College basketball isn't too far around the corner, so it's time to take a look at BYU's nonconference slate for the 2017-18 year. While BYU plays only two power conference opponents, the Cougars play some teams that could be conference champions by the end of the year.
Here's a breakdown of the Cougars' nonconference slate:
vs. Mississippi Valley State
Saturday, Nov. 11
2016-17 record: 7-25 (7-11 SWAC)
The Delta Devils were No. 254 in points per game with 69.8 and No. 340 in points allowed per game with 83.3. Hard to win games when you're allowing 13.5 points more a game than you're scoring.
at Princeton
Wednesday, Nov. 15
2016-17 record: 23-7 (14-0 Ivy League)
This was the best win on BYU's resume last year other than its upset of Gonzaga. The Tigers ran the table in the Ivy League and went to the Big Dance as a No. 12 seed before getting beat by Notre Dame in the Round of 64. The Tigers lost two huge players in Ivy League Player of the Year Spencer Weisz and leading scorer Spencer Cook. Even so, this team will be in contention for another conference crown with Devin Cannady (13.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Myles Stephens (12.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg) both back.
vs. UT Arlington
Saturday, Nov. 18
2016-17 record: 27-9 (14-4 Sun Belt)
How good were the Mavericks last season? They took down a ranked Saint Mary's team on the road. BYU fans will also remember them scoring 105 points against the Cougars in the first round of the NIT. The only reason this team didn't make the NCAA Tournament last season is because it got upset in the Sun Belt Tournament.
The good news is that UT Arlington loses three starters from last season, including Drew Charles. BYU will remember him for dropping 28 on the Cougars in the NIT. The bad news is that leading scorer Kevin Hervey is returning after averaging 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds a game last year. This team is the leading contender in the Sun Belt and a tough draw early in the season.
vs. Niagara
Tuesday, Nov. 21
2016-17 record: 10-23 (6-14 MAAC)
BYU might be tempted to look past Niagara to a key game against Alabama, but this team has some talent. It returns senior guards Matt Scott and Kahlil Dukes, who combined for 32.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.
vs. Alabama (Barclays Center Classic)
Friday, Nov. 24
2016-17 record: 19-15 (10-8 SEC)
This could be BYU's signature win of the nonconference slate, but it's going to be anything but easy. There's plenty of buzz surrounding freshman Collin Sexton, who was the No. 7 player of his recruiting class, according to ESPN.
And the Crimson Tide have more good players than their freshman phenomenon. Braxton Key led Alabama in scoring as a freshman last season with 12.0 points and 5.7 rebounds a game. Alabama has been a middle-tier SEC team in the recent past, but the addition of Sexton could elevate the Tide into a conference contender. This a key neutral-site game at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
vs. UMass (Barclays Center Classic)
2016-17 record: 15-18 (4-14 A-10 Conference)
The Minutemen come from a good basketball conference that includes powers Dayton and VCU. UMass struggled in conference, but its top three scorers return in Donte Clark, Rashaan Holloway and Luwane Pipkins. A win against the Minutemen probably won't make up for a loss to the Crimson Tide, but BYU can't afford to lose both games at the Barclays Center and remain fully in the hunt for an at-large bid.
at Utah Valley
Wednesday, Nov. 29
2016-17 record: 17-17 (6-8 WAC)
The Wolverines stunned the Cougars at home by dropping 114 points on them and shooting a blistering 48.6 percent from behind the 3-point line. It's safe to say that UVU doesn't fear the Cougars, especially since it's BYU's turn to travel to the other side of University Parkway.
What's more is UVU returns several key players from last season's stunning victory at BYU, including former Cougar Isaac Neilson, who averaged 9.6 points and 9.1 rebounds a game last season. BYU learned the hard way not to underestimate their cross-town opponent, and it can't afford to make that same mistake again if it wants to make it back to the Big Dance.
at Utah State
Saturday, Dec. 2
2016-17 record: 14-17 (7-11 MWC)
It wasn't that long ago that the Aggies were competing for conference titles, but the Mountain West has proven to be a challenge for Utah State. It's going to be an even bigger challenge with star player Jalen Moore gone after averaging 17.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last year. Fortunately for the Aggies, Koby McEwen returns after averaging 14.9 points and 5.1 rebounds a game last season. At any rate, playing at the Spectrum is rough no matter what.
vs. Illinois State
Wednesday, Dec. 6
2016-17 record: 28-7 (17-1 MVC)
The Redbirds put together an impressive season with 28 wins, a share of the MVC regular-season crown and a trip to the NIT. However, this team loses four of its starters from last year, including All-MVC point guard Paris Lee. This team probably won't be as good as it goes through an almost complete rebuild, but this is not a team to take lightly.
vs. Weber State (at Vivint Arena)
Saturday, Dec. 9
2016-17 record: 20-14 (12-6 Big Sky)
How does Weber State replace a player like Jeremy Senglin? Senglin signed a contract and is fighting for a roster position on the Brooklyn Nets, leaving a 21.2 points per game hole behind. Dusty Baker is a dangerous 3-point shooter who shot 49.4 percent from behind the arc last season. The Wildcats are going to need several players to step up to get back to 20 wins this season and stay in contention in the Big Sky.
vs. Utah
Saturday, Dec. 16
2016-17 record: 20-12 (11-7 Pac-12)
This is the nonconference game BYU fans have circled on their calendars, particularly as last year's game was canceled. Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak has his work cut out for him as two of his top three scorers are gone. The biggest loss is Kyle Kuzma, who was picked up by the Lakers in the first round of the NBA draft. Kuzma averaged 16.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last season. Lorenzo Bonam will also be missed after averaging 12.5 points per game last year. David Collette briefly examined leaving early for the pros before taking his name out of the draft. The Utes need big things from this big man this year if they want to compete in the Pac-12. He'll likely be Utah's leading scorer and will be the primary headache for BYU.
vs. Idaho State
Thursday, Dec. 21
2016-17 record: 5-26 (3-15 Big Sky)
The Bengals had a rough year last year as they finished No. 327 in points allowed, No. 344 in assists per game and No. 345 in rebounds per game. Now they've got to figure out how to win without leading scorer Ethan Telfair, who averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
vs. Texas Southern
Saturday, Dec. 23
2016-17 record: 23-12 (16-2 SWAC)
The Cougars finish the nonconference schedule with another potential conference champion. They have a 7-foot-2 former Auburn player in Trayvon Reed to deal with. While Reed got just under nine minutes per game in 2014-15 with Auburn, his production should go up considerably. While Texas Southern will miss leading scorer Zach Lofton, the Tigers have some dangerous veterans in Demontrae Jefferson returning. The addition of Reed as a shot blocker likely keep the Tigers at the top of the SWAC.