Then-sophomore forward Marc Loving (2) passes the ball during a game against Campbell on Nov. 26 at the Schottenstein Center. OSU won, 91-64.
Credit: Lantern file photo
The Ohio State men’s basketball team released its 2015-16 non-conference schedule Wednesday afternoon, with several of the nation’s elite set to face off with the Buckeyes.
OSU is scheduled to host Virginia — a No. 2 seed in last season’s NCAA tournament — in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Dec. 1, and travel to Storrs, Conn., to take on the 2014 NCAA champion UConn Huskies on Dec. 12.
The Buckeyes also have marquee games scheduled in neutral sites against Memphis (Nov. 27 in Miami) and Kentucky (Dec. 19 in Brooklyn, N.Y.).
The matchup against Memphis is set to be played at American Airlines Arena, while the showdown with last season’s No. 1 overall seed Kentucky is set for the Barclays Center.
The game against the Wildcats marks the second of three years of the CBS Sports Classic, a series involving OSU, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA. OSU fell to UNC last season and is scheduled to conclude the series with a matchup with UCLA during the 2016-17 season.
“As I look at this schedule we will be challenged on the road, at home and on neutral courts,” OSU coach Thad Matta said in a press release. “With the youthfulness of this team, I believe it will help us prepare for Big Ten play.”
The Buckeyes are scheduled to play Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern and Rutgers both home and away, with single home games against Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Penn State, and single road games against Indiana, Nebraska, Purdue and Wisconsin rounding out their Big Ten schedule.
The dates for their conference slate will be released at a later time, according to the press release.
The Buckeyes are set to begin their season on Nov. 15 with a home matchup against Mount St. Mary’s.
The full non-conference schedule can be found below:
Nov. 15 vs. Mount St. Mary’s
Nov. 17 vs. Grambling
Nov. 20 vs. UT Arlington
Nov. 24 vs. Louisiana Tech
Nov. 27 vs. Memphis (American Airlines Arena)
Dec. 1 vs. Virginia
Dec. 5 vs. VMI
Dec. 8 vs. Air Force
Dec. 12 at UConn
Dec. 16 vs. Northern Illinois
Dec. 19 vs. Kentucky (Barclays Center)
Dec. 22 vs. Mercer
Dec. 27 vs. South Carolina State
