Maryland Releases 2015-16 Non-Conference Schedule
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Maryland men's basketball team announced its 2015-16 non-conference schedule Tuesday. The slate features contests against traditional college basketball powerhouses Georgetown, North Carolina and Connecticut as the Terps prepare to embark on their second season in Big Ten Conference play.
"We're excited to play a strong and competitive non-conference schedule that includes terrific marquee matchups featuring some of college basketball's perennial powers," said head coach Mark Turgeon. "This will provide great challenges and opportunities for our team prior to the start of conference play."
Maryland begins competition with an exhibition on Nov. 6 versus Southern New Hampshire, where current assistant coach and 1999 graduate Bino Ranson starred as an all-conference performer all four seasons.
The Terps officially open the 2015-16 campaign on Nov. 13 at XFINITY Center against Mount Saint Mary's, which led the NEC in three-point field goals made and attempted a year ago.
The Terps then welcome Georgetown to College Park for the first time in 42 years as part of the inaugural Gavitt Games on Nov. 17. Maryland leads Georgetown in the all-time series, 36-27. The last time the Terps tangled with the Hoyas in College Park was on Dec. 11, 1973 – a 115-83 Maryland victory. The Terps and the Hoyas played each other every season from 1947 to 1976.
Maryland plays host to Rider on Nov. 20 and Cleveland State on Nov. 28 as part of the Cancun Challenge, bookending its trip to Mexico for challenge play on Nov. 24 and 25 where it will face Illinois State Tuesday and either Rhode Island or TCU Wednesday.
While south of the border, the Terps will take on an Illinois State squad that upset Wichita State last season in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament before being narrowly edged by Northern Iowa in the championship. Rhode Island is led by junior guard E.C. Matthews, a finalist for the Jerry West Award last season who averaged 16.9 points per game. Last season, TCU was ranked No. 25 in the AP Top 25 prior to the start of conference play after beginning the year 13-0.
Maryland leads the all-time series with Rider, 3-0, and topped Cleveland State, 95-84, on Dec. 5, 1984 in the only meeting between the two programs.
An old rivalry will be renewed Dec. 1 as Maryland makes the trek to Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina in the ACC/B1G Challenge. Maryland is tied for the second-most wins all-time in the Challenge, collecting 10 victories since its inception in 1999. Maryland and North Carolina will meet for the 180th time in school history in a series that dates back to 1924.
The Terps return home to face St. Francis (Pa.) – a program projected to finish near the top of the NEC standings – on Dec. 4, before heading to the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 8 where they will battle UConn at Madison Square Garden. The Terps fell to then-No. 18 UConn on Nov. 13, 2013 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, snapping a two-game winning streak against the Huskies in the series.
After welcoming Maryland-Eastern Shore on Dec. 12, the Terps will head to Baltimore to face Princeton at Royal Farms Arena Dec. 19. UMES is a program on the rise which saw bolstered success last season under first year head coach Bobby Collins who led the Hawks to their first postseason bid in three decades. Princeton returns all five starters from a year ago.
Maryland wraps up its non-conference schedule with a home contest versus Marshall Dec. 27.
In its inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference, Maryland won a school-record 26 regular season games and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The Terps finished 28-7 (14-4 B1G) and had an unblemished 9-0 home record in conference play.
Game times and television broadcast designations will be announced at a later date. For season ticket information, please click here.
2015-16 Non-Conference Schedule
Fri, Nov. 6 Southern New Hampshire (Exhibition)
Fri, Nov. 13 Mount Saint Mary's
Tue, Nov. 17 Georgetown
Fri, Nov. 20 Rider
Tue, Nov. 24 vs. Illinois State (Cancun Classic)
Wed, Nov. 25 vs. Rhode Island/TCU (Cancun Classic)
Sat, Nov. 28 Cleveland State
Tue, Dec. 1 at North Carolina (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
Fri, Dec. 4 St. Francis (PA)
Tue, Dec. 8 vs. UConn (Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden - NYC)
Sat, Dec. 12 Maryland-Eastern Shore
Sat, Dec. 19 Princeton (at Royal Farms Arena - Baltimore)
Sun, Dec. 27 Marshall
