Iowa State announced its 2022-23 men’s basketball non-conference schedule on Wednesday. The Cyclones will play eight home games starting Nov. 7 against IUPUI.

The schedule includes two conference battles against the Big East and Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Cyclones will also compete in the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Oregon, Nov. 24-27. The invitational includes Alabama, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, Portland, UConn and Villanova. The Cyclones will play three games in the tournament, with a bracket set to release later in the summer.

The Cyclones open against IUPUI on Nov. 7 at Hilton Coliseum. The Jaguars finished at the bottom of the Horizon League conference last season, going 3-26 overall. With a collection of returning veterans and newly acquired talent from the transfer portal, the Cyclones should be able to start their season off strong at home. Next, Iowa State faces North Carolina A&T on Nov. 13 and Milwaukee on Nov. 20 at home before competing in the Phil Knight Invitational.

Following its trip to Portland, Iowa State takes on North Dakota on Nov. 30, followed by St. John’s in the Big 12-Big East Battle. St. John’s went 17-15 last season and will be Iowa State’s first opponent below 100 in the NCAA NET rankings. The Cyclones will face St. John’s in Hilton Coliseum on Dec. 4.

Following a tough matchup against St. John’s, the Cyclones will travel to Iowa City to compete against Iowa on Dec. 8 for the annual Cy-Hawk Series game. The Hawkeyes will look to avenge their 20-point loss to Iowa State last season in front of their home crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

After two difficult games, the schedule opens up for Iowa State with three-straight home matchups. They face McNeese State on Dec. 11, Western Michigan on Dec. 18 and Omaha on Dec. 21.

To cap off their non-conference schedule, Iowa State faces Missouri at Mizzou Arena for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28. Last season, the Cyclones took down Missouri 67-50, never giving the Tigers a chance to take control of the game. In 2023, Iowa State will face a whole new Missouri with a brand new head coach and a reconstructed roster.

Iowa State’s undefeated non-conference record shot the Cyclones as high as No. 8 in the AP Poll last season. Their 13 non-conference victories proved just enough to remain in the NCAA tournament bubble later in the season, ultimately securing an at-large bid for the tournament.

Were it not for their flawless non-conference record, Iowa State may not have been selected for the NCAA tournament, as they lost 11 games in conference play. In another season where the Big 12 projects to be the strongest conference in college basketball, every non-conference game matters if the Cyclones want to make another appearance in the NCAA tournament.

The season ticket renewal process for the 2022-23 season is underway. Fans who purchased tickets last season will have an opportunity to renew their tickets online. The deadline for renewal is July 27.