First Look: Colorado State Men's Basketball non-conference schedule

Colorado State Men’s Basketball is getting ready for tip-off, and know we all know which teams and what dates the games will take place.

The 2015-16 season begins for Larry Eustachy and his team on Nov. 7 in an exhibition game against CSU-Pueblo, and the regular season tips off a week later, Nov. 14 versus Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

Then the men’s team returns home to host Loyola Marymount on Thursday, Nov. 19 before hosting two games in the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic. On Sunday, Nov. 22 the Rams host Oakland, followed by Abilene Christian on Tuesday, Nov. 24. The semifinal takes place at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 27 and the final is that Saturday.

In all, eight teams will compete in the Classic, they are: Colorado State, Oakland, Abilene Christian, Florida A&M, Portland, Southern Illinois, Troy and UTEP.

Another highlight of the non-conference schedule is the annual intrastate rivalry game against the Colorado Buffaloes. CSU is the home team this year, and that one’s scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 6.

On Saturday, Dec. 19, the Rams head to Wichita, Kansas to face Kansas State in likely Colorado State’s most difficult non-conference opponent of the year. The Big-12 team made five straight NCAA Tournaments from 2010-14, missing last year. This will be the first game in a two-game series, with the teams playing at neutral sites in the Intrust Bank Center and then the Pepsi Center in Denver next year.

Colorado State’s non-conference schedule wraps up Tuesday, Dec. 29 as they host Regis. Times of games as we get them. Home games are in BOLD.

• Nov. 7, Saturday, CSU-PUEBLO (exhibition)
• Nov. 14, Saturday at Northern Iowa
• Nov. 19, Thursday, Loyola Marymount
• Corpus Christi Coastal Classic
  • Nov. 22, Sunday, Oakland
  • Nov. 24, Tuesday, Abilene Christian
  • Nov. 27, Friday, TBA
  • Nov. 28, Saturday, TBA

• Dec. 3, Thursday, Long Beach State
• Dec. 6, Sunday, Colorado
• Dec. 9, Wednesday, Arkansas-Fort Smith
• Dec. 13, Sunday, at Northern Colorado
• Dec. 19, Saturday, at Kansas State
• Dec. 21, Monday, USC Upstate
• Dec. 29, Tuesday, Regis

Eustachy has led the Rams to one NCAA Tournament in three seasons, with his team getting snubbed by the selection committee last March following their school-record 27-win season. He’s a great coach who knows how to push his team to their best and Colorado State will be looking to get back to the Big Dance in March, 2016 thanks to Eustachy’s experience and leadership.