Is LSU women's basketball's 2022-23 schedule tough enough outside SEC opponents?

Kim Mulkey's second season as LSU women's basketball coach now has a tipoff date and a full slate of games.

In conjunction with the SEC unveiling its league-wide schedule Wednesday, LSU announced its full, 30-game slate. The Tigers will open the season Nov. 7 hosting Bellarmine at Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

SEC play tips off Dec. 29 with a road game at Arkansas.

LSU won 26 games last season, the most in 14 years, and Mulkey won AP Coach of the Year but its season came to a screeching half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a loss to Ohio State at home.

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But the early work has been done and Mulkey has inserted LSU into the talk of the top teams in not only the SEC but the country as well.

Here's everything you need to know about the Tigers' 2022-23 slate:

No marquee non-conference games for LSU

To put it bluntly, the Tigers' non-conference slate is abysmal.

LSU, so far, is scheduled to play just one Power Five opponent outside of the SEC, a neutral site game in Maui against Oregon State as part of the Maui Classic in Hawaii. And there are zero games against ranked opponents in the 13-game non-conference portion of the schedule.

There's only one true road non-conference game and its at Tulane Dec. 3.

It's far cry from how the other top teams in the SEC have put together their schedules. Defending national champion South Carolina faces road games at UConn and Stanford. Tennessee faces Indiana, UConn, Stanford and Ohio State.

How much will LSU be tested before SEC play starts is the biggest question.

Plenty of time to prep for major SEC games

The SEC schedule is in LSU's favor with a full week off before taking on Tennessee at home, Jan. 30 and its road game at South Carolina on Feb. 12.

LSU faces at Alabama on the road Jan. 23 before hosting the Lady Vols and travels to Texas A&M on Feb. 5 before its showdown with the Gamecocks in Columbia a week later.

Extra time to prep, especially for the individual matchups with the likes of reigning National Player of the Year Aliyah Boston at South Carolina will be a big benefit for the Tigers.

Chance at revenge in Lexington

No doubt, Mulkey and the Tigers have their visit to Kentucky on Jan. 8 circled.

The Tigers, coming off a double-bye as a top-four seed, were upset by the Wildcats in the third round of last season's SEC Tournament in Nashville.

Unquestionably, LSU has gotten better since that loss, with the additions of Maryland transfer Angel Reese as well as one of the best freshmen classes in the country led by Flau'jae Johnson and Sa'myah Smith. And there's no Rhyne Howard for Kentucky as she's moved on to the WNBA.

LSU's toughest stretch

The Tigers' schedule may not start strong in November, but the final month of the regular season will certainly dissect exactly where they are as the postseason looms.

LSU opens February with a home game against Georgia before a two-game road swing at Texas A&M, who is now coached by former Georgia coach Joni Taylor, before meeting Dawn Staley and the South Carolina powerhouse.

Then Ole Miss strolls into Baton Rouge four days later. The Rebels were one of the surprise teams in the SEC last season.

An away game at Florida rounds out a tough three-week, yet vital five-game stretch for the Tigers.

LSU women's basketball 2022-23 schedule

Nov. 7 Bellarmine (7 p.m., SEC Network+)

Nov. 11 Mississippi Valley State (7 p.m., SEC Network+)

Nov. 13 Western Carolina (3 p.m., SEC Network)

Nov. 16 Houston Baptist (11 a.m., SEC Network+)

Nov. 20 Northwestern State (2 p.m., SEC Network+)

Nov. 24 George Mason (Goombay Splash Tournament) (1 p.m.)

Nov. 25 or 26 UAB (Goombay Splash Tournament) (TBA)

Nov. 29 Southeastern Louisiana (7 p.m., SEC Network+)

Dec. 3 at Tulane (4 p.m.)

Dec. 11 New Orleans (2 p.m., SEC Network+)

Dec. 14 Lamar (7 p.m., SEC Network+)

Dec. 17 TBD (Maui Classic) (10 p.m.)

Dec. 18 Oregon State (Maui Classic) (10 p.m.)

Dec. 29 at Arkansas (6 p.m., ESPN2/SEC Network)

Jan. 1 Vanderbilt (2 p.m., SEC Network+)

Jan. 5 Texas A&M (8 p.m., SEC Network)

Jan. 8 at Kentucky (1 p.m., SEC Network+)

Jan. 12 at Missouri (6 p.m., SEC Network)

Jan. 15 Auburn (2 p.m., SEC Network+)

Jan. 19 Arkansas (8 p.m., SEC Network)

Jan. 23 at Alabama (6 p.m., SEC Network)

Jan. 30 Tennessee (6 p.m., ESPN2)

Feb. 2 Georgia (7 p.m., SEC Network+)

Feb. 5 at Texas A&M (1 p.m., ESPN2)

Feb. 12 at South Carolina (1 p.m., ESPN)

Feb. 16 Ole Miss (8 p.m., SEC Network)

Feb. 19 at Florida (1 p.m., SEC Network)

Feb. 23 at Vanderbilt (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+)

Feb. 26 Mississippi State (5 p.m., SEC Network)

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Analyzing LSU women's basketball 2022-23 schedule. Not tough enough?