A season opener against former Robert Morris coach Mark Schmidt's St. Bonaventure team and the resumption of the one-sided series against Pitt highlight the Colonials' 2008-09 men's basketball schedule announced yesterday.

Other non-Northeast Conference dates include matchups against Rutgers, Marist, Miami, Duquesne and Xavier.

"It's challenging," second-year coach Mike Rice said. "It's going to be a challenge for our veteran players coming back to be ready to play in the early going because we'll be playing teams in higher conferences."

The Colonials, 26-8 last season, open this season Nov. 14 at St. Bonaventure.

"It's an interesting game because coach Schmidt has a familiarity with our guys and our guys have a familiarity with him," Rice said.

Robert Morris plays at Pitt Feb. 2. The teams didn't play last year because Rice had just left Pitt to take the Robert Morris job. The Colonials are 0-26 against the Panthers.

Robert Morris, which won the Northeast Conference regular-season championship last season with a 16-2 record, begins NEC play Dec. 4 at home against St. Francis, N.Y.

The Colonials' first home game, after a Nov. 6 exhibition against Shippensburg, is Nov. 18 against Delaware.