BYU announces 2015-16 schedule

PROVO, Utah – In conjunction with the West Coast Conference, BYU basketball announced its 2015-16 schedule today.

Two games against Pac-12 teams, four in-state games and a trip to paradise for the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic highlight BYU’s 2015-16 nonconference schedule. The WCC schedule opens on Dec. 31 with Saint Mary’s.

“I’m very happy with our nonconference schedule,” Rose said. “We play some very strong teams that will prepare us for the conference season and for postseason play. We’ll be tested, especially with some very difficult games away from home. I’m excited about our team and can’t wait to get started.”

The Cougars will open the 2015-16 season hosting crosstown foe Utah Valley on Friday, Nov. 13. The game will be the second meeting between the two schools and the first since 2003. It will also feature the return of first-year UVU head coach Mark Pope to the Marriott Center. Pope was a BYU assistant from 2011-15.

After the opener, the Cougars head west to take on Long Beach State in ESPN’s Tip-Off Marathon on Monday, Nov. 16, at 10:45 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on ESPN2. BYU last played in the marathon in 2013 when the Cougars defeated Stanford 112-103 in Palo Alto.

The Long Beach game will be followed by three-straight home games against Adams State (Nov. 20), Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 25) and Belmont (Nov. 28). Belmont is one of four teams on BYU’s nonconference schedule that participated in the postseason in 2015. The Bruins, a top-100 RPI team, finished 22-11 last season and won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Cougars will open the month of December with three in-state games in seven days, starting with a rivalry matchup at Utah on Wednesday, Dec. 2. BYU vs. Utah is one of the longest-standing rivalries in the nation with the Cougars leading the series 129-127, including a 12-5 advantage under Rose. The Utes were 26-9 last season and advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to Duke, the eventual national champions.

Following the Utah game, the Cougars will face Weber State at EnergySolutions Arena on Saturday, Dec. 5. BYU is 30-10 all-time against the Wildcats, including 10-0 under Rose. The matchup will be the first neutral site game between BYU and Weber State.

The string of in-state games ends with Utah State at home on Wednesday, Dec. 9. BYU has won three-straight against the Aggies, including a 91-81 win in Logan last season, the Cougars’ first win in the Spectrum since 2000.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, BYU will play at Pac-12 Conference foe Colorado. The Buffaloes have played in the NCAA tournament three times in the last four seasons. The game will be the first meeting between BYU and Colorado since 1955.

The Cougars’ final test before heading to Honolulu will be a home contest against Central Michigan. Last season, the Chippewas finished 23-9 and were a win away from an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. A top-75 RPI team, Central Michigan played in the 2015 NIT.

The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic tips off on Tuesday, Dec. 22, with the Cougars facing Harvard at 11:30 a.m. HT. BYU will face either Auburn or New Mexico on Dec. 23 and play its final game of the tournament on Christmas Day. The field also includes Northern Iowa, Oklahoma, Washington State and host Hawai‘i.

BYU will open league play with a Bay Area trip to take on Saint Mary’s and Pacific on Dec. 31 and Jan. 2. The Cougars’ first home games in league play will be Jan. 7 and 9 against Santa Clara and San Francisco.

One of the most intriguing conference matchups will be when BYU plays at Gonzaga on Jan. 14. Last season, the Cougars ended the Bulldogs’ 41-game home winning streak with a 73-70 win over then No. 3/2 Gonzaga. BYU and Gonzaga will end the regular season with a matchup in Provo on Feb. 27.

BYU was originally scheduled to open league play against San Diego in Provo on Dec. 23. Due to BYU’s participation in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamondhead Classic, the BYU vs. San Diego game in Provo will be rescheduled by mutual consent of both teams.

The preseason will open with the annual Cougar Tipoff on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and continues with exhibitions on Friday, Oct. 30, against Arizona Christian and Saturday, Nov. 7, against Alaska-Fairbanks.

Visit WCCsports.com for the complete 2015-16 WCC men’s basketball schedule.