The Toughest Nonconference Game for Every Team in the Preseason CBB Coaches Poll
In two weeks' time, we'll finally get some college basketball back into our lives with the start of the 2016-17 season. Though the meat of the schedule won't happen until January, when teams dive into conference games for the stretch run to the NCAA tournament, nonconference play has its fair share of strong matchups.
Depending on the school, every Division I team has from nine to 17 non-league games on the slate that are mostly condensed to November and December. A few more are littered throughout January, either because their league schedule starts late or to serve as a break from conference competition.
Every school tackles putting together the nonconference schedule a different way, with many of the top teams looking to challenge themselves early and often as a way of preparing for their league. Others load up on creampuff opponents at home and have only a few notable out-of-conference clashes, thus making a win or loss at that point more notable.
Using the preseason USA Today coaches poll, we've picked out the toughest non-league game for every ranked school. In most cases, this is a one-off game on a set date against a specific opponent, while for a handful, we're speculating as to who they might face during a multiday preseason tournament.
25. Cincinnati Bearcats
1 of 25
Jan. 26 vs. Xavier
Cincinnati and Duke will be playing on the same court on Nov. 19-20 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Whether they do so against each other, though, will depend on how the Bearcats do against No. 24 Rhode Island the day before.
Since we can't say for sure if Cincy would get to face the nation's No. 1 team for the first time since March 2015 (when it lost to Kentucky during the NCAA tournament), we're picking a known opponent for its toughest nonconference matchup. And there are some darn good options to choose from.
December starts with a trip to Iowa State to deal with the Cyclones and their "Hilton Magic," with a matchup against Butler nine days later. But we can't pass up the annual grudge match with crosstown rival Xavier, which has been moved to much later in the year instead of being held during the preseason.
Cincinnati should contend for the American Athletic Conference title, but right in the middle of that quest, it will be hosting the eighth-ranked Musketeers in a game that every college basketball fan in the city will want to see.
24. Rhode Island Rams
2 of 25
Nov. 29 at Valparaiso
With star E.C. Matthews back from injury and head coach Dan Hurley sticking around for at least one more season, Rhode Island looks like a good bet to earn its first NCAA tournament bid since the late 1990s. The route to that goal comes through a strong finish in the Atlantic 10 Conference and some quality nonconference wins, of which there are several opportunities.
The Rams are part of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off, which pairs them with No. 25 Cincinnati on Nov. 19 and could lead to a meeting with top-ranked Duke the following day, which would be their toughest nonconference game by far. Since the Cincinnati game is basically a toss-up, we can't say for sure they'll face the Blue Devils. Instead, we went with one of the Rams' three true non-league road games.
Going to Providence and Houston in December will be difficult, but it's the late-November journey to Valparaiso that stands out. The Crusaders are one of the more consistent mid-majors in the country and feature one of the best seniors in the country in 6'9" forward Alec Peters.
23. Creighton Blue Jays
3 of 25
Nov. 15 vs. Wisconsin
Creighton is ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2012-13, when Doug McDermott was still scoring at will for the Blue Jays. How long they stay in the polls will depend on how they handle a tough test right out of the gate.
After opening with Missouri-Kansas City, the Blue Jays get to take on No. 10 Wisconsin at home as part of the Gavitt Tipoff event between the Big East and Big Ten. It's somewhat fitting they get to take on the Badgers as a ranked team since their only previous meeting (an 84-74 win in the Las Vegas Invitational) came in November 2012 as the No. 14 team in the country.
The Wisconsin game is just one of several solid nonconference matchups for Creighton, which may face up to three power-conference schools in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands and also visits in-state rival Nebraska as well as Arizona State.
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22. Texas Longhorns
4 of 25
Dec. 6 at Michigan
Picked by coaches to finish third in the Big 12, Texas will test itself against the Big Ten, SEC and either the ACC or Pac-12 before trying to meet or exceed those league expectations. All told, the Longhorns will face six power-conference teams, including two as part of the Legends Classic in Brooklyn, New York.
