Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Thursday, November 15
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
7:15 PM
Middle Tennessee
vs
San Jose State
Photo by: Worx Group
First Shot Exempt Tournament tips off Thursday night
11/14/2007 9:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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Appalachian State games
Lipscomb games
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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Anticipation leading to the start of what promises to be an exciting 2007-08 men's basketball season has steadily risen throughout a productive preseason camp for Middle Tennessee.
Eagerness for the season to begin will subside when the Blue Raiders open the season against San Jose State in the First Shot Exempt Basketball Tournament Thursday at 7 p.m., at Murphy Center. Middle Tennessee is hosting a regular season tournament for just the second time and the first since 1982.
Middle Tennessee, San Jose State, Appalachian State and Lipscomb comprise the tournament field. The teams will play a round-robin format with three games in three days. Appalachian State will play Lipscomb at 5 p.m. in the first game of the tournament Thursday.
The tournament runs Thursday to Saturday with two games each day, the first of which begins at 5 p.m. Middle Tennessee will play in the 7 p.m., nightcap each evening. The Blue Raiders will be opening the season with three straight home games for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign.
"It's great to get as many home games as you possibly can to open your season," Middle Tennessee coach Kermit Davis said. "We have been on the road a ton early the last five years so it's nice to play back-to-back-to-back nights on your home floor to start. It's good for the other teams, too, because they get two neutral games and that's always nice. It's good for us, too, because we play at home Thursday, Friday and Saturday and hopefully we can play well and get people excited about our team. The competition is going to be very good."
Davis said the tournament idea originated when the Blue Raiders wanted to host an exempt tournament and Director of Athletics Chris Massaro was very much in favor of the concept.
"You get three games for only one with the exempt tournament and Chris was great," Davis said. "We paid guaranteed money to get these teams here. They don't come for free. This was a great commitment on the athletic department's part which is very much appreciated by us. You have to get three quality teams and we have, and they are different teams."
Once the plan was improved there was still the issue of a sponsor and the Blue Raider basketball staff knew exactly who to involve based on previous community service projects.
"We wanted to find a sponsorship and what better than Andy Herzer's First Shot?," Davis pointed out.
Herzer is a former Middle Tennessee assistant basketball coach and he is the director and founder of First Shot Basketball, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide an opportunity for all levels of basketball players (boys and girls) in a safe environment. The goal of First Shot is to develop its participants, the majority of which are underprivileged and without resources generated by First Shot would not be able to participate in the program.
"The whole idea of this was the Middle Tennessee staff and we are just pleased to be involved," Herzer said. "Coach Davis and his staff and team do such a great job in the community and reaching out and this was certainly something we believe is a win-win for everyone."
Davis said approximately 300 First Shot members will take part in a free basketball clinic as part of the First Shot Exempt Tournament Saturday, prior to taking in both of the final games of the event.
"First Shot is based on character driven, assisting underprivileged children and giving them opportunities to do things athletically they not otherwise get to," Davis said. "Andy's program speaks for itself. He does an unbelievable job in our community with young people and our program is heavily involved with the First Shot the entire year. It's going to be great.
"We are going to conduct a free basketball clinic for about 300 children at the Rec Center with our staff and a lot of area coaches working it Saturday, plus they get a meal and two tickets to the games Saturday evening. Maybe for a lot of them it will be their first opportunity to see a college basketball game and that's great."
Tickets are good for both games of the tournament and are included in the Middle Tennessee season ticket package.
Live Video:
Former Head MBB Coach Kermit Davis - 10th Anniversary of NCAA win over MSU
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Nick McDevitt LIVE: Presented by The Boulevard Bar & Grille (Video) - 3.2.26
Monday, March 02
MTSU Men's Basketball Post Game Press Conference vs NMSU 2/28/26
Saturday, February 28
MTSU Men's Basketball Post Game Presser 2/26/26
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