Sept. 21, 2006

2006-07 Schedule

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern University announced the 2006-07 Wildcat men's basketball schedule Thursday with as many as 14 postseason teams from last season highlighting the slate. Fans will have plenty of opportunities to catch the Wildcats in action even before the start of Big Ten season with nine home contests in November and December.

This season, the Wildcats could have as many as four nationally televised regular-season games, beginning with the Big Ten/ACC Challenge Nov. 28 against Miami (Fla.) on ESPN2. Northwestern will face Indiana at home Feb. 27 or 28 on one of the three ESPN networks or ESPN Plus.

The season tips off when the Wildcats welcome Cornell at 8:30 p.m. Friday night Nov. 10 as part of a double header with the women who face Valparaiso at 6 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena. After a Nov. 14 showdown with crosstown rival DePaul at home, Northwestern heads west to face Stanford out of the Pac-10 on Friday, Nov. 17 in Palo Alto, Calif.

The Wildcats then return home for five straight home games, including a match-up with former Wildcat assistant coach Craig Robinson and the Brown Bears Nov. 21 and the Big Ten/ACC Challenge with Miami (Fla.). Home dates with North Florida (Nov. 25), Western Michigan (Dec. 9) and Wheaton College (Dec. 14) round out the five-game homestand.

The Wildcats then pack their bags one last time before Big Ten play to take part in the 2006 San Juan Shootout in San Juan, Puerto Rico Dec. 19-21. Northwestern will face Tennessee Tech at 11 a.m. CT on the 19th and either Vanderbilt or UPR-Mayaguez on the 20th. The other four schools participating are Utah, Central Florida, Virginia and Appalachian State.

Two more home contests in December with Loyola (Md.) Dec. 27 and Northwestern State on New Year's Eve round out the non conference portion of the schedule. Big Ten play begins at Penn State Jan. 3 which will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The first home Big Ten contest is against Michigan on Jan. 6. The 'Cats will face one more non conference opponent in Texas Pan-American on Feb. 21.

Northwestern will play every Big Ten opponent twice this season with the exception of home games only with Michigan and Indiana and road contests at Michigan State and Iowa. This year's home game with Illinois on Feb. 7 also will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

The season culminates with the 2007 Big Ten Tournament, which will be held at the United Center in Chicago, March 8-11. The tournament then shifts back to Indianapolis from 2008 through 2012.