Purdue announces non-conference basketball slate
From Purdue Sports Information
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A 10-game home slate, a spot in one of the nation’s premier early-season tournaments and the second edition of the Crossroads Classic headline the 2012-13 Purdue men’s basketball non-conference schedule, released on Friday.
Of the known or potential opponents on the Boilermakers’ schedule, six advanced to postseason play a year ago, including five NCAA Tournament participants. Six of Purdue’s known or potential non-conference opponents won at least 20 games last season.
One of the principles of scheduling is that you schedule for the team you have each particular year, Purdue head coach Matt Painter said. This year, we have a relatively young team and the non-conference season will be important for us. This schedule has several challenges and will help us figure out who we are heading into Big Ten play.
The Boilers will open the campaign as part of the prestigious 2K Sports Classic benefitting Wounded Warrior Project, playing twice at home before joining Alabama, Oregon State and Villanova in New York for two games at Madison Square Garden.
Purdue will play its first two games of the tournament at Mackey Arena on Nov. 9 and 11 against teams yet to be determined as ESPN and Gazelle Group continue to work to finalize those matchups. The Boilermakers will square off with Villanova at the Garden on Nov. 15 and meet either Alabama or Oregon State, depending on the results of the semifinal games, the following night.
The Old Gold & Black will play host to UNC Wilmington on Nov. 21 before taking on Clemson on Nov. 28 in search of a fourth-consecutive win in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods. The Boilermakers and Tigers will meet at 7:15 p.m. ET with ESPNU set to broadcast the game.
The Boilers will play at home on Dec. 1 and Dec. 4, welcoming Xavier and Lamar, respectively, to Keady Court. On Dec. 8, Purdue will visit Eastern Michigan in a return in a return date from last season’s meeting in West Lafayette.
A 20-20 series tie will be broken on Dec. 15 when Purdue and Notre Dame tangle as part of the second edition of the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The last meeting between the schools resulted in a Notre Dame win at the Joyce Center during the 2004 NIT, though the Boilers have taken three of the last four meetings dating to 1965.
A coming together of the four most-storied college basketball programs in the state of Indiana, the 2012 Crossroads Classic is the second of two games to be played under the original Memorandum of Understanding signed by the schools’ athletic directors in August 2010. On May 22, the four schools announced an extension to the original agreement that will keep the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in 2013 and 2014.
Prior to the start of Big Ten play, the Boilermakers will play at home against Ball State on Dec. 18 and William & Mary on Dec. 29.
Purdue will wait until January to put the finishing touches on its 2012-13 non-conference schedule, as the Boilermakers will host 2012 NCAA Tournament participant West Virginia on Jan. 19. The Boilers and Mountaineers split one of the marquee non-conference home-and-home series in the country in 2010 and 2011, and will once again square off in WVU’s first season in the Big 12.
Prior to the start of the regular season, Purdue will play two exhibition games, facing Montevallo on Oct. 30 and Newberry on Nov. 3.
Time and television information, as well as the complete Big Ten schedule, are expected to be available in the near future.
Season tickets are currently on sale through the Purdue Athletic Ticket Office. Located on the concourse level of the east side of Mackey Arena, the Athletic Ticket Office is open for business from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday (except holidays). Tickets are also available online at purduesports.com or by calling (800) 49-SPORT.
