Men’s basketball releases 2012-13 non-conference schedule

Bearcats open Nov. 9 at Loyola, also play at nationally-ranked Michigan

August 13, 2012

Men’s basketball releases 2012-13 non-conference schedule

2012-13 BU Non-Conference Schedule

Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

VESTAL, N.Y.— Binghamton men’s basketball coach Tommy Dempsey released his team’s 13-game non-conference schedule on Monday. The Bearcats will play six home games in November and December and face three postseason teams from a year ago, highlighted by an away matchup at reigning Big Ten champion and preseason top-10 Michigan. Five first-time opponents dot the schedule.

“I like that the schedule features several home games for our community and students as well as many opportunities to take our team into some hostile road environments against quality basketball teams,” Dempsey said. “We have many challenges ahead but we have had a great summer and both the players and coaches are very excited about the upcoming season. This schedule will have us well prepared for America East play.”

Binghamton opens with an exhibition game against Susquehanna on November 3 at the Events Center. The game will be a reunion of sorts for Dempsey, who played for the Division III Crusaders and then served as assistant coach at his alma mater from 1997-99.

The regular season begins with a tough road test against defending MAAC champion Loyola on November 9. The Greyhounds went 24-9 and advanced to the NCAA Championship, where they lost to Ohio State.

The team’s home opener is November 11 against Ivy League member Brown – the beginning of a four-games-in-eight-days stretch for Dempsey’s squad. Back-to-back road games against U.S. Service Academies and Patriot League members follow with a first-ever visit to Annapolis and Navy on November 14 and a trip to West Point to face Army two days later.

A home game against MAAC member St. Peter’s on November 18 bookends the flurry of games. The Bearcats stay put for Thanksgiving and will host Marywood on November 24. The Pacers are coached by local product and former BU assistant coach Eric Grundman.

Binghamton will close out the month of November with an away game at Ivy League power Penn on November 28. The Quakers went 20-13 last season, finished as Ivy runnerup and reached the second round of the CBI, where their season ended with a 63-53 loss to Butler. The Bearcats will be making their first-ever appearance at the historic Palestra arena.

The team will open December with back-to-back home games in a three-day span when Northeast Conference members Mt. St. Mary’s (Dec. 1) and Monmouth (Dec. 3) pay a visit to the Events Center. Monmouth, which went 10-8 in league play last winter, is coached by Binghamton native and former North Carolina standout King Rice.

After a December 8 game at NEC foe Bryant, BU heads to Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines on December 11. Michigan went 24-10 in 2011-12 and earned a share of the Big Ten regular season title for the first time in 26 years before winning the conference tournament and advancing to the NCAAs for the third time in the last four years. Ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll, the fourth-seeded Wolverines were then upset by Ohio 65-60 in their opening game. It will be the second time BU has faced the “Maize and Blue” at Crisler Arena. Binghamton played at Michigan in the 2004 Preseason NIT and in an ESPN Network game, pushed the Wolverines to the closing minutes in a 59-46 loss. That BU team led by as many as 12 points and was tied 41-41 before Michigan surged late.

Games against in-state rivals Colgate (Dec. 28) and Cornell (Dec. 30) finish out the non-conference slate before the New Year.

The 16-game America East schedule will be released early in the fall. The first two rounds of the conference championship will be held March 8-10 at Albany.