2017-18 Men's Basketball Schedule

NEWARK, NJ—The 2017-18 men's basketball schedule will highlight 16 home games played in the new state-of-the-art Wellness and Events Center, 14-game ASUN Conference schedule and four NCAA Tournament teams second-year head coach Brian Kennedy announced.

The Highlanders will open the season on November 11 against Wagner, a 16-win team last season.  The Seahawks lost in Northeast Conference finals on a buzzer beater against Saint Francis U, 71-70.  The last time NJIT and Wagner met was in 2009, when the Highlanders defeated the Seahawks, 56-51, in Newark.

Three days later, NJIT will host Lafayette on November 14 at 7pm.  Last season, the Leopards erased a 10-point deficit, forced overtime and topped the visiting Highlanders, 84-83, in Easton, PA.

NJIT will mark its sixth all-time meeting with Seton Hall on November 18 in downtown Newark at the Prudential Center.  Last season, the Pirates, reached the first round of the NCAA Tournament and combined for 21 wins.  The teams last met in 2013. 

The Highlanders will play the next three games at home, first hosting, Kean (November 22 at 4pm), first-time opponent Drexel (November 25 at 4pm) and LIU Brooklyn (November 28 at 7pm).  Last season, the Blackbirds recorded its first 20-win season since 2012-13.

NJIT will close the month of November visiting first-time opponent West Virginia from the Big 12 Conference on November 30.  The Mountaineers won 28 games and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

The Highlanders will welcome UMass Lowell on December 3 at 2pm.  Last season, NJIT picked up a 75-74 victory in Massachusetts.

NJIT will travel to Piscataway, NJ, and face Rutgers from the Big Ten Conference on December 7.  The Scarlet Knights finished the 2016-17 season with 15 wins.

On December 9, NJIT will host defending MAAC Champions Iona at 4pm.  Iona, a 22-win team a season ago, reached the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.  The 2016-17 season marked the first time the two teams met.

A trip up to Hamilton, New York to face Colgate on December 12 will mark the fourth all-time meeting.  Last season, NJIT defeated Colgate, 74-68.

NJIT will play two straight at home, first hosting Fairleigh Dickinson on December 16 at 4pm and Bryn Athyn on December 22 at 2pm before the Christmas break.

The Highlanders will close out the 2017 season at first-time opponent Buffalo from the Mid-American Conference on December 28.  The Bulldogs finished with 17 wins last season.

The non-conference portion of the schedule concludes on January 3 at Brown.  Tip is set for 7pm.  NJIT topped Brown last season, 75-73, in Newark, in the first all-time meeting.

NJIT will have 14 games, home-and-away, against the other seven ASUN Conference teams, three of which played in the 2017 postseason.

FGCU, the defending ASUN Conference Champions, advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament while USC Upstate and Jacksonville, participated in the 2017 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. 
The ASUN schedule begins for NJIT on Saturday, January 6, in Newark against USC Upstate. 

ASUN home games for the Highlanders after opening conference game against USC Upstate are: Thursday, January 18, 7pm vs. North Florida; Saturday, January 20, 4pm vs. Jacksonville; Saturday, January 27, 4pm vs. Lipscomb; Monday, January 29, 7pm vs. Kennesaw State; Thursday, February 8, 7pm vs. FGCU and Saturday, February 10, 4pm vs. Stetson.

The eight-team, three-round ASUN Men's Basketball Tournament spans from February 26 to March 4 and will be held on campus sites. The quarterfinals begin on February 26 and the semifinals on March 1. The 2018 ASUN Tournament Champion will be crowned on March 4.