CONTENTS 2 Quick Facts 3 UTRGV Fieldhouse 4 Strength and Conditioning Facility 5 Victory Center 6 The University 9 UTRGV Athletics Success 10 Men's Basketball History 60 Campus Life 63 The Rio Grande Valley 65 UTRGV Leadership 66 Athletic Leadership 68 The Western Athletic Conference GoUTRGV.com 2 QUICK FACTS UNIVERSITY INFORMATION COACHING STAFF Location Edinburg, Texas Head Coach Lew Hill Mailing Address 1201 W. University Dr. Alma Mater Wichita State, ‘99 Edinburg, TX 78539 Career Record (Years) 45-57 (Fourth season) Founded 2015 Record at UTRGV (Years) 45-57 (Fourth season) Enrollment 29,463 Assistant Coach Jai Steadman Nickname Vaqueros Alma Mater Nebraska, '97 School Colors Orange and Gray Assistant Coach Kenya Crandell Arena UTRGV Fieldhouse Alma Mater Nebraska-Kearney, '96 Capacity 2,500 Assistant Coach Luke Mackay National Affiliation NCAA Division I Alma Mater Alabama, '06 Conference Western Athletic Conference Special Assistant to the Head Coach Caleb Villarreal Alma Mater Texas Tech, '14 President Dr. Guy Bailey Special Assistant to the Head Coach Byron Peak Director of Athletics Chasse Conque Alma Mater Oklahoma, '16 Senior Woman Administrator Molly Castner Athletics Office Phone 956-665-2221 PROGRAM RECORDS Athletics Office Fax 956-665-2261 First Year 1952-53 Athletics Website GoUTRGV.com All-Time Record 847-996 (.460) All-Time Conference Record 123-254 (.326) Associate Athletic Director for All-Time Home Record* 539-305 (.639) Communications Jonah Goldberg All-Time Road Record* 239-615 (.280) SID Email [email protected] All-Time Neutral Site Record* 67-66 (.504) SID Office Phone (956) 665-2240 2018-19 Overall Record 20-17 (.541) SID Office Fax (956) 665-2261 2018-19 WAC Record 9-7 (.563) 2018-19 Home Record 11-9 (.550) 2018-19 Road Record 14-17 (.452) 2018-19 Neutral Site Record 1-2 (.333) Letter Winners Returning/Lost 5/7 Starters Returning/Lost 3/2 Newcomers 6 *Since 1953-54 UTRGVAthletics @GoUTRGV GoUTRGV GoUTRGVAthletics Credits: The 2019-20 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Men's Basketball Information Guide was produced by the staff of the UTRGV Athletics Communications Office. The publication was written and edited by Jonah Goldberg. 3 2019-20 UTRGV MEN'S BASKETBALL THE UTRGV FIELDHOuse Located on the northeast side of campus, the UTRGV In October, 2013, the university updated the building’s Fieldhouse is the home of the volleyball and men’s and HVAC and infrastructure system and also completed a women’s basketball programs. Built in 1969, the UTRGV $50,000 renovation of the men’s and women’s basketball Fieldhouse currently has seating for 2,500. team lounge and locker rooms. UTRGV Athletics is continiously upgrading the facilitiy, In October 2012, a $250,000 video board and including the addition of a new sound system in 2017, and replay system was installed, courtesy of Coca-Cola the installation of new lighting in 2018. Refreshments. Also new for 2018 are a brand new, larger and more In the fall of 2010, the university completed $650,000 in advanced sports medicine center, a new concession renovations that included a new main court, new seating, stand, a new equipment room, a new media room, and sponsorship signage and improved locker room hallways. redone locker room hallways. The UTRGV Fieldhouse is part of Health and Physical In May 2015, the court was refinished to include the new Education Building 1, which is 58,387 square feet and UTRGV marks and colors, as well as a new sponsor. also contains the majority of the athletic department’s office space, as well as office/classroom space for the department of health and kinesiology, a swimming pool, and locker rooms. The Future The first floor will include an external operations suite, The department of intercollegiate athletics is seeking ticket office, restrooms, team store, and strength and a naming rights deal that will allow for upgrades and conditioning center. The second floor will house an enhancements to improve the fan and player experience. administrative suite and a V Club room for special events. A front porch to the Fieldhouse will be constructed, Throughout the Fieldhouse, new branding and graphics including a new entryway with a lobby & dramatic atrium. will be updated to celebrate the tradition and success of UTRGV volleyball and basketball. GoUTRGV.com 4 Strength and CoNditioning In 2014, athletics moved into a new 3,000 square-foot area strength & conditioning facility, and in 2015, with the help of donors, UTRGV Athletics purchased brand new speed and strength equipment, as well as free weight and aerobic/cardio equipment. UTRGV Athletics also acquired new power racks, platforms, benches and dumbbells. The strength and conditioning facility is exclusively for UTRGV LUCAS MONROE Eric Sparks student-athletes. HEAD STRENGTH AND ASSISTANT STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH CONDITIONING COACH 5 2019-20 UTRGV MEN'S BASKETBALL VICTORY Center For today’s student-athletes, training and