former assistant coach Tony Barbee, who took over the Miner program in mid-August.

For the third-straight year, Memphis hosts LeMoyne-Owen and Christian Brothers in exhibition play at FedExForum. The Tigers meet the Magicians Nov. 2 and face the Buccaneers Nov. 6.

Memphis returns two starters and 10 letterwinners from the 2005-06 team that won a school-record 33 games (33-4 mark). The Tigers won the 2006 Conference USA regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.

The following is the 2006-07 schedule:

November -
2, LeMoyne-Owen (Exhibition);
6, Christian Brothers (Exhibition);
16, Jackson State;
20, vs. Oklahoma (EA Sports Maui Invitational);
21, Georgia Tech or Purdue (EA Sports Maui Invitational);
22, Seventh-Place/Fifth-Place/Third-Place/Championship;
29, Arkansas State

December -
2, Manhattan;
4, Marshall*;
6, at Tennessee;
9, Ole Miss;
14, Austin Peay;
20, at Arizona;
23, Middle Tennessee;
28, Lamar;

January -
4, Cincinnati;
11, at Houston*;
13, at Southern Miss*;
16, UAB*;
20, at East Carolina*;
24, Tulsa*;
27, Southern Miss*;
31, at UCF*

February -
3, SMU*;
8, at UAB*;
10, Tulane*;
14, at Tulsa*;
17, at Gonzaga;
22, Rice*;
25,Houston*

March -
1, at UTEP*;
3, at SMU*;
7-10, Conference USA Tournament

* Conference USA Game