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BLACKSBURG, Va. – An appearance in the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic, the Governor’s Holiday Hoops Classic against VCU in Richmond and games against three new Atlantic Coast Conference teams highlight the 2013-14 Virginia Tech men’s basketball schedule.

“I am excited about this 2013-14 season,” head coach James Johnson said. “We have a tough non-conference schedule that will test this inexperienced team and get us ready for the rigors of the best conference in the country, the ACC. We will have early season games with West Virginia, Michigan State and an always tough, always strong VCU team at the Richmond Coliseum, along with some very good non-conference teams coming into Blacksburg.”

Tech will travel to Brooklyn, N.Y. to compete in the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic at the Barclays Center on Nov. 22-23. The Hokies will play Michigan State at 9:30 p.m. on Friday night and either Seton Hall or Oklahoma on Saturday night. Both games will be televised on TruTV.

“The opportunity to play in the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic is really big for us,” Johnson said. “It’s an honor to play in that tournament. We get to take the team to New York and play in the Barclays Center, against top-notch competition, for a great cause. I’m looking forward to renewing the rivalry with Radford and continuing the series with VMI. They will both be good games for the community and for both schools. The VMI game will be Military Appreciation Night and is a rivalry that with which our alumni is familiar. “

The Hokies will open the 2013-14 schedule on Saturday, Nov. 9 against USC Upstate at noon in Cassell Coliseum. The game will be the first of four consecutive home games. Tech will host West Virginia on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. as part of the ESPN Tip-Off Marathon. After a home game against Western Carolina on Friday, Nov. 15, the Hokies will host VMI on Monday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. on Military Appreciation Night.

Virginia Tech will compete in the Governor’s Holiday Hoops Classic in the Richmond Coliseum on Saturday, Dec. 21 against VCU. The game is part of a doubleheader with Hampton and James Madison, with proceeds going to food banks in the Commonwealth and will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.

The Hokies will renew their series with New River Valley foe Radford on Friday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. in Cassell. Other non-conference games on the schedule include home games with Furman on Tuesday, Nov. 26, Winthrop on Tuesday, Dec. 3, UNC Greensboro on Saturday, Dec. 21 and Maryland-Eastern Shore on New Years Eve at 4 p.m.

The Hokies open the ACC regular season on Sunday, Dec. 8, as they travel to Coral Gables, Fla. to face defending ACC champion, the University of Miami. Tech will open its league home slate on Tuesday, Jan. 7, as it host Syracuse at 9 p.m. Along with the Orange, home opponents include Clemson, North Carolina, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, Miami, Virginia, Maryland and Boston College. Road foes for the Hokies, in addition to Miami, are Florida State, Georgia Tech, Duke, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame, along with Virginia, Maryland and Boston College.

“I can’t say enough about the ACC, the toughest conference in the country,” Johnson said. “With the additions of Syracuse, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, the conference, which has always been formidable, becomes even tougher. We will travel to Notre Dame and Pittsburgh and host Syracuse in Cassell Coliseum. We are excited about it and looking forward to it, but we definitely have our work cut out for us and a lot of hard work ahead of us.“

The Hokies will have at least 23 games televised and all 18 of the Hokies’ ACC games will be televised this season. All conference games carried on an ESPN network will also be available on WatchESPN. All conference games carried on the ACC Network or a regional sports network will also be available on ESPN3. The ACC Office will update dates and additional television coverage at a later date.

For updates on Virginia Tech men's basketball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_MBBall).