Friday, November 12, 2010

MACON, Ga. – College basketball tips off on Friday with the schools of the Atlantic Sun taking on several of the country's elite programs. The ESPN FullCourt package and ESPN3.com will air a pair of opening-weekend matches, ETSU’s rematch with No. 10 Kentucky on Friday and UNF’s tussle with No. 4 Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon.

The Buccaneers and Wildcats met on March 18 in New Orleans in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Top-seeded Kentucky jumped out early on ETSU en route to claiming a 100-71 win. The Buccaneers return four starters from last season’s A-Sun Champion squad and welcome back 1,100-point scorer Mike Smith to the lineup. Meanwhile Kentucky must replace five NBA Draft picks, including top pick John Wall. Rivals.com ranked the Kentucky freshmen class featuring Brandon Knight as the top class in the country.

On Saturday, UNF travels to the Petersen Events Center to tangle with No. 4 Pittsburgh. The Ospreys actually open the 2010-11 season on Friday against Florida State and will travel nearly 900 miles for the 4 p.m. contest. The game serves as a homecoming for UNF head coach Matthew Driscoll. The Pittsburgh native played prep ball at Northgate High. Pitt has won 49 straight non-conference games at home and is 77-1 against non-conference competition at the Petersen Events Center.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts five of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.