(St. Louis, MO) – The day college basketball fans have looked forward to since the first weekend of April is here. It’s opening day of the collegiate hoop season. I know the Association has been playing already, but to this sports writer/fan, this is the true beginning of the basketball season.
Most of the Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conference teams get started tonight! Nine MVC teams and eight OVC members begin the five-month marathon tonight. In the first of 15 games pitting these two conferences against one another, Illinois State travels to Murray State.
Three games feature opponents with a national pedigree. Evansville travels to Louisville for a game with the Cardinals. Tennessee Martin plays at Ole Miss and defending OVC Tournament champ Austin Peay tangles with Dayton in Ohio. Those games point out the difficulty for OVC and Valley schools. To play the ‘power’ competition, they most often have to play true road games or find their way on to a neutral site tournament. Rarely do these teams play ‘money conference’ schools at home.
The game in Murray, Kentucky is particularly interesting. Both the Redbirds of Illinois State and the home town Racers are picked as upper echelon teams in their respective conferences. This will be a legitimate barometer for these leagues.
Paris Lee – goredbirds.com
ISU is just getting starting guard Tony Wills back from a sports hernia injury and it is questionable as to whether starting forward Deontae Hawkins will come off suspension to play tonight. So the Redbirds come into this important opener without the full complement of weapons.
Murray State, on the other hand seems prepared for resurgent season under second year coach Matt McMahon. Holdovers Bryce Jones, Damarcus Croaker and Gee McGhee form the nucleus of a team that has added some key parts. Tulane transfer Jonathan Stark, and Southwest Mississippi Junior College transfer Terrell Miller are expected to be major contributors.
The Redbirds have added some pieces to their veteran squad too. D. J. Clayton is a 6’6 wing expected to add some speed an athleticism to the line up. If Wills can’t answer the bell tonight, the job could go to 6’ sophomore Keyshawn Evans.
Two of our favorite broadcasters will be on the call. Dick Luedke for the Redbirds and Neal Bradley on the OVC Digital Network.
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