EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team will begin the 2005-06 campaign in the southern states, beginning with an exhibition game at the University of Tennessee on November 3. The USI-UT exhibition will be the second time that Screaming Eagles' Head Coach
Rick Herdes and former USI Head Coach Bruce Pearl have gone head-to-head on the basketball court.
USI will start the regular season November 11 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Division II Tip-off Classic in Orlando, Florida. The Eagles are appearing in the Tip-off Classic for the third time, claiming the championship in 1997.
Following the Tip-off Classic, the University of Louisville hosts the Eagles for an exhibition game on November 20.
The home opener at the Physical Activities Center will be November 22 when the Eagles host Robert Morris College to begin a three-game homestand. USI concludes its first homestand of the year by hosting the USI Invitational November 25-26, featuring Bellarmine University, Central State University, and Glenville State College.
The GLVC schedule will be different in 2005-06 for Eagle fans as the league expands to 14 schools and splits into East and West Divisions. Teams will play home-and-home contests within their own division and once against each team from other division.
USI will be in the West Division that also includes Drury University University of Missouri-Rolla University of Missouri-St. Louis Quincy University Rockhurst University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
The Eagles start the conference schedule on the road at the UM-Rolla December 1 and begins league action at the PAC by hosting the University of Wisconsin-Parkside December 8.
The highlights of the USI games with the East Division are on the road when the Eagles play at Northern Kentucky University January 7 and at Kentucky Wesleyan College on February 4. USI will host the University of Indianapolis January 26.
The USI Homecoming Game will feature the Eagles against Rockhurst University February 11, while Senior Day is scheduled for February 25 when the Eagles host Missouri-St. Louis.
