LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Rider University Men's Basketball Head Coach Kevin Baggett has announced his team's home non-conference schedule for the 2023-24 season. In addition to an Oct. 28 exhibition against Georgian Court, the Broncs open the season at home on Monday, Nov. 6, against Division III Immaculata. The Broncs will play two more home contests in December, welcoming Stonehill to complete a home-and-home series on Dec. 8 and local foe Penn on Dec. 23.

The early portion of the non-conference road slate includes a road trip to Marquette (Nov. 10), along with stops at Nebraska (Nov. 13), Duquesne (Nov. 17) and Stony Brook (Nov. 20) as part of the Cornhusker Classic. The road swing continues with a Nov. 28 trip to Maryland, before the Broncs return home to face Stonehill. Return trips to Monmouth (Dec. 16) and Delaware (Dec. 20) follow, with the Dec. 23 home game vs. Penn up next. Non-conference action concludes with a Dec. 29 trip to Penn State. The Broncs have won the last two meetings with the Nittany Lions, including the most recent meeting in University Park on a Frederick Scott buzzer beater in December 2017.

Television information, start times and MAAC scheduling will be announced at a later date.

**NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS**

Georgian Court (Exhibition)
Sat., Oct. 28 * Alumni Gym

Immaculata
Mon., Nov. 6 * Alumni Gym

Series History: First Meeting
Winning Streak: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
2022-23 Record: 10-17 (6-6 Atlantic East)
Quickly: Rider and Immaculata have never met in men's basketball. After 85 years as a female-only institution, Immaculata began admitting male students in 2005. The Mighty Macs posted a 10-17 record last season, including a 6-6 mark in the Atlantic East Conference, which includes schools such as Centenary, Cabrini and Gwynedd Mercy. 

Marquette
Friday, Nov. 10 * Milwaukee, WI

Series History: First Meeting
Winning Streak: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
2022-23 Record: 29-7 (17-3 Big East)
Quickly: Shaka Smart's Golden Eagles won the 2023 Big East Tournament, including their second win of the season over eventual National Champion Connecticut in the semifinals, before advancing to the NCAA Second Round. Marquette loses Olivier Maxence-Prosper, but brings back plenty of firepower in Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro. The Broncs and Marquette have never met on the hardwood.

Nebraska
Monday, Nov. 13 * Lincoln, NE

Series History: First Meeting
Winning Streak: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
2022-23 Record: 16-16 (9-11 Big Ten)
Quickly: The Broncs and Fred Hoiberg's Cornhuskers will meet for the first time in the two programs' histories in the first game of the Cornhusker Classic. Nebraska lost arguably its top two players in Derrick Walker and Sam Griesel, but returns Keisei Tominaga, who averaged 13.1 points and shot 40 percent from long range in 2022-23. Two-time All-Missouri Valley selection Rienk Mast (Bradley) headlines a strong transfer class.

Duquesne
Friday, Nov. 17 * Pittsburgh, PA

Series History: Duquesne, 1-0
Winning Streak: Duquesne, 1
Last Meeting: Duquesne, 73-61 (Nov. 9, 2021; Pittsburgh, PA)
2022-23 Record: 20-13 (10-6 Atlantic 10)
Quickly: Rider met Duquesne on the hardwood for the first time in the 2021-22 season opener, a 73-61 Dukes victory. Duquesne is led by LeBron James' high school coach, Keith Dambrot. Riding a 20-win campaign a year ago, expectations are high for the Dukes this season, with their top two scorers returning in Dae Dae Grant (15.5 ppg.) and Jimmy Clark III (13.1 ppg.).

Stony Brook
Monday, Nov. 20 * Stony Brook, NY

Series History: Rider, 3-2
Winning Streak: Stony Brook, 2
Last Meeting: Stony Brook, 54-46 (Nov. 13, 2012; Alumni Gym)
2022-23 Record: 11-22 (6-12 CAA)
Quickly: Stony Brook went 11-22 (6-12 CAA) in its first season in the then Colonial, and newly renamed Coastal Athletic Association after leaving the America East Conference. A familiar face transferred to Stony Brook in the offseason in former Fairfield Stag Chris Maidoh. The Seawolves also return their top scorer from a year ago in Tyler Stephenson-Moore (14.3 ppg.).

Maryland
Tuesday, Nov. 28 * College Park, MD

Series History: Maryland, 4-0
Winning Streak: Maryland, 4
Last Meeting: Maryland, 65-58 (Nov. 20, 2015; College Park, MD)
2022-23 Record: 22-13 (11-9 Big Ten)
Quickly: Maryland and Rider will meet for the first time since 2015-16. The Terps return a trio of players who averaged in double figures a year ago in Jahmir Young (15.8 ppg.), Julian Reese (11.4 ppg.) and Donta Scott (11.3 ppg.), positioning them for a potential top finish in the Big Ten this season.  

