The University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team announces the exciting, action packed 2017-18 campaign that includes a 30-game regular season and begins with the second-annual Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in November at the Ford Center.

USI begins the regular season on a neutral court for the third-straight season when the Screaming Eagles play in the Hall of Fame Classic. The Eagles are set to play Augustana University (South Dakota) November 3 and finish the season-opening tournament with long-time rival Kentucky Wesleyan College November 4. Both games in the classic will be 6 p.m. starts for the Eagles.

The SCB Hall of Fame Classic field includes Ferris State University, St. Thomas Aquinas College, Indiana University (Pennsylvania), the University of Findlay, and the University of Montevallo in addition to USI, Augustana, and KWC. Start times for the classic are noon, 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. each day.

“Augustana (2016 Division II national champions) and KWC are national powers,” said USI Head Coach Rodney Watson. “We will be tested on a big stage November 3-4 at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. The Ford Center will be an exciting place to start the season.”

The Eagles have sandwiched the Hall of Fame Classic between a pair of exhibition games. USI will host an exhibition game with Manchester University, directed by former USI assistant Gerad Good, on October 30 and visit Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, November 6. The USI-Manchester match-up will be the first Eagles’ exhibition game at the PAC since the 2009-10 season.

After the exhibition game, USI returns to regular season action with the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge, hosted by Malone University in Canton, Ohio. The Eagles are slated to match-up with Hillsdale College (November 10) and Malone University (November 11).

The Eagles also travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, during non-conference play to participate in the Rollins University Las Vegas Classic. USI, which will be playing in Las Vegas for the second time in three seasons, is scheduled to match-up with West Texas A&M University (December 18) and Midwestern State University (December 19).

The remainder of the 12-game non-conference schedule will be played at the Physical Activities Center. Brescia University visits the PAC November 14, followed by Fisk University (November 20), Martin Methodist College (November 25), Urbana University (December 15), Ohio Valley University (December 30), and Lake Superior State University (December 31). The Ohio Valley and LSSU games will be considered the Bill Joergens Memorial Classic.

“Our non-conference schedule is loaded with NCAA II Tournament teams like Augustana, KWC, Hillsdale, Midwestern State, and West Texas A&M, and Lake Superior State,” said Watson.

USI opens the 2017-18 home schedule and Great Lakes Valley Conference action November 30 when it hosts Lewis University. The GLVC is split into three divisions in 2017-18 and the conference tournament is being reduced for the upcoming season from 12 to eight teams.

In addition to Lewis in the GLVC schedule, the Eagles are slated to host the University of Missouri-St. Louis (January 4), the University of Indianapolis (January 11), Missouri University of Science & Technology (January 18), Truman State University (January 20), the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (January 25), Maryville University (February 1), Quincy University (February 3, Homecoming), and Bellarmine University (February 10, Senior Day).

On the road in the GLVC, USI plays at the University of Indianapolis to lead off conference road play December 2. The remainder of the GLVC road-schedule includes Drury University (January 6), Bellarmine (January 15), McKendree University (January 27), the University of Illinois-Springfield (February 8), William Jewell College (February 15), and Rockhurst University (February 17).

“With the GLVC loss of Saint Joseph’s (College), Eagle fans will see a totally different conference alignment and schedule structure,” said Watson. “The GLVC East (USI, Bellarmine, UIndy, UW-Parkside, Lewis) is as formidable as ever and may be the toughest division in all of the NCAA Division II.

“The conference, as a whole, has produced our region’s representative in the NCAA II Elite Eight each of the last seven seasons and we have to battle to join that group,” concluded Watson.

The GLVC Tournament is slated for March 1-4 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Vadalabene Center. The NCAA II Midwest Regional is set for March 10-13, while the NCAA II Elite Eight moves to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, March 21-24.

Schedule Notes:

• USI has won 20-or-more games in 21 of the last 25 seasons and has reached 25-or-more wins seven of the last 16 years.
• USI has a record of 183-54 (.772) and won a pair of GLVC championships under the direction of Head Coach Rodney Watson since 2009-10.
• USI has seven teams on the schedule that appeared in the 2017 NCAA Division II Tournament (Augustana, Kentucky Wesleyan, West Texas A&M, Quincy, Truman, Bellarmine, UW-Parkside).
• A total of 18 teams on the schedule were in their respective conference tournaments.
• The schedule includes 15 teams with winning records in 2016-17.
• USI’s all-time record against teams on the schedule is 384-186 (.674).
• The Eagles have opened the last 31 seasons with a victory.
• The Eagles have won each of the last 33 home openers.
• USI has a home record of 518-87 (.856) since moving into the PAC in 1980-81.
• Ticket prices for 2017-18: Season Chairbacks – $140.00; Season Bench – $85.00.