College Basketball Capsules: Indiana has full slate of home games on schedule
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Indiana's new basketball schedule looks enticing.
Eighteen regular-season home games, 10 against schools from non-BCS conferences and even a possible matchup against former Hoosiers star Steve Alford.
Tom Crean views the schedule another way: Challenging.
"Twice, we have stretches early in the season where we will play six games in 14 days so our depth and health will be a critical factor," Crean said Thursday in a statement released by the athletic department.
Clearly, that's been a problem for the Hoosiers in each of Crean's first two seasons after the program was gutted following the NCAA phone call scandal that occurred under former coach Kelvin Sampson.
But with another solid recruiting class adding depth, hopes of Maurice Creek making a full recovery from his season-ending knee injury and the struggles of the past two seasons giving Crean's young team experience, well, fans see this season's schedule as an opportunity to post a winning record.
Indiana opens the season against Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 12, the first of six straight home games. The other opponents are Wright State, Butler's old nemesis; Mississippi Valley State, best known as the alma mater of Jerry Rice; in-state rival Evansville, of the Missouri Valley Conference; and North Carolina Central and Northwestern State.
All six games come in a 14-day span.
The Hoosiers then head to Boston College for the Big Ten-ACC Challenge and after another home game against Savannah State, visit Kentucky.
The next big trip is to Las Vegas for a tournament in which the Hoosiers will face Northern Iowa, the team that upset Kansas in the NCAA tournament to reach the regional semifinals, before a possible showdown with New Mexico, Alford's team, on Dec. 23.
"I think we will learn a lot about our team during the four non-conference games we play away from Assembly Hall," Crean said. "Boston College has one of the most experienced teams with 11 seniors or juniors, the Kentucky game is one of the most intense rivalries in college basketball and in Las Vegas we will see a very good Northern Iowa team and then a day later have to take on a team like New Mexico or Colorado."
Indiana will also open the Big Ten season with back-to-back home games against Penn State on Dec. 27 and Ohio State on Dec. 31. Those games will wrap up the Hoosiers' second six game-in-14-days span.
The Hoosiers also may have gotten a break in conference play.
Though they will have to play perennial contenders Purdue, Ohio State and Wisconsin twice, the Hoosiers face the conference's most consistent team, Michigan State, which has played in the last two Final Fours only once — at East Lansing, Mich., on Jan. 30.
The Hoosiers will play at West Lafayette on Feb. 8 and will host the Boilermakers on Feb. 23.
Illini open Big Ten schedule at Iowa
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Illinois will open the Big Ten basketball season Dec. 29 at Iowa before returning home to face Wisconsin and Northwestern in the first week of conference play.
The Illini announced their full schedule Thursday after releasing their non-conference lineup earlier this summer.
Illinois will have back-to-back home games against conference powers Michigan State and Ohio State on Jan. 18 and 22.
The Illini will close out the conference season with games March 1 at Purdue and either March 5 or 6 at home against Indiana.
The regular season starts Nov. 8 at home against UC-Irvine.
The schedule includes at least 14 games against teams that played in last year's NCAA tournament.
The Illini finished last season 21-15 and played in the NIT.
Vols' 2010-11 schedule includes Big East matchups
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee will travel to Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Charlotte and host Southern California and Memphis in addition to its Southeastern Conference lineup as part of its 2010-2011 schedule.
The Volunteers are also hosting Belmont, Arkansas State and Missouri State in the southern regional of the NIT Season Tip-Off and will have a chance to travel to Madison Square Garden in New York if they win their two regional games.
Other nonconference opponents include Chattanooga, Middle Tennessee, Oakland, Tennessee-Martin and College of Charleston.
As part of their SEC schedule, the Vols will host an ESPN GameDay doubleheader with the Lady Vols against Vanderbilt's men's and women's teams on Jan 15. They will close their regular season March 6 at home against SEC East rival Kentucky.
The Vols are coming off their first-ever NCAA tournament regional semifinal appearance.
Iowa release McCaffery's contract details
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa will pay Siena $240,000 to cover a buyout clause for basketball coach Fran McCaffery.
McCaffery was lured from Siena to replace Todd Lickliter in March, and McCaffery's contract details with Iowa were released Wednesday.
McCaffery's six-year deal starts at $1.1 million a year and escalates to $1.35 million in the final year. The contract also includes a provision for McCaffery and Iowa to discuss an extension after the 2011-12 season.
McCaffery will receive a $25,000 bonus for getting the Hawkeyes to the NCAA tournament and $10,000 for reaching the NIT in any of his first three seasons.
Iowa fired Lickliter after three lackluster seasons, and the school still owes its former coach $2.4 million.
Alabama releases men's hoops schedule
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's basketball team will visit nonconference foes Providence, Purdue and Oklahoma State in the upcoming season.
The Crimson Tide will also play in the Paradise Jam on the U.S. Virgin Islands. Alabama released the schedule on Thursday.
