Men's Basketball Announces 2018-19 Schedule - Jacksonville State University Athletics

2018-19 Men's Basketball Schedule

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team released its 2018-19 schedule Friday afternoon, ushering in its third season with Ray Harper at the helm.

The third-year JSU head coach has planned a 12-game home slate that includes a Nov. 28 home opener and a Dec. 18 matchup with old rival North Alabama, while the road schedule sees the Gamecocks visit Penn State, Wichita State, West Virginia and Evansville before the start of conference play.

"I think it's a great, challenging schedule," Harper said. "We're going to be playing in two of the toughest environments in college basketball, renew an old rivalry in North Alabama and get to play in the same arena where we hope to compete for an Ohio Valley Conference championship. It's going to prepare us for a tough OVC schedule."

The season tips off Nov. 9 in Birmingham with in-state rival Samford. Following the local opener, the Gamecocks hit the road for the four-game Cancun Challenge. As previously released, JSU visits Penn State on Nov. 12 and Bradley on Nov. 14 before squaring off against Western Carolina and a team to be decided on Nov. 20 and Nov. 21 in Cancun, Mexico at the Hard Rock Hotel.

"We are going to be tested early and often, and these first few games are great examples of that," Harper said. "Samford is a natural rival who is always going to challenge us. Then we go to Penn State, who won the NIT last season, and Bradley, which is a team that is rumored by some publications to be the second-best team in the Missouri Valley Conference behind Loyola.

Following Thanksgiving, Jacksonville State hosts Carver College on Nov. 28 for the first game back at Pete Mathews Coliseum since the March 19 tornado ripped through its home court. It is scheduled to be the first sporting event hosted by The Pete since the Gamecocks' 78-67 win over Belmont on Feb. 22 to wrap up last season's home schedule.

"It's going to be great to get back in there," Harper said. "I still remember seeing it for the first time when we got back from North Texas; the devastation to our campus and community. We will come back stronger and better for it, and it will be a great day when we're able to step foot back on that court."

The Gamecocks jump on a four-game road trip soon after, visiting North Alabama on Dec. 1, Delaware State on Dec. 8, Wichita State on Dec. 12 and Evansville on Dec. 15.

"I've been to Wichita State," Harper said. "It's one of the best environments I've ever been in. It's right up there with Duke. It's really going to be a challenge for our guys, and Delaware State is going to be a good game. They were down last year, but they've brought in some transfers and have a new head coach."

The Gamecocks met Delaware State twice under former head coach Mike LaPlante, falling in both contests, while it has been 26 seasons since the last men's basketball game versus UNA. JSU has never squared off against Wichita State and Evansville.

Following the road stretch, the Gamecocks return to Pete Mathews Coliseum on Dec. 18 to take on North Alabama for the second time. It will be the first matchup between JSU and the Lions in Jacksonville since head coach Bill Jones claimed a 109-95 victory over the visitors on Feb. 15, 1993.

JSU hits the road one final time during non-conference play on Dec. 22 to visit West Virginia. The matchup with the Mountaineers is the men's basketball program's first, and will serve as the first Big 12 contest since the Gamecocks took on Texas Christian on the road during the 2016-17 season.

After returning from the holiday break, Jacksonville State hosts Reinhardt on Dec. 29 for the final non-conference contest of the regular season.

OVC play begins Jan. 3 in Nashville, Tenn., with a conference-opening contest against Belmont. Two days later, JSU meets with Tennessee State before returning home for its first home conference series of the season. A Jan. 10 visit from Eastern Illinois begins a four-game homestand for the Gamecocks. SIUE comes to town Jan. 12, Belmont returns on Jan. 17 and Tennessee Tech wraps up the series on Jan. 19.

The Gamecocks take a road trip to Kentucky for the weekend of Jan. 24, taking on Eastern Kentucky on Thursday and Morehead State on Saturday, Jan. 26. After the two-game road trip, JSU returns home to host Murray State on Jan. 31 and Austin Peay on Groundhog Day.

A three-game road stint meets Jacksonville State next, sending the Gamecocks to UT Martin on Feb. 7, Southeast Missouri on Feb. 9 and Tennessee Tech on Feb. 14.

The final three home games of the season all come in a row, as Tennessee State, Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky each visit Jacksonville in February. The Tigers are in town Feb. 16 and the Eagles visit on Feb. 21. The Colonels wrap up the Gamecocks' home slate on Feb. 23.

JSU heads north for their final two regular season games, squaring off against Eastern Illinois on Feb. 28 and SIUE on March 2. Soon after, the OVC Basketball Championships begin in Evansville, Ind., March 6-9.

For more information on the JSU men's basketball team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSU_MBB). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks), Instagram (@JSUGamecocks) and Snapchat (@JSUGamecocks).

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