Big East Nonconference schedules. Everyone has cupcakes except us and Louisville.
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/36194/nonconference-schedule-analysis-big-eastST. JOHN’S
Toughest: 2K Sports Classic (Nov. 17-18), at Kentucky (Dec. 1), at Duke (Jan. 28), UCLA (Feb. 18)
Next-toughest: at Detroit (Dec. 5)
The rest: William & Mary (Nov. 7), Lehigh (Nov. 9), UMBC (Nov. 13), St. Francis-N.Y. (Nov. 22), Northeastern (Nov. 26), Fordham (Dec. 17), Texas-Pan American (Dec. 21)
Toughness scale (1-10): 10 -- Give coach Steve Lavin credit. This is the toughest schedule in the Big East and one of the hardest in the country. The Red Storm play true road games against top-10 teams Kentucky and Duke and also get two of the favorites in the Pac-12 at Madison Square Garden. The Johnnies will face off with Arizona in the first game of the 2K Sports Classic and either Texas A&M or Mississippi State awaits the next day. Going to Detroit, one of the favorites in the Horizon League, is similar to last season’s trip to Saint Mary’s -- a dangerous road game that could be a plus for strength of schedule. Oh, and the Red Storm are basically made up entirely of freshmen, making this schedule even tougher.