MSU announces final '08-'09 men’s basketball schedule
The 2008-09 Missouri State University men’s basketball team will play the most regular-season home games in the program’s history and will christen its new $67 million basketball facility, JQH Arena, with a home opener on Nov. 22 against 2008 NCAA Tournament qualifier Arkansas.
Eight non-conference home games will complement a nine-game Missouri Valley Conference home schedule and two preseason exhibition games, giving Bears fans 19 home dates to see first-year head coach Cuonzo Martin’s team in action. In all, the team will enjoy 17 regular-season home dates at JQH Arena, in addition to the two preseason contests to be played at Hammons Student Center on Nov. 3 and Nov. 10.
After opening the regular season on the road at Auburn (Nov. 14) and Central Michigan (Nov. 17), the Bears kick off a four-game home stand in their new, state-of-the-art, 11,000-seat facility with a string of familiar foes.
The Arkansas Razorbacks, who were also the Bears’ first opponent for the Hammons Student Center opener on December 1, 1976, will be Missouri State’s guests for the inaugural game at JQH Arena on Nov. 22. The Bears’ second Southeastern Conference foe in its first three games finished with a 23-12 record a year ago and defeated Indiana in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 1 regional seed North Carolina in the second round.
"The highlight of the schedule, period, is the opening of JQH Arena," said Missouri State Director of Athletics Bill Rowe. "We’re fortunate that Arkansas will be our first opponent in the new arena, and we appreciate them coming here to be a part of this historic event."
After the inaugural game at JQH Arena, the Bears will play host to 2008 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) qualifier Utah on Nov. 28 before entertaining Arkansas-Little Rock on Dec. 3.
The Trojans are coming off a 20-11 campaign that saw them earn a No. 2 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, ahead of 2008 NCAA Tournament sweetheart Western Kentucky. The four-game home stint concludes on Dec. 6 against Arkansas State, beginning a four-year scheduling commitment with the Red Wolves.
The Bears travel to 2008 CBI champion Tulsa on Dec. 10 in the team’s final non-conference road game of the season. The Golden Hurricane defeated MVC rival Bradley two games to one in the CBI final series and finished with a 25-14 ledger in 2008.
