[media-credit id=2200 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]As the summer days continue to pass, fall and winter sports teams continue to release their schedules. On Thursday, it was men’s basketball’s turn.

If the end of last season is any indication, the Bobcats are poised to make a leap in 2018-19.

Quinnipiac finished just 10-20 in the regular season, but won two MAAC Tournament games before falling to Fairfield in the semis. Baker Dunleavy, in his first year as head coach, got the Bobcats the furthest they had been in the tournament since 2013-14.

Headlining the non-conference schedule is a date with defending national champion Villanova. Dunleavy played at Villanova from 2003 through 2006 and was an assistant coach from 2010 until accepting the Quinnipiac job in 2017.

The game against Villanova is set for Saturday, Nov. 10 in Pennsylvania. There’s no tougher test to begin the season than to play against these Wildcats.

Quinnipiac’s home opener will take place on Thursday, Nov. 15 when Hartford makes the trip down to Hamden. The Bobcats lost on the road to Hartford, 77-75, last fall.

On the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week (Nov. 20), the Bobcats will head up north to face the University of New Hampshire. Then, it’s a Sunday matinee on Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. against the Maine Black Bears. It’s the second consecutive year Quinnipiac plays Maine in Hamden on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

The Bobcats then begin their first extended road trip of the season. On Wednesday, Nov. 28, Quinnipiac will head to Amherst to face the University of Massachusetts. This comes one year after Quinnipiac’s thrilling 68-66 victory over UMass.

December begins with a road trip to Stony Brook on Saturday, Dec. 1 and Dartmouth on Wednesday, Dec. 5. The Bobcats have never played Stony Brook, but they defeated Dartmouth in their season opener last year.

Quinnipiac is back at the People’s United Center on Saturday, Dec. 8 to face off with Lafayette, a squad that handled the Bobcats last season, 79-58.

In its sixth and final rematch from last season’s non-conference schedule, Quinnipiac will play Drexel on Sunday, Dec. 16. This game is part of the 2018 Hall of Fame Showcase and the game will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The Bobcats will finish non-conference play with a two-game home stand, facing off with Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday, Dec. 19 and Stony Brook for a rematch on Saturday, Dec. 22. There’s just three weeks between meetings with the Seawolves.

The remainder of the men’s basketball schedule will be unveiled when the MAAC releases its conference schedule next month.