A date with a Final Four team from last season sets the tone for a competitive non-conference schedule for the 2019-20 Georgia Southern men’s basketball team.

The season opens Tuesday, Nov. 5 in Auburn against a Tiger team that went on a late season run to win the SEC, defeated Kansas and UNC in the NCAA tournament and was one shot short of making the national championship.

“Opening up at Auburn will be a difficult test right away,” head coach Mark Byington said in a press release. “They have tremendous team back after being in the Final Four last year and easily could have won the national championship.”

After their trip to Auburn, the Eagles have their home opener against Reinhardt before traveling to Jacksonville for a meeting with the North Florida Ospreys. UNF made it to the Atlantic Sun semifinal in 2018-19. 

GS then has a two-game homestand against Radford and Mercer.

“We are looking forward to opening a series with North Florida, and they have (a) very talented team that will be one of the best in the Atlantic Sun Conference,” Byington said. “Hosting Radford and Mercer should be great games for our fans. Radford has a great team and could win the Big South Conference, and we look forward to having Mercer on campus for the first time since I have been coaching at Georgia Southern.”

This year’s in-season tournament for GS is the Hilton Garden FGCU Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. The Eagles’ lineup features Campbell, who made the NIT last season, North Dakota and Florida Gulf Coast.

The last non-conference home game is a rematch with Carver College and the non-conference slate concludes with trips to defending Missouri Valley champions Bradley and a matchup against UGA for the first trip to Athens since 1997.

Full Schedule

Nov. 5 @ Auburn

Nov. 8 V Reinhardt

Nov. 11 @ North Florida

Nov. 15 V Radford

Nov. 19 V Mercer

Nov. 29 V Campbell

Nov. 30 V North Dakota

Dec. 1 @ FGCU

Dec. 6 V Carver

Dec. 15 @ Bradley

Dec. 19 V Texas State

Dec. 21 V UTA

Dec. 23 @ UGA

Jan. 2 @ Coastal Carolina

Jan. 4 @ Appalachian State

Jan. 6 @ Little Rock

Jan. 9 V ULM

Jan. 11 V Louisiana

Jan. 16 @ Troy

Jan. 18 @ South Alabama

Jan. 25 V Georgia State

Jan. 30 V Troy

Feb. 1 V South Alabama

Feb. 6 @ ULM

Feb. 8 @ Louisiana

Feb. 13 V Coastal Carolina

Feb. 15 V Appalachian State

Feb. 20 @ Texas State

Feb. 22 @ UTA

Feb. 29 @ Georgia State

Mar. 3 V Arkansas State

McClain Baxley, The George-Anne Editor-in-Chief, gaeditor@georgiasouthern.edu