Senior guard Kevin Caldwell, Jr., will be back to lead the Lindenwood men’s basketball team in its first season as members of NCAA Division I. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. CHARLES, MO — The Lindenwood University athletics department officially released its 2022-23 men’s basketball schedule on Thursday. It will be a completely new look for the Lions this season, as the program will playing its first season as members of NCAA Division-I, while also competing in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Lindenwood had played the last few seasons in Division II’s Great Lakes Valley Conference, but this season, the Lions will be moving up to play in one of the top mid-major Division I conferences in the country.
“I think we’ve been able to put together a really exciting schedule for year one,” Lindenwood head coach Kyle Gerdeman said, in a statement released by the athletic department. “We will have some challenging games with our high-major opponents, and a good mix of games around those that will help us get ready for OVC play. I know our team will be excited about the opportunities that are ahead of us.”
LU will begin its season on Thursday, November 7, with a road game in Ohio against Dayton. The Lions will host their home opener just a few days later, when Hannibal-LaGrange comes to visit on Sunday, November 10. That game will tipoff at Hyland Arena at 7 p.m.
One of the really fun games of the early part of the season, will come on November 13, when Lindenwood will travel to Mizzou Arena in Columbia to play the University of Missouri. Game times haven’t been officially announced, but that game will likely be telecast on SEC Network or streamed on ESPN+.
Lindenwood will play a total of 13 non-conference games, which will include a three games in three days trip to Louisiana in mid-November to play in the McNeese State Tournament. Thanksgiving weekend for the Lions will be highlighted with a road game trip to Champaign, Ill., to play Big 10 powerhouse Illinois on the day after Thanksgiving.
The Ohio Valley Conference season will begin in late December, with Lindenwood traveling to Charleston, Ill., on December 29, to take on Eastern Illinois. LU will host its first OVC home game on New Year’s Eve, with a matchup against Tennessee Tech.
In all, Lindenwood will play 18 OVC games in December, January, and February, and 31 games overall this season, with 12 of those contests scheduled as home games at Hyland Arena.
A key stretch for the Lions will come at the beginning of February, when the club will host three straight home games against Eastern Illinois (Feb. 2), Tennessee-Martin (Feb. 4), and SIU-Edwardsville (Feb. 9).
Lindenwood will close out its regular season at the end of February with home games against Southeast Missouri State (Feb. 23) and Little Rock (Feb. 25).
Last year, Lindenwood went 12-17 and saw its season end with a loss in the first round of the GLVC Tournament against William Jewell.
This year, the Lions are eligible to play in the OVC Tournament, but as a program in transition from Division II to Division I, it would not be eligible to play in the NCAA Tournament.
| 2022-23 Lindenwood Lions Men’s Basketball Schedule |
| Mon., November 7 — at Dayton |
| Thu., November 10 — vs. Hannibal-LaGrange — 7 pm |
| Sun., November 13 — at Missouri |
| Fri., November 18 — vs. Lamar — 3 pm at McNeese Tournament in La. |
| Sat., November 19 — at McNeese State — 4 pm |
| Sun., November 20 — vs. Western Carolina — 12 at McNeese Tournament in La. |
| Wed., November 23 — vs. Idaho State — 7 pm |
| Fri., November 25 — at Illinois |
| Wed., November 30 — vs. East-West University — 7 pm |
| Sat., December 3 — at Kansas City |
| Sat., December 17 — vs. Knox College — 3:30 pm |
| Tue., December 20 — at Brigham Young |
| Thu., December 22 — at Utah Tech |
| Thu., December 29 — at Eastern Illinois* — 7:30 pm |
| Sat., December 31 — vs. Tennessee Tech* |
| Thu., January 5 — at Little Rock* |
| Sat., January 7 — vs. Tennessee State* |
| Thu., January 12 — at SEMO* |
| Sat., January 14 — at SIUE* |
| Thu., January 19 — vs. Southern Indiana* |
| Sat., January 21 — vs. Morehead State* |
| Thu., January 26 — at Tennessee-Martin* — 8 pm |
| Sat., January 28 — at Tennessee State* |
| Thu., February 2 — vs. Eastern Illinois* |
| Sat., February 4 — vs. Tennessee-Martin* |
| Thu., February 9 — vs. SIUE* |
| Sat., February 11 — at Southern Indiana* |
| Thu., February 16 — at Tennessee Tech* — 7:30 pm |
| Sat., February 18 — at Morehead State* |
| Thu., February 23 — at SEMO* |
| Sat., February 25 — vs. Little Rock* |
| * – denotes Ohio Valley Conference game. |
| All Lindenwood home basketball games will be played at Hyland Arena. |