By Nick Veronica

Jim Baron put a high-profile opponent on Canisius’ basketball schedule last season, and the result was an overtime thriller against Notre Dame.

But with this year’s team expected to be less competitive, the Griffs’ 2014-15 schedule is absent of a true big-name school.

Canisius’ nonconference schedule, released today, is highlighted by a trip to UMass on Dec. 13 to face Derek Kellogg’s Minutemen, who earned a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament last season. (UMass lost its first tournament game to Tennessee.)

Canisius heads to Ithaca on Nov. 26 to play Cornell and plays at Lehigh on Nov. 18. Home nonconference opponents include Vermont, Stony Brook, Holy Cross and UMKC — all return games for opponents Canisius has played in the last three seasons. Scheduling them all this year should allow Baron more freedom with his schedule in upcoming years when the team is more prepared to contend for a title.

Canisius hosts UB at the First Niagara Center on Nov. 29 in the Big 4 doubleheader, as was announced last month, and travels to St. Bonaventure on Nov. 22. Canisius goes to Niagara on Dec. 6, and the Purple Eagles come to the KAC on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

One other point worth noting (that doesn’t affect Canisius) is the early start to the MAAC schedule: Niagara and Saint Peter’s open the conference season on Nov. 20, one of the earliest MAAC start dates in history.

Canisius’ full schedule:

Sat, Nov. 1 vs.  Ryerson (Exhibition), Koessler Athletic Center
Tue, Nov. 11 vs. Daemen (Exhibition), KAC
Sat., Nov. 15 vs. Vermont, KAC
Tue., Nov. 18 at Lehigh, Bethlehem, Pa.
Sat., Nov. 22 at St. Bonaventure, Olean
Wed., Nov. 26 at Cornell, Ithaca
Sat., Nov. 29 vs. UB, First Niagara Center
Wed., Dec. 3 at Saint Peter’s, Jersey City, N.J.
Sat., Dec. 6 at  Niagara, Lewiston
Sat., Dec. 13 at Umass, Amherst, Mass.
Thu., Dec. 18 vs. Stony Brook, KAC
Sun., Dec. 21 vs. Holy Cross, KAC
Tue., Dec. 30 vs. UMKC, KAC
Fri., Jan. 2 vs. Monmouth, KAC
Sun., Jan. 4 vs. Manhattan, KAC
Thu., Jan. 8 at Marist, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Sat., Jan. 10 at Iona, New Rochelle, N.Y.
Fri., Jan. 16 vs. Siena, KAC
Sun., Jan. 18 vs. Iona, KAC
Thu., Jan. 22 at Fairfield, Bridgeport, Conn.
Sat., Jan. 24 at Rider, Lawrenceville, N.J.
Fri., Jan. 30 vs. Quinnipiac, KAC
Sun., Feb. 1 vs. Marist, KAC
Fri., Feb. 6 at Manhattan, Riverdale, N.Y.
Sun., Feb. 8 at Monmouth, West Long Branch, N.J.
Fri., Feb. 13 vs. Rider, KAC
Sun., Feb. 15 vs. Saint Peter’s, KAC
Thu., Feb. 19 at  Siena, Albany
Sat., Feb. 21 at  Quinnipiac, Hamden, Conn.
Tue., Feb. 24 vs. Niagara, KAC
Fri., Feb. 27 vs. Fairfield, KAC