CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State men's basketball opens the 2022-23 campaign at home inside the Claremore Expo Center hosting the Holiday Inn Express Regional Challenge on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11-12.
 
The Hillcats return nine players from last season, including starters Gerren Jackson and Joey Saracco as well as Preston Lawrence and Ugo Obineke, who were a key contributors off the bench in 2021-22. Of the six newcomers, Head Coach Justin Barkley brought in two Division I transfers in Sherwyn Devonish Prince Jr. (Morgan State) and Isaac Johnson (Nicholls State) as well as a highly touted freshman in Caden Fry from down the road in Owasso, Okla.
 
After finishing last year with a loss to eventual national champion Northwest Missouri in the MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals, RSU was picked in a tie to finish 10th in the league in the 2022-23 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
 
In the season opener on Friday, Nov. 11, the Hillcats face off against Southwest Minnesota State in the just the second all-time meeting. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. with the game being broadcast on KRSC 91.3 FM locally and RSURadio.com and the MIAA Network online. The RSU and SMSU met for the first time last season in the MIAA/NSIC Regional Challenge in St. Paul, Minn. when the Hillcats came away with a 63-54 victory in the first game of the season.
 
In the final game of the Holiday Inn Express on Saturday, Nov. 12, the Hillcats will take on Concordia-St. Paul. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. with the game being broadcast on KRSC 91.3 FM locally and RSURadio.com and the MIAA Network online. Last season, RSU went up against the Golden Bears in the first-ever meeting between the two sides in the MIAA/NSIC Regional Challenge in St. Paul, Minn. The Hillcats survived the matchup, taking home a 66-63 victory.