Santa Cruz opens season Feb. 10 against Ignite

Warriors have two ESPN2 appearances

The Santa Cruz Warriors’ 15-game NBA G League regular-season schedule was released Wednesday and the Warriors will get a fierce test in their opener.

The Warriors open the 2020-21 campaign — set to take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, near Orlando — against Walnut Creek’s G League Ignite on Feb. 10 at 8 a.m. The team game will be televised on ESPN2.

The Ignite, coached by five-time NBA champion Brian Shaw, features top 2021 NBA Draft prospects Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix, among others.

Following the opener, the Sea Dubs face the Delaware Blue Coats who the Warriors have not played since Jan. 2, 2018 (114-99 win). The Warriors will finish the 15-game regular season with a matchup against the Oklahoma City Blue to cap off their fifth and final back-to-back of the season.

Santa Cruz will play two games on ESPN2 — the second being Memphis on Feb. 25 at noon — and the 13 others on NBC Sports Bay Area.

“We’re pretty skilled on offense,” second-year Warriors head coach Kris Weems said after his roster was announced earlier this month. “Defensively, it’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to have to be a team effort and us flying around. We’re not as tall or long, so we’re going to have to make up for it with some quickness and toughness.”

The top eight teams in the regular season will then

advance to a single-elimination playoff.

Santa Cruz and Weems finished the 2019-20 season with a 21-21 record and were second place in the Pacific Division before the season was canceled due to COVID-19.

The Warriors return Isaiah Reese, Ryan Taylor and Zach Norvell Jr. to the squad along with new additions Dusty Hannahs (201920 NBA G League All-Third Team with the Memphis Hustle), Jeremy Lin (NBA Veteran Exception rule) and Selom Mawugbe (2021 NBA G League Draft Second Round).