Breaking Down WVU's Non-Conference Schedule

Thursday afternoon, the West Virginia men's basketball team became the first team in the country to officially release its non-conference schedule. Here are some of the important games/matchups on the slate along with some interesting notes.

Zero true road games

West Virginia will play 13 non-conference games next season and not a single one will be a true road game. Sure, playing Ohio State in Cleveland and UMass in Springfield may seem like a road game but the games aren't played in their home building. They'll play nine games inside the WVU Coliseum and four at neutral sites.

A trip to Fort Myers

West Virginia will participate in the Fort Myers Tip-Off but who they will play in the first game is unknown. It will be either Virginia, Wisconsin, or SMU. The result of that first game will determine who they play in either the championship game or for third place.

The true Hall of Fame Classic

In this year's edition of the Big East-Big 12 Battle, West Virginia will play host to Rick Pitino and St. John's. Pitino was the head coach at Louisville from 2001-17, meaning he and Huggins battled for several years in the old Big East. In fact, this will be the 39th meeting between the two coaches. This game is set for December 1st.

Will the one-sided Brawl continue?

The Backyard Brawl returns to Morgantown on December 6th and with a win over the Panthers, it will push West Virginia's winning streak in the series to seven. This will be the 190th all-time meeting between the two programs.

Meeting an old friend

On December 16th, West Virginia will travel to Springfield, Massachusetts to take on UMass in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. The head coach of the Minutemen? Frank Martin. Martin served as an assistant on Huggins' staff at Cincinnati for two seasons and then for one season at Kansas State before becoming the head coach of the Wildcats.

A second homecoming

Former West Virginia guard Darris Nichols is the head coach at Radford and for the second time during his tenure as the head man of the Highlanders, he'll return to Morgantown for a date with the Mountaineers. The two will square off on December 20th.

Neutral site fun in Cleveland

For the second time in four years, West Virginia and Ohio State will clash in Cleveland at the home of the Cavaliers - Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. West Virginia won the last meeting, knocking off the second-ranked Buckeyes, 67-59. The Mountaineers have won three straight in this series and eight of the last nine, dating back to 1981.

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