Men’s basketball schedule released

The men’s basketball schedule was released last week, and it’s headlined by some good, and some not so good, elements.

The Good

There are plenty of games, from the expected neutral court matchup with Clemson in the Charleston Classic to true road games against NCAA Tournament teams in Kansas, Villanova and Xavier. Combine that with additional road games against Penn State and Dayton, plus the anticipated home game with Tennessee, and the Owls have plenty of chances to pad their resume for March.

The Bad

This is a team that went to the NCAA Tournament last year and they have 11 home games and 16 road games. Certainly the men’s basketball administration should have done a better job than that.

While they were locked into the Mid-American Conference games because of a deal for the football program and because they owed games to Lafayette and Long Beach State, to a certain extent, the administration’s hands were tied.

But with only two marquee home games against Tennessee and city rival Saint Joseph’s, and mounting anticipation following the Atlantic Ten Championship of last March, the schedule certainly doesn’t seem as exciting as it could have.

The Verdict

The Owls have a bunch of games they should easily win and a handful of games where their backs are going to be against the wall. Even though the fans ultimately lose out due to the shortage of home games, playing so many games outside of the Liacouras Center should only make this team more prepared for March. However, with such a tough draw, they might never get there.

To download the new schedule click here.

Todd Orodenker can be reached at todd.orodenker@temple.edu.