Merrimack (0-0) at Vermont (0-0) – 7:30 PM ET (ESPN+)
Today marks the season opener for college basketball and we have chosen to start off with a pair of potential conference champions as the Vermont Catamounts host the Merrimack Warriors. Vermont was picked to repeat as the America East champion this year; they are coming off of a pair of exhibition wins against Catholic University of America and Saint Michael’s. Ileri Ayo-Faleye led the Catamounts with 14 points and 8 rebounds against Saint Michael’s.
Merrimack was actually picked to finish fourth in the Northeast Conference, but there is a lot of buzz now that the Warriors are coming off of a year in which they pulled off a rare double of the regular season and conference titles by a transitional team. Now that the four-year transition is complete, Merrimack is fully eligible to qualify for the NCAA Tournament this season should they repeat as NEC Tournament champions. Among notable returning players for Merrimack are Jordan Derkack (7.4 points a game and 4 rebounds a game last year) and Devon Savage (6.5 points a game).