JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team has wrapped up a 2010-11 schedule that features 12 home games and 18 road contests, head coach
James Green announced on Thursday.
One year after playing a Division I record 18 home games, the Gamecocks will take to the road for much of the 2010-11 season. Green and his squad will play a dozen games in the friendly confines of Pete Mathews Coliseum, beginning with an exhibition with West Georgia on Nov. 4 that was finalized earlier in the week.
“When you want to build a program that will soon be in the top three or four in a very good basketball league, you have to play a demanding schedule,” Green said. “Going on the road to play Oregon, UAB, South Carolina and in Illinois State's Tournament will be very challenging for our team. Then you throw in games at Norfolk State, VMI and Presbyterian. This may be the toughest road schedule in the history of our program.”
The Gamecocks will open the regular season on Nov. 13 against West Alabama in a 7:45 p.m. tip that will cap a busy day on the JSU campus. Green's third season opener will follow a 12:30 p.m. volleyball game vs. Eastern Illinois and a 3 p.m. football matchup with Southeast Missouri.
JSU will then take to the road, where the Gamecocks will play 11 of their next 15 games. They will spend Thanksgiving break in a three-game tournament in Normal, Ill., that will feature games with Louisiana-Monroe, South Dakota and host Illinois State. A Dec. 1 game at UAB will be the first of three matchups with major-conference foes in the final month of the calendar year. JSU will play at Oregon on Dec. 13 and wrap up the month at South Carolina on Dec. 29.
The Gamecocks will play six home games before the new year. In addition to the West Georgia and West Alabama games, Southeastern Louisiana will pay a visit to Pete Mathews Coliseum on Nov. 22, as will Ohio Valley Conference foes Tennessee Tech (Dec. 4), Southeast Missouri (Dec. 19) and Eastern Illinois (Dec. 21).
Defending OVC champion Murray State will make its trip to Jacksonville on Jan. 13, while the month of February will be highlighted by a three-game homestand that will feature matchups with 2010 OVC runner-up Morehead State (Feb. 13), Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 5) and Tennessee State (Feb. 7). Austin Peay will close the home slate on Feb. 15, before the Gamecocks travel for the Feb. 19 BracketBusters event.
A change in the format of the OVC Tournment this season will send all eight qualifying teams to Nashville, eliminating the home sites in the first round.
Season tickets for the 2010-11 season will be available for purchase beginning Monday. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting the JSU Athletics Ticket Office in Kennamer Hall or by calling the ticket office at (256) 782-8499 or at 1-877-JSU-TIXX.
2010-11 JSU Basketball Schedule (all times central)
11/4 – West Georgia (exhibition) – 7 p.m.
11/13 – West Alabama – 7:45 p.m.
11/16 – at Norfolk State – 6 p.m.
11/18 – at VMI – 6 p.m.
11/22 – Southeastern Louisiana – 7 p.m.
11/26 – vs. Louisiana-Monroe – 8 p.m.
11/27 – vs. South Dakota – 8 p.m.
11/28 – at Illinois State – 3 p.m.
12/1 – at UAB – TBA
12/4 - *Tennessee Tech – 7:45 p.m.
12/13 – at Oregon – TBA
12/15 – at Presbyterian – TBA
12/19 - *Southeast Missouri – 4:30 p.m.
12/21 - *Eastern Illinois – 7:45 p.m.
12/29 – at South Carolina – TBA
1/6 - *at Eastern Kentucky – 6:30 p.m.
1/8 - *at Morehead State – TBA
1/13 - *Murray State – 7:45 p.m.
1/15 - *UT Martin – 4:30 p.m.
1/20 - *at Tennessee State – 7:30 p.m.
1/22 - *at Austin Peay – 7:30 p.m.
1/27 - *at Southeast Missouri – TBA
1/29 - *at Eastern Illinois – 6 p.m.
2/3 – *Morehead State – 7:45 p.m.
2/5 - *Eastern Kentucky – 4:30 p.m.
2/7 - *Tennessee State – 7 p.m.
2/10 - *at UT Martin – 7:30 p.m.
2/12 - *at Murray State – 7:30 p.m.
2/15 - *Austin Peay – 7 p.m.
2/19 – at BracketBusters – TBA
2/26 - *at Tennessee Tech – TBA
3/2-5 – OVC Tournament – Nashville, Tenn.
