Maryland basketball releases full 2019-20 nonconference schedule

Maryland basketball starts a highly anticipated 2019-20 season in just over three months, and the Terps’ 11-game non-conference schedule is all set.

While nine of the 11 opponents had been previously announced or reported, the program released its full early-season slate Wednesday afternoon. The schedule includes seven home games, a road tilt and three neutral contests as part of the Orlando Invitational. Two of Maryland’s known opponents — Seton Hall and Temple — are coming off NCAA Tournament appearances.

The two new additions to the schedule are Holy Cross and Oakland. The Terps will host the Crusaders on Nov. 5 for the season opener, and the Golden Grizzlies will come to town on Nov. 16. These won’t be headline matchups, but they add to a schedule that seems to have more strength overall than in years past.

Seton Hall most likely poses the biggest challenge, as the Terps visit the Pirates on Dec. 19. The teams met in College Park last season, with Seton Hall pulling out a narrow victory. Myles Powell, one of the top scorers in the country, led the way with 27 points. Both squads return their core talents in 2019-20 and both have drawn top-15 acclaim in way-too-early rankings.

Maryland will also host Notre Dame as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, and the Orlando Invitational field includes potential matchups against Texas A&M in the semifinals and Davidson, Marquette or USC in the finals. The Terps will start that tournament against Temple, who reached the NCAA Tournament’s First Four in 2019.

While this schedule it light on marquee games, it does feature more games against mid-level programs than lower-level squads. Last year’s slate included five games against teams who finished lower than 200th in KenPom; this one has just three (Holy Cross, Fairfield and Bryant) based on 2018-19 rankings. While matchups with teams like Rhode Island and George Mason won’t be massive draws, they’ll certainly be better early-season tests.

Maryland’s Big Ten schedule has not been released, but the Terps already know which conference foes they’ll play at home and on the road.