Post by rainman on Sept 6, 2007 6:05:25 GMT -5
WVU men to play 31-game schedule
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— The West Virginia University men’s basketball team will play an all-time high 31 regular-season games in 2007-08, according to the completed schedule announced Wednesday.
Fifteen of those will be played in the Coliseum, with two others at the Charleston Civic Center against Oklahoma on Saturday, Dec. 29, and Marshall on Wednesday, Jan. 23. The Mountaineers also will play an exhibition game at home against Mountain State of Beckley on Saturday, Nov. 10.
West Virginia will play a total of 18 games in the Big East Conference this year instead of 16 as under the format used the past eight seasons. This enables a school to play the other 15 teams once each, with three of those on the schedule for two meetings each.
The Mountaineers’ home-and-home opponents in league competition will be Pitt, Providence and St. John’s.
In the first year under head coach Bob Huggins, West Virginia is expected to get more national television exposure than they in previous season. At least 10 games will be on ESPN or ESPN2.
Those will be against Notre Dame, Marquette, Louisville, Georgetown, Pitt (twice), Rutgers, DePaul, Auburn and Oklahoma. Additional games to be aired on the ESPN network of channels will be selected at a later date.
However, the remaining 10 Big East games will be on ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Regional or ESPN360. All games in the conference’s postseason tournament also will be televised nationally as in past years.
Huggins said, “We are obviously excited about the national television exposure for our program. I believe that every kid in America wants to see their team showcased on national TV for their family and friends back home.
“This is the beginning of what we hope has West Virginia on national television on a regular basis for years to come.”
WVU will open the season at home with a pair of games in the Legends Classic, beginning on Friday, Nov. 16, with a second game on Sunday, Nov. 18. Those will be against teams yet to be announced.
But, win or lose, the Mountaineers will move on and play two more games in the Legends Classic at St. Prudential Center, Newark, N.J. Their opponents for those games Nov. 23-24 will come from among Texas, Tennessee and New Mexico.
“We think our non-conference schedule has enough balance for an always-tough Big East schedule,” Huggins said. “Our schedule also affords our players to play in front of friends and family.”
Besides Pitt, Providence and St. John’s, Big East teams visiting Morgantown will be Marquette, Syracuse, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Rutgers and Seton Hall. Other league road games will be at Notre Dame, Louisville, South Florida, Villanova, DePaul and Connecticut.
A game against Auburn in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday, Dec. 5, is part of the Big East/SEC Invitational.
The complete schedule for 2007-08:
Nov. 10, Mountain State (exhibition), home; 16, Legends Classic (team, TBA), home; 18, Legends Classic (team, TBA), home; 23, Texas, Tennessee or New Mexico State, at Newark, N.J.; 24, Texas, Tennessee or New Mexico State, at Newark, N.J.; Maryland Eastern Shore, home.
Dec. 1, Winthrop, home; 5, Auburn at Birmingham, Ala.; 8, Duquesne, home; 15, UMBC, home; 19, at Radford (Va.); 22, at Canisius; 29, vs. Oklahoma in Charleston.
Jan. 3, at Notre Dame; 5, Marquette, home; 10, at Louisville; 13, Syracuse, home; 17, St. John’s, home; 20, at South Florida; 23, vs. Marshall at Charleston; 26, Georgetown, home; 30, Cincinnati, home.
Feb. 2, at Providence; 7, at :Pitt; 14, Rutgers, home; 17, Seton Hall, home; 20, at Villanova; 23, Providence, home; 27, at DePaul.
March 1, at Connecticut; 3, Pitt, home; 8, at St. John’s.
March 12-15, Big East Championship tournament at Madison Square Garden.
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— The West Virginia University men’s basketball team will play an all-time high 31 regular-season games in 2007-08, according to the completed schedule announced Wednesday.
Fifteen of those will be played in the Coliseum, with two others at the Charleston Civic Center against Oklahoma on Saturday, Dec. 29, and Marshall on Wednesday, Jan. 23. The Mountaineers also will play an exhibition game at home against Mountain State of Beckley on Saturday, Nov. 10.
West Virginia will play a total of 18 games in the Big East Conference this year instead of 16 as under the format used the past eight seasons. This enables a school to play the other 15 teams once each, with three of those on the schedule for two meetings each.
The Mountaineers’ home-and-home opponents in league competition will be Pitt, Providence and St. John’s.
In the first year under head coach Bob Huggins, West Virginia is expected to get more national television exposure than they in previous season. At least 10 games will be on ESPN or ESPN2.
Those will be against Notre Dame, Marquette, Louisville, Georgetown, Pitt (twice), Rutgers, DePaul, Auburn and Oklahoma. Additional games to be aired on the ESPN network of channels will be selected at a later date.
However, the remaining 10 Big East games will be on ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Regional or ESPN360. All games in the conference’s postseason tournament also will be televised nationally as in past years.
Huggins said, “We are obviously excited about the national television exposure for our program. I believe that every kid in America wants to see their team showcased on national TV for their family and friends back home.
“This is the beginning of what we hope has West Virginia on national television on a regular basis for years to come.”
WVU will open the season at home with a pair of games in the Legends Classic, beginning on Friday, Nov. 16, with a second game on Sunday, Nov. 18. Those will be against teams yet to be announced.
But, win or lose, the Mountaineers will move on and play two more games in the Legends Classic at St. Prudential Center, Newark, N.J. Their opponents for those games Nov. 23-24 will come from among Texas, Tennessee and New Mexico.
“We think our non-conference schedule has enough balance for an always-tough Big East schedule,” Huggins said. “Our schedule also affords our players to play in front of friends and family.”
Besides Pitt, Providence and St. John’s, Big East teams visiting Morgantown will be Marquette, Syracuse, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Rutgers and Seton Hall. Other league road games will be at Notre Dame, Louisville, South Florida, Villanova, DePaul and Connecticut.
A game against Auburn in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday, Dec. 5, is part of the Big East/SEC Invitational.
The complete schedule for 2007-08:
Nov. 10, Mountain State (exhibition), home; 16, Legends Classic (team, TBA), home; 18, Legends Classic (team, TBA), home; 23, Texas, Tennessee or New Mexico State, at Newark, N.J.; 24, Texas, Tennessee or New Mexico State, at Newark, N.J.; Maryland Eastern Shore, home.
Dec. 1, Winthrop, home; 5, Auburn at Birmingham, Ala.; 8, Duquesne, home; 15, UMBC, home; 19, at Radford (Va.); 22, at Canisius; 29, vs. Oklahoma in Charleston.
Jan. 3, at Notre Dame; 5, Marquette, home; 10, at Louisville; 13, Syracuse, home; 17, St. John’s, home; 20, at South Florida; 23, vs. Marshall at Charleston; 26, Georgetown, home; 30, Cincinnati, home.
Feb. 2, at Providence; 7, at :Pitt; 14, Rutgers, home; 17, Seton Hall, home; 20, at Villanova; 23, Providence, home; 27, at DePaul.
March 1, at Connecticut; 3, Pitt, home; 8, at St. John’s.
March 12-15, Big East Championship tournament at Madison Square Garden.
