CHARLESTON, S.C. – Road trips to
national powers Arizona, Alabama, and Wichita State, as well as a competitive
home schedule, highlight a challenging 2012-2013 slate for the Charleston
Southern Men's Basketball Team. CSU head coach Barclay Radebaugh
announced the schedule on Tuesday.
An intriguing season opener at
Charlotte, a home-and-home with East Tennessee State, and home dates with
intercity rivals The Citadel and College of Charleston are sure to create
excitement for a promising campaign.
"This is without a doubt the most
attractive and challenging schedule during our time here at CSU," Radabaugh
said. We have the privilege to host three outstanding basketball programs in
the first semester in The Citadel, ETSU and College of Charleston. Those games
combined with extremely tough road contests at ETSU, Arizona, Alabama and
Wichita State should prepare our team to face a very rigorous Big South
Conference schedule. We are excited to get started and are looking forward to
the upcoming season."
The Bucs open the season with a
stern test as they travel to Charlotte to take on the 49ers in the Queen City
on Friday, Nov. 9. After the opener, CSU will head west to Tuscon to square off
against Sean Miller's Arizona Wildcats on Nov. 11.
Following the long road trip to
begin the year, CSU returns home to the friendly confines of Buccaneer
Fieldhouse, where it went 12-2 a season ago en route to a 19-12 final overall
record. The Bucs welcome Hiwassee College in the home opener on Thursday, Nov.
15, before hosting Radebaugh's alma mater, East Tennessee State, five days
later on November 20. CSU will return that game a month later when they journey
to Johnson City, Tenn. on Dec. 18 to face ETSU.
The final two games of the
November docket will also be telling, beginning with a trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Radebaugh and company will battle Alabama on Thanksgiving weekend, tipping off
against the Crimson Tide on Friday, Nov. 23. Five days later, on Nov. 28, the
Bucs return to what figures to be a great home atmosphere against College of
Charleston, who dealt CSU a hard-fought 70-68 defeat at TD Arena last season.
Following a Dec. 1 contest against
Barber Scotia, CSU aims for its fourth straight win over The Citadel in a
Tuesday, Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m. tipoff. The Bucs posted a thrilling 68-61 win
against the Bulldogs the last time the two teams met at the Buc Dome in 2010,
and took advantage of a young Citadel team for an 88-69 triumph at McAllister
Field House a year ago.
CSU will once again be challenged
away from home the week prior to Christmas, as they meet East Tennessee State
for the second time on Dec. 18, before heading to Kansas for a matchup with
Wichita State on Dec. 20. The Shockers won 27 games and reached the NCAA
Tournament last season, a year after winning the NIT title. Wichita State handed
CSU an 85-57 defeat last year, and is led by Greg Marshall, the former
Winthrop head coach and a close friend of Radebaugh's.
After a brief respite for
Christmas and a nine-day layoff from game action, CSU has one more tune-up for
Big South Conference play when it hosts Virginia Intermont on Saturday,
December 29.
The rigors of the Big South
schedule begin on Jan. 5, as CSU looks to continue its push toward the top of
the league standings after finishing in a tie for third in 2011-12. First up is
a road game at Radford on the 5th, as head coach Mike Jones
looks to lead the Highlanders back from a last place finish in his first season
at the helm.
Three of CSU's next four Big South
contests are at home, beginning with in-state rival Winthrop in the conference
home opener on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m., and continuing with UNC
Asheville on Jan. 16 and High Point on Saturday, January 19.
The beginning of CSU's February's
slate figures to be critical in the Big South race, as CSU travels to Coastal Carolina
on Feb. 6, before playing host to Campbell Saturday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. The
Bucs and Chanticleers have developed an intense rivalry in recent years, with
seven of the last ten meetings being decided by four points or less. The
Fighting Camels return plenty from their 2011-12 team, which tied CSU for third
place in the regular season standings, meanwhile, and the two squads each held
serve on their home court a year ago.
CSU faces off against two-time
defending Big South champion UNC Asheville at Kimmel Arena on Saturday, Feb.
16, as the Bucs return to the spot where an excellent 2011-12 season ended in
the Big South Tournament Semifinals.
The end of the February slate also
contains highlights, as CSU hosts high-flying VMI on Thursday, February 21 in a
matchup that is likely to produce constant end-to-end action. CSU then steps
out of league play for its ESPN BracketBuster contest on Saturday, February 23,
as the Bucs will play a to-be-determined opponent on the road a year after
dominating Southern Conference power Wofford on senior night.
Jeremy Sexton and Mathiang Muo's senior night also has a chance
to be a memorable one, as CSU opposes rival Coastal Carolina in the regular
season finale on Saturday, March 2 in a 5:30 p.m. tipoff that is sure to have
the Buc Dome rocking.
CSU will then head to Conway for
the Big South Tournament, where they hope to take a leap forward from last
year's semifinal appearance, which was the program's first since 2006. With the
reigning Big South Coach of the Year in Radebaugh, and a trio of second-year
assistants, on the sideline, two all-freshmen team performers in the backcourt,
four returning starters and plenty of experience across the board.
Courtesy: CSU Athletics
*= Big South Conference game
