Jacksonville State coach James Green. (File photo by Bill Wilson/The Anniston Star)
Reinhardt, Martin Methodist and the Bulldogs were the final pieces of the Gamecocks' 2012-13 schedule, released Tuesday three weeks after the semester started and 6 and a half weeks before the first exhibition. They are the last team in the Ohio Valley Conference to announce their basketball schedule.
The Star confirmed the majority of the schedule earlier this summer, including non-conference road games with Nebraska, UNLV, Oregon and a tournament trip to Las Vegas.
In a separate announcement, the school said Eugene Harris, a former Auburn and Clemson assistant and head coach at Florida A&M, has been hired to complete Green’s coaching staff.
The Gamecocks’ schedule was reduced by three games this coming season for failing to meet the criteria of a previous waiver against penalties related to its academic progress history. The team also is banned from postseason play this season, meaning Green's fifth season with the Gamecocks will end March 2 at Ohio Valley Conference newcomer Belmont.
Although the Gamecocks have a limited home schedule — Green would like 14 or 15 home games every year — two of their games are against perennial OVC powers Murray State and Austin Peay. Belmont also will visit Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Three other conference home games will be played while the students are on holiday break. It likely will prompt the Gamecocks to get creative to spur local interest in a team that returns four starters and seven lettermen from a team that won nine of its last 13 games and reached the second round of the conference tournament a year ago.
"We'll be involved in the community more," Green said. "When you look at that in the midst of playing 12 games and playing so many on the road early in the year I want people to know we have a basketball team and we're playing. We probably need more visibility in the community."
The Gamecocks will have two preseason home exhibitions in November — against William Carey and West Georgia — as part of a five-date season-opening home-stand.
New hire
Harris brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to JSU, largely as an aide to Cliff Ellis. He was an assistant at Clemson from 1984-94 and Auburn from 1994-2001, where he recruited several players who went on to play in the NBA.
His stint as a collegiate head coach was short lived. He was fired at Florida A&M in March 2011 with one year remaining on his contract. He was 46-80 with three straight 20-loss seasons.
Sports Writer Al Muskewitz: 256-235-3577. On Twitter @JSUSports_Star.
2012-13 JSU Men's Basketball Schedule
November
- 1 – vs. William Carey (exhib), 7 p.m.
- 5 – West Georgia (exhib), 7:45 p.m.
- 9 – Reinhardt, 7 p.m.
- 11 – Eastern Michigan, 2 p.m.
- 15 – Alabama A&M, 7 p.m.
- 17 – at UNLV, TBA
- 19 – at Oregon, 10 p.m.
- 23 – vs. Northern Arizona in Las Vegas, TBA
- 24 – vs. Campbell or N.C. A&T in Las Vegas, TBA
- 1 – at Alcorn State, TBA
- 11 – Martin Methodist, 7 p.m.
- 15 – at Presbyterian, 6 p.m.
- 18 – at Nebraska, TBA
- 29 – Tennessee Tech, 4:30 p.m.
- 31 – at UT Martin, 7:30 p.m.
- 3 – Belmont, 7 p.m.
- 5 – Tennessee State, TBA
- 10 – at SIU-Edwardsville, TBA
- 12 – at Eastern Illinois, 6 p.m.
- 17 – at Tennessee State, TBA
- 19 – Eastern Kentucky, 3:30 p.m.
- 24 – Austin Peay, 7 p.m.
- 26 – Murray State, 4:30 p.m.
- 2 – Morehead State, 4:30 p.m.
- 9 – at Tennessee Tech, TBA
- 14 – at Morehead State, 6 p.m.
- 16 – at Eastern Kentucky, 6 p.m.
- 20 – Southeast Misouri, 7 p.m.
- 23 – at Bracket Buster, TBA.
- 2 – at Belmont, 4 p.m.
