Indiana released it’s 2009-2010 schedule earlier today and here’s a look at five of the easiest opponents on the docket. Going to format this a little different from Alex, via a process of elimination (and since my scouting prowess does not include USC-Upstate). Actually, it’s more of a “games IU should not, under any circumstances, lose.”

OK, so here’s how we’re going to shave this down to five teams. We’re going to eliminate all road Big Ten games from the equation. (Yes, even the Feb. 7 almost-home game at Northwestern and the Feb. 28 tilt at Iowa.) In fact, we’re going to eliminate all conference games, seeing as IU is projected near the bottom of the league again this year.

What else? Big Ten-ACC Challenge game against Maryland? See ya. The entire Puerto Rico Tipoff and the matchup with Pittsburgh in the Jimmy V Classic? Gone. Kentucky at home? Gone.

I think you see where I’m going with this: the vaunted non-conference home games before Big Ten season starts; the games IU (mostly) won during last year’s rough season.

They are as follows: Howard (Nov. 13), USC-Upstate (Nov. 16), Northwestern State (Nov. 28), North Carolina Central (Dec. 19), Loyola (Maryland) (Dec. 22) and Bryant (Dec. 28).

That’s six teams. Whoops. Let’s cut out Loyola (Maryland). OK, that should do it.  My work here is done.

Indiana released it’s 2009-2010 schedule earlier today and here’s a look at five of the toughest opponents on the docket.

5. Maryland (Assembly Hall, December 1, 7:30 PM, ESPN2): Senior guard Greivis Vasquez returns to lead a Terrapin team that went 21-14 a year ago, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and should be among the top 25 teams in the country. The Venezuela native averaged 17.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 5.0 apg as a junior and tested the NBA Draft waters before deciding to return. Besides Vasquez, Gary Williams returns three other starters. It will be the first trip for Maryland to Assembly Hall.

4. Michigan (Crisler Arena, January 14, 9:00 PM, ESPN/ESPN2): Year three of the John Beilein era in Ann Arbor could find the Wolverines square in the middle of the Big Ten race with Michigan State and Purdue. After winning one game in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, Beilein has the pieces in place to make a run deeper into March. The one-two punch of guard Manny Harris and forward DeShawn Sims is arguably the best in the conference and the supporting cast is strong with guards Laval Lucas-Perry, Stu Douglass and Zack Novak all returning.

3. Michigan State (Assembly Hall, February 16, 7:00 PM, ESPN): The Spartans knocked off a pair of No. 1 seeds in Connecticut and Louisville a year ago before falling to North Carolina in the national championship. Forward Goran Suton and guard Travis Walton are both gone, but Kalin Lucas returns as the front runner for Big Ten Player of the Year. Sprinkle in a healthy Delvon Roe with wings Durrell Summers and Chris Allen and the Spartans could be looking at Tom Izzo’s sixth Final Four appearance.

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Indiana released it’s 2009-2010 men’s basketball schedule just a couple of minutes ago. Aside from a few dates and times, the schedule is complete and features the following non-conference opponents: Howard, USC-Upstate, Ole Miss, Northwestern State, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, North Carolina Central, Loyola (MD) and Bryant. Not exactly full of juggernauts, but for a young team looking to improve upon a six-win season, that’s to be expected.

The Hoosiers will open Big Ten play on New Year’s Eve at Assembly Hall against Michigan at noon on ESPN2. A couple of other Big Ten games of note: at Ohio State on January 6, at Michigan on January 14, at Illinois on January 30, vs. Purdue on February 4, vs. Michigan State on February 16 and at Purdue on March 2/3/4.

You can see the complete slate of games here and we’ll dig deeper into the schedule in just a bit. For now, let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.

As speculated a couple of weeks ago, Indiana will face Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden in December. The game will be part of a doubleheader in the Jimmy V Classic. Here’s the official release from IU:

The Indiana University men’s basketball team will face Pittsburgh in the second game of the 2009 Jimmy V Classic scheduled for 9 p.m., Tuesday December 8 in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Butler will face Georgetown in the opening contest at 7 p.m., with both games set to air on ESPN.  This is the 15th Annual Classic, with Indiana making its second appearance in the event (1999).

“My wife and I are contributors to the V Foundation and it is an honor for us to participate in the Jimmy V Classic,” said IU Head Coach Tom Crean.  “This is annually one of the premiere events in college basketball and it is always exciting to take a team to Madison Square Garden.  We have great respect for the Pittsburgh program.”

The two early-season college basketball events showcasing top programs on ESPN and ESPN2 will conclude the third annual Jimmy V Week, a week-long initiative across multiple ESPN platforms and programs featuring special content to help raise funds for cancer research December 2-8.

Maybe I’m a bit optimistic, but I’ve got a good feeling this could be a win for our Hoosiers. The top three players for Pitt, Dejuan Blair, Sam Young and Levance Fields, are gone. And IU will no longer have to rely on Daniel Moore or Michael Santa to run the point. Is it time for Hoosier Hysteria yet? Hey, it was worth a shot.

