Puerto Rico next year

Andy Katz: The Puerto Rico Tip-Off will be really entertaining with North Carolina, West Virginia, Minnesota and Vanderbilt leading the way, followed by Western Kentucky, Davidson, Hofstra and Nebraska.

The Butler Bulldogs

No. 10 in the nation in the USA Today/ESPN preseason poll: Bulldogs have loads of talent back and could be poised to make noise nationally. Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard pace the frontcourt with Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley providing a veteran backcourt punch. Nov. 14 opener at Hinkle.

On the schedule

McKillop: “The 2009-10 schedule is aggressive and exciting for our team and for our fans because the challenges will be extraordinary. Our non-conference schedule will expose us to every region in the country against some traditionally outstanding programs, and from top to bottom, the Southern Conference could be the best it has been in many years.” DavidsonNews.net.

The village and elsewhere

So here at long last is this year’s schedule. Over at Cats.com, there was some stress waiting for it, and now there’s some more stress because it’s out. What took so long? No ACC teams? Fredonia State? I guess. But gosh. I like the two Ivies. I like the two A-10 games. I like that there’s a trip to the Northeast, a trip to the Midwest, a trip to the Pacific Northwest. And a schedule’s just a schedule. It’s an itinerary. A blank canvas is all it is.

Schedule snippet

Appalachian: The Mountaineers will tip off the Southern Conference regular season broadcast slate on January 9 at Davidson in the first of eight regionally televised games.

Dec. 12 in Seattle

Gonzaga. Tickets.

The Citadel schedule

Conroy: “Starting the Southern Conference schedule off at home with the regular season champs will be exciting for players, fans and the Cadets.”

November in Hinkle

Scheduling note from the Indy Star: Butler opens the season at home Nov. 14 against Davidson.

Davidson and Gonzaga

Linked. Now scheduled to meet again next year. Cool. P-I.

Holiday Festival

Next year’s field at Madison Square Garden: Cornell, Hofstra, St. John’s, Davidson. AP. Schedule: coming together.

UMass again?

Note from up in Amherst: In other UMass basketball news, associate athletic director Tim Kenney said the school is close to signing a home-and-home deal with Davidson. UMass would play at Davidson, N.C., in the 2009-10 season, Kenney said.

Charleston in November

Been a good spot for the Wildcats.