The Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team will be playing host to eight National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) opponents in the build-up to the 2011-12 season.
The defending-champion Ravens will begin their pre-season with a tip off against the La Salle University Explorers Aug. 9, followed by the Illinois State University Redbirds Aug. 10 and the University of Central Florida Knights Aug. 11.
The Knights will be led by NBA legend Michael Jordan’s son Marcus, who led the team in points per game and assists per game last year, and Jordan’s other son Jeff, who missed the previous season due to NCAA regulations. Even without Jeff, the Knights began the season with a 10-0 record last year and should provide a solid challenge for the Ravens.
After a short break, the Ravens will play the University of Akron Zips Aug. 16, the University at Albany Great Danes Aug. 25 and a double-header against the Saint Louis University Billikens Aug. 26-27.
Carleton’s final two games of the pre-season will be against the Niagara University Purple Eagles Sept. 2 and the University of California, Santa Barbara Gauchos Sept. 8.
The Ravens will surely be hoping for a better showing than last year, when they lost three straight games to NCAA competition in exhibition play. They dropped decisions to the University of New Mexico Lobos, the University of Maine Black Bears and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.