Basketball Media Luncheon October 19

Oct. 12, 1999

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

The Miami men open their season with an exhibition game against the Latvia Select team on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Knight Sports Complex. The Miami women will also open their season with an exhibition game against Forencyrosi Torna at the Knight Sports Complex on Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. There is no charge for the exhibition games at UM.

The women’s basketball team returns eight letterwinners from last year’s 15-14 team. The Hurricanes open their season with five straight non-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 four starters, from last year’s squad that finished 23-7, made its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and ended the season ranked No. 10 in the final Associated Press College Basketball poll. The Hurricanes open the regular season on the road with games at Central Florida (Nov. 19) before returning to Miami for their home opener against Monmouth on Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m at the Miami Arena.