Jimmy Lallathin faces a tough schedule in his first full season in charge of Kennesaw State’s men’s basketball team.
Five starters will return from an Owls team that went 6-25 last season. Coach Lewis Preston went on a medical leave midway through the year and Lallathin was named interim coach. Preston was dismissed and Lallathin was promoted to head coach after the season.
Three of the Owls’ first four games to start the 2014-15 season will come against teams that advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament last year: at Syracuse on Nov. 16 in the 2K Classic, at Mercer on Nov. 19 and at North Dakota State on Nov. 21, also in the 2K Classic. All three games are on the road. The other is against California on Nov. 16.
“The opportunity to play in some of those venues is the college experience,” Lallathin said. “I think that is phenomenal. It also gives you a level of confidence in whatever success you have there. How we as a coaching staff teach and develop the program in using those experiences to catapult the program will be important.”
Other tough non-conference games include trips to Butler and to Illinois.
The team may be strenghtened by the transfer of former Memphis player Damien Wilson, a 6-foot-6 guard. Lallathin said they are petitioning the NCAA to grant Wilson, a former standout at Pebblebrook, immediate eligibilty.
2014-15 Kennesaw State men’s basketball schedule
Nov. 14 at Syracuse
Nov. 16 at California
Nov. 19 at Mercer
Nov. 21 at North Dakota State
Nov. 22 vs. Alcorn St./Hampton
Nov. 26 vs. Samford, 2 p.m.
Nov. 29 vs. Chattanooga, noon
Dec. 2 at Florida International
Dec. 6 vs. Kent State, noon
Dec. 8 at Butler
Dec. 17 at Youngstown State
Dec. 20 vs. Maryland-Baltimore County, 3 p.m.
Dec. 22 vs. Elon, 3 p.m.
Dec. 27 at Illinois
Dec. 31 at Tennessee State
Jan. 3 Thomas University
Jan. 10 at South Carolina-Upstate
Jan. 14 at Northern Kentucky
Jan. 17 vs. Lipscomb, 2 p.m.
Jan. 22 vs. Stetson, 7 p.m.
Jan. 24 vs. FGCU, 2 p.m.
Jan. 29 at North Florida
Jan. 31 at Jacksonville University
Feb. 3 vs. Paine College
Feb. 7 vs. South Carolina-Upstate, 3 p.m.
Feb. 12 vs. Jacksonville University,7 p.m.
Feb. 14 vs. North Florida, 2 p.m.
Feb. 19 at FGCU
Feb. 21 at Stetson
Feb. 25 vs. Northern Kentucky,7 p.m.
Feb. 28 at Lipscomb
March3-8 A-Sun Tournament