Facing Northwestern, then Colorado or Notre Dame, and then hosting Alabama two weeks later will help get Texas ready for its lone true road game prior to the Big 12 slate at Michigan. It will be the schools' third meeting in the past four seasons, with the Wolverines downing the Longhorns in the second round of the 2014 NCAA tournament and last November in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Texas will also play Arkansas in Houston on Dec. 17, and its Big 12/SEC Challenge matchup is set for Jan. 28 at Georgia.
21. Maryland Terrapins
5 of 25
Nov. 15 at Georgetown
Maryland spent several weeks ranked in the Top Five last season but may be hard-pressed to make the NCAA tournament this year. Still, coaches voting in the USA Today poll have given the Terrapins and head coach Mark Turgeon—who just got a contract extension through 2023, per the Baltimore Sun—the benefit of the doubt.
The Terps could be one of the first teams to fall out of the poll if they lose their toughest nonconference game, which is their second game of the season. Four days after hosting American, they'll travel down the road to Washington, D.C., to take on a Georgetown team looking to make a splash early.
Maryland won last year's meeting at home by four points, the first time the schools had played since 2008 (when Georgetown cruised to a 27-point victory). It's Maryland's only true road game before Big Ten play, though it is competing in the Barclays Center Classic in New York, where it will play Richmond and then either Boston College or Kansas State.
20. UCLA Bruins
6 of 25
Dec. 3 at Kentucky
UCLA went 15-17 last season, its worst record in six years, yet the Bruins still managed to pull off a few notable wins along the way. They won at Gonzaga and downed Arizona at home early in Pac-12 play, and in early December, they knocked off then-No. 1 Kentucky a year after losing by 39 points to the Wildcats.
What does UCLA have in store for its third game against Big Blue Nation in as many seasons? That might depend on how well-prepared it feels after playing its first eight games in the Los Angeles area, five at home (all against mid-major California schools) and three at the Wooden Legacy in Fullerton and Anaheim.
It opens that tournament with Portland and then will play either Dayton or Nebraska, followed by New Mexico, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech or Cal State Northridge, with most games likely in front of pro-UCLA crowds.
At Kentucky, the primary shade of blue the Bruins will see is royal instead of baby. And a win will be hard to come by, as the Wildcats enter 2016-17 with a 37-game home win streak.
19. Saint Mary's Gaels
7 of 25
Nov. 19 at Dayton
Had Saint Mary's put together a nonconference schedule with even the slightest bit of difficulty to it last season, the Gaels might not have been kept out of the NCAA tournament despite 27 wins. Ken Pomeroy rated their non-league slate as the 203rd-toughest in the country; only Louisville's 254th-ranked schedule was worse among teams rated higher.
The 2016-17 schedule isn't particularly stout, either, and once again lacks the kind of preseason tournament that helps boost a resume. But at least there are a handful of decent matchups before Saint Mary's goes about West Coast Conference play, starting with an early trip across the country.
Dayton went 25-8 and tied for first in the Atlantic 10 Conference last season, losing to eventual Final Four qualifier Syracuse in the NCAA tournament.
18. West Virginia Mountaineers
8 of 25
Dec. 3 at Virginia
With all of the long (and difficult) road trips ahead when Big 12 play begins, West Virginia doesn't feel the need to travel much in the preseason. Aside from the NIT Season Tip-Off games Nov. 24-25 against Illinois and either Florida State or Temple, the rest of the Mountaineers' nonconference games are either in Morgantown or not too far away.
That includes their lone true road game outside the Big 12, about four hours away at seventh-ranked Virginia.
The schools met last year in New York City for the Jimmy V Classic, a 70-54 victory for the Cavaliers. Before that, they hadn't played since the 1985 NCAA tournament and hadn't met in the regular season since 1976.
17. Syracuse Orange
9 of 25
Nov. 29 at Wisconsin
Head coach Jim Boeheim didn't get to nearly 1,000 wins at Syracuse by volunteering to play challenging nonconference road games, but even he knows that money talks. That's why he had to put up with playing at Michigan and Villanova in 2014 and go to Georgetown and St. John's last fall, all of which resulted in losses.
