Montana State faces a tough 2015-16 schedule
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcat Cagers Face Challenging Schedule in 2015-16
8/13/2015 5:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
First meeting with Syracuse since 1996 NCAA Tournament highlights slate
Brian Fish's first Montana State men's basketball team played one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the nation. The release of the Bobcats' 2015-16 schedule made one point perfectly clear.
Things aren't getting easier.
Montana State's schedule is highlighted by a contest at perennial NCAA Championship contender Syracuse, the last opponent the Cats faced in NCAA Tournament play in the spring of 1996. MSU also squares off in home-and-home series against regional rivals San Jose State and 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Wyoming, and also play at North Dakota State. The schedule, Fish says, provides his team games "against brand-name programs and teams that a school from our league could see in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament."
After an exhibition game in Bozeman on November 3 against Northwest Indian, the Cats head to paradise for a tournament at the University of Hawaii. The event includes games against Hawaii and Nevada, and one other yet-to-be-named opponent, November 13-15 in Honolulu.
Upon returning to Bozeman, the Bobcats are involved in one of the great college sports weekends in the nation. On Friday, Nov. 20, after the Bobcat women play Portland at 5:30 pm the men's team hosts San Jose State at 8 pm. On Sunday, the day after the Cat-Griz football game in Bozeman, MSU's men host Wyoming in the First Interstate Bank Border War in Billings.
"It's important for us to play high-caliber opponents at home, and that will be a great weekend for our fans," Fish said. "One of the things I heard over and over when I was traveling the state after I got this job was that our fans want the Border War back in Billings, and I appreciate Coach (Larry) Shyatt (of Wyoming) working with us to bring that back. Games like this certainly prepare us for Big Sky play, and our focus every year is to win our conference."
MSU meets Wyoming the next weekend in Laramie to finish the home-and-home, then plays at Utah Valley on Dec. 1 in Orem. MSU's non-conference home finale is Dec. 6 against Omaha, before the Bobcats embark on an epic road trip that begins on Dec. 13 at San Jose State and features games at North Dakota State (Dec. 16), Buffalo (Dec. 19), and Syracuse (Dec. 22).
The Bobcats open Big Sky play at Southern Utah on New Year's Eve, and at NAU two days later, and the next weekend face Sacramento State and Portland State. MSU gets only one crack each at its four longest-standing out-of-state rivals, hosting Eastern Washington (Jan. 21) and Idaho (Jan. 23), visiting Weber State (Feb. 25) and Idaho State (Feb. 27). This year's Brawl of the Wild series opens on Jan. 30, when Montana visits Bozeman, and concludes with MSU's game in Missoula on Feb. 20. This season marks the first time 1958-59 that Idaho State fails to visit Bozeman, and the first time since 1962-63 for Weber State.
The scheduled portion of the season concludes for Big Sky Conference schools at the league's first post-season tournament, held in Reno, Nev., March 7-12.
2015-16 Schedule
N3 Northwest Indian (exh.)
N13 at Hawaii Tourn, 7 pm HT
N14 at Hawaii Tourn, 2 pm HT
N15 at Hawaii Tourn, 2 pm HT
N20 San Jose State, 8:05 pm
N22 Wyoming in Billings, 2:05 pm
N28 at Wyoming, TBA
D1 at Utah Valley, TBA
D6 Omaha, TBA
D13 at San Jose State, TBA
D16 at North Dakota State, TBA
D19 at Buffalo, TBA
D22 at Syracuse, TBA
D31 *at Southern Utah, 7:05 pm
J2 *at NAU, TBA
J7 *Sacramento State, 7:05 pm
J9 *Portland State, 2:05 pm
J14 *at North Dakota, 7:05 pm CT
J16 *at Northern Colo., TBA
J21 *Eastern Wash., 7:05 pm
J23 *Idaho, 2:05 pm
J30 *Montana, 7:05 pm
F4 *at Portland State, 7:05 pm PT
F6 *at Sacramento State, 7:05 pm PT
F11 *NAU, 7:05 pm
F13 *Southern Utah, 2:05 pm
F20 *at Montana, 7:05 pm
F25 *at Weber State, 7:05 pm
F27 *at Idaho State, TBA
M3 *Northern Colorado, 7:05 pm
M5 *North Dakota, 2:05 pm
M7-12 Big Sky Tourney at Reno, NV
Things aren't getting easier.
