By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Return games against Green Bay and Central Arkansas lead Western Illinois’ nonconference men’s basketball schedule for this season.

The Leathernecks play 11 nonconference games, opening the season with two road games in California. Western Illinois plays San Jose State (9-23, 244 NET) on November 4 and Pepperdine (13-20, 222 BET) on November 6.

Western Illinois then comes home for two games. The Leathernecks play host to Green Bay (18-14, 223 NET) and new coach Doug Gottlieb on November 13, followed by a November 16 game against Central Arkansas (9-23, 344 NET) on November 16. The two games are return games from last season.

The Leathernecks play at Northern Iowa (19-14, 109 NET) on November 19 before coming back to Western Hall for a November 21 game against Monmouth College, one of three non-Division I games on the schedule.

Western Illinois plays a two-game multi-team event in Mobile, Ala. The Leathernecks play South Alabama (16-16, 246 NET) on November 26 and Incarnate Word (8-23) on November 27.

The Leathernecks play host to St. Ambrose on December 4 and East-West University on December 6 before closing the nonconference schedule at South Dakota (12-20, 322 NET), another return game in a home-and-home series.