Thursday, August 23, 2007

 

PIONEERS RELEASE 2007-08 MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

2007-08 Schedule

 

                GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College men’s basketball team has released its 2007-08 scheduled announced Pioneer head coach Jim Boone.

 

                Tusculum will play 27 regular-season games, including four teams that advanced to national postseason tournament action last year.  Tusculum will play three exhibition contests against NCAA Division I foes beginning with on Nov. 1, as Tusculum will make the first of two trips to Nashville when it faces Lipscomb University.  TC took the Bison down to the wire before losing 70-67 in exhibition play.  Lipscomb went 18-13 last season before being eliminated in the semifinal of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.

 

TC will follow two days later with a trip to Georgia to face Kennesaw State University.  The Pioneers and Owls have met four previous times, but this will be the first since KSU reclassified to D-I.

 

On Nov. 5, Tusculum will make its first-ever trip to Vanderbilt University to take on the Commodores.  Vanderbilt went 22-12 last season, while advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16.

               

"Once again we will be facing yet another challenging schedule, but one I feel will prepare us for the rigors of our tough conference slate," said Coach Boone.  "Our exhibition schedule is once again very tough, playing two talented programs from the Atlantic Sun and Vanderbilt's basketball reputation speaks for itself."

 

                TC opens the regular season at home when it hosts the Pioneer Sodexho Classic, Nov. 17-18.  The Pioneers host Bellarmine University on Nov. 17, followed the next day with a match-up with Georgia College & State University.

 

                Tusculum will play its next seven contests away from Greeneville, beginning with the Bluefield State Currence Classic (Nov. 23-24) in West Virginia.  The Pioneers will face West Virginia Tech on Nov. 23 in the tournament opener.  Tusculum will face either Bluefield State or Concord University on Nov. 24.  TC split last year’s two games with Concord and could meet the Mountain Lions three times this year.

 

                Tusculum will be at NCAA D-I UNC Asheville on Nov. 27, before traveling to Brevard College on Dec. 1.  Brevard was accepted as a provisional member of the South Atlantic Conference this past summer.  On Dec. 5, Tusculum will travel to D-I Elon University before wrapping up the road trip with games at Concord (Dec. 8) and Lees-McRae College (Dec. 12).

 

                Tusculum returns home on Dec. 19 when it hosts Anderson University at Pioneer Arena.  TC opens the New Year on Jan. 2 as Mount Olive College comes to Greeneville.  Mount Olive went 23-8 last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

 

                "Our team will be tested right out of the gate with the Pioneer Sodexho Classic," added Boone.  "We have three quality teams coming to Greeneville in LMU, Bellarmine and Georgia College & State University that would provide a stern test for our players.  We follow that playing seven of our next eight on the road which will challenge our team, but will prepare us for the tough league schedule."

 

                The Pioneers open conference play on Jan. 5 at Lenoir-Rhyne College.  Tusculum begins a four-game home-stand on Jan. 7 with a non-conference battle with Concord.  TC steps back into league play with a Jan. 9 home clash with Lincoln Memorial University.

 

                Defending SAC Champion Catawba College visits Pioneer Arena on Jan. 12.  The Catawba Indians went 20-11 and advanced to the NCAA II Tournament.  The Pioneers end the home-stand Jan. 19 against Carson-Newman College.

 

                Tusculum travels to Newberry College Jan. 23, before going to Wingate University on Jan. 26.  Wingate enjoyed its best season in school history, posting a 25-9 worksheet, winning the SAC Tournament and advancing to the NCAA II Elite Eight.  Tusculum hosts Mars Hill College Jan. 30 to conclude the first half of the league season.

 

                The Pioneers host Lenoir-Rhyne on Feb. 2 in a rematch, before consecutive road trips to Lincoln Memorial (Feb. 6) and Catawba (Feb. 9).  Tusculum welcomes Wingate on Feb. 13, before traveling to Carson-Newman (Feb. 16).  Tusculum entertains Newberry (Feb. 20) and Brevard in back-to-back home games, before ending the regular season at Mars Hill (Feb. 27).

 

                The Food Lion SAC Tournament begins Mar. 5 with quarterfinal action at campus sites.  The semifinal and final will be held Mar. 8-9 in Hickory, N.C.  The NCAA South Atlantic Regional will be held Mar. 15-18 with the winner advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass. (Mar. 26-29).

 

                Tusculum will play three exhibition contests in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as part of a goodwill tour in September.  This will mark the first time in the modern era of basketball at TC that the Pioneers have played internationally.

 

- TC -