The Tide opens Nov. 12 against Florida A&M.
Alabama faces Seton Hall in the first of three games at the Paradise Jam on Nov. 19.
Other potential opponents for second- and third-round games include Iowa, Xavier and Clemson.
All 16 of Alabama's SEC games will be televised, including a nationally televised ESPN game against Kentucky on Jan. 18.
Vanderbilt first on South Carolina SEC home slate
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Vanderbilt will be South Carolina's first guest during the Southeastern Conference portion of the upcoming basketball season, with Kentucky not too far behind.
The Southeastern Conference released its men's basketball schedule for the 2011 on Thursday.
After the Commodores on Jan. 8, South Carolina hits the road for SEC games against Alabama and Florida. The Gamecocks return to Colonial Life Arena to face Kentucky on Jan. 22. It will be the teams' first meeting since South Carolina pulled off a 68-62 upset of the then-top-ranked and unbeaten Wildcats.
The Kentucky game is sandwiched around home games against Arkansas and Auburn.
South Carolina ends its home SEC season against Tennessee on March 3 and closes the regular season at Mississippi State on March 5.
Vanderbilt to play 8 teams that made postseason
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt's upcoming basketball schedule includes eight teams that advanced to the postseason in 2009-2010.
The Commodores, who announced their schedule Thursday, open the season at home Nov. 12 against Presbyterian. Other non-conference foes include Nebraska, Grambling, Appalachian State, Western Kentucky, Belmont, Missouri, Southeastern Louisiana, Middle Tennessee, Marquette, Davidson and St. Mary's.
Vanderbilt will play in the Puerto Rico Tip-off Nov. 19 and 21 with West Virginia, Davidson, North Carolina, Minnesota, Hofstra and Western Kentucky.
Four Ohio State starters back to face tough schedule
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Coming off a season in which they shared the Big Ten's regular-season title and won the tournament championship, and had the national player of the year, the Ohio State Buckeyes face a challenging men's basketball schedule in 2010-11.
Coach Thad Matta, entering his seventh season, returns along with four starters from a 29-8 team that made it to the NCAA round of 16. Evan Turner, the consensus national player of the year, was drafted No. 2 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, but Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale, David Lighty and William Buford are back, and are joined by a recruiting class rated among the best in the country.
The Buckeyes open play on Nov. 12 at home against North Carolina A&T in the Global Sports Invitational. Big Ten play begins on New Year's Eve with a game at Indiana.
Wildcats hit the road in Calipari's 2nd year
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A New Year's Eve showdown with rival Louisville and a trip to Hawaii highlight Kentucky's 2010-11 basketball schedule.
Kentucky's balanced schedule includes only 15 regular season home games at Rupp Arena, starting with the season-opener against East Tennessee State on Nov. 12. The Wildcats then head west for the Maui Invitational Nov. 22-24 before playing at North Carolina on Dec. 4.
Kentucky will take on Notre Dame at Freedom Hall on Dec. 8 then return to Louisville on Dec. 31 to play the Cardinals. The Wildcats will begin defense of their Southeastern Conference title at Georgia on Jan. 8 and wrap up the regular season at Tennessee on March 6.
Coach John Calipari said the schedule will prepare his young team for the NCAA tournament.
Razorbacks release basketball schedule
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' basketball schedule includes a home game against Oklahoma and a trip to Texas.
The Razorbacks released their regular-season slate Thursday, which begins at home against Grambling State on Nov. 18. The Hogs play Oklahoma in Fayetteville on Dec. 1 and travel to Texas to play the Longhorns on Jan. 4.
Arkansas will face Alabama-Birmingham in North Little Rock on Nov. 26 — and takes on Seton Hall in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 8 as part of the SEC-Big East Invitational.
The Razorbacks host Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky on Feb. 23.
WVU releases 2010-11 nonconference schedule
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia's nonconference schedule for the 2010-11 basketball season includes five home games and a tournament in Puerto Rico.
The Mountaineers, who advanced to the Final Four last season in Indianapolis, will open the regular season Nov. 13 in Morgantown against Oakland.
WVU also has home games against Purdue, American, Robert Morris and Cleveland State and road contests at Miami and Duquesne. There also will be two games in Charleston against VMI on Nov. 27 and Marshall on Jan. 19.
WVU will travel to San Juan in November for three games in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, starting with Davidson on Nov. 18.
UT-Martin basketball player suspended from team
MARTIN, Tenn. (AP) — Delrico Lane, starting point guard for the University of Tennessee at Martin, has been suspended from the team following his arrest on a charge of aggravated sexual battery.
Lane, a senior from Greensboro, Fla., is accused in an incident that occurred July 17 at an apartment in Martin.
Radio station WCMT quoted a police affidavit as saying Lane held a woman down to help a co-defendant in an assault.
He was released on his own recognizance pending a preliminary hearing Sept. 8.
