TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team will play the first of two exhibition games this month when it hosts Hillsdale College in Savage Arena on Saturday, Oct. 22. Tip-off time is set for 11:00 a.m. Admission is free and parking will be available in Lots 3, 4, 5 and 6 from 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

The Rockets will also play a second exhibition game at the University of Findlay on Sunday, Oct. 30.

Toledo returns four starters from last year's 26-8 squad. All-conference senior forwards Setric Millner Jr. (15.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and JT Shumate (15.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg) will lead the front court, while junior RayJ Dennis (12.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.1 apg) and sophomore Ra'Heim Moss (8.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg) are returning starters in the backcourt. The Rockets also have added three transfers with guards Tyler Cochran (Ball State) and Dante Maddox (Cal. State Fullerton) and forward Andre Lorentsson (Saint Louis).
  
Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk has guided the Rockets to six 20-win campaigns in the last nine years. Toledo captured its second-straight outright MAC title last year with a school-record 17-3 mark in league play. In addition, Toledo earned its 11^th all-time NIT berth.

Hillsdale is a NCAA Division II program located in Hillsdale, Mich. that has finished with a .500 record or better in each season under 14^th-year head coach John Tharp. The Chargers posted a 23-8 record last year and have won 19 or more games in each of the last five seasons. Hillsdale returns its starting backcourt of seniors Cole Nau, Jack Gohlke and Kyle Goessler intact from a squad that won the program's first NCAA Division II regional title and reached the Elite Eight round in 2021-22.

"We play Hillsdale almost every year. John Tharp is a very good friend and I have a lot of respect for him and his program," Kowalczyk said. "Last year they went to the Elite Eight and are one of the best Division II programs in the country. They are so well-coached that they help prepare us for our season, and that's what our two exhibition games do for us. We obviously play the games to win, but I want to use different rotations and see how guys mesh together."
 
The Rockets' meeting with the Chargers in exhibition play will be their sixth in the last 10 years. Toledo posted an 85-84 (OT) triumph in 2013, a 100-99 (2OT) victory in 2015, a 72-63 win in 2018, a 79-63 victory in 2019 and a 93-68 win last year.

Toledo opens its regular season vs. Valparaiso on Monday, Nov. 7 in Savage Arena. 

Season tickets for the men's basketball program are on sale now.  For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at the Sullivan Athletic Complex in Savage Arena, contact the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at 419-530-GOLD (4653) or go online to UTRockets.com/tix.