WACO, Texas — Baylor University has completed its 2007-08 non-conference men’s basketball schedule, highlighted by a trip to the 2007 Paradise Jam tournament, head coach Scott Drew announced Tuesday.

The 14-game pre-league slate appears to be Baylor’s toughest in two decades and includes contests against Arkansas, South Carolina, Washington State, Wichita State and possible matchups against Notre Dame and or Georgia Tech in the Paradise Jam.

“This season we’ve put together the toughest non-conference schedule in the last 20 years or so at Baylor,” Drew said. “We wanted to do that for various reasons, foremost being to prepare us for the Big 12 season. In addition to that we have some very attractive games that I know our fans will enjoy.”

The trio of teams from the SEC (Arkansas, South Carolina) and Pac-10 (WSU) mark the first time a Baylor squad has scheduled three non-conference opponents from power conferences since the 1988-89 season when the Bears took on Arizona State (Pac-10), Iowa State and Kansas State (Big 8) in the regular season. The potential of playing Notre Dame (Big East) and or Georgia Tech (ACC) in the Paradise Jam could raise that number to four or five power-conference opponents. (The last time BU faced four in the regular season was ’87-88 and five was in ’70-71).

Baylor will participate in the eighth annual Paradise Jam tournament to be held Nov. 16-19, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Bears open the tournament against Wichita State on Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. CST. The two teams will then face the Notre Dame-Monmouth pairing in the second game either Nov. 17 or 18. Other schools in the eight-team field include Charlotte, Georgia Tech, Illinois-Chicago and Winthrop. Four of the tournament’s 12 games, including the championship Nov. 19, will be televised via Fox College Sports.

The Bears will host Washington State, which ranked 13th in the final AP poll last season, Nov. 30 at the Ferrell Center as part of the new Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series.

The non-conference schedule includes a total of eight games in the Ferrell Center, four games at neutral sites and two true road contests. Baylor will play one home game on a neutral site, when it hosts former SWC foe Arkansas at the American Airlines Center in Dallas Jan. 5, 2008. The Razorbacks finished 21-14 and played in the NCAA Tournament last season.

“Since day one when our staff arrived at Baylor we’ve tried to put together a marquee game against a quality opponent at the American Airlines Center for the huge Baylor fan base in the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” Drew said. “Not only is Arkansas a great program and a potential ranked opponent, it represents an old Southwest Conference school that will renew a great rivalry from Baylor’s past.”

Baylor’s 16-game Big 12 Conference schedule, television information and all tip-off times will be released at a later date.

The Bears tip off the season Nov. 2 when they host Tarleton State in an exhibition game. The regular-season opener is Nov. 11 vs. Jackson State at the Ferrell Center.

NOTES ON BAYLOR’S 2007-08 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:

- 14 games (8 at home, 4 at neutral sites, 2 true road contests)

- A trip to the 2007 Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands

- A home matchup against Washington State as part of the new Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series

- A marquee matchup against former SWC foe Arkansas at the American Airlines Center in Dallas

- Two games against Southeastern Conference teams (Arkansas, South Carolina)

- Four to six games vs. 2006-07 postseason teams (Arkansas, Jackson State, Washington State and possibly Notre Dame, Georgia Tech or Winthrop [NCAA]; Mississippi Valley State [NIT])

BAYLOR MEN’S BASKETBALL

2007-08 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Date Opponent

Nov. 2 TARLETON STATE (exhibition)

Nov. 11 JACKSON STATE

Nov. 16 #vs. Wichita State

Nov. 17/18 #vs. Notre Dame/Monmouth

Nov. 19 #vs. TBD

Nov. 24 CENTENARY

Nov. 30 WASHINGTON STATE^

Dec. 3 MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE

Dec. 15 WAYLAND BAPTIST

Dec. 19 at South Carolina

Dec. 21 at Southern

Dec. 29 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M

Dec. 31 FLORIDA A&M

Jan. 5 vs. Arkansas+

Jan. 8 BROWN

# Paradise Jam (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands)

^ Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series

+ at Dallas, Texas [American Airlines Center]