Nonconference Hoops Schedule Announced

PROVO -- BYU men’s basketball coach Dave Rose announced the 2009-10 nonconference schedule Thursday, which features matchups with Arizona, Arizona State and Utah State as well as a trip to the Las Vegas Classic.

The 16-game nonconference slate includes teams from nine different conferences and nine teams that qualified for postseason play in 2009. The Mountain West Conference schedule will be announced at a later date.

“We’ve put together a very competitive and exciting nonconference schedule,” Rose said. “Each team plays a different style making every game a challenge, both at home and on the road. Playing in the Las Vegas Classic will be a good test for us as well. It’s a schedule that can prepare us to defend our Mountain West Conference championship.”

BYU will host 19 games at the Marriott Center in 2009-10, including the Cougar Tipoff, exhibition play, the nonconference schedule and the conference schedule. Season tickets, which also include a neutral site game at Energy Solutions Arena, start at just $75 and go on sale beginning Aug. 1. The Cougar Tipoff is scheduled for Oct. 28 and will be followed by home exhibitions against Trinity Western (Nov. 5) and Central Washington (Nov. 10).

BYU owns a 342-208 record against its nonconference opponents, including the three potential opponents in the Las Vegas Classic. The Cougars will open regular season play by hosting Bradley on Nov. 13 in the first game of the inaugural Mountain West Conference/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge Series. The other eight teams in the MWC will face off against an MVC opponent from Nov. 20 to Dec. 23. Future challenges are scheduled for 2010, 2011 and 2012.

On Nov. 17 BYU will host Idaho State, a team the Cougars have defeated in five-straight contests including 85-65 in 2008. Three days later BYU will head to the Aloha State to play Western Athletic Conference member Hawaii. The two teams last played in 1999, the Cougars’ final season as members of the WAC.

After the Hawaii game the blue and white will host Southern University (Nov. 24) and Weber State (Nov. 27). BYU will look to protect its unbeaten home record (17-0) against the Wildcats. The Cougars will open the month of December with instate rival Utah State. BYU owns a 135-90 record against the Aggies but has lost four-straight in Logan. The game is scheduled for Dec. 2.

On Dec. 5 the Cougars will play at Energy Solutions Arena for the fifth time since 2003 when they host San Francisco. BYU defeated Utah State 68-63 in 2008 at Energy Solutions where the Cougars are 2-2 all-time. BYU will remain in Utah and host Arizona State on Dec. 8 at the Marriott Center. The Cougars will be looking to avenge last season’s one-point loss at the Stadium Shootout at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

BYU will head to southern California to take on Fresno State at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on Dec. 12. Former Cougar head coach Steve Cleveland is at the helm of the Bulldog program. BYU returns to the Marriott Center following the neutral tilt at the Galen Center to host Wagner (Dec. 17) and Eastern Washington (Dec. 19) for its first two games of the Las Vegas Classic. The final two games of the Classic will be at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 22 and 23. Nebraska, Nevada and Tulsa will also compete in the Classic. Matchups will be announced at a later date.

BYU’s last game of the 2009 calendar year will be at Arizona on Dec. 28. The Cougars and Wildcats were conference rivals in the 1960s and 70s when both teams were members of the WAC. The final home nonconference game will be against Eastern New Mexico on Jan. 2 and the nonconference schedule will conclude at UTEP on Jan. 9.

Five of BYU’s 2009-10 nonconference opponents—Idaho State, Weber State, Utah State, Arizona State and Tulsa—were on the schedule last season. Southern, Wagner and Eastern New Mexico are facing the Cougars for the first time.

Nine of BYU’s nonconference opponents qualified for postseason play in 2008-09, including Utah State, Arizona State and Arizona, which qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Arizona advanced to the Sweet 16, Arizona State advanced to the second round and Utah State was eliminated in the first round.

Game times will be announced later in the summer along with the MWC schedule.

BYU Men's Basketball
2009-10 Nonconference Schedule (**game times and television broadcasts TBD)
October
28 (Wed.)    Cougar Tipoff        Provo, Utah
November
5  (Thurs.)  Trinity Western*     Provo, Utah
10 (Tues.)   Central Washington*  Provo, Utah
13 (Fri.)    Bradley              Provo, Utah
17 (Tues.)   Idaho State          Provo, Utah
20 (Fri.)    Hawaii               Honolulu
24 (Tues.)   Southern             Provo, Utah
27 (Fri.)    Weber State          Provo, Utah
December
2  (Wed.)    Utah State           Logan, Utah
5  (Sat.)    San Francisco'       Salt Lake City
8  (Tues.)   Arizona State        Provo, Utah
12 (Sat.)    Fresno State#        Los Angeles
17 (Thurs.)  Wagner@              Provo, Utah
19 (Sat.)    Eastern Washington@  Provo, Utah
22 (Tues.)   Nebraska, Nevada or  Las Vegas
             Tulsa%
23 (Wed.)    Nebraska, Nevada or  Las Vegas
             Tulsa%
28 (Mon.)    Arizona              Tucson, Ariz.
January
2  (Sat.)   Eastern New Mexico   Provo, Utah
9  (Sat.)   UTEP                 El Paso, Texas
* Exhibition
' at Energy Solutions Arena
# at the Galen Center
@ Las Vegas Classic in Provo
% Las Vegas Classic in Vegas the Orleans Arena