Men's basketball team opens season in Indiana with big weekend

The Eastern Florida State College men's basketball team has one of the toughest schedules in the state and it begins this weekend in Indiana.

The Titans, who are coming off a program-best 31 wins and a runner-up finish in the NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament, will travel to Vincennes, IN to play in the Kiwanis Classic.

Eastern Florida State College opens the season No. 5 in the NJCAA Division I preseason poll and will open the season against Shawnee at 5 p.m. on Friday and then face No. 4 Vincennes University at 7 p.m. Saturday.

"We had decided before the year started that we wanted to attempt to play the toughest schedule in the country and I think you can make a case that we have the strongest schedule in the country right now," Eastern Florida State College men's basketball coach Jeremy Shulman said. "Shawnee is really, really talented and will be a tough opener and then Saturday night at their home court, we play No. 4 Vincennes. It will be an unbelievable weekend and we are excited to play. It's going to be a great challenge."

The tournament is the start of a schedule that features all 30 games against NJCAA Division I teams including three teams in the top 15 in the preseason poll.

"Our guys are competitors just like I am and they want to play the best teams in the country and we want to see where we stand and give it our best shot," Shulman said.

The Titans have seven players returning from last season's team including returning starters Shaq Carter who averaged nine points and six rebounds and has already committed to Rutgers, Ahmed Ali who averaged 15.9 points per game and Eli Abaev who led the team in rebounding at 7.4 per game.

The team will be at home for the first time this season on Nov. 20, hosting Miami Dade at 6 p.m.