MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — If nothing else, the 2021-22 men’s basketball season will see WVU head coach Bob Huggins shaking hands with some friendly faces.
The Mountaineers released their nonconference schedule Thursday, and included are three games coached by former Huggins’ assistants or players.
Headlining that collection is a Dec. 4 home game against Radford, which hired former WVU standout Darris Nichols in April.
Radford will make its first trip to the Coliseum since 2016.
WVU will also host Youngstown State, which is coached by former WVU assistant Jerrod Calhoun, on Dec. 22, and will travel to Alabama to face the UAB on Dec. 18. The Blazers are coached by Andy Kennedy, who was a former assistant under Huggins at Cincinnati.
UAB will return a home game to Morgantown during the 2022-23 season.
The remaining 10 nonconference games include the renewal of the rivalry with Pitt, which will travel to the Coliseum on Nov. 12. Last season’s game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s the first of three remaining games against the Panthers in a series that started back up in 2017.
WVU will travel to the Petersen Events Center next season and the Panthers will return to Morgantown in 2023.
The Mountaineers will be looking for their 100th all-time victory against Pitt and have won four straight against the Panthers.
The Mountaineers will also host Connecticut on Dec. 8 in the annual Big East-Big 12 Battle and is expected to play a road game on Jan. 29 in the annual Big 12/SEC Challenge. No opponent has been named for that game yet.
WVU will also travel to South Carolina to play three games in the Charleston Classic.
The match-ups have yet to be announced, but the other participating teams are Boise State, Clemson, Elon, Marquette, Ole Miss, St. Bonaventure and Temple.
“For the past two seasons, we have played the second-toughest schedule in the country, and this nonconference schedule models our previous ones,” Huggins said. “We are looking forward to getting back to a normal schedule this season and seeing Mountaineer Nation come out in full force to support us at home and on the road.”
The season begins Nov. 9 at home against Oakland and other nonconference opponents include home games against Eastern Kentucky, Bellarmine and Kent State.
The Big 12 season is scheduled to begin in late December.
2021-22 WVU men’s basketball nonconference schedule
Tuesday Nov. 9 Oakland Morgantown
Friday Nov. 12 Pitt Morgantown
Thursday Nov. 18 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic $ Charleston, S.C.
Friday Nov. 19 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic $ Charleston, S.C.
Sunday Nov. 21 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic $ Charleston, S.C.
Friday Nov. 26 Eastern Kentucky Morgantown
Tuesday Nov. 30 Bellarmine Morgantown
Saturday Dec. 4 Radford Morgantown
Wednesday Dec. 8 Connecticut ^ Morgantown
Sunday Dec. 12 Kent State Morgantown
Saturday Dec. 18 UAB & Birmingham, Ala.
Wednesday Dec. 22 Youngstown State Morgantown
Saturday Jan. 29 Big 12/SEC Challenge TBD
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