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Bob Hunter commentary: Rumblings
Friday, May 15, 2009
By Bob Hunter
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

With the Ohio State men's basketball team reportedly tipping off the first permissible night of the season -- Nov. 9 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic against Florida International and new coach Isiah Thomas -- coach Thad Matta apparently is planning some extra practice time.

We hear that the Buckeyes will head to Canada in August for games against Canadian college and/or club teams. Besides the competition, the trip allows NCAA Division I teams 10 additional days of practice before the official start of preseason drills Oct. 16.

Teams are allowed to take a trip to a foreign country once every four years. Ohio State's last excursion was in 2001 to Italy, France and the Netherlands.

The Columbus Dispatch : Bob Hunter commentary: Rumblings

More on the schedule
Ohio State's rematch with West Virginia next season in Morgantown, W.Va., will be Jan.23, a Saturday, according to The Charleston Gazette. The game will be televised by CBS.

So here's the schedule as we know it so far:

Nov.9-10 ..... Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, Value City Arena (Florida International, James Madison reportedly two of the other three teams in the pod);

Nov.19-20 ..... Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, New York City (California, North Carolina, Syracuse are the other three teams);

Dec. 2 ..... Florida State in ACC-Big Ten Challenge, Value City Arena;

Jan. 23 ..... at West Virginia;

Dates TBA ..... Cleveland State, at Butler.

According to NCAA rules, the Buckeyes can play 27 regular-season games besides the four they will play in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. With 18 to play in the Big Ten, that leaves five opponents unaccounted for.

http://blog.dispatch.com/hoopsscoops...schedule.shtml