Men's Basketball Southern Conference

SoCon Basketball Updates, Nov. 10, 2004

The Citadel

Charleston, SC - Head basketball coach Pat Dennis and the 2004-05 Citadel basketball team will host Augusta State Thursday night, November 11, in a preseason exhibition game at 7:15 in McAlister Field House. All Bulldog fans are invited to attend and there is no admission charge.

The Bulldogs, who return four starters from last year's squad, will face off against the Jaguars in their only exhibition game of the 2004-05 preseason.

"This is a great opportunity for our team to earn valuable experience," Dennis stated. "It will also give our coaching staff a chance to see what areas we need to improve on before we open the season next week."

The Citadel will open the season on November 20 at West Point against the United State Military Academy, while the Bulldogs first home game will be versus Washington & Lee, Dennis' alma mater, on Tuesday, November 23 at 7:15 in McAlister Field House.

Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga mens basketball team will play its first and only exhibition game of the preseason Wednesday at 7 p.m. at The McKenzie Arena. The Mocs, under first-year Head Coach John Shulman, welcome Mars Hill College to the Roundhouse.

The NCAA does not allow its Division I members to play traveling teams made up of former college players in the preseason any more. Instead, each program may play two games against lower-division programs.

The Lions, out of Mars Hill, N.C., are an NCAA Division II team out of the South Atlantic Conference.

They are very good,Shulman said of Mars Hill. They lost in overtime in their last game at UNC Asheville. They were down by four to Elon. They are well coached. This will give us a realistic idea of where our team is.

This is not going to be like exhibition games of the past where we beat teams like VASDA by 54 points. It will be a very competitive game.

The Lions dropped a 78-59 game at Elon last Thursday and an 83-76 overtime loss at UNC Asheville Saturday. Senior forward Jeremiah Tinch, 6-8, led Mars Hill at Elon with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Kirby Lee, a 6-1 senior guard, led he Lions in their last outing with 21 points.

Senior Richie Covington, a 6-7 post, and 6-3 wing Walt Baxley, were both chosen to the Preseason All-SAC Second Team. Mars Hills head coach, Terry Rogers, is a former assistant at Western Carolina, and his son, assistant coach Casey Rogers, was a standout for the Catamounts before graduating in 2002.

Shulman said he expects to use his veterans in the early going, meaning the starting lineup would likely consist of guard Casey Long, wing Chris Brown and forwards Mindaugas Katelynas and Alphonso Pugh. He also singled out the preseason play of junior forward Charles Anderson. Junior college transfer Steve Cherry will likely get the start at the other guard position.

I think our returning guys deserve it,Shulman said. The intensity level we will play at has not been seen here in awhile. Trust me. I will find five people who will play hard.

Admission is $7 for an upper level seat and $13 for the lower level. Tickets can be purchased at The McKenzie Arena ticket windows.

Elon

ELON, N.C. -- The Elon Athletics Foundation will host a Phoenix town hall meeting with head basketball coaches Ernie Nestor and Brenda Paul on Thursday evening beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Alumni Gym on the Elon campus.

The meeting will be hosted by David Hibbard who will interview both coaches. An open question and answer period will follow.

Members of the EAF, community fans and the Elon student-body will be treated to an interactive conversation, insight and candid discussion into the much anticipated 2004-05 Phoenix basketball seasons.

For more information, contact Trey Stewart at 336-278-6709 or tstewart@elon.edu.