Stonehill
Friday, Dec. 8 * Alumni Gym
 
Series History: Rider, 1-0
Winning Streak: Rider, 1
Last Meeting: Rider, 78-67 (Dec. 7, 2022; Easton, MA)
2022-23 Record: 14-17 (10-6 NEC)
Quickly: Stonehill comes to Alumni Gym to complete a home-and-home series that began last season in Easton, MA, for the Skyhawks' initial NCAA Division I season. Stonehill posted a very respectable 14-17 record, including a 10-6 mark in Northeast Conference play during its first year of the transition. However, the Skyhawks must replace players in their fifth year or beyond from last season. Mervin James stood out in the meeting last Dec. 7, posting a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds.

Monmouth
Saturday, Dec. 16 * West Long Branch, NJ
 
Series History: Rider, 33-27
Winning Streak: Rider, 1
Last Meeting: Rider, 88-62 (Nov. 30, 2022; Alumni Gym)
2022-23 Record: 7-26 (5-13 CAA)
Quickly: Rider overwhelmed a rebuilding Monmouth team last November at Alumni Gym. The Hawks went on to win their first CAA Tournament game and built momentum around local product freshman Jack Collins (10.5 ppg.) from nearby Manasquan. Also into the fold this season is Head Coach King Rice's son Xander, a grad transfer the Broncs have seen three times in recent years at Bucknell.  

Delaware
Wednesday, Dec. 20 * Newark, DE

Series History: Delaware, 33-30
Winning Streak: Delaware, 2
Last Meeting: Delaware, 60-59 (Dec. 19, 2022; Alumni Gym)
2022-23 Record: 17-16 (8-10 CAA)
Quickly: Rider and Delaware met for the first time in nearly a decade last season and the Blue Hens came away with a controversial 60-59 victory. Leading by a point with less than 10 seconds left and inbounding underneath their own basket, the Broncs were whistled for an offensive foul when Jameer Nelson, Jr. successfully sold the contact from Mervin James to give the ball back to Delaware. After forcing a misfire on the Blue Hens' initial attempt at the go-ahead bucket, the Broncs saw Nelson sneak in the back door for the game-winning tip-in with 3.6 seconds left. Nelson departed for TCU in the offseason, leaving Jyare Davis (15.3 ppg.) and Christian Ray (9.5 ppg., 8.7 rpg., 55.6 FG%) as the Blue Hens' top returners.  

Penn
Saturday, Dec. 23 * Alumni Gym

Series History: Rider, 4-1
Winning Streak: Rider, 2
Last Meeting: Rider, 73-57 (Nov. 18, 2014; Philadelphia, PA)
2022-23 Record: 17-13 (9-5 Ivy League)
Quickly: Rider and Penn are set to renew a local rivalry that has had just five installments, all since its inception in January 2004. The first three meetings were all decided in overtime, with the Broncs coming away victorious in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. The Quakers took their only win of the series in November 2011, a 78-72 overtime victory. The Broncs have won the last two – an 89-88 victory in which Rider erased a 14-point deficit with just over seven minutes remaining in 2013-14 and a 73-57 victory in 2014-15 on the strength of 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 4-for-4 from long range from Zedric Sadler. Penn qualified for Ivy Madness last season with a third-place finish, but ran into Princeton in the semifinals in the midst of the Tigers' march to the Sweet 16.

Penn State
Friday, Dec. 29 * University Park, PA

Series History: Penn State, 3-2
Winning Streak: Rider, 2
Last Meeting: Rider, 71-70 (Dec. 22, 2017; University Park, PA)
2022-23 Record: 23-14 (10-10 Big Ten)
Quickly: Some of Rider's most memorable high-major successes have come at Penn State's expense, including wins in each of the last two against the Nittany Lions. Most recently, Frederick Scott's right-wing triple at the buzzer gave the Broncs a 71-70 win on Dec. 22, 2017. Before that, the Jason Thompson-led Broncs defeated Penn State in November 2007 at the Old Spice Classic. Former VCU Head Coach Mike Rhoades takes over in Happy Valley for new Notre Dame Head Coach Micah Shrewsbury this season. Rhoades' VCU squad defeated Rider in December 2018. Gone from the 2022-23 edition of the Nittany Lions are a pair of familiar names in former Siena guard and MAAC Player of the Year Jalen Pickett and Seth Lundy, brother of former Bronc Xavier Lundy. Both Pickett (#32, Denver Nuggets), and Lundy (#46, Atlanta Hawks) were second round NBA Draft selections this past June. As for the 2023-24 Nittany Lions, Rhoades will rely on one of his players from VCU, 2023 Atlantic 10 Player and Defensive Player of the Year (12.7 ppg., 5.8 apg.), along with fellow transfers Mayquawndis Mitchell (17.3 ppg. at UMKC), Leo Boyle (11.6 ppg. at Lafayette) and Nick Kern (5.3 ppg. at VCU).