Men’s Basketball Announces 2015-16 Schedule
Herd to face three power conference opponents
Herd to face three power conference opponents
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall men’s basketball coach Dan D’Antoni announced the Herd’s 2015-16 schedule on Monday. Highlights include 14 home dates, with nine during the Conference USA season.
“We wanted to make the schedule very competitive out of conference,” D’Antoni said. “There will be some days that really test us, with Maryland being a potential top 10 team. There’s also West Virginia and Tennessee, two more power conference teams. We’ve beefed up the schedule to test ourselves early. We want to be battle-ready for conference play, with the ultimate goal being the NCAA Tournament.”
For the first time in 46 years, the Herd tips off regular-season play against a power conference opponent when it faces Tennessee on Nov. 19 in Knoxville. The last time Marshall opened in such fashion was Dec. 1, 1969: a 96-80 loss at Kansas.
The highlight of Marshall’s non-conference slate is a road game against Big Ten juggernaut Maryland on Dec. 27 in College Park, Md. The Terrapins are a presumed 2015-16 preseason favorite after a 28-7 season in 2014-15 that ended in the NCAA Tournament third round.
The Herd’s 97th meeting with regional rival Morehead State is set for Nov. 24 on the road before its home opener against James Madison (Nov. 27) at Cam Henderson Center. The JMU game is the first of two against the Dukes, with the second on Dec. 5 in Harrisonburg, Va. Between the JMU dates is a matchup with Ohio on Dec. 2 in Athens, Ohio.
Marshall returns home for a three-game stretch beginning with Eastern Illinois (Dec. 9), Eastern Kentucky (Dec. 12) and regular-season MEAC champion North Carolina Central (Dec. 14). Following the homestand is the annual Capital Classic against West Virginia at the Charleston Civic Center (Dec. 17).
The Herd will take a pre-holiday trip to Las Vegas for the Global Sports Classic. Marshall takes on reigning Mountain West Conference tournament champion Wyoming on Dec. 21, followed by either Grand Canyon or Houston on Dec. 22.
Completing the Herd’s non-conference schedule is a home meeting against Akron. The game will be played during the Herd’s conference schedule, with a date to be determined.
Marshall keeps WKU as its travel partner for the 18-game Conference USA slate. The Herd’s nine-game conference home schedule begins with the Hilltoppers (Jan. 3), followed by Florida Atlantic (Feb. 7), FIU (Feb. 9), Middle Tennessee (Jan. 28), UAB (Jan. 30), Charlotte (Feb. 18), Old Dominion (Feb. 20), Louisiana Tech (March 3) and closes with Southern Miss for Senior Day (March 5).
The C-USA Tournament returns to the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, in Birmingham, Ala., March 8-12. It was approved that the tournament, hosted by UAB, will now include all 14 member schools.
Season ticket renewals begin online on Aug. 17, with the deadline set Sept. 25. General public sales for season tickets begin Oct. 12. All dates are subject to change. Season ticket prices for the 2015-16 basketball season will mirror those prices from the previous year. Please direct any questions about season tickets to the Marshall University Athletics Ticket Office at 800-THE-HERD, or visit HerdZone.com.
2015-16 Marshall Men’s Basketball Schedule
Nov. 19 – at Tennessee
Nov. 24 – at Morehead State
Nov. 27 – James Madison
Dec. 2 – at Ohio
Dec. 5 – at James Madison
Dec. 9 – Eastern Illinois
Dec. 12 – Eastern Kentucky
Dec. 14 – North Carolina Central
Dec. 17 – vs. West Virginia (Capital Classic, Charleston, W.Va.)
Dec. 21 – vs. Wyoming (Global Sports Classic, Las Vegas)
Dec. 22 – vs. Grand Canyon or Houston (Global Sports Classic, Las Vegas)
Dec. 27 – at Maryland
TBA – Akron
Jan. 3 – WKU*
Jan. 7 – Florida Atlantic*
Jan. 9 – FIU*
Jan. 14 – at North Texas*
Jan. 16 – at Rice*
Jan. 21 – at Charlotte*
Jan. 23 – at Old Dominion*
Jan. 28 – Middle Tennessee*
Jan. 30 – UAB*
Feb. 4 – at UTEP*
Feb. 6 – at UTSA*
Feb. 13 – at WKU*
Feb. 18 – Charlotte*
Feb. 20 – Old Dominion*
Feb. 25 – at UAB*
Feb. 27 – at Middle Tennessee*
March 3 – LA Tech*
March 5 – Southern Miss*
March 8-12 – C-USA Tournament (Birmingham, Ala.)
* - Conference USA opponent
Game times with television designation will be announced at a later date.
For all the latest information about Marshall men’s basketball, follow @HerdMBB on Twitter.
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