Men's Basketball Season Starts With 15-game Feast Over Weekend
Horizon League Weekly Release
INDIANAPOLIS -- UIC gave fans an appetizer on Wednesday night; now, 15 games in three days assures fans that the main helping of Horizon League basketball season is on the table.
Over the next 72 hours, fans can watch nine games on the new HorizonLeague.com, beginning with Youngstown State's home opener versus Samford, which tips off at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Penguins will be breaking in 12 newcomers to their roster, but with four home games among their first five, are looking for a quick start to the 2010-11 campaign.
Before the Penguins get going, Milwaukee starts its season in the City of Roses as part of the Athletes in Action Classic. Contested at the University of Portland, the Panthers will meet the host Pilots at 4:30 p.m. ET. Bringing back three starters from last year's 20-win team, the Panthers will add to their experience as 2009 All-League honoree Tone Boyle returns from a season-ending injury to give Milwaukee another returning starter.
While Milwaukee traveled to Portland for a tournament, both Cleveland State and Loyola will be hosting season-opening events. The Vikings welcome Bryant, Iona, Kent State and Urbana to the Wolstein Center for the World Vision Classic; first up for CSU are the Bulldogs of Bryant in a 7:30 p.m. ET tip. Fans can catch the game live on HorizonLeague.com.
Hosting the Nick Kladis Classic, Loyola brings solid competition to the Gentile Center in the form of Eastern Kentucky, Indiana State and Texas-Pan American. The Ramblers will take on the Colonels of Eastern Kentucky at 8 p.m. ET, live on HorizonLeague.com.
Valparaiso rounds out the Friday night slate, bringing IU-Northwest to the newly named Homer Drew Court. Bringing back four starters, the Crusaders will look for big contributions from Preseason First Team All-Horizon pick Brandon Wood and Second Team selection Cory Johnson. The matchup with IU-Northwest will be streamed live on HorizonLeague.com.
On Saturday, #17/18 (AP/USA Today) Butler will raise its 2010 Final Four banner to the rafters of venerable Hinkle Fieldhouse, approximately 10 minutes before tip-off of their game versus Marian University. The 2 p.m. ET contest will be carried live on HorizonLeague.com, beginning a run of three games available to fans on Saturday.
Both the Iona-Cleveland State (6 p.m. ET) and Indiana State-Loyola (8 p.m. ET) games will be available live on HorizonLeague.com as well.
Green Bay will usher in the Brian Wardle era on Saturday afternoon, as the Phoenix host Minnesota-Duluth at 3 p.m. ET, while Detroit will look to make an early-season statement as they begin the year at two-time defending Mountain West champion New Mexico.
The Titans will be the first guests in a newly renovated Pit, one of the nation's most celebrated basketball venues. The Lobos and Titans will tip at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Sunday offers two more live games on HorizonLeague.com, as Loyola wraps up the Nick Kladis Classis with a 6 p.m. ET game versus Texas-Pan American and Cleveland State meets Kent State at 6 p.m. ET as well.
In its third game of the AIA Classic, Milwaukee will meet Big West contender UC-Davis at 6 p.m. ET, a day after taking on Florida Atlantic.
The weekend is wrapped up at 7 p.m. ET, when Billy Donlon takes his Wright State squad to Assembly Hall to begin the season against Indiana. The game will be televised live on ESPNU; fans who cannot get ESPNU can watch the game live on ESPN3.com.
