Pair of Top-10 Teams Highlight GWU Men's Hoops Schedule
September 15, 2006 | Men's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Gardner-Webb officials announced the
Runnin' Bulldogs 2006-2007 men's basketball schedule on Wednesday,
featuring road games against three quarters of Tobacco Road and a
pair of preseason top-10 programs.
By far the toughest schedule put together by GWU to date, the
2006-2007 season will see Coach Rick Scruggs' squad battle North
Carolina (Nov. 19), NC State (Nov. 24) and Wake Forest (Dec. 19)
from the ACC on the road. Gardner-Webb and North Carolina - the
nation's top-ranked squad in the preseason by ESPN analyst Dick
Vitale - will play for the second season in a row in Chapel Hill,
with the game set for a live television broadcast by Fox Sports
South.
GWU has never faced NC State or Wake Forest on the hardwood.
Gardner-Webb opens the season on the road against Bob Knight's
Texas Tech squad on November 13 as part of the 2006 CBE Classic.
GWU will also battle SEC contender Georgia on Dec. 5 in Athens, and
will tangle with preseason top-10 foe Wisconsin on December 27
before opening Atlantic Sun Conference play.
Gardner-Webb will have non-conference home games against UNC
Greensboro (Nov. 21), Ferrum (Nov. 29) and Western Carolina (Dec.
9), and will also battle Big South member High Point on the road
(Dec. 16).
"The non-conference schedule is by far the toughest in our league,
and I would think one of the toughest of any mid-major program in
the country this year," Scruggs said. "We have a young team with 10
newcomers, and they will have a chance to gauge their talent
against some of the best teams in America. Playing a pre-conference
schedule of this caliber can only help us prepare for our
league."
Gardner-Webb opens league play on the road in early January, taking
on Jacksonville (Jan. 2) and North Florida (Jan. 4) before
returning home to battle ETSU (Jan. 7) and Kennesaw State (Jan. 10)
in Paul Porter Arena.
A five-game home stretch in late January will see the Bulldogs host
Lipscomb, Belmont, Jacksonville, North Florida and Campbell between
January 18 and January 30.
Gardner-Webb will be one of the nation's youngest teams in
2006-2007, as just four letterwinners - led by senior Chris Gash
(10.0 ppg) return from last season's 17-12 group. GWU welcomes its
largest recruiting class in years, with its 10-man class ranked No.
49 nationally by Hoop Scoop.
GWU knocked off Big Ten member Minnesota and Conference USA member
East Carolina last season, and took North Carolina down to the
buzzer before losing 83-80 in both teams' season opener. The
Runnin' Bulldogs must replace a six-man senior class, including
current European professional players Brian Bender (Poland), Simon
Conn (Poland), Tim Jennings (Germany) and Mike Jones (Finland).
