Coastal Carolina released its 2011-12 men's basketball schedule Tuesday, revealing a home slate highlighted by matchups with SEC-foe Louisiana State and in-state challenger College of Charleston and key non-conference road games against Clemson, Florida International, The Citadel and East Carolina.
The Chanticleers open the season Nov. 11 at Kimbel Arena against Division III opponent Covenant and tip-off Big South Conference play at home Dec. 1 against VMI.
"These are just great series that should be exciting for our fans, get our players ready, and of course [in] conference play, we've got a target on our back," CCU coach Cliff Ellis said, noting the highlights of the schedule.
This will mark the second straight season Coastal has played LSU. The Chants scored a 78-69 overtime upset in Baton Rouge, La., last December and had planned for the rematch to be a marquee game to help open the school's Student Recreation and Convocation Center. But the new on-campus facility will not be completed as early as initially hoped and may not be used at all this season, so the Tigers will instead come to cramped Kimbel Arena for what will surely be a unique atmosphere for the SEC foes.
"I can't think of anyone that's ever been any stronger coming to Kimbel Arena," Ellis said. "Certainly, we had the aspiration to have them at the Convocation Center, but that’s not going to happen. But we're excited to be playing them.'
Ellis said he never had any concerns about the game remaining on the schedule after it was revealed in April that the new arena would not be ready in time.
"It is what it is," he said. "We're a program that's established itself as a top-150 program, which is important with the RPI. We've just got teams that have a desire to have series with us because we don’t hurt their RPI and we both help each other. That’s how far the program's come."
The game at Clemson is the start of a three-year series with Ellis' old program -- he coached the Tigers for 10 seasons from 1984-85 through 1993-94. And the Florida International game is the start of a home-and-home series, Ellis said, with the Golden Panthers -- coached by NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas -- coming to Conway next season.
The Chants, who are coming off their second-straight Big South regular-season championship and back-to-back 28-win seasons, will also be part of ESPN's Bracketbusters on Feb. 18 while the non-conference schedule is balanced by four games against Division III programs.
| Ryan Young, ryoung@thesunnews.com
2011-12 Coastal Carolina men’s basketball schedule
Date Day Opponent Time
Nov. 11 Fri. vs. Covenant 7 p.m.
Nov. 12 Sat. vs. Methodist 2 p.m.
Nov. 15 Tues. vs. LSU 7 p.m.
Nov. 18 Fri. vs. Spalding 7 p.m.
Nov. 22 Tues. at Clemson 7 p.m.
Nov. 26 Sat. at Florida Int. TBA
Dec. 1 Thurs. vs. VMI 7 p.m.
Dec. 3 Sat. vs. Liberty 2 p.m.
Dec. 6 Tues. at The Citadel 7:05 p.m.
Dec. 16 Fri. vs. Lynchburg 7 p.m.
Dec. 19 Mon. at East Carolina 7 p.m.
Dec. 22 Thurs. vs. Col. of Char. 7 p.m.
Dec. 31 Sat. at High Point 7 p.m.
Jan. 2 Mon. at Campbell 7:45 p.m.
Jan. 7 Sat. at CSU 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 12 Thurs. vs. GWU 7 p.m.
Jan. 14 Sat. vs. Presbyterian 4 p.m.
Jan. 17 Tues. at UNC Asheville 7 p.m.
Jan. 21 Sat. vs. Radford 2 p.m.
Jan. 26 Thurs. at Presbyterian 7 p.m.
Jan. 28 Sat. at GWU 7 p.m.
Feb. 4 Sat. vs. CSU 4 p.m.
Feb. 7 Tues. vs. Campbell 7 p.m.
Feb. 9 Thurs. vs. High Point 7 p.m.
Feb. 11 Sat. at Winthrop TBA
Feb. 14 Tues. vs. UNC Asheville 7 p.m.
Feb. 18 Sat. ESPN BracketBusters
Feb. 23 Thurs. at Liberty 7 p.m.
Feb. 25 Sat. at VMI 1 p.m.
Feb. 27-March 3 Big South tournament
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