Jimmie Taylor is Rider's top returning scorer. The Broncs face Kansas and Michigan State in the same week.

The draw for the 2014 Orlando Classic made sure that Rider will have quite the Thanksgiving week.

The Broncs were placed in a quarterfinal game against Michigan State on Thanksgiving night with tip scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2. The glamor game against the Spartans comes three days after Rider travels to Phog Allen Fieldhouse for an out-bracket Orlando Classic game against Kansas.

The rest of the quarterfinal matchups in Florida are as follows: Santa Clara/Tennessee; Kansas/Rhode Island and Marquette/Georgia Tech. Games are scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

The Michigan State/Rider winner will play the Marquette/Georgia Tech survivor in one semifinal. The possibility of a Michigan State/Kansas final is in play.



The Spartans went 29-9 last season, reaching the Elite Eight where they fell to eventual national champ Connecticut.

Kansas is coming off a 25-10 year in which it was upset by Stanford in the third round of the NCAA tournament.

Rider and Michigan State have never met. The Broncs and Jayhawks have met on two previous occasions — in 1987-88 and 1990-91. Kansas won both games.

The Broncs went 14-17 a year ago and have to cope with the loss of their two leading scorers.