NEWARK, Del. -- A season-opening home game with Big East opponent Rutgers highlights the University of Delaware men’s basketball 2008-09 non-conference schedule released Monday.

The Blue Hens will play 13 non-league games in addition to the 18-game Colonial Athletic Association schedule which will be released in the future. Delaware will play six of those non-conference games at home, including the season-opener against the Scarlet Knights on Sunday, November 16. No game times have been set at this time.

Rutgers has not visited Newark since falling to the Blue Hens, 77-69, on December 1, 1992 in the first ever men’s basketball game at the Bob Carpenter Center.

After the home opener which is a part of the Garden State Tipoff Classic, Delaware will travel to Robert Morris on November 18. The Blue Hens will then play two games at Rutgers in the Garden State Tipoff Classic, facing Saint Bonaventure on November 21 and Marist on November 23.

Following a home game versus Vermont on November 25, the Blue Hens will face their second Big East opponent of the season on November 29 when UD travels to East Orange, NJ to take on Seton Hall.

Delaware returns home to host Central Connecticut on December 3, and after a road game at Hampton on December 10, hosts Ohio University on December 13. Following a trip to Boston University on December 21, the Blue Hens return home to host Marist on December 23. The Blue Hens conclude the 2008 calendar year with a home game against Toledo on December 30 in a return game from the teams’ ESPNU BracketBusters contest last season in Toledo.

The Blue Hens’ final non-conference game will be a road contest in the ESPNU BracketBusters on Saturday, February 21 against an opponent to be determined.

Delaware, which will be led by third-year head coach Monté Ross, returns four starters from the 2007-08 team which finished 14-17 overall and tied for sixth place in the CAA with a 9-9 league mark. Senior Marc Egerson (above) was named to the All-CAA third team after leading the Blue Hens with 6.9 rebounds per game and ranking second with 13.4 points per contest. Sophomore Alphonso Dawson, who was selected to the CAA All-Rookie Team after averaging 11.0 points per game, and junior point guard Brian Johnson, who ranked among the league leaders in assists per game and assist/turnover ratio, also return to lead a talented UD backcourt.

The Delaware women’s basketball non-conference schedule will be released within the next two weeks.

University of Delaware Men’s Basketball 2008-09 Non-Conference Schedule

Nov. 16 vs. Rutgers; Nov. 18 at Robert Morris; Nov. 21 vs. Saint Bonaventure (Garden State Tipoff Classic at Rutgers); Nov. 23 vs. Marist (Garden State Tipoff Classic at Rutgers); Nov. 25 vs. Vermont; Nov. 29 at Seton Hall; Dec. 3 vs. Central Connecticut; Dec. 10 at Hampton; Dec. 13 vs. Ohio University; Dec. 21 at Boston University; Dec. 23 vs. Marist; Dec. 30 vs. Toledo; Feb. 21 at ESPNU BracketBusters (opponent TBA)