SEATTLE (June 15) -- When the curtain rises on the 2001-02 men's basketball season, Seattle Pacific University fans will get a glimpse of not only a very promising Falcon squad but two teams from the Eastern time zone.

The 10th annual Vitamilk Tip-Off Classic features SPU playing the University of Indianapolis on opening night, Nov. 16, and Pennsylvania's Lock Haven Nov. 17. Opposition for the Oak Harbor Freight Lines Holiday Classic Dec. 28-29 includes Texas A&M Commerce and Idaho's Lewis-Clark State. Pairings are still being finalized for the Dec. 16-17 Desert Classic in Las Vegas.

Great Northwest Athletic Conference action is tentatively set to begin Dec. 8 at Saint Martin's. Defending regional champion Western Washington visits Brougham Pavilion Jan. 12 during a season-long seven-game home stand. The annual homecoming matinee is against Central Washington Feb. 2 and afterwards the Falcons play five in a row on the road before hosting Western Oregon and Humboldt State on the final weekend of the regular season.

Coach Ken Bone has four starters returning from a 21-6 team which made the NCAA tournament for the fourth year in a row. Seattle Pacific will be led by all-conference selections Brannon Stone and Nick Johnson.

2001-02 Tentative Schedule
Nov. 16-17 VITAMILK TIP-OFF CLASSIC
    Nov. 16 Lock Haven v Northwest Nazarene 5:00
      SPU v INDIANAPOLIS 7:00
    Nov. 17 Northwest Nazarene v Indianapolis 5:00
      SPU v LOCK HAVEN 7:00
Nov. 24 at Seattle University 7:00
Nov. 27 NORTHWEST COLLEGE 7:00
Dec. 1 HAWAII PACIFIC 7:00
Dec. 8 at Saint Martin¹s* 7:00
Dec. 10 at Central Washington* 7:00
Dec. 15-16 Desert Classic (at Las Vegas, Nv.) Opponents TBA TBA
Dec. 28-29 OAK HARBOR FREIGHTLINES CLASSIC
    Dec. 28 Seattle University v Lewis-Clark St. 5:00
      SPU v TEXAS A&M COMMERCE 7:00
    Dec. 29 Seattle U. v Texas A&M Commerce 5:00
      SPU v LEWIS-CLARK STATE 7:00
Jan. 3 NORTHWEST NAZARENE* 7:30
Jan. 5 SEATTLE UNIVERSITY* 7:00
Jan. 12 WESTERN WASHINGTON* 7:00
Jan. 17 ALASKA FAIRBANKS* 7:30
Jan. 19 ALASKA ANCHORAGE* 7:00
Jan. 24 at Humboldt State* 7:00
Jan. 26 at Western Oregon* 7:30
Jan. 31 SAINT MARTIN¹S* 7:30
Feb. 2 CENTRAL WASHINGTON* 3:30
Feb. 7 at Seattle University* 7:00
Feb. 9 at Northwest Nazarene* 7:30
Feb. 16 at Western Washington* 7:00
Feb. 21 at Alaska Anchorage* 8:15
Feb. 23 at Alaska Fairbanks* 4:00
Feb. 28 WESTERN OREGON* 7:00
Mar. 2 HUMBOLDT STATE* 7:00
*Great Northwest Athletic Conference games
All times are Pacific