The 2016-2017 non-conference schedule has been released for the Washington State Cougars men's basketball team and it features seven home games at Beasley Coliseum.
Like the last two non-conference schedules, this season's lineup is full of games that WSU has a strong chance to win, as Ernie Kent would like to see his team get a few W's under their belt and build some confidence before heading into Pac-12 play.
"Every year we try to put together the best nonconference scheduled to prepare us for a competitive Pac-12 season and help build excitement amongst our fans and supporters," Kent said via news release. "I think we did a good job of that this season, getting some home games during football weekends and playing Central Washington in the Tri-Cities, where we have a huge Cougar contingency. Trips to the Paradise Jam and to Kansas City to take on Kansas State will give us some good ‘road’ tests, which will help us come conference play, which is always a tough test."
The Cougars will open the season hosting Montana State on Friday, Nov. 11, the eve of the California-Washington State football game. The Cougars will then head to Kennewick to play Central Washington at the Toyota Center before leaving for the Virgin Islands where they'll play Creighton in the first round of the Paradise Jam tournament.
Following the three-game tournament over Thanksgiving break, the Cougs return to Pullman to face San Jose State on Nov. 27, two days after the Apple Cup. New Orleans will make a visit up to Pullman on Dec. 3 and it will be the first time in school history that the Cougars will face the Privateers. Washington State will meet Idaho for the 111th consecutive season on Dec. 7, looking for their first win against the Vandals since 2013.
All TV networks and game times are to be determined, with the exception of the first game of the Paradise Jam tourney which will tip off at 5:30 PT. Those networks and game times, as well as the Pac-12 schedule and the preseason exhibition game, will be revealed at a later date.
Here is the full non-conference schedule:
- Friday, Nov. 11 vs. Montana State
- Tuesday, Nov. 15 vs. Central Washington (Kennewick, Wash.)
- Friday, Nov. 18 vs. Creighton (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Nov. 19-21 vs. TBD (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Sunday, Nov. 27 vs. San Jose State
- Wednesday, Nov. 30 vs. Utah Valley
- Saturday, Dec. 3 vs. New Orleans
- Wednesday, Dec 7 vs. Idaho
- Saturday, Dec. 10 @ Kansas State (Kansas City, Mo.)
- Saturday, Dec. 17 vs. Santa Clara
- Wednesday, Dec. 21 vs. Sacramento State
For the full release, click here.