TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - It's a new year for Indiana State basketball as the Sycamores open up the exhibition season against Tusculum University on Tuesday, November 1. Tipoff time for the exhibition is set for 7 p.m. ET inside the Hulman Center.

Live stats for the game will be provided via GoSycamores.com. Due to the nature of the exhibition, the game will not be broadcast on ESPN+ or 105.5 The Legend.

SERIES HISTORY
Indiana State and Tusculum have never met each other on the hard court in their respective program histories.

TUSCULUM CONNECTION
Tusculum is a familiar opponent for ISU head coach Josh Schertz as the Pioneers competed against Schertz's Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters in South Atlantic Conference action. Schertz is 29-4 lifetime against the Pioneers dating back to the 2008-09 season. Four ISU players have connections to Tusculum throughout their careers with Courvoisier McCauley, Cameron Henry, and Xavier Bledson all playing against the Pioneers during their careers at LMU. Trenton Gibson transferred to the Sycamores this year after a four-year career with the Pioneers.

TUSCULUM AT A GLANCE
Tusculum finished third overall in the 2021-22 South Atlantic Conference standings after posting a 19-8 overall record with a 19-5 mark in SAC play. The Pioneers earned the No. 3 seed in last year's SAC Tournament, but Tusculum bowed out of the postseason following a 60-59 upset by Newberry in the quarterfinal round.

Gone is do-everything point guard Trenton Gibson (now on Indiana State), but the Pioneers return junior forward Inady Legiste as the team's leading scorer (9.9 ppg) and shot blocker (38 blocks) heading into the year. Forward Justin Mitchell is the team's leading returning rebounder with 5.0 boards per game while contributing 8.9 points on the offensive end. Head Coach J.T. Burton became the 28th coach in Tusculum history in March 2018 and guided the Pioneers to their first NCAA Tournament win in 2021.

HULMAN CENTER UPGRADES
The Sycamores will be unveiling the completed upgrades to the Hulman Center throughout the 2022-23 season. A nearly two-year renovation project added several updates to the building including a new exterior facade and a glass entrance at the south end that adds square footage and event/meeting space. Light through the glass changes the feel of the building. Previously, the bowl was closed off. From the outside and upon entering, people will be able to glimpse the bowl and the building's high-energy events.

A new multi-purpose suite overlooking a new court as well as an open-faced area on the south end of the arena are immediately noticeable. Fans will enjoy new restrooms and concession stands while walking the new concourse area, while instantly noticing the new lighting for the court and an improved sound system. Prior to the start of the 2022-23 season,  a series of new scoring, message, and video boards was installed at the Hulman Center culminating with new center-hung scoreboard over midcourt in the arena. The project was made possible entirely through private funding thanks to a $2 million gift from the Hulman-George family.

2022-32 RETURN TRIPS
Several familiar faces dot the 2022-23 nonconference schedule as the Sycamores feature five returners from last season. ISU will feature four teams making the return trip to the Hulman Center this winter, while the Sycamores will hit the road once to close out the home-and-home contracts.

Return Trips
2022-23                                         2021-22 (Results)
Nov. 7 vs. Green Bay                    Nov. 9 at GB - W, 81-77
Nov. 12 vs. Ball State                    Nov. 27 at BSU - L, 97-75/
Nov. 17 vs. North Dakota State     Dec. 13 at NDSU - L, 77-70
Dec. 3 at Miami (Ohio)                  Dec. 4 vs. MOH - W, 69-68
Dec. 22 vs. Northern Illinois          Dec. 22 - Canceled (Covid)

NEWCOMERS TO THE SCHEDULE
The Sycamores 2022-23 schedule features three newcomers to the schedule as Indiana State will host Trinity Christian, while traveling to Southern Indiana and Duquesne. All three contests are first-time matchups between the programs. The Nov. 27 contest against Trinity Christian marks Indiana State's lone regular season contest against a non-Division I member as Trolls are current NAIA members. The Dec. 11 contest at Southern Indiana marks ISU's lone game against an Ohio Valley Conference member. The Dec. 17 game at Duquesne is ISU's lone contest vs. the A-10

2022-23 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE FORMAT
With the addition of Belmont, Murray State, and UIC to the Missouri Valley Conference, the Sycamores will now play 20 conference games in an unbalanced schedule format. The Sycamores schedule will feature home-and-home contests with nearly every member of the MVC this season except for both Bradley and Belmont. ISU will host Bradley on January 18, while the Sycamores will make the trip to Belmont on February 22.

BRINGING BACK EXPERIENCE
Despite losing seven letterwinners to the transfer portal, Indiana State finds itself in a favorable position as the Sycamores return four starters (Cooper Neese, Cameron Henry, Kaile Stephens, Julian Larry) from last year's squad -- the only institution among the league's 12 members to do so. The Sycamores also return six of their top seven scorers from the 2021-22 season with Cooper Neese (15.0), Cameron Henry (14.3), Kailex Stephens (9.8), Xavier Bledson (9.1), Zach Hobbs (6.3) and Julian Larry (5.7) all back in the mix for playing time this year.

WELCOME THE NEWCOMERS
The Sycamores roster welcomes nine newcomers to the floor in the 2022-23 season highlighted by five players with extensive NCAA experience. Joining the Sycamores roster this season include a trio of graduate transfers coming to Indiana State. Guard Courvoisier McCauley (DePaul), Trenton Gibson (Tusculum), and Cade McKnight (Truman State) all come to the Sycamores after graduating from their previous institutions. Guard Masen Miller (Truman State) and wing Jayson Kent (Bradley) come to the Sycamores with three years of eligibility remaining. ISU's roster also features four freshman with the addition of the highly-touted center Robbie Avila, as well as guards Rob Martin, Jaden Schertz, and Isaac Holmes.

FOLLOW THE SYCAMORES
For the latest information on Sycamore Basketball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.