Basketball Media Luncheon Set For October 19

Oct. 11, 1999

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami will hold its annualbasketball media luncheon on Tuesday, Oct. 19 beginning at 11:00 a.m. in thelarge team meeting room at the Hecht Athletic Center. Women’s basketballcoach Ferne Labati and senior point guard Gina Graziani will address themedia at 11:15 a.m. Head men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton, NaismithAward candidate Johnny Hemsley, senior center Mario Bland and senior guardVernon Jennings will address the media immediately following Labati andGraziani.

The Miami men open their season with an exhibition game against theLatvia Select team on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Knight Sports Complex. TheMiami women will also open their season with an exhibition game againstForencyrosi Torna at the Knight Sports Complex on Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. There isno charge for the exhibition games at UM.

The women’s basketball team returns eight letterwinners from lastyear’s 15-14 team. The Hurricanes open their season with five straightnon-conference home games at the Knight Sports Complex against Furman (Nov.21), Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 24), and 1999 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Tulane(Nov. 28), Florida (Dec. 1) and Florida International (Dec. 4).

The men’s basketball team returns nine letterwinners, including fourstarters, from last year’s squad that finished 23-7, made its secondconsecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and ended the season ranked No. 10in the final Associated Press College Basketball poll. The Hurricanes openthe regular season on the road with games at Central Florida (Nov. 19)before returning to Miami for their home opener against Monmouth on Nov. 23at 7:30 p.m at the Miami Arena.