With a team that is coming off back-to-back championship seasons and trips to the NCAA Championships, the ETSU men’s basketball program was looking for a 2010-11 schedule that would be a challenge while also preparing the team for the Atlantic Sun Conference slate.Well, mission accomplished.

Head coach Murry Bartow unveiled the upcoming season schedule Friday and said it offers exactly what his team is looking for this season.

“We think we have a chance to be a pretty good team this year, so we wanted a schedule that gave us a chance to play the best,” said Bartow, who returns every major contributor to last year’s team with the exception of graduated point guard Jocolby Davis.

“It’s going to be a challenge and obviously tough. As a coach, it is a concern because you don’t want to reach the conference season beat up and discouraged, but at the same time I think our team welcomes this type of challenge.”

The Buccaneers will begin the season with 10 of their first 12 games on the road, with the season opener on Nov. 12 at Kentucky (Nov. 12). Visits to other SEC schools like Mississippi State (Dec. 11) and Ole Miss (Dec. 18) come later in the year, along with a trip to Dayton (Dec. 1). The team will also take on traditionally strong programs such as Murray State (Nov. 15) and Charleston (Dec. 7) on the road, while facing Conference USA foe Southern Miss (Dec. 22) in the first round of the Cancun Governor’s Cup.

ETSU Homecoming Week will be highlighted by a visit from former Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee Tech (Nov. 15), and the Bucs will also enjoy a five-game home stand in league play from Jan. 21 to Jan. 31. That stretch will include visits from league rivals Belmont (Jan. 23), Lipscomb (Jan. 21) and Kennesaw State (Jan. 29). The overall schedule includes 14 home games, including two exhibitions to open the season against Carson Newman (Nov. 2) and Tusculum (Nov. 8).

For more on ETSU men’s basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s basketball link.

2010-11 ETSU Men’s

Basketball Schedule

Tuesday, Nov. 2

Carson Newman, 7 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 8

Tusculum 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 12

at Kentucky, TBA

Monday, Nov. 15

at Murray State, TBA

Saturday, Nov. 20

Tennessee Tech, 4 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 27

Milligan, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 1

at Dayton, TBA

Saturday, Dec. 4

at USC Upstate, TBA

Tuesday, Dec. 7

College of Charleston, TBA

Saturday, Dec. 11

Mississippi State, TBA

Saturday, Dec. 18

at Ole Miss, TBA

Friday, Dec. 22-24

vs. Southern Miss, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 23

Cancun Governor’s

Cup Semifinals

Sunday, Dec. 24

Cancun Governor’s

Cup Finals

Thursday, Dec. 30

Campbell, 7 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 3

at Mercer, TBA

Wednesday, Jan. 5

at Kennesaw State, TBA

Saturday, Jan. 8

Florida Gulf Coast, 4 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 10

Stetson, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 13

North Florida, TBA

Saturday, Jan. 15

Jacksonville, TBA

Friday, Jan. 21

Lipscomb, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 23

Belmont, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 25

USC Upstate, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 29

Kennesaw State, 4 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 31

Mercer, 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 4.

Florida Gulf Coast, TBA

Sunday, Feb. 6

at Stetson, TBA

Friday, Feb. 11

Jacksonville, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 13

North Florida, 4 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 17

at Belmont, TBA

Saturday, Feb. 19

at Lipscomb, TBA

Thursday, Feb. 24

at Campbell, 7:30 p.m.

March 2-5

Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament

Macon, Ga., TBA

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