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Denver Men’s Basketball Opens 2024-25 at Stanford Monday

Denver Men's Basketball Opens 2024-25 at Stanford Monday

Buffs look to start fast under new coach Jeff Linder

DU has won 11 of its last 13 season openers

The University of Denver men's basketball team will open the 2024-25 season on Monday, Nov. 11, at Stanford. The game will be the first for new head coach Jeff Linder, who was hired in March after spending the previous seven seasons at Wyoming.

The Pioneers are coming off a 19-13 season in which they finished fifth in the Summit League. They return three starters from that team, including leading scorer and rebounder Touko Tainamo, a 6-foot-10 center from Finland.

Stanford finished 16-16 last season and returns three starters, including leading scorer Harrison Ingram, a 6-foot-7 forward.

The Cardinal are a slight favorite in the game, but the Pioneers are confident they can pull off the upset.

“We're excited for the challenge,” Linder said. “Stanford is a great team, but we're confident we can compete with them. We have a lot of talent and experience on this team, and we're ready to get the season started.”

The Pioneers will open the season with a three-game road trip. After playing Stanford, they will travel to Colorado State on Nov. 14 and then to Wyoming on Nov. 18.

DU's home opener is scheduled for Nov. 22 against South Dakota State.

The Pioneers are looking to get off to a fast start under Linder. They have won 11 of their last 13 season openers, and they are hoping to continue that trend this year.

“We want to start the season strong,” Linder said. “We have a lot of tough games on our schedule, but we're confident we can compete with anyone. We're excited for the challenge.”