May 23, 2006

ABILENE, Texas - Armed with a veteran-laden team Hardin-Simmons' men's basketball coach Dylan Howard has released a schedule that is designed to get the Cowboys into the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

The highlight of the schedule comes in a post-Christmas Classic at Mary Hardin-Baylor, when the Cowboys play defending national champion Virginia Wesleyan. VWC returns four starters, including national player of the year Brandon Adair. The Cowboys also will battle Ripon College out of Wisconsin.

The Cowboys will also play at Southwestern and host Trinity University for the first time. Those two teams have been at the top of the SCAC and both have been regionally ranked the last two years.

Another highlight to the schedule will be a Dec. 4 game with McMurry. The game, which is traditionally played after most of the students are gone for Christmas break, will be held with school still in session. The two teams also play on Jan. 22 at Kimbrell Arena.

HSU gets defending conference champion Mississippi College at the Mabee Athletic Complex on Dec. 2.

"We have a lot of talented veterans and I think they can go out and compete against the type of schedule we have set up for next year," said Howard. "We are playing some strong in-region teams, including Virginia Wesleyan the defending national champion. We are also playing Southwestern and Trinity, so we should see some of the best teams in our region and if we can perform, should put ourselves in position to make the NCAA's for the first time."

The Cowboys will return four starts from last season's team that went 14-11, including two seniors (Zach Pickelman and Matt Brackett) and two juniors (James Peters and Mardochee Jean).