conditioning is a year-round commitment. Balancing the rigors of competing at the collegiate level with the demands of the classroom is one of the greatest challenges our student-athletes face. That is why it is so essential that the department of intercollegiate athletics provides our student-athletes with access to hands-on academic support. Located in the Academic Services Building, the Victory Center is an integral part of the life of our student-athletes and has a vast amount of services and assistance available. The Victory Center is structured after the principles of the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program, which is created to provide student- athletes with five basic components: Academic Excellence, Athletic Excellence, Community Service, Career Development and Personal Development. UTRGV has approximately 275 student-athletes, including approximately 150 freshmen and transfers, who are required to attend study hall and specially designed workshops that assist them in acclimating to college life and living away from home. Student-athletes must dedicate anywhere from six to 10 hours each week to study hall as they work toward their ultimate goal, graduation. The Victory Center provides student-athletes access to computers, tutors and other resources. The Victory Center, which is open six days a week Brenda Codallo Julia Perez (Sunday-Friday), houses a computer lab, a learning Assistant Athletic Director for Coordinator for Academic Services Student Development lab, areas for both individual and group study, and offices for the Academic Advisement Center staff. Each student-athlete works with their college advisor to make sure that they are enrolled in the correct classes to graduate. The Victory Center staff verifies the classes to ensure that the student- athlete is working towards their degree, making yearly satisfactory progress and meeting grade Letty Hernandez Greg Kuras point average requirements. Student-Athlete Advisor Student-Athlete Advisor GoUTRGV.com 6 THE UNIVERSITY A New University with a Long History McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, major public university of the 21st century in Texas. and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class This transformative initiative provided the opportunity in the summer of 2016. to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made UT Brownsville and UT Pan American it possible for residents of the region to benefit from The shared history of The University of Texas- the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment Pan American and The University of Texas at contributing support to the University of Texas System Brownsville goes back to 1973, when Pan American and other institutions. opened a second campus in Brownsville, which later became an independent institution of The UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and University of Texas System in 1991. Over the years, teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including the missions and the identities of these great in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University institutions have continually evolved to serve the of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The communities of the Rio Grande Valley. University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, 7 2019-20 UTRGV MEN'S BASKETBALL Creating America's Next Great UNIVERSITY In the Fall of 2015, the landscape of higher education in Eleven colleges and schools formed the academic the U.S. was forever changed. The University of Texas foundation for UTRGV, including: Rio Grande Valley enrolled its inaugural class of first-year students, and this region now shines to the rest of the •College of Medicine world as a global leader in higher education, bilingual •College of Health Affairs education, health education, biomedical research, and •College of Sciences emerging technology. •College of Liberal Arts •College of Fine Arts •College of Engineering and Computer Science •College of Business and Entrepreneurship •College of Education and P-16 Integration •Honors College •Graduate College •University College Every accomplishment in life begins with a choice. The bigger the choice, the bigger the accomplishment. When it comes to your potential, your goals, and your future, choosing the right university is as big as it gets. At UTRGV, we offer a learning experience that we believe UTRGV combined the talent, assets, and resources of cannot be matched. UT Brownsville, UT Pan American, and the Regional Academic Health Center, along with other resources, to create a new model of excellence in education. Here is the story of this significant journey: Students enrolled at UT Brownsville and UT Pan American were automatically admitted to UTRGV. 1933-48 Edinburg Junior College, as the only institution OUR STORY of higher learning in South Texas, experienced rapid growth in its early years, prompting administrators to pursue the first name change.