NEWS AND NOTES:
-HAPPY COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON EVERYBODY!!!!
For all of our preseason coverage – CLICK HERE
-So, regardless of what you read below, TECHNICALLY everyone really is starting off at zero. All the metrics are at zero, and even those like KenPom and JNG that use data from the previous season, they’re still at zero because all that data eventually roles off as the season plays out. If the teams from the NEC get out there and all win 70% of their OOC games, the NEC will have multiple teams that are protected seeds and likely send more than half of the teams in the league to the NCAA Tournament. Nothing is presumed. it’s all about what happens on the court.
-Today’s games matter. People that say the season doesn’t matter until March are 100 percent wrong!! The games today have every bit as much of an impact on metrics like the NET, the WAB, the efficiency ratings, the merit ratings, and everything else as the games in the conference tournaments do. You know what you call a quad 1 win in November?? You call it a quad 1 win!
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-WINTHROP VS QUEENS (Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, Rock Hill, SC) – The first official game of the season!! And it features a Queens team that just completed their transition and are now full blown D1, and who are expected to make some noise in the ASun. The tip is at 8am, est, so set your alarms!!!!
-FLORIDA VS ARIZONA (Las Vegas, NV) – A fantastic opening night match-up between two teams that are high in the rankings and who will be competing for protected seeds. It’s opening night, but this game can (and likely will) be a determining factor in seeding, so it’s very important. Florida is the defending national champs, and Arizona is looking to start things off with a huge win.
-OLD DOMINION AT MIAMI OH. I want to highlight this one because I think it’s quite possible we will be seeing both of these teams in our UTR Top Ten this year. To say that either one of them is good enough to make a run at the bubble may be a bit of a stretch, but one never knows! And, if that were to happen, then a win tonight would be a big step toward that! This is how teams should open their season!! Play a game that matters!!
-IDAHO AT WASHINGTON STATE – Big rivalry game!! These two schools are just eight miles apart!! And they’ve never met in the NCAA Tournament!!! No other rivalry that I can think of can make that claim!!!
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES
-Bradley vs Saint Bonaventure (Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, Rock Hill, SC) – Bradley is a team to watch in the MVC and this is a chance for them to start things off with a winnable game away from home
-Omaha vs Murray State (Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, Sioux Falls, SD) – Murray State has a loaded roster and is set to have their best season since joining the MVC. A win away from home against a solid Omaha team who loves beating up trash cans would be a great way to start things off!
-Northern Arizona vs Drake (Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, Sioux Falls, SD) – Drake was completely gutted after having a remarkable season last year. This should be a winnable game for them, though
-Quinnipiac @ Saint John’s – Quinnipiac should make some noise in the MAAC, but they are way overmatched in this one
-High Point vs Furman ( Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, Rock Hill, SC) – two really solid UTR programs, although Furman may be a little down this year. We get a good first look at High Point’s rebuilt roster
-Missouri @ Howard – the reason this is notable is because Mizzou is actually going on the road to play Howard.
-Arkansas State @ Ohio U – these are two solid UTR teams and this is an intriguing season opener
-Marshall @ UMass – Marshall may be able to make some noise this year, and this is a winnable road game against a UMass team that hasn’t been able to get its footing in recent seasons
-Wofford @ George Mason – Wofford is a top UTR program, but they’ve had a mess of an offseason. George Mason is a team to keep an eye on
-South Alabama @ Toledo – two fairly solid UTR programs that are worth keeping an eye on this season
-Troy @ Kent State – this one may be a fun one! Both are expected to do well in their respective conferences
-James Madison @ Akron – these are the two preseason favorites in their respective conferences, and while making a run at the bubble may seem like a stretch, both teams are pretty good and both have a shot at making the field this March
-Youngstown State @ Pittsburgh – Youngstown State is expected to be one of the better teams in the Horizon League this year, and while they may be overmatched in this one, Pitt better not just overlook them
-Long Island @ Notre Dame – ND needs to have a breakthrough season this year or the coach’s seat may be heating up. And, they don’t want to overlook Long Island! This is a potentially dangerous team!
