Iowa men's basketball November rundown: Oral Roberts to Las Vegas

Basketball. Are we ready for this?

OK, I'm not. It's Nov. 4. One-third of the college football regular season remains, and then there are conference championship games and bowl pairings and the Heisman and the bowls themselves.

This Iowa-Wisconsin football game Saturday is kind of significant. SIUE-Iowa men's basketball Friday night? Not so much.

Nope, not ready for roundball. But I wasn't ready for snow last week. It fell, anyway.

So here's a look at what the Iowa men's basketball team has in November. Some of it is interesting, some of it is filler. Like life itself.

Monday night – Lindsey Wilson College (exhibition), 7 p.m.

This is only an exhibition. It is not a competition. Please, no wagering.

Nov. 8 – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 8 p.m.

SIUE was 10-21 last season. It has not had a winning season in its 11 years of Division I men's basketball. Those who attend this game and then proceed to Madison for Iowa's football game there Saturday afternoon are what you might call rabid Hawkeye fans.

Nov. 11 – DePaul, 7 p.m.

The Blue Demons were 19-17 last season, their first winning record since 2006-07. That's incredible. The DePaul I grew up with was a national power.

Nov. 15 – Oral Roberts, 7 p.m.

The Golden Eagles are coming off their third-straight season of at least 21 losses. Oral Roberts University is both evangelical and a liberal arts university. That must be confusing.

Nov. 21 – North Florida, 6 p.m.

North Florida gave the Hawkeyes a good game at Carver in 2014 before losing, 80-70. The Ospreys went on to the NCAA tournament that season. They haven't been back. They were 16-17 last season.

Nov. 24 – Cal Poly, 4 p.m.

Let's see, a Sunday afternoon game against a team that went 6-23 last season. Good seats still available.

Nov. 28 – vs. Texas Tech in Las Vegas, 7 p.m.

Texas Tech was the national runner-up last season. The lone returning starter is junior guard Davide Moretti of Italy. However, senior Chris Clarke is a Virginia Tech transfer ranked the No. 43 player in the nation by Sports Illustrated. That's six spots below Iowa's Joe Wieskamp, by the way.

Nov. 29 – vs. Creighton or San Diego State in Las Vegas, 7 or 9:30 p.m.

Both teams won 20-plus games last season and are usually salty. This tourney is being played at the Orleans Arena, which is off-Strip. The Orleans is a popular property with locals. If you stay there, tell them I sent you.