CHICAGO – The Roosevelt basketball programs are hosting their annual Tip-Off Event on Thursday starting at 6 p.m. in the Goodman Center.

This year's event will feature scrimmages featuring both the men's and women's teams as well as performances from the Lakers Band and national champion cheerleading and dance squads. The night will end with a fun contest for some lucky fans, so make sure you arrive early for your best chance at being selected to participate.

Doors open for the event at 5 p.m. and both teams will begin their on-court warmups at 5:30 p.m. The first 50 Roosevelt students with ID through the door will receive a free Lakers basketball t-shirt.

Roosevelt women's basketball was picked by the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coaches to finish eighth in the league. None of the Lakers were named to the preseason all-conference teams despite a strong sophomore campaign last season from Marie Outlay. The junior averaged 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game last season, breaking the program's single-season steals record for the second straight season.

The men were picked to finish 11^th with almost an entirely new squad for coach Dee Brown's fourth season with the Lakers. The sole returner for the Lakers is Griffin Yaklich, who started all 29 games last season for Roosevelt and averaged more than 30 minutes on the floor. The graduate student was the team's leading rebounder at 7.2 boards per game and finished second in assists with 2.6 per contest while also adding more than six points per game.

There will be limited opportunities to see the Lakers at the Goodman Center before winter break, making Thursday an excellent way to get a sneak peek of the teams. The men are at home on Nov. 7 for an exhibition against East-West at 6 p.m. then the women begin the season with home games on Nov. 14 and 15 against UMSL and Maryville, respectively. Both teams will open GLIAC play at home on Dec. 4 in a doubleheader against Michigan Tech for a blackout starting at 5:30 p.m. before hosting Northern Michigan on Dec. 6.