If you were wondering just what channel and when you can catch IU’s non-conference schedule this coming season — which is not too far away now, may I add — you no longer need to wonder. This is because IU media relations has the docket for us. Here ya go:

DATE, DAY, OPPONENT, SITE, TIME, TV
Nov. 7, Friday, Anderson University (Exhib.), Bloomington, Ind., 7 p.m., BTN.com
Nov. 11, Tuesday, Bemidji State (Exhib.), Bloomington, Ind., 7 p.m., BTN.com
Nov. 15, Saturday, Northwestern State, Bloomington, Ind., 7 p.m., BTN
Nov. 18, Tuesday, IUPUI, Bloomington, Ind., 6:30 p.m., BTN

25th ANNUAL EA SPORTS MAUI INVITATIONAL
Nov. 24, Monday, Notre Dame, Maui, 5:30pm, ESPN2
Nov. 25, Tuesday, TBA, Maui, TBA, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
Nov. 26, Wednesday, TBA, Maui, TBA, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU

Nov. 30, Sunday, Cornell, Bloomington, Ind., 4 p.m., BTN

ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
Dec. 3, Wednesday, at Wake Forest, Winston-Salem, N.C., 7:15pm, ESPN

HARTFORD HALL OF FAME SHOWCASE (at Lucas Oil Stadium)
Dec. 6, Saturday, Gonzaga #, Indianapolis, Ind., 1:30 p.m., BTN

Dec. 10, Wednesday, TCU, Bloomington, Ind., 7 p.m., ESPN2
Dec. 13, Saturday, at Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., 4 p.m., CBS
Dec. 22, Monday, Northeastern, Bloomington, Ind., 9 p.m., BTN
Dec. 28, Sunday, Lipscomb, Bloomington, Ind., 6 p.m., BTN

One thing of note here: the Big Ten Network will be streaming all of IU’s exhibition games online, which I think is pretty neat. So if you’re stuck in the office late on Tuesday, Nov. 11, that Bemidji State matchup will be there to comfort you while you work on your Excel documents.

Last year, right around this time, I made a relatively bold prediction about our Indiana Hoosiers. I predicted — nay, demanded — that they win 25 games in the regular season. That was, of course, before the nonsense derailed the Hoosiers and saw them end their season with a meek tournament performance. Weak.

This year, I harbor no such illusions. It’s not that the schedule’s (view here) tougher — it’s that this IU team is so much less talented, so less lauded, and so obviously the first phase of long-term rebuilding. And that’s OK. We all know it. No one is setting the bar too high.

Merficully, the schedule doesn’t start with the impossible out-of-conference schedule Mike Davis saddled himself with. Tom Crean’s first Hoosier team will face only three early challenges in the non-conference portion: Notre Dame, Kentucky, and Wake Forest. Making matters worse, none of the three is at home; Notre Dame will be during the Maui Invitational, Wake Forest is in Wake Forest, and IU will travel to Lexington for the Wildcat revenge. Yikes.

Once the conference season starts, things don’t look much better. Instead of detailing the losses, let’s take a look at the games that we know — absolutely know — IU can win:

– Jan. 7 vs. Michigan
– Jan. 17 vs. Penn State
– Feb. 4 vs. Iowa

And that’s about it. (When I was taking some quick cursory notes about the schedule, next to Penn State I actually wrote “win!”, complete with the exclamation point, because I was so excited to be sure that IU could win one game. No Geary Claxton! Whoo!)

Then, of course, are the rivalry games. I don’t hold much hope for our one game against Purdue this season; the Boilermakers will be well-oiled and the game is at the (Bud) Mackey Arena. But as long as we get one — just one — of the two games with Illinois this year, I will be happy. Incredibly, deliriously happy. The rest is just a bonus.

Here is the complete release from IU Media Relations. You can view the complete schedule here.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana University men’s basketball team could play as many as 11 teams which played in the 2008 NCAA Tournament during the coming season. The Big Ten Conference released its schedule today with times and television assignments listed for all 18 league games and will finalize times and television for each school’s non-conference schedule later this week. Each of the Hoosiers 30 regular season games will appear either on the Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. IU will play 15 games in Assembly Hall, four games on a neutral court and 11 road games.

“Considering our circumstances, we are very thankful to have the opportunity to be on national television the number of times that we will be this season,” said first-year Coach Tom Crean. “The day-to-day coverage that our program will get via the Big Ten Network is so important for us. Not many programs have a 24-hour vehicle to exclusively reach so many alumni, family, friends and fans. We are very fortunate that there is so much interest in Indiana basketball.”

The Hoosiers will open up with four games in Assembly Hall hosting exhibition games November 7 (Anderson) and November 11 (Bemidji State). IU will then begin the regular season November 15 (Northwestern State) and also play November 18 (IUPUI) before heading to Hawaii to participate in the 25th Annual EA Sports Maui Invitational November 24-26.

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