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The Citadel will host 14 games at McAlister Field House, including nine against Southern Conference competition, beginning with a pair of November games against James Madison (Nov. 20) and High Point (Nov. 23).

“I am excited about this year’s 2010-11 basketball schedule,” said Driesell. “Though extremely tough, I believe this team will benefit from the experience while helping them be prepared when conference play begins. I have always thought it was beneficial to play a tough non-conference schedule, and we certainly have that with this season’s opponents.”

The season will tip-off on Nov. 12 when The Citadel travels to Richmond, opening with a Spiders team that reached the 2010 NCAA Tournament before bowing out to Saint Mary’s. The Dogs then square off against Charleston Southern, looking to avenge a onepoint home loss that came at the hands of the Bucs last season.

The Bulldogs complete the first month of action with a road game at Coastal Carolina on Nov. 27. The Chanticleers, one of seven in-state teams on the slate, ended their season with a first round loss to UAB in the NIT last season.

The Citadel returns to McAlister Field House to open their SoCon schedule against Georgia Southern on Dec. 2 and Davidson on Dec. 4. The home stretch wraps up with a visit from St. Mary’s (Md.) College that marks the first meeting of the two schools since 1995, when The Citadel won, 102-53.

After an 11-day break for exams, The Citadel heads West to play Colorado out of the Big XII Conference on Dec. 17. The road trip continues two days later at The Pit against New Mexico. The Lobos advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, following a 62-57 win over Montana, before being defeated by the University of Washington. The trip culminates at the Las Vegas Classic on Dec. 22-23 when they play Longwood University and SIU-Edwardsville.

Following a break for Christmas, the Bulldogs return to McAlister Field House on Dec. 31 to face Chowan at 3 p.m. The New Year opens with a Jan. 2 matchup at Clemson, who finished sixth in the ACC last season and played Missouri in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

“I know our guys are looking forward to the long road trip after our final exams,” added Driesell. “It should be an exciting trip, but it won’t be easy. Playing on the road is always tough, as it will be at Colorado, New Mexico and Clemson. However, with eight seniors I believe they have the experience to do what it takes to win  on the road, and again it should prepare us for some tough conference road games.”

The Citadel gets back into conference action on Jan. 6 at Wofford. The Bulldogs complete a three-game trip through the Upstate on Jan. 8 at Furman. The Dogs welcome Chattanooga to McAlister Field House on Jan. 13. Two days later they head cross-town to meet the College of Charleston at Carolina First Arena. One month later on Feb. 17, the inner-city rivals meet again at McAlister Field House.

Among the final six SoCon road games to complete the 2010-11 season will be Samford (Jan. 17), Davidson (Jan. 26), UNC Greensboro (Feb. 7) and Georgia Southern (Feb. 19). The regular season concludes with road contests on Feb. 24 at Western Carolina and Feb. 26 at Appalachian State.

“The league schedule is as tough as it has ever been,” stated Driesell. “If you look at who everyone returns, you will see that almost every team in the league has key players returning. There are no easy games, and it should be a tough test in each and every conference game.”

All home games will tip-off at 7:05 p.m. with the exception of games against Davidson and Chowan which will start at 3:00 p.m. Dates and times are subject to change.

2010-11 Citadel Basketball Schedule

November:

• 12, at Richmond, 7:00 pm;
• 16 at Charleston Southern, 7:30 pm;
• 20 vs. James Madison, 7:05 pm;
• 23 vs. High Point 7:05 pm;
• 27 at Coastal Carolina TBA.

December:

• 2, vs. Georgia Southern, 7:05 pm;
• 4, vs. Davidson, 3:00 pm;
• 6, vs.  St.Mary’s (Md.) College, 7:05 pm;
• 17, at Colorado, 9 pm;
• 19, at New Mexico, TBA;
• 22, at Las Vegas Tournament (vs. Longwood), TBA;
• 23, at Las Vegas Tournament (vs. SIUEdwardsville),TBA;
• 31, vs. Chowan, 3:00 pm.

