ANGOLA, Ind. -- A heavy dose of home court action highlights the 2017-18 Trine men's basketball schedule, released by the team today.
The Thunder will take the court in front of the home fans 15 times, including a span of eight consecutive home games prior to opening conference play. Prior to the regular season, the team will travel to take on NCAA Division I foe and Mid-American Conference member Toledo in an exhibition. The Rockets finished last season 17-17 and made a postseason appearance in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The game will also present the opportunity for several Toledo-area natives on the Trine roster to play in their hometown. The game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4.
The regular season tips off with tournament action at Kenyon College, where Trine will face defending North Coast Athletic Conference champion Ohio Wesleyan in the opener. The Thunder will also face the host Kenyon Lords in the tournament, which will be held Nov. 17-18.
Next up is eight consecutive home games, beginning with the home opener against familiar foe Manchester Nov. 22. Highlighting the home stand is the St. Andrews Products Classic, Dec. 8-9. The Thunder will host Wisconsin Lutheran and Wisconsin-Whitewater as part of the four-game classic. Whitewater earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last year. Adrian will also participate in the Classic.
The non-conference home slate also includes home games against Baldwin Wallace, Heidelberg, Great Lakes Christian, Wilmington (Ohio) and Anderson (Ind.). Trine wraps up non-league play with a New Year's Eve trip to take on Illinois Tech. The Scarlet Hawks improved their win total by 18 wins over the last two seasons.
MIAA play opens Wednesday, Jan. 3 at defending league-champion Hope. The conference slate once again includes two matchups with every MIAA foe, one at home and one on the road. The Thunder host a stretch of three consecutive home games Jan. 24 - 31 when Alma, Hope and Olivet visit Angola.
Trine finished last season 14-12 overall and placed third in the MIAA with a 9-5 mark in league action. The Thunder have appeared in the MIAA Semifinals each of the last six seasons under head coach Brooks Miller.
Trine University is scheduled to open its new MTI Center early in 2018, which will host men's and women's basketball games. The 74,840-square foot, 3,000-seat arena will also include a bowling alley, fitness center and esports arena.
The complete schedule is listed below. Please note that tip-off times for several matchups have yet to be finalized and will be announced at a later date. The schedule can also be viewed HERE.
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| Nov. 4 | Toledo! | TBA |
| Nov. 17 | Ohio Wesleyan# | 5:30 p.m. |
| Nov. 18 | Kenyon# | 4 p.m. |
| Nov. 22 | MANCHESTER | 6 p.m. |
| Nov. 27 | BALDWIN WALLACE | 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 29 | HEIDELBERG | 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 4 | GREAT LAKES CHRISTIAN | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 8 | WISCONSIN LUTHERAN$ | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 9 | WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER$ | 5 p.m. |
| Dec. 18 | WILMINGTON (OHIO) | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 20 | ANDERSON (IND.) | TBA |
| Dec. 31 | Illinois Tech | TBA |
| Jan. 3 | Hope* | 7:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 6 | Olivet* | 3 p.m. |
| Jan. 10 | ADRIAN* | 7:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 13 | Calvin* | 3 p.m. |
| Jan. 17 | ALBION* | 7:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 20 | Kalamazoo* | 3 p.m. |
| Jan. 24 | ALMA* | 7:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 27 | HOPE* | 3 p.m. |
| Jan. 31 | OLIVET* | 7:30 p.m. |
| Feb. 3 | Adrian* | 3 p.m. |
| Feb. 7 | CALVIN* | 7:30 p.m. |
| Feb. 10 | Albion* | 3 p.m. |
| Feb. 14 | KALAMAZOO* | 7:30 p.m. |
| Feb. 17 | Alma* | 3 p.m. |
! - denotes exhibition game
# - denotes games at Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio
ALL CAPS - denotes home game
$ - denotes St. Andrews Products Classic
* - denotes MIAA contest