Red Wolves - IU East

If you want to be the best, you have to play the best.

That's the approach the Indiana University East men's basketball program took with its 2010-11 schedule.

Red Wolves coach Mark Hester announced IU East's 2010-11 schedule on Sept. 3.

Click here to view the full schedule

The 30-game slate includes at least six contests against teams that received votes in the final 2009-10 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

That total could grow depending on final-round matchups in various tournaments.

"If you want to be at the upper level, you have to play teams at the upper level and see what it takes," Hester said.

IU East's schedule includes 11 home dates at the Richmond High School Tiernan Center.

The Red Wolves open the season with their Homecoming game Oct. 30 against Temple Baptist College

Keep your Tuesdays in November free. IU East plays at home the first three Tuesdays of November.

The first half of the season will feel like one big tournament for the Red Wolves. IU East will compete in five four-team tourneys during the first two months of the season.

The run of tournaments starts with second IU/PU Challenge on Nov. 12-13, this year at Purdue University Calumet. The IU/PU Challenge brings the four Indiana and Purdue regional campuses with NAIA Division II basketball programs together for a pair of doubleheaders.

IU East opens Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Dec. 4 against Cincinnati Christian University.

The regular season concludes with four consecutive February home games against KIAC opponents.

The KIAC Tournament runs Feb. 22-26.

IU East also will play exhibitions Nov. 29 at NCAA Division I opponent IUPUI and Dec. 7 at NCAA Division II power Northern Kentucky University.

IU East's men's basketball matchups against teams who received votes in the final 2009-10 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll are:

Nov. 6 at Union College (Ky.)

Dec. 11 at Bethel College (Ind.)

Jan. 4 at Brescia University

Jan. 8 at IU Southeast

Feb. 9 vs. Brescia University

Feb. 19 vs. IU Southeast

"I would love to see the Massey Ratings (a computer rating of all NAIA teams) before our conference schedule," Hester said.

"Our rating will be way up there because our schedule will be so tough."

Click here to view the 2010-11 IU East men's basketball roster.