COMMERCE— The Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team will host UT Permian Basin on Thursday. It is the first matchup for the two teams since UTPB joined the Lone Star Conference.
 
WHO: Texas A&M-Commerce (13-3, 5-2 LSC) vs. UT Permian Basin (12-4, 4-3 LSC)
WHERE: The Field House in Commerce, Texas
WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
LIVE STATS: http://statb.us/b/147043
LIVE VIDEO: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/tamucommerce/
LIVE AUDIO: www.ketr.org
TICKETS: http://lionathletics.com/sports/2016/11/18/2016-17-basketball-ticket-information.aspx
 
The Lions are coming off of a 36-point win over NCCAA opponent Arlington Baptist. While not an NCAA opponent, head coach Sam Walker was glad to have a game where he could give more players opportunities to get into a game and to have a break from the grind of conference action.
 
"It wasn't the best opponent that we have played but it was a great game for us at a great time of the year," he said. "We had a break in the action. To have a team come in where we had the opportunity to get all of our guys get a chance to get in the game and have good team bonding and camaraderie, it was the perfect game for this time of the year. It was a break right in the middle of conference play."
 
The Lions now move into full conference mode, with all 11 of their remaining games coming against Lone Star Conference opponents. After this week of games, the Lions will have faced everyone in the conference one time. The Lions are facing a tough stretch in their schedule, with games against strong opponents over the next two weeks.
 
"These next four games, when you talk about the top 10 teams in the region and top 10 in the conference and even the top teams in the country, you start talking about Permian Basin and West Texas A&M and Cameron and Midwestern," Walker said. "Having two at home and two on the road, as hard as it is to win on the road, these two at home are really important as far as where this team is going in a regional standpoint as well as a conference standpoint."
 
The Lions start against UT Permian Basin, who is 12-4 on the season and 4-3 in conference play. Walker knows his team faces a difficult task, even though they are playing on their home floor.
 
"I think UTPB is ultra talented," he said. "Talking with other coaches in the league and with the film we have watched, they are as talented a team as any team in the league. And their record shows that. They are 12-4 right now and they have had good wins against some good teams. It will be a really tough opponent. But as I told our guys in practice yesterday, 'You have to remember that you are a good team too.' It will be a battle of two good teams. It won't be an upset when we win but it will be a tough task ahead of us."
 
It is the first time the Lions have faced UTPB since the Falcons entered the Lone Star Conference. While it can be different from a coaching standpoint to face an unfamiliar team, Walker doesn't see it as a challenge for his players.
 
"When you have as much turnover as we have had here with a lot of new guys, everybody we play is new," he said. "If I say that Permian Basin is new, West Texas is new to these guys and Tarleton is new to these guys. We play through that first round and if we can get through and be in position with a pretty good record then we will know more about the teams we play for the second time around."
 
Walker has relied on his veteran players, specifically De'Andre Carson, to help his new players realize how difficult it is to play in the Lone Star Conference.
 
"That's where De'Andre has been so valuable to us," he said. "It's not knowing about the opponent. It's knowing how difficult it is to win in the Lone Star Conference. He has been a phenomenal leader as far as knowing what it takes and the experiences he has been through in his four years with us."
 
Walker knows it will take a team effort to defeat UTPB, but he is confident in his team. He likes how, if one player has an off night or is taken out of the game by the opponent's game plan, other players have stepped up. He also enjoys the unselfish nature of his players.
 
"When you talk about the key to the game, you can start talking about seven or eight different people," Walker said. "That's really been the strength of our team is we don't know who will be the key some nights. Malik Albert and Trey Seymore have been the leading scorers but if you look at the box scores every game, there have always been a different player who has given us 15 or 18 points. It has just been their night. That's what has made this team really fun to coach because everyone is so willing to make someone else the guy who will make the difference in the game."