January:

• 2, at Clemson, 7:00 p.m.;
• 6, at Wofford*, TBA;
• 8, at Furman, TBA;
• 13, vs. Chattanooga*, 7:05 pm;
• 15, at College of Charleston*, TBA;
• 17, at Samford*, TBA;
• 20, vs. Appalachian State*, 7:05 pm;
• 22, vs. Western Carolina*, 7:05 pm;
• 26, at Davidson*, 7 pm.

February:

• 3, vs. Furman*, 7:05 pm;
• 5, vs. Wofford*, 7:05 pm;
• 7, at UNC Greensboro*,TBA;
• 12, vs. Elon, 7:05 pm;
• 14, vs. Savannah State, 7:05 pm;
• 17, vs. College of Charleston, 7:05 pm;
• 19, at Georgia Southern, TBA;
• 24, at Western Carolina, TBA;
• 26, at Appalachian State, 2 pm.

March:

• 4-7, Southern Conference Tournament (Chattanooga, Tenn.).

“This is easily the most challenging schedule during our time at Furman, but we feel that we have a team that is up to the challenge,” said Jackson. “We are looking forward to facing a lot of non-conference opponents and an always tough Southern Conference schedule.”

After a November 5, exhibition game versus Emory University at Timmons Arena, the Paladins open regular season play with home dates against North Greenville University (Nov. 12) and UNC Asheville (Nov. 16) before travelling to Mid-American Conference member Kent State (Nov. 19) and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe South Carolina State (Nov. 23). Furman will face Big Ten member Penn State for the first time on November 28, in University Park, Pa., in a game that is set to be televised live on the Big Ten Network.

The Paladins open their 18-game Southern Conference schedule on December 1, at home against Elon before travelling to UNC Greensboro for the SoCon road opener five days later. After visits to Middle Tennessee State (Dec. 12 ) and North Florida (Dec. 18), Furman hosts the Gamecocks at 7 p.m. on December 22, in South Carolina’s first trip to Greenville, S.C., since 1997.

Furman will take part in the four-team UCF Holiday Classic in Orlando, Fla., December 29-30. The Paladins will face the host Golden Knights in the tournament’s opening round before battling either Princeton or Northeastern the following night. After a January 3, non-conference finale against UVa-Wise, Furman concludes the regular season with 16 straight SoCon games, including visits to Timmons Arena by Davidson, College of Charleston, Wofford and Appalachian State.

Furman returns all 14 letterwinners and five starters from last season’s squad that posted a 13-17 overall record and 7-11 SoCon mark.

2010-11 Schedule

Nov.

5 Fri. Emory (Exh.) Greenville, S.C. 7:00

12 Fri. North Greenville Greenville, S.C. 7:00

16 Tues. UNC Asheville Greenville, S.C. 7:00

19 Fri. at Kent State Kent, Ohio 7:00

23 Tues. at South Carolina State Orangeburg, S.C. 7:00

28 Sun. at Penn State (Big Ten Network) University Park, Pa. 3:30

Dec.

1 Wed Elon* Greenville, S.C. 7:00

6 Mon. at UNC Greensboro* Greensboro, N.C. 7:00

12 Sun. at Middle Tennessee State Murfreesboro, Tenn. TBA

18 Sat. at North Florida Jacksonville, Fla. 7:00

22 Wed. South Carolina Greenville, S.C. 7:00

29 Wed. at UCF^ Orlando, Fla. TBA

30 Thurs. vs. Northeastern/Princeton^ Orlando, Fla. TBA

Jan.

3 Mon. UVA-Wise Greenville, S.C. 7:00

6 Thurs. College of Charleston* Greenville, S.C. 7:00

8 Sat. The Citadel* Greenville, S.C. 4:00

13 Thurs. at Davidson* Davidson, N.C. TBA

15 Sat. at Georgia Southern* Statesboro, Ga. TBA

20 Thurs. Samford* Greenville, S.C. 7:00

22 Sat. Chattanooga* Greenville, S.C. 4:00

24 Mon. at Wofford* Spartanburg, S.C. 7:00

27 Thurs. at Western Carolina* Cullowhee, N.C. 7:00

29 Sat. Appalachian State* Greenville, S.C. 4:00

Feb.

