Hoops HD

NEWS AND NOTES:

-A reminder that our TEAM SHEETS are up and running!! And, I really mean it when I say I think they are the best on the internet. Be sure and follow those throughout the season.

A few notable results from last night…

-The most entertaining game of the night was Long Island’s 94-90 win at IU Indy. IU Indy is off to an 0-2 start and likely won’t be a force in the Horizon League, but they appear to be much improved and are very entertaining to watch. They will be able to rack up some wins this year. Long Island is expected to run away from the NEC this year and this was a nice road win for them.

-West Virginia struggled some with Campbell, but held on to win 73-65.

-Xavier is 2-0, but both wins were home buy games against weak UTR teams, and they barely won each of them. They beat Le Moyne 74-69 after letting LeMoyne stay in the game the whole way. It will likely be a long and frustrating year for Stalica’s Musketeers.

-Drake fell in overtime to Robert Morris 81-79. With their coach and nearly every key player transferring to Iowa, Drake is just nowhere near the same team they were a year ago.

-Last but not least (unless you’re a Loyola Chicago fan) a shoutout to Mercyhurst, who is a transitional program, but managed an impressive 76-65 win over Loyola Chicago last night! Mercyhurst was 12-16 against D1 teams a year ago, which is actually really good for a transitional program, and to go on the road and beat an A10 team last night is another program-building win.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-CHARLESTON AT LIBERTY. Both teams won their first game and both have big expectations for this year. It’s possible we’ll see both of them in the NCAA Tournament via the autobid, and if either of them are going to make a run at the bubble then these are the types of games they’re going to have to be able to win.

-GEORGETOWN AT MARYLAND. IT IS FINALLY BACK!!! At long last these two are resuming a regular season series!! We had two meetings during the Gavitt Games a few years back, but other than that this series has been dormant for decades after a dispute as to whose turn it was to play at home ended the series. Georgetown hasn’t been good in recent years, but is showing signs of improvement this year. Maryland is a potential NCAA Tournament team as well and this would be a nice win for them if they’re able to pull it off at home. This one should be wild!

-KANSAS AT NORTH CAROLINA. Both teams are in the rankings and this is the first real test for each of them. It’s a chance to pick up what will likely end up being a quality win for whichever team pulls it off.

-VCU VS UTAH STATE (Frisco TX). This has the feel of a game between two potential bubble teams. It’s a neutral floor game between two teams who appear to be good enough to make the NCAA Tournament, but who will also have limited opportunities at notable wins, so even though it’s early in the season this one still feels really important

-YALE AT NAVY. Why are we highlighting this?? Because it’s a legit good game that’s also potentially important. It is the season opener for a very good Yale team and a Navy team that is favored to win the Patriot League. This would likely end up being a very good win for Yale if they pull it off because Navy isn’t likely to lose too many at home. If Yale is going to make a run at the bubble, they need to win games like this right out of the gate. I submit to the Selection Committee that these are the types of road games that are good to schedule if you want to end up getting selected. Navy may not be a top 50 team, but they are tough to beat on their floor.

-UAB AT NC STATE. Both teams come in 1-0. NC State looks to be a solid tournament caliber team. They’re not in the top 25 right now, but I bet they get into it soon. UAB is a team to watch this year as well. This would be a big early season statement if they’re able to pull off the upset.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-Winthrop @ George Mason – both teams are 1-0, and both have the potential to have decent years this year. For Winthrop, it’s a chance to follow up their win in the Field of 68 Marathon with a very good win away from home

-Troy @ Furman – Troy picked up a really nice win at Kent State in their opener and has another tough road test tonight. Furman has potential this year, but they were beaten badly by High Point in their season opener and are looking to bounce back

-Washington State @ Davidson – this is a winnable game for Davidson which would get them to 2-0

-Sacred Heart @ Duquesne – Both teams are 1-0, and this is perhaps a winnable road game for a Sacred Heart team that’s looking pretty good this year

-Sam Houston @ Texas Tech – it’s a buy game, and it looks to be a huge mismatch between a legit top ten team and another team that isn’t likely to land anywhere near the bubble, but Same Houston does at least have a pulse and it’s a semi-interesting regional matchup

-VMI @ Southern Indiana – this is Chad’s pick to win the SoCon versus my pick to be the dark horse in the OVC!! THIS MAY BE THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR!!!

