2012-13 Iowa Hawkeyes non-conference men's basketball schedule announced

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The UI Department of Athletics and head coach Fran McCaffery have announced the 2012-13 nonconference men's basketball schedule. Iowa will play nine non-league regular-season contests on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, three neutral site games, and one true road contest.

Iowa will not face in-state rival Drake this season, with the creation of the Wells Fargo Arena Big 4 doubleheader with Drake, Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Ilinois.  Iowa will play UNI this year, while Iowa State will play Drake. Next year, the match ups will reverse for Iowa and Iowa State.

Iowa will hit the hardwood with three returning starters and five newcomers for the 2012-13 season.

Hawkeye fans will get their first glimpse of the new squad in the re-engineered "Black and Gold Blowout" on Oct. 19 and in an exhibition against Quincy on Nov. 4.Iowa's Big Ten schedule, game times and television information will be announced later this summer.

Nov. 9 vs. Texas-Pan American
Iowa opens its 2012 campaign against a team from the Great West Conference on a Friday night. The Hawkeyes are 3-0 all-time against the Broncs, with all wins coming in Iowa City and the last coming in 2006 (62-46). Iowa is 7-0 all-time against current Great West Conference members.

Nov. 12 vs. Central Michigan
The Hawkeyes will square off against the Chippewas for the first time. A familiar face will be returning with Central Michigan in former Drake head coach Keno Davis. Keno, who is the son of former Iowa head coach Tom Davis, enters his first season as head coach at Central Michigan.

Nov. 15 vs. Howard
The first of two Cancun Challenge preliminary games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It will mark the first time the Hawkeyes will have faced Howard. The Bison are a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, where the Hawkeyes boast a perfect 10-0 record against current members.

Nov. 17 vs. Gardner-Webb
The second preliminary game of the Cancun Challenge and Iowa's fourth game in nine days to open the season. Iowa has never faced Gardner-Webb, who is a member of the Big South Conference. The Hawkeyes have only played four previous contests against members from the Big South, winning three.

Nov. 20 vs. Western Kentucky (Cancun, Mexico)
Iowa's first game away from home comes in Cancun against an NCAA tournament team from a year ago. The Hilltoppers won four consecutive games in the Sun Belt Tournament and topped Mississippi Valley State in the First Four before falling to eventual national champion Kentucky in the round of 64 last spring. This will be another first-time opponent for the Black and Gold. The Hawkeyes are 16-2 all-time against teams from the Sun Belt. This also marks the UI men's basketball team's first-ever trip to Cancun.

Nov. 21 vs. DePaul/Wichita State (Cancun, Mexico)
Iowa will play DePaul or Wichita State in the championship or consolation game of the Cancun Challenge. The Hawkeyes are 4-4 all-time against the Shockers, having played them as recently as 2009 in Kansas City. Iowa and DePaul have only played three times, most recently in Moline, Ill., in the 1995 postseason NIT. Wichita State lost to VCU in the NCAA Round of 64 a year ago, while DePaul did not compete in a postseason tournament.

Nov. 27 at Virginia Tech 
Iowa will meet Virginia Tech in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge for the third time, most recently playing in Iowa City in 2009. The Hokies have defeated Iowa in both previous meetings. Iowa lost at Blacksburg in the Challenge in 2006 in its only visit to Virginia Tech. This is Iowa's first and only true road game of the nonconference schedule.

Dec. 1 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Iowa returns to Iowa City and will play its final six non-league contests in the state of Iowa, five coming on its home court. Iowa and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will meet for the first time. The Islanders are members of the Southland Conference, which the Hawkeyes are 4-1 against current league members.

Dec. 4 vs. South Dakota
The Hawkeyes will host South Dakota for the first time since 1964. Iowa is 10-0 all-time against the Coyotes. South Dakota is a member of The Summit League. The Hawkeyes are 28-3 against current members of The Summit League.

Dec. 7 vs. Iowa State (Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series)
Iowa and Iowa State renew their in-state rivalry for the 66th time; Iowa leads the all-time series 42-23. The Cyclones have won the last two meetings. Iowa is 26-6 against the Cyclones in Iowa City. This will be one of the events in the 2012 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.

Dec. 15 vs. UNI (Des Moines, Iowa)
After a week of final exams, Iowa travels to Des Moines to play UNI in the inaugural Big Four Classic. This will mark the second straight year the Hawkeyes will have played in Wells Fargo Arena; Iowa played Creighton at the venue in November, 2011. Iowa leads the all-time series, 33-9, and has won three of the last four. This will be the first time this in-state match-up will be contested on a neutral court.

Dec. 19 vs. South Carolina State
Iowa returns home for two games in three days. First, the Hawkeyes host South Carolina State of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Hawkeyes last played the Bulldogs in 2009, winning 82-69.

Dec. 22 vs. Coppin State
The Hawkeyes' final nonconference game comes against their third opponent from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Iowa is 2-0 all-time against the Eagles, with the two teams previously playing in 1998 and 2006.

The 2012-13 season will be the third season under McCaffery.  Iowa is looking to compete for a shot at the NCAA Tournent.  Iowa hasn't danced over the past six seasons, so Hawkeye fans are hoping for a breakout season in 2012-13.