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Illinois Basketball’s 2016-17 non-conference schedule headlined by N.C. State, West Virginia

The Fighting Illini announced their 19-game home schedule on Monday.

By Jim Vainisi
Big Ten Basketball Tournament - Quarterfinals Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Fighting Illini basketball announced their complete 19-game home schedule on Monday afternoon, giving us what should be a full look at the non-conference slate in the process. The Orange and Blue will open the regular season on November 13 against Southeast Missouri State, and they'll play a total of 15 contests prior to their Big Ten opener.

Two of those games will be exhibitions at the State Farm Center. Washington University (D-III) will come to town October 30; that game should be particularly fun for athletic director Josh Whitman, who left the school for Illinois this Spring. The Illini are also scheduled to play Lewis (D-II) on November 4.

While Illinois' strength of schedule is somewhat lacking for the first few weeks, it picks up considerably in this department near the end of November. Headlined by West Virginia and North Carolina State, the Illini will play four-straight games against NCAA Tournament-caliber teams -- three of which will occur at neutral sites.

Illinois Basketball’s Non-Conference Schedule

Date Opponent 2016 KenPom Rank Location
October 30 Washington University (EXH.) N/A Champaign, IL
November 4 Lewis (EXH.) N/A Champaign, IL
November 11 Southeast Missouri State No. 342 Champaign, IL
November 13 Northern Kentucky No. 246 Champaign, IL
November 15 McKendree (D-II) N/A Champaign, IL
November 18 Detroit No. 166 Champaign, IL
November 21 Winthrop No. 154 Champaign, IL
November 24 West Virginia No. 9 Brooklyn, NY
November 25 Florida State OR Temple No. 50/No. 81 Brooklyn, NY
November 29 North Carolina State No. 75 Champaign, IL
December 3 VCU No. 30 Miami, FL
December 6 IUPUI No. 203 Champaign, IL
December 12 Central Michigan No. 156 Champaign, IL
December 17 BYU No. 53 Chicago, IL
December 21 Missouri No. 182 St. Louis, MO

And while we don't have dates for Illinois' Big Ten games just yet, we do have a general idea as to what that half of the schedule will look like. You can click here to read a few of my thoughts on those home/away draws.

Home & Away Opponents

Iowa
Maryland
Michigan
Northwestern
Penn State

Home Opponents

Michigan State
Minnesota
Ohio State
Wisconsin

Away Opponents

Indiana
Nebraska
Purdue
Rutgers