When the ISU men’s basketball team returns to the hardwood this November, they will be facing one of toughest schedules the program has had in several years. Matchups against Duke and Notre Dame highlight a schedule that features games against nine 2009 NCAA Tournament teams.

After playing Oregon State for the first two years of the Big 12/Pac 10 Hardwood Series, Iowa State will now travel to Berkeley, Calif., to take on the Cal Bears.

The Cyclones will participate in the Chicago Invitational, where they host games against Mississippi Valley State and Tennessee State before heading to Chicago for a pair of games. Iowa State caps off the non-conference season by traveling back to Chicago for a showdown with coach Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils in the United Center.

— Nate Sandell, Daily Staff Writer  

Home games are in bold

Nov. 2     Black Hills State (Exh.) 7 p.m.

Nov. 6     UNC-Pembroke (Exh.) 7 p.m.

Nov. 13    Idaho State 7 p.m.

Nov. 15    Chicago State 6 p.m 

Nov. 17    at Drake 7 p.m.

Nov. 22    Mississippi Valley State (Chicago Invitational) 1 p.m.

Nov. 24    Tennessee State (Chicago Invitational) 7 p.m.

Nov. 27    St. Louis 5 p.m.

Nov. 28    Notre Dame/Northwestern at Chicago Invitational, Hoffman Estates, Ill. TBA

Dec. 2     Northern Iowa 7 p.m.

Dec. 5     at California (Big 12/Pac 10 Hardwood Series) TBA

Dec. 1     Iowa (Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series) 7 p.m.

Dec. 20    Bradley 1 p.m.

Dec. 22    North Dakota 7 p.m.

Jan. 3     Houston 1 p.m.

Jan. 6     Duke (at the United Center in Chicago, Ill.) 9 p.m.

Jan. 9     North Dakota State 3 p.m.

Jan. 13    Texas 7 p.m.

Jan. 16    at Nebraska 7 p.m.

Jan. 20    at Texas Tech

Jan. 23    Kansas 1 p.m.

Jan. 27    at Oklahoma 8 p.m.

Jan. 30    Colorado 8 p.m.

Feb. 3     at Baylor TBA

Feb. 6     Kansas State 1 p.m.

Feb. 10    at Missouri 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 13    at Kansas 7 p.m.

Feb. 17    Oklahoma State 7 P.M.

Feb. 20    Texas A&M 3 p.m.

Feb. 24    Nebraska 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 27    at Colorado 12:45 p.m. 

March 2    Missouri 7 p.m.

March 6    at Kansas State 5 p.m.

March 10-13    Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Championship, Kansas City, Mo. TBA