There are going to be some Hurricanes in the forecast for BU this coming season, and maybe some Lobos and Wildcats too.
The Binghamton men’s and women’s basketball teams have released their tentative non-conference schedules and both look to have some intriguing matchups on board.
On the men’s side, head coach Al Walker will continue the trend of bringing upperclassmen back home, with a game at the University of Miami and a holiday tournament at the University of New Mexico. Senior forward Duane James grew up in Miami, and senior forward Giovanni Olomo went to high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
While in Florida, the Bearcats will also head to Jacksonville to again take on North Florida, whom they defeated last year at home, and will also take on Pepperdine in the first round of the tournament in New Mexico.
In addition to these games, Walker’s squad will face a tough home test against Akron. The Zips, who play in the Mid-America Conference and feature several of Lebron James’ former high school teammates, advanced to the second round of the NIT last season and are expected to do well again this season.
The men’s schedule also features a home-and-home series with Long Island University, as well as interesting matches at in-state foes Niagara and Colgate and a home game against Cornell.
On the women’s side, there will be some high profile competition coming to the Events Center. Home games against Big East foes Syracuse and Villanova, who advanced to the second round of the WNIT last year, highlight the home schedule. The Bearcats’ biggest non-conference road victory came last year in Syracuse, when they beat the Orange 74-52 at the Carrier Dome.
Also coming to the Events Center for the first time are the defending Northeastern Conference champions, the Sacred Heart Pioneers, who were defeated in the first round of the NCAA tournament by eventual champ Maryland. The Bearcats will open their regular season against the Pioneers on Nov. 13.
The team will head to the Florida Atlantic Tip Off Classic in November, where they will take on Winthrop and Akron. As for the remainder of their schedule, the defending Big South champion Liberty Flames will also make their first visit to the Events Center this year, while Farleigh Dickinson and Cornell return to Binghamton for another go-around. The women’s road schedule features games against La Salle, Lehigh, Colgate and Bucknell.
Both teams open up at home with exhibition games. The men will take on Mansfield at 7 p.m. on Oct. 31, while the women face Le Moyne on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
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2006-07 Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule (tentative)
Oct. 31 vs. MANSFIELD (exhib.) (7 p.m.)
Nov. 4 vs. ST. ROSE (exhib.) (1 p.m.)
Nov. 11 @ Long Island (4 p.m.)
Nov. 16 @ Niagara (TBA)
Nov. 20 vs. MT. ST. MARY’S (7 p.m.)
Nov. 25 vs. CORNELL (TBA)
Nov. 27 @ Colgate (7 p.m.)
Dec. 2 vs. RIDER (1 p.m.)
Dec. 6 vs. AKRON (7 p.m.)
Dec. 15 vs. LONG ISLAND (7 p.m.)
Dec. 18 @ North Florida (TBA)
Dec. 20 @ Univ. Miami (TBA)
Comcast Lobo Invitational (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Dec. 28 vs. Pepperdine (10:15 p.m.)
Dec. 29 vs. New Mexico/Alcorn St. (8 p.m./10:15 p.m., respectively)
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2006-07 Women’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Mon. Nov. 6 vs. LE MOYNE (exhib.) (7 p.m.)
Fri. Nov. 10 vs. ST. ROSE (exhib.) (7 p.m.)
Mon. Nov. 13 vs. SACRED HEART (7 p.m.)
Fri. Nov. 17* vs. Akron (5 p.m.)
Sat. Nov. 18* vs. Winthrop (5 p.m.)
Wed. Nov. 22 vs. FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON (3 p.m.)
Sat. Nov. 25 vs. LIBERTY (1 p.m.)
Wed. Nov. 29 @ La Salle (7 p.m.)
Sat. Dec. 2 @ Canisius (2 p.m.)
Thurs. Dec. 7 @ Lehigh (7 p.m.)
Sun. Dec. 10 vs. VILLANOVA (1 p.m.)
Sat. Dec. 16 @ Colgate (1 p.m.)
Tues. Dec. 19 @ Bucknell (7 p.m.)
Sat. Dec. 30 vs. SYRACUSE (1 p.m.)
Mon. Jan. 8 vs. CORNELL (7 p.m.)
* at Florida Atlantic Tip-Off Classic