MBB Reveals Demanding Non-Conference Slate

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma Head Men's Basketball Coach Lon Kruger and Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione announced the Sooners' 14-game 2015-16 non-conference schedule Thursday, a slate that features eight home dates (two of them exhibitions) and potentially six contests against teams that participated in last year's NCAA Tournament, including two games that will pit OU against 2015 NCAA No. 1 seeds.

Highlighting the schedule are a season-opening game at Memphis, home outings against Creighton and 2014 and '15 Final Four participant Wisconsin, a contest against Big East champion Villanova in Hawai'i, a Christmas week trip to Hawai'i for the eight-team Diamond Head Classic and a road game against LSU as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

"Without a doubt this is one of the most ambitious non-conference schedules we have ever put together."
Lon Kruger

OU's 16 non-conference opponents and potential opponents (not including exhibition foes) combined for a 320-209 record last year.

"Without a doubt this is one of the most ambitious non-conference schedules we have ever put together," said Kruger, who is starting his fifth season at OU and has taken the Sooners to the NCAA Tournament each of the last three years. "But given the experienced makeup of our team, we feel it is appropriate. Our guys are looking forward to the many challenges in non-conference play and have been working hard since the end of last season to give us the best chance of being successful throughout the coming year. It's going to be a lot of fun."

The Sooners open with a pair of home exhibition games against NCAA Division II member Washburn (16-16 last year) on Nov. 6 and NAIA member Mid-America Christian (25-11) on Nov. 12. Mid-America Christian, which finished No. 10 in the final NAIA coaches poll, is coached by Josh Gamblin, who served as an OU graduate assistant manager last season.

The Sooners begin the regular season at Memphis (18-14) on Tuesday, Nov. 17 before opening a four-game homestand. OU will host McNeese State (15-16) on Nov. 20, Incarnate Word (18-11) on Nov. 24, Wisconsin (36-4; NCAA championship game) on Nov. 29 and Central Arkansas (2-27) on Dec. 3. Wisconsin will mark just the third OU non-conference opponent to play in Norman the year after reaching the NCAA title game (Duke played at Lloyd Noble Center in 1990-91 and Connecticut did in 2004-05).

In a highly anticipated contest due to the circumstances surrounding the game as well as the caliber of competition, Kruger's squad will travel to Pearl Harbor in Hawai'i for a Dec. 7 game against Villanova (33-3; NCAA round of 32) on the 74th anniversary of the sudden attack of United States military installations that catapulted the U.S. into World War II. The game will be played inside Bloch Arena on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam near Honolulu. Villanova returns Co-Big East Player of the Year Ryan Arcidiacono.

Wisconsin will mark just the third OU non-conference opponent to play in Norman the year after reaching the NCAA title game.

The Sooners return to Lloyd Noble Center for home games on Dec. 12 against Oral Roberts (19-15) and Creighton (14-19) before heading back to Hawai'i for three games (Dec. 22, 23 and 25) in the Diamond Head Classic. The field also includes Auburn (15-20), BYU (25-10; NCAA First Four), Harvard (22-8; NCAA round of 64), Hawai'i (22-13), New Mexico (15-16), Northern Iowa (31-4; NCAA round of 32) and Washington State (13-18).

The Sooners close non-conference play on Jan. 30 at LSU (22-11; NCAA round of 64) in a game that is part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. OU is 2-0 in the event. The game against the Tigers will mark the Sooners' first trip to Baton Rouge.

Season tickets for 2015-16 OU men's basketball range from $160 to $550 per seat. For more ticket information or to reserve your season ticket with a $50 deposit, contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office by phone at (800) 456-4668, by email at outickets@ou.edu or by clicking here.

OU's 2016 Big 12 Conference schedule is expected to be announced in late July.

2015-16 OU Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule (all times Central)
Date	Opponent	Site	Time	TV
Nov. 6	Washburn (Ex.)	Norman	7 p.m.	TBD
Nov. 12	Mid-America Christian (Ex.)	Norman	7 p.m.	TBD
Nov. 17	at Memphis	Memphis, Tenn.	TBD	TBD
Nov. 20	McNeese State	Norman	7 p.m.	TBD
Nov. 24	Incarnate Word	Norman	7 p.m.	TBD
Nov. 29	Wisconsin	Norman	TBD	TBD
Dec. 3	Central Arkansas	Norman	7 p.m.	TBD
Dec. 7	vs. Villanova	Honolulu, Hawai'i	6 p.m.	FOX Sports 1
Dec. 12	Oral Roberts	Norman	TBD	TBD
Dec. 19	Creighton	Norman	TBD	TBD
Dec. 22	vs. TBA #	Honolulu, Hawai'i	TBD	TBD
Dec. 23	vs. TBA #	Honolulu, Hawai'i	TBD	TBD
Dec. 25	vs. TBA #	Honolulu, Hawai'i	TBD	TBD
Jan. 30	at LSU %	Baton Rouge, La.	TBD	TBD

# Diamond Head Classic (field also includes Auburn, BYU, Harvard, Hawai'i, New Mexico, Northern Iowa, Washington State)
% Big 12/SEC Challenge

University of Oklahoma Athletics

MBB Reveals Demanding Non-Conference Slate

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