By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
2015-16 Tennessee Tech Men's Basketball Schedule
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Golden Eagle fans will have plenty of opportunities to watch the Tennessee Tech basketball team take the newly renovated Eblen Center court this season with the 2015-16 men's basketball schedule featuring 15 home games, including eight doubleheaders with the women's squad.
The first section of the slate bodes especially well for the Tech faithful, as the Golden Eagles will defend its home six times in the first eight games, including three straight days following Thanksgiving. Doubleheader action for the men's team features match-ups with Piedmont College, Miami (OH), Eastern Illinois, SIUE, Southeast Missouri, Belmont, Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky.
"As always, we are playing a very challenging non-conference schedule," head coach Steve Payne began. "We are very fortunate that we have several terrific home games, as well as a few regional contests that will allow our fans a chance to see us on the road as well as in the Eblen Center."
The newest campaign for the Tech squad all starts with the program's third annual Purple Palooza, the annual basketball kickoff celebration, on Oct. 27. On Nov. 14, the 2015-16 season will be officially underway when Piedmont College (not to be confused with last year's opening opponent, Piedmont International) makes the trip to Cookeville. The contest marks the first doubleheader of the season with the TTU women's team and also marks a Tech Athletics tripleheader with the annual Homecoming football game earlier in the day.
"We are excited that we get to open up during homecoming weekend this year," Payne explained, "which is probably the first homecoming that we are able to be at home for in a while. It's just a great opportunity for our fans to witness our student-athletes perform both on the gridiron and on the hardwood."
Tournament action makes its way early into the year's docket, as the Golden Eagles head west for the first part of the Air Force Classic, a tournament spanning 12 days with five teams competing among three campus sites. Tech will visit Air Force to open the road schedule, visiting the Falcons in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Nov. 16.
Two days later, the Golden Eagles will wrap up its two-game road trip, facing off against a highly successful New Mexico State squad down in Las Cruces, N.M. An NCAA tournament participant last season, the Aggies took home not only the Western Athletic Conference regular season title, but also the tournament championship. New Mexico State boasted a 13-1 league mark and a very impressive 17-2 record at home in the Pan American Center.
"The opening two games in the Air Force Classic will be early tests for our team," Payne said. "Trips like this are great for our guys. It gives them a chance to see another part of the country they may have not otherwise visited and provides us competition we normally wouldn't be able to play against. Both contests should give us an early indicator of where we stand."
Following the two-game road trip, the team returns home for a five-game home stand, beginning with a Nov. 24 tilt against Jackson State. A brief break for Thanksgiving paves the way for the return to play in the Air Force Classic as the Golden Eagles play host to to last season's Northeast Conference tournament champion and NCAA tournament representative, Robert Morris, on Friday, Nov. 27.
The next day features a showdown against UC Clermont, a brief break from the Air Force Classic. Tech will suit up for a third consecutive night on Nov. 29 in the final contest of the tournament, playing host to Mississippi Valley State.
"The conclusion of the tournament is part of five straight home games for us," Payne explained. "There are several winnable games during that stretch, but it won't be easy. Five contests in nine days is tough for any team, but we will approach that part of the schedule the same as any other; one game at a time. We look forward to the challenge."
Also highlighting the non-conference slate for the Golden Eagles in 2015-16 is a road contest at Arkansas. On Dec. 12, Tech will face off against the Razorbacks for the first time in program history, leaving just LSU and Texas A&M as the only Southeastern Conference teams never to take on the purple and gold of Cookeville. Arkansas earned a 17-2 mark at home last season, finishing second in the SEC in both the regular season and the tournament championship, and representing the third team on the schedule that made an NCAA appearance last season.
"We try to always put at least one SEC opponent on our schedule and were able to do that with the contest at Arkansas right after finals," Payne said. "We have been really close in those games the last couple of years and we truly feel we are due to come away with a big win in one them."
Three in-state rematches are on the docket, including battles from last season against East Tennessee State (Dec. 2), at Lipscomb (Dec. 5) and at Chattanooga (Dec. 15). Tech took the contests against the Bisons and Mocs last season at home while falling on the road to the Buccaneers.
"We are very thankful to be able to continue some series with teams that are close enough that our fans can not only go to the home games, but can go to the road games and watch us in a different atmosphere," Payne explained. "That gives Golden Eagle fans another chance to see Division I college basketball.
"Anything that we can do to spur the interest of our fans, and of basketball, in the Upper Cumberland, we want to do," Payne added. "We are excited to continue contests within the region. We have had some success in those games recently and we would like to continue that success."
Tech's second doubleheader of the season pits the home squad in a Dec. 18 connection with Miami (Ohio), while the non-conference finale arrives just four days later on Dec. 22 with a meeting against the Hawkeyes in Iowa City, Iowa. Like Arkansas, the Big Ten opponent also posted a remarkable record in the comfort of its home arena, going 14-4 in the Carver-Hawkeye Arena on its way to an NCAA bid.
"I think that you have to be really mature as you go through a non-conference schedule," Payne remarked, "whether you have success or you don't have success. You have to understand that when you get into conference, everything gets a little tougher."
The Ohio Valley Conference portion of the 2015-16 schedule proves to be yet again a challenge full of great opportunity for exhilarating contests and down-to-the-wire action. Tech will kick off league play on New Year's Eve, playing host to Eastern Illinois in doubleheader action. Other home games within the league include SIUE, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Belmont, Jacksonville State, Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky.
As for the road portion of the OVC slate, the Golden Eagles will hit the highways to face Murray State, Austin Peay, UT Martin, Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Tennessee State and Belmont.
"There was a time, I think, in this league where conference play got easier," Payne said. "It is not that way anymore. I think all of us coaches agree that once you get into league play, it seems to get tougher. It's just the quality of coaches and players that the Ohio Valley Conference has had."
Within the schedule, Tech faces six opponents for the first time in program history, including the contests against Piedmont College, Jackson State, UC Clermont, Robert Morris, Arkansas and Miami (OH). The newest Golden Eagle campaign also introduces the first match-up against New Mexico State since 1968-69 and the first tilt against Iowa since 1969-70.