-Youngstown State @ Grand Canyon – It’s the season opener for GCU, and they have a decent shot at making a run at the bubble. Having said that, they better not overlook Youngstown State. The Penguins are likely overmatched, but are still good enough to beat a team that overlooks them. They lost their opener to Pittsburgh, but didn’t look bad at all in that game.

-McNeese @ Santa Clara – both teams come in 1-0 and both have high expectations for this year. With that being said, this is a good early opportunity for both of these teams

-Chattanooga @ Saint Mary’s – this is likely a mismatch that favors Saint Mary’s, but Chattanooga is one of the best teams in the SoCon and it will be interesting to see what they can do in a game like this

CRAPPY BUY GAMES:

-Boston U @ Northwestern – both teams 1-0
-Tulsa @ Rhode Island – both teams 1-0
-PFW @ Ohio State
-Oakland @ Purdue
-Valparaiso @ Kentucky – both teams 1-0
-Arkansas State @ Stephen F Austin – both teams 1-0
-Alabama State @ Florida State
-Western Illinois @ Iowa
-Georgia State @ Cincinnati
-Morehead State @ Wake Forest – both teams 1-0
-NC Central @ Virginia
-Longwood @ Pittsburgh – both teams 1-0
-Detroit Mercy @ Notre Dame
-Gardner Webb @ Clemson
-UMass Lowell @ UConn – both teams 1-0
-UL Monroe @ Ole Miss
-Wagner @ Seton Hall
-Bryant @ Georgia Tech
-SEMO @ Missouri – SEMO will make some noise in the OVC, but is overmatched in this one
-Kansas City @ Southern Illinois – both teams 1-0
-Stonehill @ DePaul – both teams 1-0
-FGCU @ Illinois – both teams 1-0
-Northern Illinois @ Wisconsin – both teams 1-0
-Utah Tech @ Arizona – both teams unbeaten
-Idaho State @ San Diego – both teams 1-0
-Rice @ Oregon – both teams 1-0
-UIC @ Oregon State – both teams 1-0
-Pepperdine @ UCLA – both teams 1-0
-California Baptist @ UC Irvine – both teams 1-0

NEWS, NOTES, AND LINKS:

-It is very rare that I say this, but almost nothing of note happened yesterday. USC Upstate went on the road and won at Fresno State 67-66, which is the third time this season we’ve seen a Mountain West team lose a home buy game, but other than that it was uneventful. So…WATCH OUR HOOPS HD VIDEO PODCAST SPECIAL INSTEAD!!!

Chad Sherwood is joined by Rocco Miller, Zach Singer, and myself, and we discuss the ongoing issues and challenges of scheduling, particularly how so many nonD1 games are bad for the sport, and how flat out unfair it is that good teams from outside the multi-bid conferences can’t get quality opponents to play them. We look at some of the reasons as to why that is, and discuss what we think should (and can) be done about it.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!!! -THE HOOPS HD REPORT SPECIAL – THE PROBLEMS WITH SCHEDULING

Another show that you absolutely must check out is Rocco Miller’s interview with Selection Committee Chairman and Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill – CLICK HERE TO READ AND LISTEN!!

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-Long Island @ IU Indy – this game will almost assuredly have no impact whatsoever on the bubble, but it’s still an interesting game in terms of style. Both like to play fast, and IU Indy was able to score more than 100 points (albeit in a loss) to Ohio State. LIU is the clear frontrunners to win the NEC, so there’s at least a reason to turn this game on tonight.

-Illinois State @ Ohio U – both teams are expected to do well in their conferences, and this is a really good early season game for both of them.

-Central Connecticut @ Quinnipiac – A fairly interesting in-state match-up. Quinnipiac can make some noise in the MAAC this year, and perhaps even win it

-Bethune Cookman @ Miami FL – Miami better watch out! Cookman took Auburn to overtime in their season opener, and with less than a minute to go in regulation had the lead and the ball. This is a very good and very confident Bethune Cookman team, and while Miami is an ACC team, they are not a particularly good ACC team.