This season, the Orange are playing only one true nonconference road game, and only because it's their turn to play one as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. And it's a doozy against 10th-ranked Wisconsin.
The Badgers are preseason Big Ten favorites after making the Sweet 16 and returning their entire lineup, and they're the kind of team that Syracuse's zone defense won't automatically work against because so many Wisconsin players are fond of shooting three-pointers.
The trip to Madison is part of a four-game stretch where the Orange will be playing three times outside the Carrier Dome. The others are Nov. 26 against South Carolina and Dec. 5 against Connecticut, both in New York City.
16. Connecticut Huskies
10 of 25
Nov. 22 vs. North Carolina (in Lahaina, Hawaii)
As a flagship member of the old Big East Conference, Connecticut didn't have to worry about loading up on strong nonconference games because it would get plenty of challenges in league play. But since the Big East splintered and left UConn as part of the less-heralded American Athletic Conference, the Huskies must look elsewhere to ensure they're battle-tested for the postseason.
That's evident in their 2016-17 nonconference slate, which includes six or seven games against other power opponents depending on how the Maui Invitational goes. And if UConn beats Oklahoma State in its first game in Hawaii, that will be followed by a clash against national runner-up North Carolina.
UNC and UConn haven't played since February 2005, a 77-70 win for the Tar Heels en route to a national title. The Huskies are 1-5 against UNC, the lone win coming in January 2002.
UConn's other major nonconference games include Dec. 5 against No. 17 Syracuse (in New York City), Dec. 10 at Ohio State, Dec. 23 against Auburn and Jan. 14 at Georgetown. It will also face Oregon, Tennessee, Wisconsin or possibly Georgetown on the final day of the Maui tournament.
15. Purdue Boilermakers
11 of 25
Nov. 14 vs. Villanova
To be the best, you've gotta beat the best. If Purdue has visions of making its first Final Four since 1980, a good start to that journey would be knocking off the defending national champions.
The Boilermakers drew Villanova in the Gavitt Tipoff Games, a series of matchups between the Big East and Big Ten that began last season. Purdue wasn't a part of that lineup in 2015 but this time is part of the featured attraction by hosting the Wildcats.
Villanova is one of five games Purdue will play against power-conference teams before Big Ten play. The others are against either Auburn or Texas Tech on Dec. 23 in the Cancun Challenge, Nov. 30 at Louisville (for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge), Dec. 6 against Arizona State and Dec. 17 in Indianapolis against Notre Dame for the Crossroad Classic.
14. Louisville Cardinals
12 of 25
Dec. 21 vs. Kentucky
As it stands right now, Louisville doesn't appear to be headed to another postseason ban as a result of its NCAA recruiting scandal. And with the schedule the Cardinals have put together for 2016-17, they could be in line for a high NCAA tournament seed if they fare well.
In addition to the ridiculously tough ACC slate, the Cardinals will host several strong mid-majors as well as No. 15 Purdue as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. They're also in the Battle 4 Atlantis, where after opening against Old Dominion, they would get paired with Wichita State or LSU and then either Baylor, Michigan State, St. John's or VCU.
All of those games will serve as the pre-ACC appetizer for Louisville's top non-league test against rival Kentucky. It will be looking for its first win against the Wildcats since December 2012, a victory that served as a foundation for the Cardinals' NCAA championship run a few months later.
13. Gonzaga Bulldogs
13 of 25
Dec. 3 vs. Arizona (in Los Angeles)
Among the many keys to Gonzaga's nearly two-decade run as the top mid-major program in college basketball has been a willingness to take on all comers in nonconference play. The Bulldogs frankly have to load up on quality opponents to offset being in the West Coast Conference, which outside of Saint Mary's (and, recently, BYU) isn't that strong a league.