3 Thurs. at The Citadel* Charleston, S.C. TBA

5 Sat. at College of Charleston* Charleston, S.C. 4:00

10 Thurs. Georgia Southern* Greenville, S.C. 7:00

12 Sat. Davidson* Greenville, S.C. 4:00

19 Sat. at Samford* Birmingham, Ala. 5:00

21 Mon. at Chattanooga* Chattanooga, Tenn. 7:00

26 Sat. Wofford* Greenville, S.C. 4:00

Mar.

4-7 Fri.-Mon. SoCon Tournament Chattanooga, Tenn. TBA

Darrin Horn

darrin horn 8-24

Wofford ready to defend Southern Conference title

Wofford men’s basketball coach Mike Young has announced the schedule for the 2010-11 season. The schedule for the defending Southern Conference champions includes home games against Air Force and High Point, along with the Charleston Classic Tournament and an ESPN BracketBusters game in February.

“Needless to say this is as challenging of a slate we have faced at anytime as a program,” said head coach Mike Young. “However, I feel like good teams challenge themselves in the early going. We have a tough, experienced group back on this year’s team and we are all excited about the prospects that we have.”

Wofford will play 18 league games this season. The Terriers will have home-and-home series with South Division Teams, plus home-and-home games with Samford and Chattanooga in the North Division. Wofford will play Western Carolina, Appalachian State, UNC Greensboro and Elon from the North Division only once this season. 

The Terriers tip off the season on November 12 with a visit to Minnesota, which will be a homecoming game for seniors Noah Dahlman, Jamar Diggs and Cameron Rundles. After a road game against Clemson on November 15, Wofford will take part in the 2010 Charleston Classic. The field includes Charlotte, East Carolina, George Mason, Georgetown, North Carolina State and Wofford. The two teams that will round out the field will be announced at a later date, along with a schedule. 

Wofford opens the home slate on November 24 against Air Force before traveling to Xavier on November 27. The conference schedule begins on December 2 when the Terriers host UNC Greensboro. The first road SoCon game will be on December 4 at Elon. 

On December 11, Wofford will travel to South Carolina. High Point will visit Benjamin Johnson Arena on December 18. After a short break for Christmas, the Terriers will take part in a tournament hosted by Virginia Commonwealth on December 29 and 30 with VCU, Cornell and New Hampshire in the field. 

The Southern Conference schedule gets into full swing on January 6 against The Citadel, followed by the College of Charleston on January 8. A total of eight conference games make up the slate in January, with six of the games at home. In February, the team will take a break from conference games on February 19 to take part in the ESPN BracketBusters event. An opponent will be announced in late January for this home contest. The regular season concludes on February 26 at Furman. 

The Southern Conference Tournament is scheduled to begin on March 4 in Chattanooga, with the championship game slated for March 7.

Wofford’s 2010-11 basketball schedule

Friday Nov. 12 at Minnesota

Monday Nov. 15 at Clemson

Thursday Nov. 18 Charleston Classic, Charleston, SC

Friday Nov. 19 Charleston Classic, Charleston, SC

Sunday Nov. 21 Charleston Classic, Charleston, SC

Wednesday Nov. 24 Air Force

Saturday Nov. 27 at Xavier

Thursday Dec. 2 UNC Greensboro *

Saturday Dec. 4 at Elon *

Saturday Dec. 11 at South Carolina

Saturday Dec. 18 High Point

Wednesday Dec. 29 at VCU Tournament (VCU)

Thursday Dec. 30 at VCU Tournament (Cornell or New Hampshire)

Thursday Jan. 6 The Citadel *

Saturday Jan. 8 College of Charleston *

Thursday Jan. 13 at Georgia Southern *

Saturday Jan. 15 at Davidson *

Thursday Jan. 20 Chattanooga *

Saturday Jan. 22 Samford *

Monday Jan. 24 Furman *

Thursday Jan. 27 at Appalachian State *

Saturday Jan. 29 Western Carolina *

Thursday Feb. 3 at College of Charleston *

Saturday Feb. 5 at The Citadel *

Wednesday Feb. 9 Davidson *

Saturday Feb. 12 Georgia Southern *

Wednesday Feb. 16 at Samford *

Saturday Feb. 19 ESPN BrackBusters (TBA late January)

