Sports
Owls Face Season as Road Warriors
With only 12 home games, the Kennesaw State men's basketball team will travel to play Wisconsin, Missouri, Auburn and a tournament in Las Vegas.
New men’s basketball can be sure of one thing with the schedule the university released Monday: He won’t know the thrill of beating Georgia Tech, or anyone like the Yellow Jackets, this season in the KSU Convocation Center.
That’s because Georgia Tech, whose loss at Kennesaw last November was the highlight of the Owls' season, is gone from the schedule, and no top-tier team has filled that void on Kennesaw State’s home slate.
Instead, the Owls will play nine Atlantic Sun Conference games and nonconference games against Reinhardt, South Carolina State and Tennessee-Martin at home.
Find out what's happening in Kennesawwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Although Belmont, Lipscomb and Mercer are the home highlights for Kennesaw residents planning to catch some college basketball live, the Owls will face some big-time competition among their 19 games away from home.
They open will road games at Wisconsin on Nov. 12, Auburn on Nov. 14 and Chattanooga at Nov. 18 and will play at Missouri on Dec. 15, Missouri State on Dec. 17, St. Mary’s on Dec. 19 and Ohio on Dec. 30.
Find out what's happening in Kennesawwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Missouri State and St. Mary’s games are part of the iBN Sports Las Vegas Classic, the Owls will finish that tournament in Las Vegas with two games against opponents chosen from West Virginia, Baylor, Bethune Cookman, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Tennessee Tech.
The Owls’ home schedule starts Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. against Reinhardt. They also play an exhibition Nov. 2 at 7 against West Georgia.
Eight of Kennesaw State’s home games will start at 7 p.m., three at 5 and one at 3 (see the schedule below).
“I’m very excited about the schedule that we have put together for the coming season,” said Preston, named the in April. “We have numerous opportunities for us to get better as a team.”
The Owls will play 18 conference games this year instead of 20 because Campbell left the Atlantic Sun for the Big South.
Junior guard Markeith Cummings, who led the conference with 18.3 points per game last season, junior forward LaDaris Green, who led the league with 8.5 rebounds per game, and senior guard Spencer Dixon, who was second on the team with 13.1 points per game and first with 3.4 assists, lead nine returning lettermen for the Owls.
KSU 2011-12 Men's Basketball Schedule
West Georgia (exhibition) Wednesday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m. at Wisconsin Saturday, Nov. 12, time TBA at Auburn Monday, Nov. 14, time TBA at Chattanooga Friday, Nov. 18, TBA Reinhardt Wednesday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. South Carolina State Saturday, Nov. 26, 5 p.m. at Belmont* Thursday, Dec. 1, TBA at Lipscomb* Saturday, Dec. 3, TBA at Missouri Thursday, Dec. 15, TBA at Missouri State# Saturday, Dec. 17, TBA at Saint Mary's# Monday, Dec. 19, TBA Opponent TBD# Thursday, Dec. 22, TBA Opponent TBD# Friday, Dec. 23, TBA at Ohio Friday, Dec. 30, TBA Stetson* Monday, Jan. 2, 7 p.m. Florida Gulf Coast* Wednesday, Jan. 4, 7 p.m. at USC Upstate* Saturday, Jan. 7, 2 p.m. at East Tennessee State* Monday, Jan. 9, 7 p.m. at Mercer* Friday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m. at Charlotte Wednesday, Jan. 18, TBA Jacksonville* Saturday, Jan. 21, 5 p.m. North Florida* Monday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. at Florida Gulf Coast* Saturday, Jan. 28, TBA at Stetson* Monday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. East Tennessee State* Saturday, Feb. 4, 3 p.m. USC Upstate* Monday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m. Mercer* Friday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m. Tennessee-Martin Tuesday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. at North Florida* Saturday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m. at Jacksonville* Monday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m. Belmont* Thursday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m. Lipscomb* Saturday, Feb. 25, 5 p.m.Bold games are at home *Atlantic Sun Conference games #IBN Sports Las Vegas Classic; first two games at campus sites, final two games at Las Vegas' Orleans Arena
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.