UM facing wide variety of opponents

The University of Maine men’s basketball team will encounter a wide spectrum of opponents during the 2006-07 season.

The Black Bears’ schedule, which was released Thursday, includes a potential ESPN Bracket Buster matchup in February, along with road games against the likes of Providence of the Atlantic 10, Penn State of the Big Ten, Nevada, and Harvard.

Coach Ted Woodward’s ballclub also takes on Division II New Jersey Institute of Technology, Division III instate entry University of Maine-Farmington and NAIA Division II College of St. Joseph (Vt.), a member of the Sunrise Conference.

UMaine, coming off a 12-16 season during which it reached the quarterfinals of the America East Tournament, opens its season with a Nov. 11 road game at Harvard. It then travels to the College Basketball Experience Classic in Milwaukee where it will face Detroit Nov. 13 and then either Marquette or Idaho State on Nov. 14.

The Bears’ home opener is Nov. 22 against the College of St. Joseph and they’ll also play Robert Morris Nov. 26 at Alfond Arena. The other nonleague home contest is Dec. 14 against UMF.

As always, UMaine must also navigate a testy America East slate against the likes of defending champion and NCAA qualifier Albany and longtime rival Boston University.

The Bears get things rolling Oct. 21 with the annual Blue-White scrimmage, then await 7:30 p.m. home exhibition games Nov. 1 against the University of Quebec-Montreal and Nov. 6 against the University of New Brunswick.

The America East Tournament is scheduled March 2-4 at Agannis Arena in Boston, with the title game to be played on the home court of the highest remaining seed.