The 2016-17 nonconference lineup Gonzaga has in store isn't as ominous as in some previous years, but it's still stronger than what many power-conference teams face. It gets San Diego State and Washington at home and plays Tennessee in Nashville. It also gets the chance to play the likes of Florida, Iowa State, Miami (Florida), Seton Hall or Stanford in the AdvoCare Invitational over Thanksgiving in Florida.
And then there's the renewal of its burgeoning West Coast rivalry with Arizona, this time as part of the Hoophall LA doubleheader that also features BYU against USC.
Gonzaga has lost narrow games to the Wildcats the last two seasons, in overtime at Arizona in 2014 and by five at home last December.
12. Indiana Hoosiers
14 of 25
Nov. 30 vs. North Carolina
Indiana seems morally opposed to playing non-home games outside of the Big Ten, which makes the fact the Hoosiers agreed to open the season against No. 2 Kansas in Hawaii quite surprising. Even more so is that game is one of three such nonconference games they'll play without being part of a bracketed preseason tournament.
The other non-home games are Dec. 17 against Butler in Indianapolis, part of the annual Crossroads Classic, and an odd Nov. 22 visit to IPFW of the Summit League.
Despite these trips away from Bloomington, Indiana's toughest game is at home. That's the visit from sixth-ranked North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, a rematch of last season's Sweet 16 game won by UNC.
11. Arizona Wildcats
15 of 25
Dec. 3 vs. Gonzaga (in Los Angeles)
Arizona has struggled to get any significant teams to come to Tucson for a game the last few seasons, which is understandable since the Wildcats had a 49-game home win streak that ended in January. They don't lack for neutral-site opportunities, though, with their four biggest nonconference games in 2016-17 at neutral locations.
The Wildcats open against No. 9 Michigan State in Hawaii. In December, they are set to face No. 13 Gonzaga in Los Angeles and Texas A&M in Houston. They will also play either Butler or Vanderbilt on Nov. 25 in the Las Vegas Invitational.
The MSU game will be big, though the Spartans' young and injury-affected team figures to diminish the matchup. That makes Arizona's toughest early game the Gonzaga one, as two of the best programs out west continue a strong rivalry that's included many great matchups.
Arizona has won six of seven all-time meetings, including in the 2003 and 2014 NCAA tournaments. The Wildcats beat the Bulldogs in overtime at home in December 2014 and then won in Spokane last December.
10. Wisconsin Badgers
16 of 25
Dec. 10 at Marquette
Wisconsin may face three Final Four teams and half of last year's Elite Eight during its nonconference schedule, and each of those games will be tough tests for a Badgers team that brings back its entire lineup from a year ago. Yet it will be a game played in its own city where we'll get the best idea of whether the 2016-17 version is as strong as last season's.
Games against crosstown rival Marquette always tend to be difficult for Wisconsin, which lost at home to the Golden Eagles last December. The Badgers have won two of their last three games at Marquette's BMO Harris Bradley Center, including in 2014, but since 2005, the series has seen five two-game win streaks.
By the time Wisconsin gets to this game, it will have hosted Syracuse and Oklahoma, both of which made last year's Final Four, and played in the Maui Invitational, where it could end up playing Elite Eight team Oregon and national runner-up North Carolina.
9. Michigan State Spartans
17 of 25
Nov. 29 at Duke
How tough is Michigan State's nonconference schedule for the upcoming season? Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller sums it up by describing just the November portion.
"Of the eight games the Spartans play in the calendar's 11th month, only the home game against Mississippi Valley State is anything close to a guaranteed win," Miller wrote.
Starting with a clash against No. 11 Arizona in Hawaii on opening night, MSU will play at least three ranked opponents. Its second game is against No. 4 Kentucky in the Champions Classic in New York, and that leads into the Battle 4 Atlantis, where the Spartans could face No. 14 Louisville.
But it's the lone road game on MSU's non-league lineup that will be its most difficult. A signature game in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the visit to Duke means the Spartans could end the Blue Devils' long nonconference home win streak or just be another victim on that list.
