GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa men's basketball team will open the season this weekend in the D2 Conference Challenge event in Austin, Texas and hosted by St. Edward's University. The Mavericks will take on the likes of Dallas Baptist University and the host Hilltoppers to open the season for the fifth straight year.
 
A NEW ERA
Colorado Mesa will begin this season under the direction of new head coach Mike DeGeorge who was hired on May 7, 2018. DeGeorge previously coached at Rhodes College, Cornell (Iowa), and Eureka (Ill.) and has an overall record of 195-248.
 
Coach DeGeorge has turned around three programs in his 17 years as a collegiate head coach. Colorado Mesa was 11-17 a year ago and failed to make the RMAC Tournament with a 7-15 conference mark.
 
VETERAN LEADERS
Seniors Connor Nichols and Brandon Hoffer return for their final season in a Maverick uniform. Nichols was an All-RMAC selection a year ago and averaged 19.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists a night while Hoffer averaged 6.5 points and 6.2 assists per game.
 
The duo has played in 84 games together with Hoffer starting 71 of those games and Nichols with 53 starts.
 
DEFENSIVE STOPS
The Mavericks ranked No. 6 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in offensive scoring last season, averaging over 79 points per game. But, they ranked 14^th out of 15 schools in points allowed per night at 83.5.
 
They ranked at the very bottom of the conference in offensive rebounds with only 205 on the season while defensive rebounds were not the issue with a fourth best mark in the conference at 26.5 per game.
 
SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS
Dallas Baptist opens the season ranked No. 21 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) poll. The Patriots won the Heartland Conference Tournament a year ago defeating Oklahoma Christian 77-57 in the tournament championship game. They also qualified for the NCAA South Central Regional where they lost to No. 22 Regis 87-82 in Canyon, Texas.
 
The Patriots are the favorite to win the Heartland Conference in 2018-19, receiving all 17 first place votes. Sophomore Chandler Jacobs was named to the preseason all-Heartland Conference team after being named the conference's freshman of the year and averaging 14.9 points and 4.7 rebounds a game.
 
The Mavericks and Patriots are tied at 2-2 in the all-time series with Dallas Baptist winning last season's meeting 86-62 in Brownson Arena.
 
2017-18: Dallas Baptist 86, Colorado Mesa 62 (Grand Junction, Colo.)
2016-17: Dallas Baptist 99, Colorado Mesa 78 (Dallas, Texas)
2015-16: Colorado Mesa 91, Dallas Baptist 76 (Lakewood, Colo.)
2014-15: Colorado Mesa 92, Dallas Baptist 89 (Austin, Texas)
 
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
St. Edward's opens the season as the host of the annual D2 Conference Challenge event. The Hilltoppers were picked to finish sixth in the Heartland Conference after finishing the 2017-18 campaign with an 18-12 record.
 
The Hilltoppers defeated the University of Texas-San Antonio 77-76 in their lone exhibition game this year. Dorian Lopez and Ashton Spears each had 12 points in the win.
 
St. Edward's owns a 4-0 all-time mark against the Mavericks, winning all four matchups in the D2 Conference Challenge.
 
2017-18: St. Edward's 100, Colorado Mesa 92 OT (Grand Junction, Colo.)
2016-17: St. Edward's 71, Colorado Mesa 66 (Dallas, Texas)
2015-16: St. Edward's 92, Colorado Mesa 85 (Lakewood, Colo.)
2014-15: St. Edward's 74, Colorado Mesa 61 (Austin, Texas)
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Colorado Mesa will return home and have a much shorter trip next week. They will compete in the Comfort Inn Classic, hosted by Western Colorado. They will take on the likes of Texas A&M-Commerce and Northern New Mexico.