Montana State's schedule is highlighted by a contest at perennial NCAA Championship contender Syracuse, the last opponent the Cats faced in NCAA Tournament play in the spring of 1996. MSU also squares off in home-and-home series against regional rivals San Jose State and 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Wyoming, and also play at North Dakota State. The schedule, Fish says, provides his team games "against brand-name programs and teams that a school from our league could see in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament."
After an exhibition game in Bozeman on November 3 against Northwest Indian, the Cats head to paradise for a tournament at the University of Hawaii. The event includes games against Hawaii and Nevada, and one other yet-to-be-named opponent, November 13-15 in Honolulu.
Upon returning to Bozeman, the Bobcats are involved in one of the great college sports weekends in the nation. On Friday, Nov. 20, after the Bobcat women play Portland at 5:30 pm the men's team hosts San Jose State at 8 pm. On Sunday, the day after the Cat-Griz football game in Bozeman, MSU's men host Wyoming in the First Interstate Bank Border War in Billings.
"It's important for us to play high-caliber opponents at home, and that will be a great weekend for our fans," Fish said. "One of the things I heard over and over when I was traveling the state after I got this job was that our fans want the Border War back in Billings, and I appreciate Coach (Larry) Shyatt (of Wyoming) working with us to bring that back. Games like this certainly prepare us for Big Sky play, and our focus every year is to win our conference."
MSU meets Wyoming the next weekend in Laramie to finish the home-and-home, then plays at Utah Valley on Dec. 1 in Orem. MSU's non-conference home finale is Dec. 6 against Omaha, before the Bobcats embark on an epic road trip that begins on Dec. 13 at San Jose State and features games at North Dakota State (Dec. 16), Buffalo (Dec. 19), and Syracuse (Dec. 22).
The Bobcats open Big Sky play at Southern Utah on New Year's Eve, and at NAU two days later, and the next weekend face Sacramento State and Portland State. MSU gets only one crack each at its four longest-standing out-of-state rivals, hosting Eastern Washington (Jan. 21) and Idaho (Jan. 23), visiting Weber State (Feb. 25) and Idaho State (Feb. 27). This year's Brawl of the Wild series opens on Jan. 30, when Montana visits Bozeman, and concludes with MSU's game in Missoula on Feb. 20. This season marks the first time 1958-59 that Idaho State fails to visit Bozeman, and the first time since 1962-63 for Weber State.
The scheduled portion of the season concludes for Big Sky Conference schools at the league's first post-season tournament, held in Reno, Nev., March 7-12.
2015-16 Schedule
N3 Northwest Indian (exh.)
N13 at Hawaii Tourn, 7 pm HT
N14 at Hawaii Tourn, 2 pm HT
N15 at Hawaii Tourn, 2 pm HT
N20 San Jose State, 8:05 pm
N22 Wyoming in Billings, 2:05 pm
N28 at Wyoming, TBA
D1 at Utah Valley, TBA
D6 Omaha, TBA
D13 at San Jose State, TBA
D16 at North Dakota State, TBA
D19 at Buffalo, TBA
D22 at Syracuse, TBA
D31 *at Southern Utah, 7:05 pm
J2 *at NAU, TBA
J7 *Sacramento State, 7:05 pm
J9 *Portland State, 2:05 pm
J14 *at North Dakota, 7:05 pm CT
J16 *at Northern Colo., TBA
J21 *Eastern Wash., 7:05 pm
J23 *Idaho, 2:05 pm
J30 *Montana, 7:05 pm
F4 *at Portland State, 7:05 pm PT
F6 *at Sacramento State, 7:05 pm PT
F11 *NAU, 7:05 pm
F13 *Southern Utah, 2:05 pm
F20 *at Montana, 7:05 pm
F25 *at Weber State, 7:05 pm
F27 *at Idaho State, TBA
M3 *Northern Colorado, 7:05 pm
M5 *North Dakota, 2:05 pm
M7-12 Big Sky Tourney at Reno, NV
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