Dalton State Basketball Team In Preparation For 2020-21 Season

The Dalton State Men's Basketball team is working hard in preparation for the 2020-21 basketball season. On Thursday, coach Alex Ireland released the full slate of games for his third Roadrunner squad.

The Birds will start a month later than usual because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that is affecting collegiate athletics across the country.
 
"In what has been a very hectic and unpredictable year, we are thrilled to return to some degree of normalcy with the return of college basketball," said Coach Ireland. "This year's schedule features a tough array of opponents, both in SSAC and non-conference play, and presents a great challenge to this new group of Roadrunners."
 
This year's schedule features 23 games in total with 14 Southern States Athletic Conference battles mixed with nine non-conference matchups. Of the 23 games, 12 will be at home. For the 2020-21 season, Bandy Gymnasium will be home to all 12.
 
"It is very exciting to return to Bandy Gymnasium, the home of the Dalton Junior College Roadrunners," added Ireland. "The DJC Roadrunners ruled the roost in Death Valley, Georgia 30720, and we look forward to the opportunity to carry on the legacy of what Coach Melvyn Ottinger in Bandy Gym many years ago. We love playing in Mashburn Arena, but this season offers us the unique chance to return to our roots in 2020-21 and honor the Roadrunners that came before us."
 
Dalton State will start out on the road with two games on November 27 & 28. They will play in the Lou Cunningham Classic hosted by Campbellsville (Ky.). The Birds will tussle with Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) on the 27^th before taking on Campbellsville (Ky.) the 28^th. They will follow up by playing 3-of-4 December games at home.
 
December is condensed as the Roadrunners play home games against Brewton-Parker (Ga.) on the 3^rd, Reinhardt (Ga.) on the 7^th, and Martin Methodist (Tenn.) on the 12^th. An annual matchup with Life (Ga.) will take place in Marietta before the team breaks for the holidays.
 
The SSAC schedule will start in January, while three more non-conference contest will be sprinkled in during the months of January and February. The SSAC voted for an even split of seven home and seven road games this season. A rivalry game with Middle Georgia kicks it off on January 4^th. Big early home games with William Carey (Miss.) and Loyola (La.) follow back-to-back on January 8^th and 9^th.
 
A non-conference tilt with Fisk (Tenn.) occurs on January 13^th before the Roadrunners hit the road to face Florida College on January 16^th and Brewton-Parker (Ga.) on January 18^th. DS completes the home-and-home with Middle Georgia when they head to Cochran on January 23^rd.
 
The Birds end the month of January with three-straight at home. They will play Oakwood (Ala.) in non-conference action on the 26^th then return to SSAC action with a Friday/Saturday slate against Mobile (Ala.) and Faulkner (Ala.).
 
February begins with Dalton State on the road for five-in-a-row starting on February 5^th against Stillman (Ala.). The following day they will square off with Blue Mountain (Miss.). Road rematches with William Carey (Miss.) and Loyola (La.) come the next weekend on the 12^th and 13^th. The grueling road stretch ends on the 16^th with a visit to Oakwood (Ala.).
 
The season will conclude at home with matchups against Florida College and Brewton-Parker (Ga.) on February 19^th and 20^th respectively. While home games will be played at Bandy Gym they will be played with limited seating. Approximately 40 seats (20% of permanent seating capacity) will be allocated to player and coach guest. All guest must wear a mask and adhere to the safety protocols of the College while attending.
 
"Our Bandy attendance policy is consistent with our college's COVID-19 prevention strategies," said Jon Jaudon, Executive Director of Athletics and External Relations. "We want to do everything we can to protect the health and safety of our students, employees and guests. Our Roadrunner sport teams, and our opponents will benefit by this strategy. Doing all we can to ensure the completion of our season is of paramount importance. Thank you for understanding and continuing to support your Roadrunners by joining the live stream we will be offering free of charge."
 
Ireland ended by saying, "We are very disappointed that we will not get to see a full house of Roadrunner fans supporting us this season. There is no one in America that wants to pack Bandy Gym with fans more than I do, and there is no fan base better than Roadrunner Nation. However, the times that we are living in make that impossible. We will sorely miss our fans, and hope that we can make them proud as they cheer on the Roadrunners from home while watching our live stream."
 
The SSAC Tournament will follow in Montgomery, Ala. February 24-27. The new 64-team format for the NAIA Tournament begins on March 12 with opening round matchups. The opening round regionals will determine who advances to play for a National Championship in Kansas City, Mo. starting March 18.
 
Schedules may continue to change periodically throughout the duration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For up-to-date information about the status of games and matches, please refer to the Dalton State athletic website, dsroadrunners.com, and all Dalton State social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.