Michigan State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Announces Non-Conference Schedule
8/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Highlighted by a pair of home games against perennial powers, participation in two high-caliber neutral-site events, and a pair of late-December games away from home against 2015 postseason participants, Michigan State men's basketball will face a challenging non-conference schedule in 2015-16.
Including potential opponents in the Wooden Legacy tournament, 11 of 17 opponents competed in the 2015 postseason, including seven in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Eight of MSU's 13 non-conference contests could feature 2015 postseason participants.
Seven of the 13 non-conference games will be played at Breslin Center, including a rematch of the 2015 Elite Eight contest vs. Louisville and a rematch of the 2000 NCAA Championship game vs. Florida. On a neutral court, MSU will play Kansas in the Champions Classic in Chicago, while also taking part in the Wooden Legacy in Orange County, California, where the field includes four potential opponents that took part in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, and one more that earned a postseason bid. MSU will also play a neutral-site contest vs. Oakland at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The lone true road contest will see MSU travel to Boston to play 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Northeastern.
"I'm excited about the non-conference schedule that we've put together," said MSU coach Tom Izzo. "The first thing that jumps out at me are the Louisville and Florida games at Breslin Center. We are excited to bring some of college basketball's top programs to our home fans this season. It's part of a continual quest to schedule great non-conference games home for our fans that have been so loyal and give us one of the best home court advantages in the nation.
"The Wooden Legacy will be a very challenging preseason tournament. A lot of attention will go to a potential finals matchup with Arizona, but I'm just as concerned about our second-day game against UC-Irvine or Boise State, two teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year. And opening the tournament against ACC member Boston College is also no easy task.
"Playing Kansas in the Champions Classic will be a terrific early-season test. But road games against a very talented Northeastern squad and at the Palace against Oakland at the end of the non-conference schedule will also be a difficult task.
"When you combine the non-conference schedule with what I expect to be a deeper Big Ten in the upcoming season, we will certainly be tested early and often throughout the year."
The Spartans will open the 2015-16 season at home against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 13. The Owls are coached by former Detroit Pistons head coach Michael Curry, and assisted by former Spartan and NBA player Eric Snow.
"I'm also looking forward to welcoming Florida Atlantic for the regular-season opener," Izzo added. "It will be great to have Eric Snow back on campus, and I have a lot of respect for Michael Curry, not only from his time in the NBA as a player and coach, but also as a father of one of our former players Deon Curry."
The opener is followed by a showdown against Kansas (Nov. 17) in the 2015 Champions Classic in Chicago. The Jayhawks are ranked No. 5 in ESPN.com's most recent preseason Top 25. This is the fifth year of the Champions Classic, as MSU defeated KU in the 2012 edition in Atlanta.
A home game against Arkansas Pine Bluff on Nov. 20 precedes the Wooden Legacy. The Spartans play a non-bracketed game at home against Eastern Michigan on Nov. 23 before traveling to California for the next three games. A Thanksgiving evening game (Nov. 26) against Boston College opens the tournament. MSU's next game (Nov. 27) will be against a 2015 NCAA Tournament participant, as both UC-Irvine and Boise State made the tournament. The final day (Nov. 29) of the Wooden Legacy could include a game against 2015 Elite Eight participant Arizona. Other possible final-day opponents include Providence (2015 NCAA Tournament), Evansville (2015 CIT Champion), and Santa Clara.
December opens with a rematch of the 2015 Elite Eight as Michigan State welcomes Louisville to Breslin Center for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge (Dec. 2). After a pair of home games against Binghamton (Dec. 5) and Maryland Eastern Shore (Dec. 9), MSU will host Florida on Dec. 12 in a rematch of the 2000 NCAA title game.
Non-conference play concludes with a pair of games away from home. The Spartans will play at Northeastern on Dec. 19, as the MSU hockey and men's and women's basketball teams will all play at Northeastern in a two-day span. The final non-conference game will see Michigan State and Oakland square off in the Palace of Auburn Hills on Dec. 22.
Michigan State will play a pair of home exhibition games against Northern Michigan (Nov. 4) and Ferris State (Nov. 9) prior to opening the regular-season.
The Big Ten schedule will be released at a later date. It was earlier announced that MSU will play five teams home and away (Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Wisconsin), four only at home (Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska) and four only on the road (Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue).
Additional tip times and television information will be announced at a later date.
