MBB to host Xavier in Gavitt Games
The Gavitt Games are a Big Ten - Big East basketball series that will start this fall. Michigan will host Xavier on Fri Nov 20. Georgetown at Maryland is the other top matchup in the schedule announced today.
http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/042215aaa.html
Gonna be a big weekend.
Football at Penn State next day.
is a quality opponent. Really hoping they schedule Hillsdale again too ;)
The full slate
Nov. 17
Georgetown at Maryland
DePaul at Penn State
Nebraska at Villanova
Nov. 18
Illinois at Providence
Nov. 19
Creighton at Indiana
Iowa at Marquette
Rutgers at St. John's
Nov. 20
Xavier at Michigan
Last time Michigan played Xavier was the 88-89 season. Guess that means we should all buy tickets to Houston right now!
Does UC and Mich play this year as well in Basketball?
Would be cool to play the 2 Cincinnati schools in the same year
According to Dylan at UMHoops http://www.umhoops.com/information/future-schedules/
MBB is set for a home and home with Cincinnati sometime between next season and the 2018-19 season. No details on which years and who hosts first.
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UC fan/grad I take it?
Didn't know
Only game on a Friday in this series and the team hosting has an away football game. As someone with season tickets to basketball and football who will be traveling to the football game I am not happy with this schedule.
I'm a big Providence College hoops fan. I'm very excited about this series and thrilled that it honors the memory of the legendary Dave Gavitt, former PC coach and founder of the Big East.
I love the new incarnation of the Big East. I don't miss any of the schools that have defected. The Friars have a much better chance to compete in a conference with smaller, like-minded, basketball-centric schools. It's a throwback to what the conference was originally supposed to be about.
I think the series will be beneficial for both conferences but probably more so for the Big East. Out of conference schedules and performance are huge for a 10 team league. Hopefully in the years to come Michigan will make a trip out to Providence to play on Dave Gavitt Court. I would definitely be in attendence.
I like the complete schedule. There should be a lot of funs games.
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are the two Big East teams not participating. I would have hoped for Villanova to have a better matchup than Nebraska, which looks to be depleted next year.
This is kind of odd to me. The B1G/ACC challenge makes a clear attempt to match up teams based on the previous year's performance (or just general expectations). The SEC/Big 12 challenge tends towards equitable matchups as well.
How are the matchups even chosen here? Nova-Nebraska just seems awful in many respects. I think PSU would be better simply for the geographic rivalry.
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I graduated from Xavier a little while back and can't wait for this game. UM should have a big advantage at the point with Walton going up against a first time starter. The rest of XU's team is athletic and solid. Jalen Reynolds, Remy Abell, and Trevon Blueitt (a Beilein target from last year) will be XU's core. UM should be favored to win especially with Caris coming back. Plus Chris Mack's gameday coaching leaves much to be desired. I've always wanted to see this game happen.
Especially Butler while they're going good.
An Indian v Butler game would have been interesting
April 22nd, 2015 at 10:03 PM ^
This is exactly the type of team I think Michigan should be scheduling in basketball. Much of a team's RPI/SOS can actually come down to playing those teams in the 50-100 or 100-150 range vs. playing a team that is 200 or 300+. Those teams *really* drag down your SOS, simply replacing them with a decent yet not great team makes a massive difference.
Xavier, VCU, Tennessee, NC State, Oregon, etc. These are the kinds of teams I would like to see more of in Michigan's OOC schedule.
those are Xavier's RealTimeRPI #s for the last 10 seasons. At worst, gotta figure U-M is getting an RPI 50-100 team. Very smart add to U-M's OOC schedule.
April 22nd, 2015 at 10:38 PM ^
Saw Xavier play FGCU this season and they were unimpresive to say the least. They were overseeded in the tournament at a 6 seed and got a gratuitoius loss by Baylor to hand them Georgia St. to get to the Sweet 16. Played well against 'Zona, but this is a team UM should take care of without much trouble.
April 22nd, 2015 at 10:58 PM ^
Please don't say "UM should take care of without much trouble." or anything even close to that ever again!
April 23rd, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
last year. I know you're looking forward to next year, but a little reminder. UM looked mighty unimpressive against NJIT and Eastern Michigan, barely squeaked by a depleted Syracuse and got SLAUGHTERED by Arizona, all with Levert and Walton (who was probably hurt). Last year, Xavier was a far better team than UM. Stainbrook would have torn UM up inside. But, yes, next year should be a different story