Eastern men will rise, hope to shine in early-morning opener

How about some extra shots with that espresso? A dunk with your doughnut?

No problem: The Eastern Washington basketball team will serve them up on Friday at Reese Court.

But if you snooze, you’ll lose a chance to see history: The Eagles’ game against Texas Southern will be the first Division I game in the nation this season.

At 8 a.m.

Think of it as Breakfast at Center Court. Instead of tea and crumpets, it’ll be maple bars with bacon sprinkles, a campus favorite.

And the extra shots? Many will be triples – 3-pointers from an Eastern team that knows how to play entertaining basketball.

“We’re an exciting team to watch,” coach Jim Hayford said.

The Eagles have done this before. Less than three months ago they opened the football season at Roos Field and got plenty of notoriety in the process.

“I’m not sure we would be having this conversation if this was a 6 p.m. tip-off,” said athletic director Bill Chaves, who’s fond of letting his coaches think outside the box-and-one.

That led to a brainstorming session that included Hayford, his assistants and members of the Eastern marketing staff.

“We started throwing ideas on the wall and seeing what would stick, and this is one of the ideas that stuck,” said Hayford, who added that the game has drawn national media attention.

It remains to be seen whether the idea will stick with fans on a chilly Friday morning, which after all is a work day for most. Hayford has that defense scouted as well.

“I think every sports fan in the region should start their sports weekend Friday morning right here, then college football on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday,” Hayford said

The Eagles are counting on a good turnout by students on Friday – “the most friendly day from an academic standpoint for this kind of an event,” Chaves said.

Another enticement: The first 250 students through the door will receive free slippers, courtesy of Gus Johnson Ford. Eastern Dining Services will be on hand, selling breakfast and coffee.

But the main treat will be on the court. Texas Southern, under former Indiana coach Mike Davis, was an NCAA tournament participant last year. The Eagles, a veteran team, are picked for a high finish in the Big Sky Conference.

“I’m just excited to see the season start against a team that played in the NCAA tournament,” said Hayford, who’s beginning his fourth year. “This is a really good measuring stick for us.”

If you sleep in and miss the game, the Eagles have two evening home games in the next five days, on Monday against Utah Valley and on Wednesday against Walla Walla.