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OXFORD — The Miami University men's basketball team won't be facing the Cincinnati Bearcats during the 2008-09 season, but they will face former Bearcats coach Bob Huggins, now at West Virginia.

The Mountaineers are among the RedHawks' nonconference opponents, according to the schedule announced Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Miami will face at least four nonconference teams that played in the NCAA tournament last season. In addition to a Dec. 20 game at West Virginia, the RedHawks also will play at Pittsburgh (Nov. 17), at Xavier (Nov. 29) and at Temple (Dec. 3). Miami also could face UCLA in the second round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Los Angeles (Nov. 13).

"A very challenging schedule, the toughest one yet," Miami coach Charlie Coles said. "We've got a lot of road games to start out with, so we've got to be a pretty good team in order to be successful."

Coles joked that he isn't necessarily looking forward to facing Huggins.

"Probably not, because I've never been on the winning end against Coach Huggins," he said. "I've never been on a team that's played there, so that should be different, and we'll be playing against a coaching legend."

Miami will play an exhibition Nov. 8 at Millett Hall against Saginaw Valley State, then open the regular season Nov. 12 in the first round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic against Weber State in Los Angeles.

Among Miami's other nonconference games are home games against Northwestern State, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Valparaiso, and road games at Wright State, Northwestern State (in a home-and-home series) and Dayton.

Miami also will play in the ESPNU BracketBusters against an undetermined team in February.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197

or pconrad@coxohio.com.