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ßÙßÇÂþ»­ men’s basketball released its 2016-17 schedule and the 31-game slate includes several marquee matchups against prominent first-time opponents.

“The release of your schedule is a great motivator,” head coach Tommy Dempsey said. “It is a daily reminder in your preparation of what lies ahead.”

Dempsey’s Bearcats will open the regular season with a home game against Cornell on Nov. 11. Then ßÙßÇÂþ»­ heads to New York City for a first-ever game against Big East member St. John’s on Nov. 14. The Red Storm, coached by Chris Mullin, have made 28 NCAA Tournament appearances and are one year removed from a 21-win, NCAA season. Two days later, ßÙßÇÂþ»­ returns to the Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center for a game against Central Connecticut State on Nov. 16.

ßÙßÇÂþ»­ will face Atlantic 10 power Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond on Nov. 18. The Rams went 25-11 last season and reached the NCAA second round. VCU has won 24 or more games in 10 consecutive seasons and has reached the NCAAs in six straight campaigns.

Next, ßÙßÇÂþ»­ will embark on a week-long trip to Florida where they will play four games in six days, highlighted by an appearance in the Battle 4 Atlantis on the Thanksgiving holiday. ßÙßÇÂþ»­ will play two games at Florida Gulf Coast University, facing the host Eagles on Nov. 23 and then meeting Big West power Long Beach State on Nov. 24. Florida Gulf Coast has stormed onto the national radar with four straight seasons of 20 or more wins, including last year’s 21-14 campaign that included a win in the NCAA tournament. The Eagles, who reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2013, were 16-4 at home last year. Long Beach State won 20 games last season and has played in the NCAA or NIT tournament four times in the last six years. ßÙßÇÂþ»­ will bookend the Florida trip with games against NAIA member Ave Maria (Nov. 22) and the return game at Conference USA member Florida International (Nov. 27).

Back north, ßÙßÇÂþ»­ will host Mansfield on Nov. 30 to conclude a busy November. Road games at St. Francis (Pa.) (Dec. 3) and Colgate (Dec. 7) kick off December. ßÙßÇÂþ»­ will play the first of three Patriot League opponents when Loyola comes to town on Hall of Fame day on Dec. 10. The Bearcats then welcome first-time opponent Delaware State to the Events Center on Dec. 17. The final two non-conference games are an away tilt at Army West Point (Dec. 21) and a home date with Marywood (Dec. 30). Army won 19 games last season and reached the CIT postseason tournament.

In all, ßÙßÇÂþ»­ plays games against members of seven different Division I conferences (Patriot League-3, Northeast-2, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, BIG EAST, Big West, Conference USA, Ivy League, MEAC).

As the calendar flips to 2017, America East action gets underway. The Bearcats open conference play at UMBC on Jan. 5 before welcoming UMass Lowell for the America East home opener on Jan. 8. BU then hosts Vermont (Jan. 11) and follows with a challenging two-game road trip featuring New Hampshire (Jan. 14) and Albany (Jan. 19). Defending conference champion Stony Brook (Jan. 22) and Hartford (Jan. 25) both visit campus and then ßÙßÇÂþ»­ makes the trip to Maine to close out the first cycle of America East competition on Jan. 29.

In February, ßÙßÇÂþ»­ will play four home contests, as UMBC (Feb. 1), Albany (Feb. 9), New Hampshire (Feb. 12), and Maine (Feb. 25) play at Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center. The Bearcats will make trips to UMass Lowell (Feb. 4), Vermont (Feb. 6), Stony Brook (Feb. 18), and Hartford (Feb. 22) as the regular season winds down.

The America East Championship begins March 1, with all seven games being played on campus sites. The semifinals are scheduled for March 5, with the finals slated for March 10 on ESPN2.