HAMPTON, Va. - A trip to Anchorage for the Great Alaska Shoot-Out, a game at Virginia Commonwealth in one of the Pirates’ must-see match-ups this year, a home game against perennial CAA power George Mason and the always-challenging slate of MEAC games highlight the 2008-09 Hampton’s men’s basketball schedule, announced by head coach Kevin Nickelberry.

“We think we have put together a great schedule for the Hampton fans,” Nickelberry said. “At the same time, as challenging as our schedule was last season with Tulsa, Maryland and Holy Cross, because we have to play the teams that are going to help prepare us for MEAC play as it gets tougher each year.”

The Pirates’ schedule will feature five teams form the Colonial Athletic Association, including last year’s regular-season and tournament champion Patriots. Also, nine of the teams the Pirates are set to face in 2008-09 won 15 or more games last season and two went on to the NCAA Tournament.

The Pirates are trying to make their way to first place in the MEAC regular season standings. In each of Coach Nickelberry’s seasons he has moved up in the final standing, finishing third his first year and second this past year.

Hampton will open the season on the road, as they have done so many times before, against Iona Nov. 14, followed a match-up against CAA powerhouse George Mason on Nov. 20.

The Pirates will then travel to Towson, Md. to take on the Tigers on Nov. 22. Following the Towson match-up, the Pirates will head north as they take part in the 2008 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska, with an eight-team field featuring host Alaska-Anchorage, Portland State, Northern Illinois, Seattle, Louisiana Tech, San Diego State, Western Carolina and Hampton. The Pirates will play host to Alaska-Anchorage in the first round on Nov. 26 and then face either Portland State or Northern Illinois the next night. The Pirates’ opponent is still to be determined for its final game in the tournament on Nov. 29.

The Pirates come back from Alaska just to get back on the road, as they travel to Atlanta to face Georgia State on Dec. 3. Following that, they travel to Madison Square Garden to compete in their first MEAC game and face the Bison of Howard on Dec. 6 in New York, N.Y. Hampton will then make their way back to the Hampton University Convocation Center to face their fourth CAA opponent of the year in Delaware on Dec. 10.

The Pirates will then go back on the road to face the Cavalries of the University of Virginia on Dec. 23, and two days after Christmas, the Pirates head back up I-64 to face the Rams of VCU on Dec. 27. The Pirates beat the Rams at the Convocation Center last season.

Before the Pirates can open conference play, they have to play host to the Golden Flashes of Kent State, who are looking for another 20-win season, on Jan. 3.

Hampton will open conference play on the road at Bethune-Cookman on Jan. 10 and Florida A&M on Jan. 12, before returning home to host the Bulldogs of South Carolina State on Jan. 17, Winston-Salem State in the MLK Tournament in Richmond, Va. on Jan 18. The Pirates will travel to face defending MEAC Tournament Champs Coppin State on Jan. 24 and then Morgan State on Jan. 26.

Hampton’s other conference home games are: on Jan. 31 vs. North Carolina A&T, Feb. 2 vs. rival Norfolk State, Feb. 7 vs. Delaware State, Feb.9 vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore, Feb. 21 vs. Coppin State and Feb. 23 vs. Morgan State. The Pirates will be on the road against South Carolina State on Feb. 14, Winston-Salem State on Feb 16, Norfolk State on Feb. 28, North Carolina A&T on March 2, and finish up the 2008 regular season at Burr Gymnasium against Howard on March 5.   

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament will take place at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. March 9-14.

The original story was published here: http://www.hamptonpirates.com/News/mbball/2008/8/25/HAMM_8-25-08.asp?path=mbball

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