http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2007/09/05/an-informal-analysis-of-mu-s-schedule.aspx
At long last, it's out. Now let's take a quick gander at what will be facing MU this season.
Nov. 4 vs. Northern State (exhibition): A Division II school from Aberdeen, S.D. The Wolves are playing at Iowa the night before they face the Golden Eagles, so this one could get ugly in a hurry.
Nov. 10 vs. IUPUI: Ron Hunter fans, rejoice. He'll be back at the Bradley Center for the second time in three seasons. Thank you, Lord!
Nov. 12 vs. Utah Valley State: Coach Dick Hunsaker stepped in at Utah on an interim basis in 2001 after Rick Majerus took a leave of absence from coaching. The Wolverines were 22-7 last season and are in their fourth season of the six-year provisional process to compete at the Division I level.
Nov. 19 vs. Chaminade at Maui Invitational: Thanks for the early start time, tournament organizers. I should be on the beach in time for lunch. Bring on the Mahi Mahi.
Nov. 20 vs. LSU or Oklahoma State: Barring an upset of Ralph Sampson-like proportions, MU will play one of these two teams in the second round. Both are projected to be middle-of-the-road teams in their respective conferences. Should MU wind up facing LSU that would set up an interesting reunion between the Golden Eagles and former guard Dameon Mason.
Nov. 21 vs. Duke/Princeton/Illinois/Arizona State: It could very well be MU-Duke for an early-season tournament title for the second straight year. Anticipating this, and the subsequent late deadline in Milwaukee, I will be forced to stay in Maui an extra day and eat my Thanksgiving turkey on the beach. Poor me. Beats eating it in the snow in Alaska like I did two seasons ago.
Nov. 30 vs. UWM: The much-awaited affair, and it should be a good one. Both Tom Crean and Rob Jeter will have their players 'jacked to the max' as my former junior-college coach, Neal Nelson, used to say.
Dec. 8 at Wisconsin: MU has two straight seasons of frustration built up over its annual grudge match with UW. No Alando Tucker or Kam Taylor to deal with helps the Golden Eagles, but nevertheless this will be a tough game.
Dec. 15 vs. Sacramento State: Finished 302nd in the RPI last season.
Dec. 17 vs. IPFW: The Mastodons complete the sweep of Indiana-Purdue University teams playing MU.
Dec. 21 vs. Coppin State: Has it really been two seasons since Fang Mitchell invaded the Bradley Center?
Dec. 29 vs. Savannah State: I have yet to figure out why former Georgetown great Horace Broadnax left his job as an attorney to coach one of the most hapless Division I programs in recent memory.
Jan. 3 vs. Providence: The new 18-game Big East grind begins against a team Crean believes is the most underrated in the league. Big, physical and experienced, this will be a challenge for MU even if it is at home.
Jan. 5 at West Virginia: Two seasons ago the Golden Eagles got Mike Gansey-ed and Kevin Pittsnogle-d to the tune of 104 points and 20 three-pointers. The Mountaineers are a different team now for sure, but Bob Huggins is back, adding another twist. This is a quick turnaround from the opener.
Jan. 8 vs. Seton Hall: First of three repeat opponents for MU. On paper the Pirates should be a little better than their 4-12 finish in the Big East a season ago.
Jan. 12 vs. Notre Dame: Steve Novak broke the hearts of the Irish with his game-winning baseline jumper two seasons ago at the Bradley Center. Should be another good one, this time against a repeat opponent with some history. Game time TBA; I'd like an afternoon tilt since the 12th is my sister's birthday (Hi, Tracy).
Jan. 17 at Louisville: My seventh trip to Freedom Hall in my six years on the beat. One of my favorite places to watch a college basketball game. MU won a big one down there last season; can it do so again? The Cardinals, probably the Golden Eagles' biggest rival over the past five years, are MU's third and final repeat opponent.
Jan. 20 at Connecticut: Only three days separate what figures to be the Golden Eagles' toughest two-game road swing of the season, and no doubt the Huskies will be harboring ill will for the way MU slapped them around at Gampel Pavilion a year ago.
Jan. 26 vs. DePaul: Thank you, Big East schedulemakers, for not making me go to Allstate Arena again.
Jan. 29 vs. South Florida: A game sure to bring tears to the eyes of new MU men's basketball point man Scott Kuykendall, who spent the past few seasons in the same capacity for the Bulls. He's a Mukwonago High School graduate, though, so at least he's got that going for him.
Feb. 2 at Cincinnati: I'm looking forward to some Skyline Chili and a stop at The Montgomery Inn.
Feb. 4 vs. Louisville: Crean will do whatever he can to not invoke the spirits of Reece Gaines and Francisco Garcia, and make certain someone's in Jerry Smith's face with time winding down. Last season's thriller at the Bradley Center was one of the most unbelievable endings you'll ever see in a college basketball game. Another two-day turnaround.
Feb. 9 at Notre Dame: Last season, MU got all it could handle of banger extraordinaire Luke Harangody. I got all I could handle on the drive home, a nearly 7-hour, white-knuckle affair in the most horrid blizzard of the winter. The Irish will be without its two biggest offensive threats in Russell Carter and Colin Falls, but they'll still be tough to beat at home.
Feb. 12 at Seton Hall: Thank you, Seton Hall, for building the Prudential Center in downtown Newark. That keeps me from having to go to Continental Airlines Arena, my second-least-favorite arena behind that one in Rosemont.
Feb. 15 vs. Pittsburgh: The one and only regular-season meeting with the Panthers, which is a bad thing considering how great almost all their games have been with the Golden Eagles. There will be plenty of new faces on Pittsburgh's roster this season, but the Panthers do return MU killer Ronald Ramon.
Feb. 20 at St. John's: Another trip to MSG for me. Can't ever get enough of those. Will Anthony Mason be in the house once again to watch his talented namesake face off against MU?
Feb. 23 vs. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights are coached by former Bob Dukiet assistant Fred Hill, who is a class act and top-notch recruiter.
Feb. 25 at Villanova: This one will be played at the Wachovia Center. Good thing for MU, which had some strange things happen to it in a heartbreaking loss at the Wildcats' on-campus arena, The Pavilion, two seasons ago.
March 1 vs. Georgetown: The Hoyas have 7-2 Roy Hibbert and reloaded with a couple more McDonald's All-Americans in the off-season. Assuming MU remains in the hunt for the Big East title to this point and Georgetown lives up to the hype, this could be one of the most important games in Crean's tenure.
March 4 vs. Florida Gulf Coast: No more Blue and Gold Classic means another much-needed victory heading into NCAA Selection Sunday. Can't have enough of those if you're a Golden Eagles fan, especially after what happened last season.
March 8 at Syracuse: Looking ahead, a victory here could do wonders for MU's seeding.
It's too early for Bracketology as far as I'm concerned, so I'll leave off here for now.
Thanks for the great insights Todd. Your stroll through the schedule helps take away the late summer heat. A question for you or others: I read that MU's "Midnight Madness" is to be held on Saturday, Oct. 13 -- I was under the impression that it would be Friday, Oct. 12. Any clarification?