NCAA Tournament teams litter Iowa women's nonconference slate

IOWA CITY, Ia. — Iowa women's basketball released its nonconference schedule Tuesday afternoon. Seven of the team's non-Big Ten opponents made last year's NCAA Tournament, and five received votes in the final USA Today Coaches Poll of the season.

The schedule is as follows:

• Nov. 5: vs. Minnesota State-Moorhead (exhibition), Iowa City
• Nov. 10: vs. Quinnipiac (Hawkeye Challenge), Iowa City
• Nov. 11: vs. Missouri/Western Kentucky (Hawkeye Challenge), Iowa City
• Nov. 15: vs. Northern Illinois, Iowa City
• Nov. 19: vs. Western Michigan, Iowa City
• Nov. 22: vs. Morgan State (Puerto Rico Classic)
• Nov. 23: vs. Elon (Puerto Rico Challenge)
• Nov. 24: vs. UNC Charlotte (Puerto Rico Challenge)
• Nov. 29: vs. Florida State (Big Ten/ACC Challenge), Iowa City
• Dec. 3: vs. Samford, Iowa City
• Dec. 6: at Iowa State, Ames
• Dec. 9: vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff, Iowa City
• Dec. 17: at Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls
• Dec. 21: vs. Drake, Iowa City

Tip times will be announced at a later date.

Only a couple stretches jump out as difficult, travel-wise. Getting to the Puerto Rico Challenge by Nov. 21 for a game the next day after hosting Western Michigan on Nov. 19 — and throwing a practice in there somewhere — doesn't sound fun. Playing three games Dec. 3-9 will also be strenuous, but the difficult Iowa State game (Dec. 6) is sandwiched between a pair of very winnable games for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa's slate of Big Ten opponents for next season was announced on July 31, and they are:

• Home: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue
• Away: Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Rutgers
• Home and away: Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin

Dates and times for those games will also be announced at a later date.

Matthew Bain covers preps, recruiting and the Hawkeyes for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, The Des Moines Register and HawkCentral. Contact him at mbain@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @MatthewBain_.