A week out from the season opener for Ohio State men's basketball, the team's entire slate has just become a whole clearer as the Big Ten announced its season schedule Wednesday.

The Buckeyes start the year off with five nonconference matchups, with Illinois State and UMass-Lowell on Nov. 25 and No. 29, respectively, being the latest additions.

Ohio State will also play North Carolina for the second-consecutive year, with a Dec. 19 date to give the Buckeyes a sixth nonconference opponent for the season.

After the first five noncons, Ohio State will embark on a 20-game conference schedule, beginning with an away trip to Matt Painter's Purdue program on Dec. 16, and wrapping up March 6 with a home game against Illinois.

The 26-game schedule will see the Buckeyes face a currently ranked opponent on 11 occasions, with 10 of those coming against Big Ten foe.

That list includes matchups with No. 5 Iowa on Feb. 4 and Feb. 28, No. 7 Wisconsin on Jan. 23, two games against No. 9 Illinois on Jan. 16 and March 6, two contests with both No. 13 Michigan State and No. 24 Rutgers, and a Feb. 21 meeting with No. 25 Michigan.

The Buckeyes lone ranked nonconference game will come against North Carolina, which will start the year at No. 16.

Ohio State will start the season ranked No. 23, five spots lower than it began last season, and four spots lower than it finished the year.

Entering his fourth season at the helm of the program, head coach Chris Holtmann's team will be ranked to start the year for the second time.

2020-21 Ohio State Men’s Basketball Schedule

Nov. 25 – Illinois State (2 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU)

Nov. 29 – UMass-Lowell (4 p.m., BTN)

Dec. 2 – Morehead State (5 p.m., BTN)

Dec. 5 – Alabama A&M (TBD, BTN or BTN+)

Dec. 8 – at Notre Dame

Dec. 16 – at Purdue

Dec. 19 – North Carolina

Dec. 23 – Rutgers

Dec. 26 – at Northwestern

Dec. 30 – Nebraska

Jan. 3 – at Minnesota

Jan. 6 – Penn State

Jan. 9 – at Rutgers

Jan. 13 – Northwestern

Jan. 16 – at Illinois

Jan. 23 – at Wisconsin

Jan. 27 – Purdue

Jan. 31 – Michigan State

Feb. 4 – at Iowa

Feb. 8 or Feb. 9 – at Maryland

Feb. 13 – Indiana

Feb. 18 – at Penn State

Feb. 21 – Michigan

Feb. 25 – at Michigan State

Feb. 28 – Iowa

March 6 – Illinois