Men's hoops announces 2010-11 schedule

The Pac-10 has one team who has posted a winning road record in league play in each of the past two seasons.

That team will takes its successful road trip act to Albuquerque, Waco and Reno in non-conference action this season against teams that were a combined 47-4 in their home arenas, as Arizona State has announced its men's hoops schedule for the 2010-11 season.

For the first time since 1992-93, ASU will open its season with a road game as it will travel to Mountain West Conference Champion New Mexico on Tuesday, Nov. 16. The Lobos were 30-5 last year and are 49-5 in Albuquerque under head coach Steve Alford. UNM averaged 13,595 fans per game last year, including five straight sellouts of 14,586 to close the season.

ASU has played well in front of big crowds on the road recently, as last year it won its third straight game in Tucson in front of 14,631, a 73-69 win over Arizona. ASU also will play at Baylor (28-8) on Dec. 2 in the previously announced Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series.

"Opening on the road is not ideal, but we felt the opportunity to play a regional team with a strong RPI was too good of an opportunity to pass up, and we look forward to them coming to Wells Fargo Arena in 2011-12. The schedule will be extremely challenging with so many newcomers and replacing three seniors who played a lot of minutes, but we look forward to that challenge," says fourth-year ASU mentor Herb Sendek, the 2009-10 Pac-10 Coach of the Year who has led ASU to three straight 20-win seasons for the first time since 1961-63. "We are playing road games against three teams that are coming off great seasons, and in the case of Baylor and New Mexico, two of the best seasons in school history."

ASU will play at least six teams that won at least 20 games last year in its non-conference schedule. New Mexico (30-5), UAB (25-9), Baylor (28-8), Richmond (26-9), Nevada (21-13) and Tulsa (23-12) all won at least 20, while Weber State, a possible second-round opponent in the Great Alaska Shootout, was 20-11. Baylor was ninth in the final RPI, New Mexico tenth and Richmond 25th.

"Richmond was in the NCAA Tournament last year and won 26 games. UAB and Tulsa both had great seasons last year. Nevada has been one of the best teams in the WAC over the past few years. Playing as many as 16 games away from home will hopefully make us stronger as the Pac-10 begins," Sendek says.

In addition to its 12 road games, ASU will play three games in the Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 24-27) and at least one game in the Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles.

ASU MEN'S BASKETBALL 2010-11 SCHEDULE
Nov. 16 at New Mexico (30-5)
Nov. 20 vs. UAB (25-9)
Nov. 24-27 @Great Alaska Shootout
Dec. 2 at Baylor (28-8)
Dec. 5 vs. Richmond (26-9)
Dec. 11 vs. Gardner Webb (8-21)
Dec. 17 at Nevada (21-13)
Dec. 21 vs. Long Beach State (17-16)
Dec. 23 vs. North Carolina A&T (11-22)
Dec. 30 at Oregon State
Jan. 1 at Oregon
Jan. 6 vs. Stanford
Jan. 8 vs. California
Jan. 12 vs. Tulsa (23-12)
Jan. 15 at Arizona
Jan. 20 at Washington State
Jan. 22 at Washington
Jan. 27 vs. UCLA
Jan. 29 vs. USC
Feb. 3 at California
Feb. 5 at Stanford
Feb. 12 vs. Arizona
Feb. 17 vs. Washington
Feb. 19 vs. Washington State
Feb. 24 at USC
Feb. 26 at UCLA
Mar. 3 vs. Oregon
Mar. 5 vs. Oregon State
(Note: Pac-10 opponents could switch and some games could be moved to Sunday once television schedules are announced.)