SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco men's basketball team will once again have two primetime games televised live on the ESPN Networks this season, as announced by the West Coast Conference today. The two USF games are part of the conference's recently extended partnership with ESPN, which will televise up to 37 men's basketball games featuring WCC schools, including additional games in the University Credit Union (UCU) West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas.
 
Under first year head coach Todd Golden, the Dons will make their ESPN debut on Thursday, January 2nd at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU when USF hosts East Bay rival Saint Mary's. It will be the first-ever matchup between Golden, a standout guard for the Gaels from 2004-'08, and his former coach Randy Bennett.
 
The Dons have won two straight home games against the Gaels, with both of those contests appearing on the ESPN family networks. Last year, the Dons took down Saint Mary's 76-72 in front a capacity crowd at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

USF will make its second appearance on ESPN when they take on Gonzaga in Spokane on Thursday, February 20 at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN2.
 
As the season approaches, check the interactive schedule on WCCsports.com or follow West Coast Conference Basketball on Twitter (@WCChoops) for additional non-conference telecasts along with local and regional telecast information from the conference and its member institutions.
 
The Dons are coming off their third-straight 20-win season, the longest such streak since the Dons had seven-straight 20 win seasons from 1975-'76 to '81-'82.
 
Year one under Golden promises to be another exciting season as USF returns three starters from last year's 21-win team, including seniors Jordan Ratinho and Jimbo Lull and redshirt junior Charles Minlend.  Minlend was recently named to the Preseason All-WCC Team.
 
USF also returns key players such as Remu Raitanen, Jamaree Bouyea, Trevante Anderson, Dzmitry Ryuny, Taavi Jurkatamm.  USF will welcome Khalil Shabazz who had to sit out last year due to transfer rules, Justin Bieker, Isaiah Hawthorne, Josh Kunen, Jonas Visser, Emmanuel Nwabueze, and transfer Damari Milstead.

Season tickets are currently on sale by calling the USF Athletic Ticket Office at (415) 422-2USF (2873) or by visiting USFDons.com/Tickets.