USI announces 2014-15 men's basketball schedule

COMPLETE 2014-15 SCHEDULE; COMPLETE 2014-15 SCHEDULE RELEASE

The University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team announced its schedule for the 2014-15 campaign that includes an exhibition game November 8 at the University of Dayton.
 
The Eagles lost a tough 83-68 decision to Indiana University and a 78-47 verdict at the University of Tennessee in last year's exhibitions.
 
"Playing the Dayton Flyers at the UD Arena will help prepare our new team," said USI Head Coach Rodney Watson. "Dayton returns a majority of their 2014 Elite Eight team."
 
USI begins the regular season November 15 when it hosts Davis & Elkins College. The season opener begins a five-game homestand in November that also includes the eighth-annual Bill Joergens Memorial Classic November 28 and 29.
 
The 2014 Bill Joergens Memorial Classics pits USI and Bellarmine against Cedarville University and Indiana University East.
 
USI starts December on the road when they play in the Bellarmine Classic December 12 and 13. The Eagles draw Florida Southern College on the first day before finishing the classic against Ohio Valley University.
 
After the brief road swing, the Eagles conclude the non-conference portion of the schedule by welcoming Salem International University December 17 to end the 2014 calendar year.
 
USI turns the page of the calendar to begin 2015 and starts its Great Lakes Valley Conference title defense in January when it hosts William Jewell College (January 2) and Rockhurst University (January 4).
 
The conference's 18-game schedule includes at least one game against every school in the league and home-and-home series with selected teams from the GLVC East Division as a part of the pod scheduling. The 2014-15 home-and-home series includes rivals Bellarmine University (January 19 at the PAC; February 26 in Louisville, Kentucky), the University of Indianapolis (January 17 in Indianapolis, Indiana; February 19 at the PAC), and Saint Joseph's College (January 15 in Rensselaer, Indiana; February 21 at the PAC).
 
USI closes out action against the GLVC East Division by traveling to McKendree University (January 29) and the University of Illinois Springfield (January 31). 

In addition to the opening weekend's action against the GLVC West Division's William Jewell and Rockhurst, the Eagles are slated to hosts Quincy University (February 5) and Truman State University (February 7). USI travels west to play Drury University (January 8), Missouri University of Science & Technology (January 10), the University of Missouri-St. Louis (February 12), and Maryville University (February 14).
 
"The GLVC regular season will be as strong of a test for us as it is every year," said Watson. "The conference has produced our region's representative in the NCAA II Elite Eight each of the last five seasons and we need to join that group."
 
The GLVC Tournament is slated to begin March 1 at campus sites before completing the final three rounds March 5-8.The NCAA II Midwest Regional is set for March 14-17, while the NCAA II Elite Eight returns to Evansville March 25-28 for the first time since 2002. 

Schedule Notes:

*USI has won 20-or-more games in 20 of the last 22 seasons and has reached 25-or-more wins six of the last 13 years.

*USI has a record of 120-30 (.800) and won a pair of GLVC championships under the direction of Head Coach Rodney Watson since 2009-10.
 
*USI has five teams on the schedule that appeared in the 2014 NCAA Division II Tournament (USI, Drury, Bellarmine, Indianapolis, UW-Parkside, and Florida Southern).
 
*A total of 18 teams on the schedule were in their respective conference tournaments.
 
*The schedule includes nine teams with winning records.
 
*USI's all-time record against teams on the schedule is 362-159 (.695). 

*The Eagles have opened the last 28 seasons with a victory.
 
*The Eagles have won each of the last 30 home openers.

*USI has a home record of 481-74 (.867) since moving into the PAC in 1980-81.
 
*Ticket prices for 2014-15: Season Chairbacks - $140.00; Season Bench - $85.00.