University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Men's Basketball Announces 2016-17 Schedule
09.08.2016 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville men's basketball has announced the release of their 2016-17 schedule. The thirty-one-game regular season slate features 15 home games, 18 Big South Conference match-ups and a rigorous road schedule to round out head coach Nick McDevitt's fourth season as head coach of the Bulldogs.
The defending Big South Conference Tournament Champions will face a challenging non-conference schedule before opening League play on December 29.
The 2016-17 non-conference schedule is highlighted by the Bulldogs participation in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic, a road contest at Ohio State University, mountain rivalries and a Big South flashback with former conference member Coastal Carolina University.
“I think our fans will enjoy watching this year's team compete against some of the best basketball programs in the country and this region,” said head coach Nick McDevitt.
Asheville will open the 2016-17 season at home inside Kimmel Arena with an exhibition game against Montreat College on November 5 at 7:00 p.m. Following the Saturday exhibition, the Bulldogs will then travel to Richmond, Virginia on November 11 to take on VCU a Friday night match-up at 7:00 p.m.
Following the road contest with the Rams, the Bulldogs will have the first of four games in the prestigious CBE Hall of Fame Classic on the road in Athens, Ga. with a Battle of the Bulldogs against the University of Georgia on November 14.
Following their contest in Athens, the Bulldogs will return to Asheville to host Siena for their second game inside Kimmel Arena on November 20 at 2:00 p.m.
To close out the CBE Hall of Classic, the Bulldogs will make the short trip to Greenville, S.C. to take on Furman University on November 22 before heading to Lawrence, KS to challenge the Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on November 25.
Other highlights of the Bulldogs' non-conference schedule include a road trip to Ohio State on December 22, where the Bulldogs will face the Buckeyes inside Value City Arena. Asheville will attempt to change their luck in Columbus and add a win to their column in the overall series where the Bulldogs trail 0-5.
“We face some very tough challenges with road games at national programs like Kansas, Ohio State, Georgia, and VCU, but those games will help prepare our team for another tough year in the Big South Conference,” McDevitt said.
Not to be confused with their previous Big South Conference schedule, the Bulldogs will travel to Conway, S.C. on December 3 to keep the rivalry alive with a non-conference matchup with former Big South member, Coastal Carolina.
Asheville will also continue its' longstanding tradition of challenging local mountain rivals with five non-conference home games against Western Carolina, UNC Greensboro, Brevard and Warren Wilson as well as a few rivalries on the road against Elon, USC Upstate and Coastal.
“I think it's fun for everyone involved; coaches, players, fans, administrators, to continue to play those non-conference games versus teams in your immediate area and continue some regional rivalries,” McDevitt said.
The Big South Conference also announced their 2016-17 composite schedule this morning, with each of the ten member institutions playing an 18-game double-round robin schedule.
Asheville will open conference play on December 29 on the road at Radford before returning home for a New Year's Eve Battle of the Bulldogs with Gardner-Webb University.
Conference highlights for the Bulldogs include Championship rematches with Runner-Up Winthrop University, first in Rock Hill, S.C. on January 19 and then at home on February 9.
**Confirmed times to follow.
