Men's Basketball - August 23, 2004
<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Challenging Schedule Will Test Blue Raiders Early</span>
MT Media Relations

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee men's basketball coach Kermit Davis believes a challenging schedule, particularly during the non-conference portion of the season, goes a long way in preparing a team for conference play. Given that, the Blue Raiders should be battle tested by the time they begin Sun Belt Conference play in January.

Nine of the 14 non-conference teams on the 2004-05 men's basketball schedule completed last season with winning records so it stands to reason the Blue Raiders will be tested early. Middle Tennessee's schedule also includes an exempt tournament to Puerto Rico for the San Juan Shootout during the Christmas break.

In addition to playing host to Virginia Commonwealth, a NCAA Tournament participant in 2004, Middle Tennessee's schedule will see the return of regional rivals Belmont (Nov. 29) and Tennessee State (Dec. 5) to the Murphy Center. The Blue Raiders also will play at Austin Peay (Dec. 30). Middle Tennessee also has early-season games at Big East power Villanova (Dec. 27) and WAC contender Rice (Nov. 23).

A new team on the schedule will be Mississippi Valley State, which won the SWAC regular-season last year. Middle Tennessee will play a home-and-home with the Devils.

"I think it's a good, challenging schedule," Davis said. "I like that we are playing at home a lot in the months of November and December while our students are here. You've got NCAA Tournament teams, you have a Big East team in Villanova that will be a projected Top 30 team, we've been able to get some very good rivals back on the schedule, such as Tennessee State and Belmont.

"I believe we will be challenged early and that will help us for the Sun Belt."

Speaking of the Sun Belt, Middle Tennessee opens the league slate at home against defending SBC East Division champion Arkansas-Little Rock, and also plays Western Kentucky, Arkansas State, South Alabama, New Orleans, North Texas and Florida International at the Murphy Center.

Middle Tennessee plays five of its final eight and seven of its last 12 regular-season games at Murphy Center, which could be a favor in scheduling considering the improvement the team has made late in the season in each of the last two years. The Blue Raiders return four starters and seven letterwinners from last season, but they will be without the services of 6-foot-9 center Steve Thomas, a University of Georgia transfer who will not become eligible until after final exams, for the first seven games due to the NCAA transfer rule.

"We play some very good teams early so that's going to be tough, but we have seven guys returning who played a lot for us last season," Davis said. "We have a big void to replace in Tommy Gunn, who was All-Sun Belt two straight years, but I feel good about our recruits. I believe we have depth."

One difference this season will be experience. In each of Davis' first two seasons he has spent the majority of the preconference schedule developing teams with several new players and starters. The return of four starters and several veterans should be a welcome factor.

"I hope our goal is to be better at the end, but we want our team to be better early. The last two years has been totally new teams and trying to get them going against a good schedule, so hopefully we can get off to a better start."

In all, Middle Tennessee is assured 30 games this season, including the first-round game in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Denton, Texas, March 5-8. Fifteen home contests are featured on the schedule, including the exhibition contest against North Alabama.

Not a bad schedule for a team with that many newcomers.