October Madness: Notre Dame's '09/'10 Schedule

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Nov. 14 is a ways away but...

I figure a little before a month after its release date, I can start to contemplate the fare for the 2009-10 season. I'm actually glad to not see a repeat of last season's gauntlet right out of the gate. Indiana, Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio State to the big games...that is no joke.

If anything, Mike Brey probably recognized the need to set themselves up a little better for Big East play. The problem is when they lose a couple of those games, they start behind the curve.

This season they open up a little softer. I like it. They've got enough experience and talent that they don't need to play in some big-time tourney to prepare themselves or to show what they've got. Truth be told, they should be able to cruise through most of their first games setting up for the showdown with UCLA on Dec. 19 the Joyce Center.

This is how it looks:

November

1 LEWIS (Exhibition)
6 QUINCY (Exhibition)
TBA
14 NORTH FLORIDA
16 ST. FRANCIS (PA)
19 LONG BEACH STATE
22 LIBERTY (Tourney)
24 KENNESAW STATE (Tourney)
27 Northwestern (Tourney)
28 Iowa State or Saint Louis

December

1 IDAHO STATE
6 CENTRAL FLORIDA
9 IUPUI
12 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
19 UCLA
22 BUCKNELL

Weak non-conference schedule or not, why kill yourself before entering Big East play. Say what you will about the ACC or Pac-10, but I still put the Big East on top when they start pounding on each other.

There hasn't been much buzz about the Irish as of yet...another point I like. The beauty of the Big East is that no matter what, they'll be talking about someone else. There's always going to be a contending Georgetown, or UConn, or, now West Virginia and Villanova; the list goes on and on.

They can all sleep on the fact that, while they lost McAlarney, Harangody returns with a sick cast of characters with him (another breakdown later...).

...is it ever too early to talk NCAA hoops?

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