By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL – The Illinois State men’s basketball team will play games against at least five 2016 Division I postseason qualifiers, including three NCAA Tournament teams, and five opponents who won 20 or more games last season as part of the Redbirds’ 2016-17 non-conference schedule, as announced by fifth-year head coach Dan Muller on Tuesday. Start times have yet to be determined.
“I really like how our non-conference schedule shaped up for us this year with tough opponents and venues, different styles and a great opportunity in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii,” Muller said. “As I say every year, I want to prepare our team for a tough conference slate, play in exciting venues and play quality opponents so our team can have a great chance at postseason play. I believe this schedule gives us all of those things. I look forward to seeing Redbird Arena rocking this 2016-17 season.”
The Redbirds are slated to play six regular-season non-conference games on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena, beginning with a Nov. 16 home contest versus 2016 National Invitation Tournament qualifier IPFW and concluding with a home date against 2016 NCAA Tournament team Saint Joseph’s Dec. 18.
Following a home exhibition game versus NCAA Division II Quincy Nov. 6, Illinois State will tip off the 2016-17 season Nov. 11 in Murray, Kentucky, at Murray State. The Redbirds will then open their home schedule Nov. 16 against IPFW before traveling to Fort Worth, Texas, for a Nov. 21 matchup with Big 12 foe TCU.
Illinois State is slated to play five of its next six games on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena, beginning with a Nov. 27 contest versus Division II Ferris State. Next, the Redbirds will host IUPUI Nov. 30 followed by New Mexico Dec. 3 for the annual Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge.
After three-straight home games, ISU is scheduled to travel west to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to play 2016 NCAA qualifier and former MVC foe Tulsa Dec. 7. The midweek matchup will mark the first meeting between the Redbirds and the Golden Hurricane since Tulsa left the MVC following the 1995-96 season.
The Redbirds will return home for their next two games, starting Dec. 10 against 2016 College Insider Tournament (CIT) qualifier UT Martin, followed by a Dec. 18 contest versus 2016 NCAA team Saint Joseph’s.
Illinois State is slated to wrap up its non-conference schedule with three games at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, Dec. 22, 23 and 25, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Diamond Head Classic’s eight-team field includes four NCAA Tournament qualifiers and one NIT team.
ISU will open tournament play against 2016 NCAA qualifier Hawai’i in a Dec. 22 nightcap, with tipoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. HT, which translates to 12:30 a.m. CT on Dec. 23. The Redbirds will then face either Utah or San Francisco on Dec. 23 in a championship bracket or consolation semifinal matchup. The Utes also played in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
The 2016-17 Illinois State men’s basketball team returns four of five starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s team which finished 18-14 overall and tied for second place with a 12-6 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference, signifying ISU’s highest league finish and most conference wins since 2007-08.