8. Xavier Musketeers
18 of 25
Dec. 3 at Baylor
Xavier is one of two Big East schools that's sitting out the Gavitt Tipoff Games competition with the Big Ten, and for good reason. The Musketeers don't need another major nonconference matchup to go with the arduous lineup they already have in place.
In addition to its 18 games against Big East foes, Xavier will face at least six power opponents and as many as eight. That depends on who the Musketeers face during the final two days of the Tire Pros Invitational in Florida, where they open Nov. 17 against Missouri and then could take on Clemson and either Arizona State or Oklahoma.
That's nothing compared to a four-game stretch they face in December. It starts with consecutive road games at Baylor and Colorado and finishes with home tilts against Utah and Wake Forest. None of those teams begin the season ranked, but Baylor could be by the time the Musketeers get to Waco, Texas.
To top it off, Xavier's annual rivalry game at crosstown foe Cincinnati is set for Jan. 26 in the middle of Big East play.
7. Virginia Cavaliers
19 of 25
Jan. 29 at Villanova
With many experts thinking the ACC could have as many as 10 to 12 teams make the NCAA tournament this season, strength of schedule isn't going to be an issue. Another strong finish in league play is all Virginia needs to land a high tourney seed, but its nonconference schedule provides a few other boosts.
The Cavaliers will play power-conference schools California, Iowa, Ohio State and West Virginia in November and December and then dive into the meat of the schedule. And right in the middle of that ACC gauntlet is their toughest out-of-league challenge in the form of a road trip to the defending national champions.
Virginia began a home-and-home series with Villanova last year, beating the Wildcats at home in December. The return game was moved to late January to accommodate a national TV slot for Fox, and for the Cavs, that means following up a mid-week game at Notre Dame with one in Philadelphia.
6. North Carolina Tar Heels
20 of 25
Nov. 30 at Indiana
North Carolina is among a star-studded field on tap for the Maui Invitational during the week of Thanksgiving, its first appearance since 2012. The Tar Heels have won the tournament three times, most recently in 2008, and are capable of taking down another title if they can get by Division II Chaminade and then likely Connecticut before facing either Oregon or Wisconsin in the final.
But there won't be much time for relaxing after that tournament, as UNC's first post-Maui game is its toughest before getting into the ACC. A visit to Indiana to take on the defending Big Ten champions serves as one of the marquee games of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Carolina is 9-8 in the event, with five of those wins coming away from home, including in 2013 at No. 1 Michigan State. It visited top-ranked Indiana in 2012 and lost by 24, though the teams' last meeting came in March, when the Heels scored a 103-86 victory in the Sweet 16.
5. Oregon Ducks
21 of 25
Nov. 22 vs. Wisconsin (in Lahaina, Hawaii)
Oregon ran through the Pac-12 and kept going to the Elite Eight last March, a run that might serve as a precursor to what the Ducks can do in 2016-17. They return most of their lineup from a year ago, though they could struggle early on due to the absence of a star player and a tough nonconference slate.
Junior forward Dillon Brooks' offseason foot surgery will keep him out for an undetermined time, and in his absence, Oregon will be facing several notable opponents. A Nov. 15 trip to Baylor was already going to be tough but proves more difficult without Brooks, as will the Ducks' first appearance in the Maui Invitational since 2008.
Oregon opens against a Georgetown team that was 15-18 a year ago but is expected to contend for an NCAA tournament bid. It will then play either Tennessee or Wisconsin on the second day, and we're projecting the Ducks win their first game and meet Wisconsin in the semifinals.
Wisconsin returns all five starters from a team that got hot late in 2015-16 and made the Sweet 16 as a No. 7 seed. Several Badgers players remain from consecutive Final Four teams in 2014 and 2015.
Oregon could finish against Connecticut, North Carolina or Oklahoma State (as well as Division II Chaminade).
4. Kentucky Wildcats
22 of 25
Dec. 21 at Louisville
With an amazing (and enormous) crowd on hand for every game at Rupp Arena, why would Kentucky bother playing anywhere else outside of its mandated SEC road games? But Big Blue Nation extends far beyond Lexington, and thus the Wildcats treat their nonconference schedule as somewhat of a barnstorming tour.