-Air Force @ Belmont – Belmont is a team to keep an eye on and, quite frankly, they should clobber AFA
-Bethune Cookman @ Auburn – I know this is a buy game, and it will probably be very lopsided, but I don’t consider it a ‘crappy’ buy game because at least Cookman appears to have a pulse and will be one of the better SWAC teams this year
-Lipscomb @ Vanderbilt – Vandy will be heavily favored, and Lipscomb doesn’t appear to be quite as good as they’ve been in recent years, but it’s still an intriguing crosstown matchup
-Chicago State @ DePaul – the only thing I have to say about this one is that DePaul better win it because if they don’t then I’ll be glued to social media watching the fallout!
-SEMO @ Saint Louis – SEMO is probably the best team in the OVC, and while this is a buy game, it’s one that SLU better take seriously
-Maine @ George Washington – Maine’s program has improved by leaps and bounds, and GW is our dark horse out of the A10
-Oakland @ Michigan – Oakland will make some noise in the Horizon League this year, and while they are probably way overmatched tonight, it’s still at least a somewhat interesting regional matchup
-Samford @ Tulane – Samford is having to rebuild after the coaching change, and Tulane is a dark horse in the American
-South Dakota State vs Merrimack (Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, Sioux) – A good chance for South Dakota State to start things off with a win away from home
-Incarnate Word @ Colorado State – it’s a buy game, but considering that Incarnate Word is looking much improved and Colorado State is…well..not, this matchup has a little bit of appeal
-Towson vs Loyola MD (Baltimore MD) – should be a win away from home for Towson
-San Jose State @ Utah – neither team is Under the Radar, but neither team is particularly good either
-Villanova vs BYU (Hall of Fame Series, Las Vegas NV) – a decent match-up, but BYU should be heavily favored and shouldn’t have too much trouble picking up a semi-notable neutral floor win
-Saint Thomas @ Saint Mary’s – Saint Thomas is the preseason favorite to win the Summit League this year, and while they may be overmatched tonight it’s still an intriguing matchup. SMC better not overlook them!!
CRAPPY BUY GAMES
-IU Indy @ Ohio State
-Coppin State @ Maryland
-Morgan State @ Georgetown
-New Haven @ UConn – welcome to D1 New Haven!!
-Southern @ Arkansas
-Mercer @ Tennessee
-Colgate @ Michigan State
-Central Arkansas @ North Carolina
-Kentucky Christian (nonD1) @ Liberty
-Tusculum (nonD1) @ Charleston
-Fairfield @ Penn State
-Wagner @ VCU
-Western Carolina @ Cincinnati
-Charleston Southern @ Virginia Tech
-Binghamton @ Syracuse
-NC Central @ NC State
-Canisius @ Dayton
-New Hampshire @ Clemson
-Rider @ Virginia
-Marist @ Xavier
-Holy Cross @ Providence
-Champion Christian (nonD1) @ McNeese
-Saint Peter’s @ Seton Hall
-Mississippi Valley State @ UAB
-Bellarmine @ Georgia
-UMES @ Georgia Tech
-Lehigh @ Houston
-North Dakota @ Alabama
-Fairleigh Dickinson @ Iowa State
-Green Bay @ Kansas
-Campbell @ Wisconsin
-Northwestern State @ Texas A&M
-Gardner Webb @ Minnesota
-Florida A&M @ South Florida
-West Georgia @ Nebraska
-UAlbany @ Marquette
-Mercyhurst @ Northwestern
-UTRGV @ Baylor
-American @ Wake Forest – to be fair, American will likely do well in the Patriot this year
-Tarleton State @ SMU – SMU better not completely overlook them
-Jacksonville @ Miami FL
-SELA @ Ole Miss
-New Orleans @ TCU
-Jackson State @ Illinois
-New Mexico Highlands (nonD1) @ North Texas – WTF UNT!!??
-Saint Francis @ Oklahoma
-SC State @ Louisville
-Texas Southern @ Gonzaga
-Northwest Indian (nonD1) @ Montana
-Westminster (nonD1) @ Utah State
-Hawaii Pacific (nonD1) @ Boise State
-PFW @ Grand Canyon
-Cal Poly @ USC
-Colorado College (nonD1) @ Northern Colorado
-Bethesda (nonD1) @ UC Irvine
-UC Santa Cruz (nonD1) @ San Francisco
-Eastern Washington @ UCLA
-Arkansas Pine Bluff @ Washington
