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ACC Basketball: Top Five Non-Conference Schedules

By Beaumont Rand

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College basketball’s non-conference scheduling is as important as has it ever has been. Big non-conference wins and losses set the tone for the initial perception of a team, and cling to their resume all the way to March.

For better or worse, ACC programs have ramped up their non-conference schedule to include tilts between the sport’s blue-bloods as well as matchups against upstart mid-majors.

1. North Carolina

UNC’s non-conference schedule is unquestionably the toughest in the 15-team conference, and it really isn’t that close.

Carolina will have six games against likely tourney teams, two of which are true road games, two on neutral sites, and one at home against former conference rival Maryland. The widely-considered preseason #1 squad- for the BIG 10/ACC Challenge.

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The season tips off against Temple in Annapolis for the Veterans Classic, followed by a trip to Northern Iowa a week later.

The Terps await on December 1st, followed by another home tilt against in-state rival Davidson that following Sunday.

The Heels are at Texas a week later and face UCLA in Brooklyn on December 19th. Returning most production on both sides of the ball, UNC will very quickly be challenged to live up to their preseason hype.

2. Duke

The Blue Devils are no stranger to strong non-conference slates. Their third game against Kentucky in Chicago is a titanic clash between one-and-done magnets.

Three days later Duke will play in the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden, opening against VCU and their either facing Wisconsin or Georgetown.

A game against Wisconsin would be a rematch of last year’s title game and would see them play two 2015 Final Four teams in three games.

Duke will face two preseason Top 25 squads in December. Indiana will travel to Cameron for the BIG 10/ACC Challenge, and they will return to MSG to face Utah in a Sweet 16 rematch.

Beyond defending a title, the Devils will certainly have a target on their backs for the typical reasons, which is something Mike Krzyzewski’s squad is certainly familiar with.

3. Virginia

Though their schedule may not include as many brand names as Duke or Carolina, UVA will face a gauntlet of three consecutive preseason Top 25 teams in December.

In the Charleston Classic, where UVA will likely face a fellow major conference foe in Seton Hall, Ole Miss or Oklahoma State.

Things ramp up in early December where they go to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes int he BIG 10/ACC challenge. Then, the Wahoos’ non-con madness comes to a head when they take on West Virginia in MSG for the Jimmy V Classic, before heading home to face Villanova and Cal in a four-day span just before Christmas.

Yes, these squads aren’t the Kentuckys, Marylands, Indianas and UCLAs of the world, but rest assured Tony Bennett’s stout defensive squad will be battle-tested heading into ACC play.

4. Wake Forest

A young Demon Deacons squad is expected to make strides in Danny Manning’s second year at the helm. If Wake takes this next big step it will certainly begin in November. Richmond at home is the second game of the season.

Then, over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Deacons will open up against Indiana for a loaded Maui Invitational.

They will share a bracket with St. John’s and Vandy, while Kansas, UNLV and UCLA are on the other side.

In December Arkansas and Xavier travel to Winston-Salem, followed by a non-con-closing road trip to LSU.

Without a doubt the college basketball world will know if Wake is the least bit for real before ACC play.

5. Tie – Syracuse/Boston College

Beyond three-quarters of Tobacco Road and UVA, things even out for the rest of the ACC in terms of non-conference schedule strength.

Both Syracuse and BC will have early tests to see if they can improve upon lackluster 2014-15 campaigns.

The sanction-struck Orange will be without Jim Boeheim against Wisconsin for the BIG 10/ACC challenge and for road trips to former Big East foes Georgetown and St. John’s.

Boston College will need to get over the departure of 2015 First-team All-ACC G Olivier Hanlan quickly because tricky Harvard is the third game before a trip out to Anaheim for the Wooden Legacy Classic against Michigan St.

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    • 2015 tourney teams Boise St., UC-Irvine, Providence and talent-heavy Arizona will be there. Regardless of how the Wooden Legacy plays out, the Eagles are set to travel to Providence to play the Friars in early December.

    Of note:

    • Louisville’s non-conference schedule may contain the toughest two non-con away games of any team in the country- the Cards begin December with a trip to East Lansing to take on the Spartans who they lost in the Elite 8. The annual showdown at Rupp against Kentucky is the day after Christmas.
    • Pitt, who is typically known for its pillowy non-conference slate, will challenge itself with Gonzaga in Okinawa, Japan for the Armed Forces Classic, and will play tourney squads Purdue and Davidson in December.
    • The ACC, who has explored hosting its conference tourney somewhere in the Big Apple, will play seven games in either Madison Square Garden or the Barclays Center. This certainly sounds encouraging for northeastern ACC fans as well as Big East expatriates who miss big time Garden showdowns.

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