While the schedule is not out yet - I'm hearing either later today or tomorrow as the likely release date - another piece of the non-conference schedule is in place. With the Atlantic Coast Conference releasing their schedules, we now know that Georgia Tech will play at UConn on Nov. 16. While the dates of non-conference games against South Carolina, Hartford and Rhode Island have not been announced, I am figuring that game against Georgia Tech would be the season opener. If I was guessing, I would say the game at South Carolina would be slotted in between the Dec. 3 Holy Cross game and Maggie Dixon Classic game against Penn State on Dec. 14 while the Rhode Island and Hartford games would be played after Christmas but before New Year's day.

Here's what the schedule looks like to date:
Georgia Tech Nov. 16
San Diego State Nov. 20
at BYU Nov. 25
Oklahoma Nov. 30
Holy Cross Dec. 3 (7:30/Gampel)
Penn State, Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden Dec. 14
Caribbean Classic at Cancun (games against Florida State, Washington, Northern Colorado) Dec. 18, 19, 21
LSU Jan. 3 (at XL Center, Hartford)
at North Carolina Jan. 19 7 p.m.

OTHER NON-CONFERENCE GAMES
at South Carolina
Rhode Island
Hartford

BIG EAST SCHEDULE
Home
Rutgers Feb. 3 (per Rutgers announcement of schedule)
DePaul
Louisville
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Seton Hall
Syracuse
Villanova

Away
Rutgers Mar. 2 (per Rutgers announcement of schedule)
Cincinnati
Georgetown
Marquette
Providence
St. John's
South Florida
West Virginia

The first exhibition game will be against Division II Stonehill College on Nov. 6. The other will be against a barnstorming team of professionals, probably somewhere between Nov. 10-12.

Speaking of LSU, the Lady Tigers played three exhibition games on Saturday and Sunday in Canada. With seven freshmen and a junior college transfer, LSU bears little resemblence to the Sylvia Fowles, Quianna Chaney led group which has been Final Four regulars in recent years. Of the four returnees, it should be noted that sophomores Katherine Graham and Latear Eason come into the season with 57 career points between them. It should not be a surprise that junior guard Allison Hightower, the most accomplished of LSU's veteran players, led the squad with 45 points in the three exhibition games. Senior forward Kristen Morris, who has 202 points in 80 career games, was one of six players who averaged between 7-8.3 points in the three games. While it can be dangerous reading too much into stats from exhibition games, it appears as if Hightower, Morris, Graham and freshmen Swayze Black, Destiny Hughes, Courtney Jones and Taylor Turnbow will be the top players for the new-look Lady Tigers.