Trip to Las Vegas, 20 Home Games Highlight Hoosier Men’s Basketball Schedule

iu-logo.pngThe Indiana University men’s basketball program will participate in the 2010 IBN Las Vegas Classic (December 22-23) and will play 20 times in historic Assembly Hall during the 2010-11 season. In addition, the Hoosiers will play two home games to open Big Ten play in between Christmas and New Years with the Hoosiers hosting Penn State (December 27) and Ohio State (December 31). Twenty-eight of the Hoosiers games will be on television with three others available on-line.

Last year, the Hoosiers ranked 11th in the nation in attendance and will begin the season at home with Florida Gulf Coast (November 12), Wright State (November 14), Mississippi Valley State (November 16), Evansville (November 21), North Carolina Central (November 23) and Northwestern State (November 26).

IU hits the road for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Boston College (December 1) and then is back to play Savannah State (December 4) before heading to face long-time rival Kentucky (December 11) in Lexington. After a break for exams, IU will host the first two games of the IBN Las Vegas Classic facing SIU-Edwardsville (December 17) and South Carolina State (December 19). The Hoosiers then head to Las Vegas where they will face Northern Iowa (December 22) and New Mexico or Colorado (December 23) before returning home to start Big Ten Play.

In the conference, IU will play a home and home series with each school with the exception of Penn State at home and Michigan State on the road. IU is still finalizing its two-game exhibition schedule at Assembly Hall.

IU Men’s Basketball Coach Tom Crean “This schedule will present us with a lot of unique challenges. Twice, we have stretches early in the season where we will play six games in 14 days so our depth and health will be a critical factor.”

“I think we will learn a lot about our team during the four non-conference games we play away from Assembly Hall. Boston College has one of the most experienced teams with 11 seniors or juniors, the Kentucky game is one of the most intense rivalries in college basketball and in Las Vegas we will see a very good Northern Iowa team and then a day later have to take on a team like New Mexico or Colorado.”

“The Big Ten schedule is a grind that you have to be mentally and physically prepared to handle. This year, the league should be as good as any in the country.”

TELEVISION BTN--Florida Gulf Coast, Mississippi Valley State, Evansville, North Carolina Central, SIU-Edwardsville, South Carolina State, Penn State, at Northwestern, Michigan, at Iowa, Illinois, at Michigan State, Minnesota, at Michigan, Purdue.

ESPNU--Wright State, at Boston College, Savannah State.

ESPN or ESPN 2--Kentucky, Ohio State, at Minnesota, at Wisconsin, Iowa, at Purdue.

BTN.com--Alma, Northwestern State.

IBN-Sports.com--Northern Iowa, Colorado/New Mexico.

TBA (BTN,ESPN or ESPN2, CBS)--Northwestern, at Ohio State, Wisconsin, at Illinois.