BC Basketball’s Non-Conference Schedule Taking Shape

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Boston College’s basketball’s opening tip for the 2013-14 season is about seven months away, but schedule details have flooded out over the last few days. Earlier this week, the Atlantic Coast Conference released home and away opponents for each team in the conference, and now, new information with regards to the non-conference schedule has emerged.

The Heights had a conversation with Eagles coach Steve Donahue in which he revealed some of BC’s opponents. The highlights of that interview:

• Boston College is attempting to schedule VCU at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn
• The school is also trying to arrange for a contest against UMass at the TD Garden
• It is confirmed that BC will play at Southern California, at Harvard, at Auburn, and at Providence (the likely season opener in November).

Prior to this, we knew that the Eagles would be participating in the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting The Wounded Warrior Project, which will include teams such as Indiana, UConn, and Washington. If the ACC-Big Ten Challenge is extended into next season, BC could play Minnesota, last year’s 8th-place team, or some other school in the middle of the conference last season.

In any event, the possibility exists for not only a sturdy non-conference schedule, but for an exciting one. Before even talking about ACC play and all of the challenges that brings, Boston College could end up playing games at the Barclays Center, Madison Square Garden (2K Sports finals, if they get there), and the TD Garden. Additionally, they’ll be making a west coast swing to USC, which is no doubt a hit with the California players on the Eagles’ roster. BC will have a notable season against the Trojans, playing against them in Los Angeles in both football and basketball.

2013-14 will also be the first time in about a decade or so that the Eagles didn’t open the season with a creampuff opponent: at Providence will not be an easy game.

Not all of these opponents were great teams last season, but so far, it looks like there will road games against major-conference opponents, high-profile games at neutral sites, and a tough ACC schedule. Without knowing the rest of the schedule details, it is becoming clear that BC is getting serious about strength of schedule for next season, believing (as they should) that they can and should be a bubble team at a minimum. BC’s non-conference schedule was weak in 2012-13, coming in 211th, but it should be much higher next year.