SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State men’s basketball coach Dana Ford announced today his team’s non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2021-22 season.
The Bears will play 13 non-conference games in November and December, including seven home games at JQH Arena and three games at the Naples (Fla.) Invitational just prior to Thanksgiving.
“I believe we have put together the perfect schedule to help this year’s team reach its ultimate goal,” said Ford, who is starting his fourth season at Missouri State. “It is highlighted by a potential top-25 non-conference home game against BYU in addition to multiple teams that have legitimate shots at winning their conference titles and making the NCAA Tournament.”
The season will begin on Tuesday, Nov. 9 with a home matchup against long-time rival Southeast Missouri State in what will be the 148th all-time meeting between the schools. The Redhawks, who are coming off an 11-16 season, are coached by former Bears assistant Brad Korn who also has Keith Pickens and Sam McMahon on his staff at SEMO.
The Bears then host Alabama State on Saturday, Nov. 13 in their second meeting in three seasons. The Hornets are coached by former NBA All-Star Mo Williams and are coming off a 4-14 season in 2020-21.
Missouri State takes to the road on Nov. 17 for its first game against Sam Houston State since 2000. The trip to Huntsville, Texas will pit the Bears against a Bearkat squad coming off a 19-9 season.
The Bears then appear in the eight-team Naples Invitational Nov. 22-24 in southwest Florida, with a first-round game against Long Beach State on Nov. 22 at the Community School of Naples. Murray State and East Tennessee State join MSU on one side of the bracket, while Kent State, James Madison, Wright State and George Washington make up the other half of the ladder.
The Bears open December with a home spotlight game against Brigham Young on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. BYU is making its first-ever trip to Springfield and is coming off a 20-7 season that culminated in an NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Bears continue December with a road game at Little Rock on Dec. 8 before beginning a three-game home stand against Oral Roberts (Dec. 11), South Dakota State (Dec. 15), and Central Arkansas (Dec. 18).
Little Rock was 11-15 a year ago after racking up 20 wins the previous season. The Bears are 7-1 all-time against LR with a 2-0 ledger at Jack Stephens Center. MSU’s series against ORU is renewed on the heels of the Golden Eagles remarkable run to a Summit League title and NCAA Sweet 16 last season. The Bears are 9-9 all-time against ORU with 12 meetings between the squads since 2010. Meanwhile, South Dakota State was 16-7 last season with a strong finish in the Summit League. UCA is coming off a 5-19 season, but will be moving to a new-conference in 2021-22 (ASun) under second-year head coach Anthony Boone who has been a mainstay in Conway since joining the staff there in 2014.
MSU plays its final non-conference road game on Dec. 21 at West Coast Conference power St. Mary’s. The Gales were 14-10 a year ago with a trip to the NIT, coach Randy Bennett’s 14th postseason appearance in 21 seasons as head coach. It will be the first meeting between the teams in a decade.
The non-conference slate concludes on Dec. 30 with a home contest against cross-town foe Evangel University. The teams were slated to play last season before a COVID cancellation washed the game off the schedule in what would have been the second meeting of the squads since 2017.
Missouri State is coming off a 17-7 campaign in which they finished third in the Missouri Valley Conference. MSU returns 90 percent of its scoring and 92 percent of its rebounding with all five starters returning for the upcoming season, including first-team All-MVC standouts Gaige Prim and Isiaih Mosley.
