USCA Opens Season With Exhibition on Thursday at the Convocation Center

AIKEN, S.C. - The USC Aiken men's basketball team opens its exhibition schedule with one home game and one road tilt this week.

USC Aiken begins its exhibition schedule at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5 against Southern Wesleyan at the Convocation Center. Two days later, USC Aiken will play an exhibition game against the College of Charleston at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 from Carolina First Arena.

The exhibition game against Southern Wesleyan is one that is sure to be fun for the whole family. The cost is just $6 for adults and $4 for children, senior citizens and visiting students.

USC Aiken opens the 2009-10 season picked to finish third in the Peach Belt Conference.

The Pacers may have been picked to finish third in the league in 2009-10, but nevertheless under the guidance of head coach Vince Alexander the USC Aiken men's basketball program has become a national force over the past couple of campaigns. The Pacers have won a school-record 52 contests over the last two seasons. They have also acquired a Peach Belt Conference regular season championship (2007-08) and advanced farther than any other team in school history to the NCAA Division II Tournament "Sweet Sixteen" (2008-09).

Some are looking for the Pacers to drop off a bit in the 2009-10 season with the departure of two-time consensus All-America selection and two-time Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year Chris Commons, but a strong returning nucleus and a stout incoming class give Alexander all the pieces to remain at the top of the Division II basketball ladder.

Two years ago, Alexander welcomed an incoming recruiting class that would change the fortunes of the once downtrodden USC Aiken men's basketball program. Then in his third year in charge of the Pacer men's basketball program, Alexander alerted everyone that things were about to change. Things did truly change and now Alexander wants everyone to know that things are going to remain strong despite the fact that the Pacers do not return one starter from last season.

The Pacers have not been ranked in any of the preseason national polls, but they have received votes in all of the major polls.

USC Aiken's regular season commences 11 days after the College of Charleston game at the  Convocation Center against NAIA powerhouse Life University at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18. The contest will mark the first ever meeting between the two programs.