MISSOURI STATE ANNOUNCES 2008-09 MEN’S BASKETBALL NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
SPRINGFIELD -- The 2008-09 Missouri State University men’s basketball team will play the most regular-season home games in the program’s history and will christen its new $67 million basketball facility, JQH Arena, with a home opener on November 22 against 2008 NCAA Tournament qualifier Arkansas.
Eight non-conference home games will complement a nine-game Missouri Valley Conference home schedule and two preseason exhibition games, giving Bears fans 19 home dates to see first-year head coach Cuonzo Martin’s team in action. In all, the team will enjoy 17 regular-season home dates at JQH Arena, in addition to the two preseason contests to be played at Hammons Student Center on November 3 and November 10.
After opening the regular season on the road at Auburn (November 14) and Central Michigan (November 17), the Bears kick off a four-game home stand in their new, state-of-the-art, 11,000-seat facility with a string of familiar foes.
The Arkansas Razorbacks, who were also the Bears’ first opponent for the Hammons Student Center opener on December 1, 1976, will be Missouri State’s guests for the inaugural game at JQH Arena on November 22. The Bears’ second Southeastern Conference foe in its first three games finished with a 23-12 record a year ago and defeated Indiana in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 1 regional seed North Carolina in the second round.
"The highlight of the schedule, period, is the opening of JQH Arena," said Missouri State Director of Athletics Bill Rowe. "We’re fortunate that Arkansas will be our first opponent in the new arena, and we appreciate them coming here to be a part of this historic event."
After the inaugural game at JQH Arena, the Bears will play host to 2008 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) qualifier Utah on November 28 before entertaining Arkansas-Little Rock on December 3. The Trojans are coming off a 20-11 campaign that saw them earn a No. 2 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, ahead of 2008 NCAA Tournament sweetheart Western Kentucky. The four-game home stint concludes on December 6 against Arkansas State, beginning a four-year scheduling commitment with the Red Wolves.
The Bears travel to 2008 CBI champion Tulsa on December 10 in the team’s final non-conference road game of the season. The Golden Hurricane defeated MVC rival Bradley two games to one in the CBI final series and finished with a 25-14 ledger in 2008.
"We’re looking forward to the 2008-09 non-conference schedule," said Martin. "We have a very competitive schedule that will be good preparation for the MVC and as we work to build team chemistry with the addition of seven new players. Everyone understands the opportunity in front of us and is working hard in the off-season to prepare."
After the trip to Tulsa, the squad returns home on December 13 to play Central Arkansas ? the fourth home game against teams from the Natural State this season. The team’s final non-conference series will take place December 20-22 and feature a three-game home tournament against Norfolk State, UC Irvine, and Middle Tennessee, respectively. The Basketball Travelers Tip-off Tournament will include nightly doubleheaders at JQH Arena with the teams playing three games apiece during the round-robin style event.
The complete 2008-09 Missouri Valley Conference schedule, which begins the first weekend of January and culminates with the State Farm MVC Tournament March 5-8, will be announced later this summer. The 18-game conference slate will see the Bears face five league foes that received postseason bids in 2008, including NCAA qualifier Drake, NIT participants Creighton, Illinois State and Southern Illinois, and CBI finalist Bradley.
Missouri State finished the 2007-08 season with a 17-16 record and returns three players who saw time in the starting rotation a year ago, along with two additional lettermen, a redshirt freshman, and seven newcomers.
For information on 2008-09 Missouri State Bears season ticket packages, which include general admission tickets to both exhibition games in Hammons Student Center as well as reserved seats to all 17 games in JQH Arena, please call (417) 836-8100.
SPRINGFIELD -- The 2008-09 Missouri State University men’s basketball team will play the most regular-season home games in the program’s history and will christen its new $67 million basketball facility, JQH Arena, with a home opener on November 22 against 2008 NCAA Tournament qualifier Arkansas.
Eight non-conference home games will complement a nine-game Missouri Valley Conference home schedule and two preseason exhibition games, giving Bears fans 19 home dates to see first-year head coach Cuonzo Martin’s team in action. In all, the team will enjoy 17 regular-season home dates at JQH Arena, in addition to the two preseason contests to be played at Hammons Student Center on November 3 and November 10.
After opening the regular season on the road at Auburn (November 14) and Central Michigan (November 17), the Bears kick off a four-game home stand in their new, state-of-the-art, 11,000-seat facility with a string of familiar foes.
The Arkansas Razorbacks, who were also the Bears’ first opponent for the Hammons Student Center opener on December 1, 1976, will be Missouri State’s guests for the inaugural game at JQH Arena on November 22. The Bears’ second Southeastern Conference foe in its first three games finished with a 23-12 record a year ago and defeated Indiana in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 1 regional seed North Carolina in the second round.
"The highlight of the schedule, period, is the opening of JQH Arena," said Missouri State Director of Athletics Bill Rowe. "We’re fortunate that Arkansas will be our first opponent in the new arena, and we appreciate them coming here to be a part of this historic event."
After the inaugural game at JQH Arena, the Bears will play host to 2008 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) qualifier Utah on November 28 before entertaining Arkansas-Little Rock on December 3. The Trojans are coming off a 20-11 campaign that saw them earn a No. 2 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, ahead of 2008 NCAA Tournament sweetheart Western Kentucky. The four-game home stint concludes on December 6 against Arkansas State, beginning a four-year scheduling commitment with the Red Wolves.
The Bears travel to 2008 CBI champion Tulsa on December 10 in the team’s final non-conference road game of the season. The Golden Hurricane defeated MVC rival Bradley two games to one in the CBI final series and finished with a 25-14 ledger in 2008.
"We’re looking forward to the 2008-09 non-conference schedule," said Martin. "We have a very competitive schedule that will be good preparation for the MVC and as we work to build team chemistry with the addition of seven new players. Everyone understands the opportunity in front of us and is working hard in the off-season to prepare."
After the trip to Tulsa, the squad returns home on December 13 to play Central Arkansas ? the fourth home game against teams from the Natural State this season. The team’s final non-conference series will take place December 20-22 and feature a three-game home tournament against Norfolk State, UC Irvine, and Middle Tennessee, respectively. The Basketball Travelers Tip-off Tournament will include nightly doubleheaders at JQH Arena with the teams playing three games apiece during the round-robin style event.
The complete 2008-09 Missouri Valley Conference schedule, which begins the first weekend of January and culminates with the State Farm MVC Tournament March 5-8, will be announced later this summer. The 18-game conference slate will see the Bears face five league foes that received postseason bids in 2008, including NCAA qualifier Drake, NIT participants Creighton, Illinois State and Southern Illinois, and CBI finalist Bradley.
Missouri State finished the 2007-08 season with a 17-16 record and returns three players who saw time in the starting rotation a year ago, along with two additional lettermen, a redshirt freshman, and seven newcomers.
For information on 2008-09 Missouri State Bears season ticket packages, which include general admission tickets to both exhibition games in Hammons Student Center as well as reserved seats to all 17 games in JQH Arena, please call (417) 836-8100.
