CALDWELL, Idaho – College of Idaho men's basketball coach
Scott Garson has unveiled a 31-game 2016-17 season schedule, highlighted by a road exhibition game against the University of Arizona.
Complete 2016-17 Men's Basketball Schedule
The Coyotes and Wildcats will meet in Tucson on Nov. 1 – the third time a C of I team has met a Pac-12 school in an exhibition. In 2007, the Yotes traveled to Stanford and last season, the squad put an early scare into the University of Utah, before the Utes rolled to a victory.
"Under Sean Miller, the University of Arizona program has been one of the elite programs in all of college basketball," Garson said. "To be so consistent year in and year out speaks to how well-coached they are and the tremendous talent they continue to bring in with each recruiting class. It will be a great challenge for our program to compete against one of the more storied programs in the land and in front of one of the five best home crowds in Division I basketball."
C of I opens the season the weekend of Oct. 28-29 in La Grande, Ore., at the Quinn Classic – playing games against Trinity Western of Canada and Bethesda University of California. After the exhibition tilt at Arizona, the Yotes will have a weekend off in preparation for a tournament in Lewiston – meeting host Lewis-Clark State and Montana Tech.
The home schedule opens on Nov. 18 with the Taco Bell Shootout, hosting Colorado Christian, with the team traveling the next night for a neutral site game in Nampa against Portland Bible. Thanksgiving Weekend, both the C of I men and women will host a tournament – the Yotes hosting the Domino's Classic and playing games against Montana Western and Rocky Mountain.
Also on the non-conference slate is the annual United Heritage Insurance Mayors' Cup series, as C of I will host rival Northwest Nazarene on Nov. 22, with the return matchup in Nampa on Dec. 6.
"We are excited to continue our yearly home and home series with NNU," Garson said. "Last year both games were tightly contested, and I know fans for both schools are anticipating the next chapter in a storied rivalry that is as good as any in the country."
The 20-game Cascade Conference schedule begins in early December with road games at Eastern Oregon (Dec. 3) and Walla Walla (Dec. 10). Key home dates in CCC play include match-up against defending league champ Northwest Christian (Dec. 16) and games against rivals Oregon Tech (Feb. 10) and Eastern Oregon (Feb. 16)
"Once again, we will play one of the more competitive schedules in the NAIA," remarked Garson. "Playing our first five games of the year away from Caldwell will be a great early test for a team with a lot of veteran leadership on it. Our 14 game home schedule will include four outstanding preseason opponents and the Cascade Collegiate Conference should be as competitive as ever. I have always believed in the philosophy of playing good teams in the preseason to prepare for conference play and this coming season will be no different."
