The Wisconsin men's basketball team released its 2008-09 schedule today (Wednesday). The schedule features 18 home games and a minimum of eight games vs. teams that appeared in the NCAA tournament last season. Wisconsin could also see up to two other 2008 NCAA tournament participants in the Paradise Jam Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which includes postseason contestants Connecticut, Miami (Fla.) and San Diego.
UW begins the season with a pair of exhibition games, vs. Augustana College on Nov. 1 and against UW-Whitewater on Nov. 11. The Badgers will play road games against Virginia Tech in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Dec. 1 and then at Marquette on Dec. 6. They face 2008 NCAA Tournament Qualifiers Coopin State on Dec. 20th and Texas on Dec. 23rd at the Kohl Center.
Aside from the Marquette game, Wisconsin will face the other two division one teams, UW-Milwaukee on Nov. 29th and UW-Green Bay on Dec. 13th, both at the Kohl Center.
For the second straight year, Wisconsin's Big Ten schedule will open on the road, in Ann Arbor, Mich., with a New Year's Eve game against the Wolverines at 1pm. The Badgers then tip off the new year with home games vs. Penn State on Jan. 3 and Northwestern on Jan. 7.