Michigan basketball finalizes non-conference schedule

Michigan's 2014-15 non-conference schedule today features 13 total games, including nine home dates featuring an ACC/Big Ten Challenge match-up with Syracuse as well as visits from SMU, Eastern Michigan and a pair of regional round games in the Legends Classic. U-M will also return to the Brooklyn's Barclays Center and travel to Arizona.

"As in our previous years, we will have a very challenging non-conference schedule," U-M head coach John Beilein said. "Each game provides our young team with different challenges before heading into Big Ten play. We are thrilled to be going back to Brooklyn and the Barclays Center for games with VCU or Oregon and then Villanova. All three are perennial NCAA Tournament teams and those games will be a terrific opportunity to be tested early.

"Having the opportunity to host two Hall of Fame coaches like Syracuse's Jim Boeheim and SMU's Larry Brown gives us two significant home games which will no doubt provide electric atmospheres at Crisler Center. If our return game at Arizona is anything like last year's thrilling game, it could be one the best college basketball games of the season. Once again, we expect our overall strength of a schedule will be one of the best in the NCAA."

The Wolverines open their 2014 non-conference slate with an exhibition contest against Wayne State on Nov. 10. The regular season will open against Hillsdale College on Nov. 15.

The following week, U-M will host the Ann Arbor Regional of the 2014 Progressive Legends Classic at Crisler Center. The Wolverines will host a pair of games, which will be released later in the summer. For the third straight year the Wolverines will travel to Brooklyn, N.Y. as the championship round of the Legends Classic will be held at the Barclays Center. U-M will start its final round against either VCU or Oregon on Nov. 24 and close against Villanova on Nov. 25.

Following the Thanksgiving break, U-M will host Nicholls State on Nov. 29 and open its December's schedule with a 2013 Final Four rematch against Syracuse on Dec. 2 as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Following games with the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Dec. 6 and crosstown rival Eastern Michigan on Dec. 9, the Wolverines will finish its home-and-home series with Arizona at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., on Dec. 13.

The non-conference schedule will conclude with a pair of game beginning with the first game of a home-and-home series with SMU on Dec. 20 followed by Coppin State on Dec. 22.

The Big Ten schedule has yet to be released and all dates, times and television designations will be announced at a later date. However, with the conference expanded to 14 teams with the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, the Wolverines will have five designated home-and-home series with Illinois, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State and Rutgers. U-M will host single play games with Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin and travel for single games at Indiana, Maryland, Penn State and Purdue.

University of Michigan Basketball

2014-15 Non-Conference Schedule

Monday, Nov. 10, WAYNE STATE (Exhibition)

Saturday, Nov. 15, HILLSDALE COLLEGE

Monday, Nov. 17, TBD (1)

Thursday, Nov. 20, TBD (1)

Monday, Nov. 24, vs. VCU or Oregon (2)

Tuesday, Nov. 25, vs. Villanova (2)

Saturday, Nov. 29, NICHOLLS STATE

Tuesday, Dec. 2, SYRACUSE (3)

Saturday, Dec. 6, NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (NJIT)

Tuesday, Dec. 9, EASTERN MICHIGAN

Saturday, Dec. 13, at Arizona

Saturday, Dec. 20, SMU

Monday, Dec. 22, COPPIN STATE

1: Progressive Legends Classic, Regional Round, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)

2: Progressive Legends Classic, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Barclays Center)

3: ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)