2011-2012 Men's Big East Basketball Schedule Released

It's going to be a long season for the basketball team.

It's that time again, the 2011-2012 Big East schedule for the men's basketball team has been released (do we have to play this season?).

The Bulls are going to have a rough season, there is little debate about that. Without a real home court to play on, missing out on junior college transfer Andre Jackson (enrollment issues kept him out), and losing the only experienced point guard on the roster in Anthony Crater (it will always be Crater time), the Bulls could face another ugly season where they will be battling to stay out of the Big East basement. Here is the Big East portion of the schedule.

• Dec. 28 Connecticut
• Jan. 1 Rutgers
• Jan. 5 at Villanova
• Jan. 10 at Notre Dame
• Jan. 13 Seton Hall
• Jan. 18 St. Johns
• Jan. 22 at DePaul
• Jan. 24 at Marquette
• Jan. 29 Providence
• Feb. 4 at Georgetown, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
• Feb. 8 Pittsburgh
• Feb. 11 at Providence
• Feb. 15 Villanova, 7 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)
• Feb. 19 at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
• Feb. 22 at Syracuse
• Feb. 26 Cincinnati
• Feb. 29 at Louisville
• March 3 West Virginia

Opening the Big East slate by hosting UCONN (probably in the St. Pete Forum) is a rough way to start the season in the Big East and after that, it doesn't get easier.

Trips to Villanova and ND early in the year will be difficult (putting it mildly). The game against Seton Hall at home could be a winnable game (not many are). They play at Depaul on January 22nd which could be a battle for the basement. If he Bulls are able to beat the Blue Demons there, they have a chance to avoid dead last in the Big East, but expect Depaul to be better this season (just not fair anymore).

Coming down the stretch in the February, the schedule is just brutal. Games with Nova, at Pitt, at Syracuse, Cincinnati at home (do we call it home?), at Louisville, and then facing WVU to wrap it all up, the Bulls will be lucky to get a win in there.

So there you have it, the Big East schedule. Mix in the non-conference games against VCU, Kansas, and Kentucky (possibly), this is going to be a truly rough season for this team. Hopefully after this season, the team will begin to turn it around with the new Muma Center and a new home floor, but until then, yikes.