Wednesday Feb. 23 at Chattanooga *

Saturday Feb. 26 at Furman *

Horn releases non SEC games

The USC basketball team released its 2010-11 non-conference schedule today.  Here is a quick rundown of the teams the Gamecocks will face in its non SEC slate:

• Elon- November 12^th at the Colonial Life Arena
• Michigan State-November 16^th in East Lansing, Michigan
• Radford-November 19^th at the Colonial Life Arena
• USC Upstate-November 23^rd at the Colonial Life Arena
• Western Kentucky- November 27^th in Bowling Green, Kentucky
• Delaware State- December 1^st at the Colonial Life Arena
• Clemson- December 5^th at the Colonial Life Arena
• Wofford- December 11^th at the Colonial Life Arena
• Ohio State-December 18^th in Columbus, Ohio
• Furman-December 22 in Greenville
• Jacksonville State- December 29^th at the Colonial Life Arena
• Boston College- January 1^st at the Colonial Life Arena
• S.C. State- January 4^th at the Colonial Life Arena

Gamecock coach Darrin Horn will meet with the media later this afternoon and we will post his audio here following the press conference.

ESPN will be staging the maration for the third time.  19 men’s and one women’s game will be televised over a 25 hour period over the ESPN channels. 

Clemson participated in the marathon last season.  The Tigers played a 10:00 AM game at Liberty.

Here’s the release from ESPN including the schedule for the games

LJ Hepp

Former USC director of  basketball operations LJ Hepp has been hired as the new head coach for the Oita Heat Devils of the BJL Basketball Japan League.

The Cary News of North Carolina reported that Hepp, who worked last season for Darrin Horn in Columbia, was heading overseas with a three year contract. 

Hepp was a successful high school coach in North Carolina before joining Horn’s staff.

Reynolds attended Glenn Hills High School in Augusta, where he was named an All-State selection by the Georgia Sportswriters Association as a senior. In his senior season, Reynolds helped lead the Spartans to a 29-2 record and a state title with 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Reynolds was rated as a three-star reruit out of high school by Rivals.com and one of the top small forwards in the state of Georgia. He shared team MVP honors in three seasons and was named all-area and all-region in each of his final three seasons at Glenn Hills. He was rated the No. 1 small forward coming into the Atlantic Sun Conference and named that league’s top small forward by Rivals.

At Campbell, he earned the team’s Coaches Award after shooting 47.6% from the floor as a freshman in 2008-09. He played in 28 games as a freshman, scoring 13 points in a conference game against Stetson on February 27, 2009, and pulling down seven rebounds against VMI on December 9, 2008. In his sophomore season, Reynolds appeared in 25 games and earned a career best 10 rebounds against Southern Virginia on December 7, 2009.

“Chris is the prototypical Newberry basketball player,” Davis said. “He’s long, athletic, tough and has a tremendous work ethic. He is the kind of player we must have at Newberry to be successful.”

Gibbs, who hails from East Hartford, Conn., is a graduate of the Masters School, where he was coached by Ralph Auriental. Gibbs was ranked as the 138th best player in the nation by Rivals.com coming out of high school. Scout.com ranked Gibbs as the 28th best point guard in the nation, while Rivals tabbed him as the 33rd best point guard nationally. David was rated a 3-star recruit by Scouthoops.com and received a grade of 89 from ESPN Basketball Recruiting in 2008. Gibbs averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists per game in his senior season and 22.5 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds per game as a junior at the Masters School.

At UMass, Gibbs netted 11 points, while connecting on all three of his three-point attempts on November 27, 2010, against Rutgers in the Legends Classic. Gibbs also had a career high six assists against Grambling State on December 11, 2010. Gibbs averaged nearly 20 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2009-10, starting in 16 of his 21 appearances. As a freshman, Gibbs played in all 30 of the Minutemen’s games, earning starts in the final three games of the season for head coach Derek Kellogg.

“We are very excited to get a player of David’s quality in our first recruiting class,” Davis said. “He will have a chance to greatly impact our program immediately.”