Since Elon University men's basketball coach Matt Matheny was hired, the Elon men's basketball schedule has been progressively tougher year after year.
On the heels of a Southern Conference semifinal loss to the College of Charleston and a loss to Canisius College in the first round of the CIT in March, Elon released the 2013-2014 slate Monday, Sept. 9. The schedule features a few matchups seen in recent years as well as a few new opponents on the schedule that will give fans chances to smile about with multiple television appearances.
Notable matchups against teams the Phoenix have seen before are games against Duke University and the University of Massachusetts. The Blue Devils travel to the Greensboro Coliseum Dec. 31 to take on the Phoenix at 1 p.m. on ESPNU while UMass comes to Alumni Gym Jan. 18.
Among new opponents on the schedule, the Phoenix travel to Washington D.C. for a matchup on CBS Sports Network against Georgetown University on Dec. 17. It's the third time the Phoenix will take on the Hoyas in program history.
Prior to that matchup, the Phoenix will go West to Boulder, Colo. to take on the University of Colorado Buffaloes, a team that has been close to the NCAA tournament in recent years. It's the second matchup between the schools. The first came during the 1998-1999 season.
Elon also heads to Piscataway, N.J. for the first round of the Preseason NIT, slated for Nov. 18-19. The second round of the tournament is a week later in Madison Square Garden. If Elon wins both games at Rutgers, it would advance to the semifinals in New York City at MSG. Dropping either game would mean the Phoenix advance to a round a week alter at a to-be-determined campus site.
Senior night for Jack Isenbarger, Lucas Troutman, Sebastian Koch and Ryley Beaumont will have an extra flare this year when the Phoenix host the Davidson College Wildcats on March 1. Davidson is coming off a Southern Conference tournament championship in 2013, but fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament due to a wild finish and big comeback by Marquette University in the final minutes.
Here's the full schedule for the 2013-2014 season.
Nov. 4 vs. Lynchburg (Exhibition) | 7 p.m. Nov. 8 vs. Washington and Lee | 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 @ Marist | 5 p.m. Nov. 15 @ University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 4 p.m. Nov. 18 2013 NIT Tip-Off First Round | TBD Nov. 19 2013 NIT Tip-Off Second Round | TBD Nov. 25/27 2013 NIT Tip-Off Third Round/Semifinals | TBD Nov. 26/29 2013 NIT Tip-Off Fourth Round/Championship | TBD Dec. 1 vs. Columbia | 2 p.m. Dec. 3 vs. VMI | 7 p.m. Dec. 13 @ Colorado | 8:30 p.m. (ET) on Pac-12 Network Dec. 17 @ Georgetown | 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network Dec. 19 vs. Central Penn | 7 p.m. Dec. 22 @ Florida Atlantic | 1 p.m. Dec. 31 vs. Duke (Greensboro Coliseum) | 1 p.m. on ESPNU Jan. 4 @ Western Carolina | TBD Jan. 6 vs. Appalachian State | 7 p.m. Jan. 11 vs. The Citadel | 7 p.m. Jan. 16 @ Davidson | 7 p.m. Jan 18 vs. UMass | 7 p.m. Jan. 23 @ Chattanooga | 7 p.m. Jan. 25 @ Samford | 7 p.m. (ET) Jan. 30 vs. Western Carolina | 7 p.m. Feb. 1 @ Appalachian State | 2 p.m. Feb. 6 vs. University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 7 p.m. Feb. 8 vs. Georgia Southern | 7 p.m. Feb. 13 @ Furman | 7 p.m. Feb. 15 vs. Samford | 7 p.m. Feb. 19 @ University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 7 p.m. Feb. 22 @ Georgia Southern | 2 p.m. Feb. 27 vs. Wofford | 7 p.m. March 1 vs. Davidson (Senior Night) March 7-10 Southern Conference Tournament | TBD on ESPN3/ESPN2)