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PROVO — The contracts are finalized and the schedule is set.
After a longer-than-expected process and several offseason frustrations, the BYU men's basketball team has its first season schedule under head coach Mark Pope set.
The Cougars, who will host a Midnight Madness exhibition Oct. 23 and an exhibition game against Division II University of Texas-Tyler on Nov. 1, will open the season Nov. 5 against Cal State Fullerton.
The opener coincides with a 6-8 recovery timeline for BYU wing Zac Seljaas, who suffered a Jones fracture in his foot during the Cougars' preseason trip to Italy. Pope said earlier this week he anticipates a recovery by the start of the season from Seljaas, who flew back to Utah after two games in Italy to have a surgically-placed pin inserted into his foot two weeks ago.
"We’re hoping to get him on the court (by the first week of the season), and we feel really good about it," Pope said.
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— BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) September 6, 2019
The 2019-20 schedule is here!!
In addition to WCC play, BYU may compete against up to five teams (pending @MauiInv results) that went dancing in 2019 during non-conference matchups.
Full Story ➡️ https://t.co/95NuM63zyy#BYUhoops#GoCougspic.twitter.com/rjcbIRF1eW
That begins a string of three straight home games, including San Diego State (Nov. 9) and Southern Utah (Nov. 13), prior to games at Houston (Nov. 16) and Boise (Nov. 20) State that will precede a trip to the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii (Nov. 25-27).
The Cougars return to Provo to face Montana Tech on Nov. 30, then will play a pair of games in Salt Lake City against former Mountain West Conference rivals Utah (Dec. 4) and UNLV (Dec. 7).
With three games in Hawaii, BYU star forward Yoeli Childs should be eligible to return to full-time play Dec. 4 against the Utes. The NCAA suspended the Bingham High product after he and the university failed to submit the adequate paperwork when he declared for the NBA draft, despite returning to college prior to the NCAA-mandated deadline.
"At the end of the day, you have to have faith," Childs said in addressing the violations. "This was something I prayed about for so long, fasted over … and I have to trust that this is what was supposed to happen.
"These guys are going to grow. Guys are going to step up to the challenge. Guys are going to make huge plays, develop their games; and in March, we’re going to look back and realize that throughout all adversity, we did it."
BYU will play Utah State in the third year of the Beehive Classic on Dec. 14 at Vivint Smart Home Arena. It's the final game of the initial three-year contract that has seen the Cougars face the three other biggest programs in the state of Utah, including the Utes and Weber State.
BYU is undefeated in Beehive Classic play, with a 76-67 win over the Wildcats in year one and a 74-59 win over the Utes last season.
The Cougars will end December with home games against Weber State (Dec. 21) and Oral Roberts (Dec. 28) before beginning West Coast Conference play Jan. 4 against Loyola Marymount. Three of BYU's first four WCC contests are in the Marriott Center, sandwiched around a trip to Moraga, California, to face Saint Mary's.
See the full schedule below.
