SPORTS

With the cake race in the rearview mirror, the men’s basketball team announced their non-conference schedule.

Holiday events in Annapolis and Orlando, matchups with two recent Final Four teams and a home game in Charlotte’s Spectrum Center highlight the Davidson men’s basketball team’s 2019-20 non-conference schedule, which was released Thursday.

The Wildcats, 24-10 a year ago, return their starting lineup intact, including the All-Atlantic 10 backcourt of Jon Axel Gudmundsson and Kellan Grady, and will play 12 non-conference games before A-10 play commences Jan. 5.

Four 2019 NCAA Tournament teams are on the non-conference docket.

“What a terrific schedule for our program,” said head coach Bob McKillop. “It will be consistently challenging for our players and coaches and very exciting for our fans. From the beginning of November through the end of December, we will have the opportunity to play on the national stage, and this will certainly prepare us for the rigors of A-10 Conference play.”

• Davidson will tip off the season on Friday, Nov. 8 against 2019 national semifinalist Auburn at the Veterans Classic at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The meeting, three days before Veterans Day, will mark the first between the programs since 1951. 
• The Battle for the Hornets’ Nest Trophy is set for Tuesday, Nov. 12 at Charlotte. The Wildcats have won the last six meetings against the rival 49ers, including 76-56 last season.
• The Wildcats will play their next two games in Belk Arena, including the home opener against UNC Wilmington on Saturday, Nov. 16. Nevada, an NCAA Tournament team the last two years, visits on Nov. 19 as the return game in a two-year series. 
• Davidson will play in Charlotte’s Uptown arena for the seventh time when it hosts Wake Forest on Friday, Nov. 22. The Wildcats and Demon Deacons renewed their rivalry last year after an 18-year hiatus. 
• Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28) marks the beginning of the Orlando Invitational at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. Davidson will open the eight-team event against Marquette, an NCAA Tournament team a year ago. It’s the first matchup with the Golden Eagles since the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Also in Orlando, Davidson will face either USC or Fairfield on Nov. 29 and Harvard, Maryland, Texas A&M or Temple on Dec. 1.
• Davidson will travel to Boston, Grady’s hometown, on Dec. 7 to meet Northeastern for the third time in two seasons. In 2018-19, the Wildcats beat the NCAA Tournament-bound Huskies in back-to-back games, including one in the Charleston Classic. A Dec. 10 home game with Coppin State, a first-time opponent, follows. 
• The Wildcats will visit 2018 Final Four team Loyola-Chicago, and their popular centenarian Sister Jean, on Dec. 22. It’s the first meeting of the teams since 1973.
• The final non-conference matchup is a Dec. 30 trip to Vanderbilt. The SEC’s Commodores are now coached by former North Carolina and NBA star Jerry Stackhouse.
• For its exhibition, Davidson will host Division II Glenville State on Nov. 4. The Pioneers, from West Virginia, also feature a Frampton. Noah, a sophomore, is Davidson guard Luke Frampton’s brother.