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In a recent press release, Northwestern has officially announced its 2015-16 non-conference schedule. The Wildcats have faced several marquee teams in recent years including the Missouri Tigers, Stanford Cardinal, and the UCLA Bruins and are set to add more intriguing matchups in the future.
Though Northwestern appears to lack any major national contenders on its schedule, they do have some solid opponents both at home and on neutral courts and should be able to add at least some marquee games to its resume. The non-conference schedule will likely be highlighted by a road trip to Virginia Tech during the 2015 Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Here is the full non-conference schedule.
2015-16 Northwestern Non-Conference Schedule:
- Nov. 13 -- UMass-Lowell
- Nov. 18 -- Fairfield
- Nov. 20 -- Columbia
- Nov. 23 -- TBA (CBE Hall of Fame Classic)
- Nov. 24 -- TBA (CBE Hall of Fame Classic)
- Nov. 28 -- New Orleans
- Dec. 1 -- at Virginia Tech
- Dec. 5 -- SIUE
- Dec. 13 -- Chicago State
- Dec. 15 -- Mississippi Valley State
- Dec. 19 -- at DePaul
- Dec. 21 -- Sacred Heart
- Dec. 27 -- Loyola (MD)
Not only will Northwestern get matchups with DePaul and Virginia Tech, but they will also be participating in the CBE Classic, where they could face Kansas State, Missouri, and North Carolina. There is certainly at least an opportunity to secure several solid wins.
The Wildcats return much of their team from 2014-15 and though are not expected to be a serious Big Ten title contender, are considered a darkhorse contender for the NCAA Tournament and more considering the returns of Bryant McIntosh and Alex Olah. Time will tell, but fans will get a great idea about the team in non-conference play as they face a variety of different teams.