This season's slate includes games in Manhattan (Nov. 15 vs. Michigan State), the Bahamas (Nov. 28 vs. Arizona State), Brooklyn (Dec. 11 vs. Hofstra) and Las Vegas (Dec. 17 vs. North Carolina), along with eight nonconference home games, highlighted by visits from UCLA (Dec. 3) and Kansas (Jan. 28). Oh, and one true road game, the continuation of an in-state blood feud that rarely disappoints.
Kentucky and Louisville are bitter rivals, programs that split the state in two and force fans to pick a side and a color. They've met at least once every season since 1982-83, with this being the 10th meeting since 2010.
The Wildcats have won eight of nine, including the most recent clash in Louisville in December 2014. The Cardinals' last win was in December 2012 en route to a national title.
3. Villanova Wildcats
23 of 25
Jan. 29 vs. Virginia
Villanova is the defending national champion as well as the three-time reigning Big East regular-season title holder. And with a good portion of that unit back for 2016-17, the Wildcats are built to make another run in March and possibly be the first team since Florida in 2006 and 2007 to repeat.
One of the knocks against 'Nova before winning it all last season was that it didn't show much outside of league play, failing to win any big nonconference games, such as against Oklahoma and Virginia, in 2015-16. The Wildcats have two major tests outside of the Big East this season, one early on (Nov. 14 at Purdue) and the other smack dab in the middle of the conference slate.
Villanova's visit from Virginia is set for the final Sunday of January, wedged between road games against Marquette and Providence. The Cavaliers were picked to finish third in the ultra-tough ACC, making them a great late-season test for the Wildcats less than two weeks before playing at Big East challenger Xavier.
2. Kansas Jayhawks
24 of 25
Jan. 28 at Kentucky
No one will ever accuse Kansas head coach Bill Self of dodging the competition. Even though the Big 12 Conference remains his priority—and 12 straight regular-season titles speak to this—Self makes sure to have his teams prepared for that gauntlet beforehand thanks to a strong non-league slate.
This year is no different, as the Jayhawks' first two games are against Top 12 teams (Indiana in Hawaii, Duke in New York City), and the majority of their other contests in November and December are against schools that could reach the NCAA tournament. Yet their toughest non-league foe won't come until far into the season thanks to the placement of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Rather than get overlooked by other events during the preseason, last year the SEC/Big 12 Challenge was moved to late January to rave reviews. It gave us an instant classic when Kansas knocked off Kentucky 90-84 in overtime at home, and the Jayhawks' first trip to Rupp Arena since 2004-05 should be just as special.
Kansas will play four days earlier at West Virginia, where it's lost in its last three visits, before heading to Lexington.
1. Duke Blue Devils
25 of 25
Nov. 15 vs. Kansas (in New York City)
It's rare that Duke plays a nonconference road game—other than when it's scheduled one as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge—and the Blue Devils' 2016-17 slate marks the fourth time in the last five seasons they avoid playing on someone else's court outside of ACC play. But that doesn't mean there's a lack of quality competition, starting with an early No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the annual Champions Classic.
Duke last played Kansas in November 2013 in the same event, losing 94-83. It's one of two losses the Blue Devils have had in the Champions Classic in five appearances, along with last season's defeat to Kentucky.
The Kansas game is one of six neutral-site games Duke has on tap this season, including Dec. 6 against Florida in the Jimmy V Classic in New York and Dec. 10 in the MGM Grand Showcase in Las Vegas against UNLV (at the new T-Mobile Arena, not UNLV's home Thomas & Mack Center). Duke is also playing in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament in Uncasville, Connecticut, where it will face Penn State and then either Cincinnati or Rhode Island.
Duke's nonconference home slate is mostly a collection of decent mid-major teams, including Grand Canyon and William & Mary, along with a visit from ninth-ranked Michigan State on Nov. 29 for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information courtesy of Scout unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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