MARIETTA, Ga. – Jeffrey Pourchier, Southern Polytechnic State University's first-year head men's basketball coach, has announced his team's schedule for the upcoming 2012-13 season.
"Most of the schedule was done when I got here (in June) but I added about five games," Pourchier said. "The schedule is pretty tough and our conference is really really tough. We (the Southern States Athletic Conference) had a team in the Final Four last year and four teams make it to the (NAIA Division I) national tournament.
"Our non-conference schedule is also pretty tough. I put a lot of back-to-back games in there – Friday-Saturday games – because our conference crossovers are that way and once you get to the conference tournament you're playing back-to-back days."
Southern Polytechnic opens the campaign with three home contests, starting with Point University on Tuesday, Oct. 30. In the third game of the year on Nov. 13, Pourchier faces his old school, Reinhardt University, which he led to an 18-12 overall record last season.
There are five non-conference opponents – Reinhardt, Concordia College (Ala.), Bob Jones University, Pensacola Christian College and Allen University – that Southern Poly plays twice, once at home and once on the road.
"Going back to Reinhardt stands out, obviously, since I coached there for five years," Pourchier said. "All games to me are important. All non-conference games on the road will be tough. Pensacola Christian is always a challenge when they're at home where it's a really tough atmosphere to play in front of."
Another big test for the Hornets outside of the conference is an exhibition game at NCAA Division I Georgia State University in Atlanta on Dec. 8. Georgia State returns seven lettermen from a team that went 22-12 overall a season ago.
"It's going to be good for our guys," Pourchier said about the contest at GSU. "It's probably going to be one of our toughest games of the year and will show us where we stand at that point in the season."
As far as the SSAC goes, several squads are strong and are looking to claim the conference championship.
"On our side (Eastern Division), Lee is always going to be there and Emmanuel is going to be really good with a lot of guys back," Pourchier said. "Even with Southern Wesleyan, Brewton-Parker, Truett-McConnell and Coastal Georgia, winning on the road is tough with some of these schools having smaller gyms."
Lee University qualified for the national tournament last March, finished 20-9 overall and was ranked 18th nationally in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll in 2011-12. Emmanuel College (Ga.) ended with a 21-16 overall record last season.
"When you look at the Western (Division) side, Loyola (La.) won 20 games last year but didn't make the national tournament," Pourchier said. "Belhaven made it all the way to the SSAC Tournament championship game and lost to Shorter, but they still got an automatic bid to nationals. We don't play Mobile, which may be the favorite in the West, but we do play Faulkner and Auburn Montgomery, and that'll be a tough trip."
SPSU posted a 25-7 overall mark and went 15-3 for second place in the SSAC East last season. Southern Poly, which has made trips to the national event each of the past three years and nine times in the last 13 campaigns, was rated No. 11 in the NAIA Division I coaches' postseason poll.
The Hornets' full 2012-13 schedule can be found by clicking here.