HOT GARBAGE BUY GAMES:

-Jackson State @ Louisville
-Campbell @ West Virginia
-LeMoyne @ Xavier
-Robert Morris @ Drake – Drake can get to 2-0
-North Florida @ Florida – Florida can easily bounce back from the loss to Arizona
-Grambling @ Iowa State – both teams 1-0
-Merrimack @ Auburn
-Alcorn State @ South Alabama – South Alabama had the nice road win at Toledo in their opener and can get to 2-0
-Northwestern State @ North Texas – UNT can get to 2-0
-Cal State Nortridge @ Northern Iowa – I like this UNI team and think they can cruise in their season opener
-TAMUCC @ SMU – both teams 1-0
-Chicago State @ Saint Louis
-Saint Francis @ TCU – TCU needs to bounce back after the opening loss to New Orleans
-Denver @ Washington
-Wright State @ California – both teams 1-0

NEWS AND NOTES:

-Hawaii v Oregon had a lot of the sloppiness that you typically see in the first week of the season, but it was exciting, and it was a battle, and Oregon needed a shot in the final seconds to escape 60-59. Hawaii actaully battled back late in the second half and got a lead late in the game, but couldn’t hold on to win it. Still, I think the Rainbow Warriors are a good team that can have a really big year. As a fan of Under the Radar teams it would have been nice to see them pick up a road win like this for their resume, but they have a lot of season in front of them.

-Duke v Texas probably went the way most people guessed it would. Texas battled, and actually fought to keep themselves in it at many points when it looked like Duke was going to establish control, but in the end Duke did establish control and won 75-60.

-Wichita State absolutely handled UNC Asheville 75-58. I know there is nothing to celebrate about winning a buy game, but UNCA is a halfway decent team by Big South standards, and Wichita State hasn’t been halfway decent by any standards in quite some time.

-UT Martin got a surprising road win at UNLV 86-81. This is the second head-scratching home loss in about a 24 hour stretch that involved a Mountain West team, but at least UT Martin is D1!

-And we may already have a Centenary Award update!!! NJIT got a road win at Fordham 72-61. I know you almost never see the Centenary winner come from a conference like the A10, but to lose AT HOME to NJIT (and by double digits) is a Centenary level loss!!

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES (and this is a very liberal use of the word “highlighted”)

-Southern Indiana @ Butler – It’s a buy game, and Southern Indiana is not expected to do well in the OVC, but I think they’ll be a little better than expected and that this game is at least worth turning on for a few minutes

-North Dakota State @ UC Davis – this is a chance for North Dakota State to get a decent road win against. UC Davis team that may make some noise in the Big West This year

-North Alabama @ Mississippi State – North Alabama will likely be one of the better teams in the ASun, but they are overmatched tonight

CRAPPY BUY GAMES:

-Rider @ Rutgers
-Delaware State @ Temple
-UMES @ Georgia
-Southern Virginia (nonD1) @ Richmond
-South Dakota @ Creighton
-Alabama A&M @ Indiana
-Tarleton State @ LSU
-Southern @ Marquette
-East Texas A&M @ New Mexico

NEWS AND NOTES:

-For the most part, it was your typical season opener. Good teams played easy home buy games and won theme easily. There were more games yesterday than there will be at any other point in the season, but there were also more predictable results yesterday than at any point in the season. But, there were still some surprises and some very notable results.

-Arizona’s season got off to a great start as they managed to defeat 3rd ranked and defending national champion Florida 93-87. Both teams play tough schedules and will have ample opportunities to rack up big wins and build big resumes, but Arizona is certainly first out of the gate. They picked up a win against a top five (for now) team away from home. There aren’t too many teams that manage that at any point in the season.

-Villanova, who I was not big on at all, now has my attention. They didn’t beat BYU, but they battled in the second half and were in a position to win the game. The Cougars held on 71-66, but it was a much better showing than I expected from the Wildcats. The few writers that voted for them in the preseason poll may not have been so crazy after all.

-One of the best performances of the day was High Point. They blew a pretty good Furman team out of the gym at the Field of 68 Marathon 97-71. High Point is one of the top Under the Radar programs and has adapted very well to the transfer heavy/NIL era, and was able to reload their roster. They were VERY impressive in this game, and I know it’s just one game, but you can’t help but start to wonder how much noise they’ll make this season.

-All the games in the Field of 68 Marathon were good games. Major respect to those guys for putting together a great event! When most teams were playing buy games and dump-trucking their opponents, these were all compelling matchups. Winthrop got a nice win against Queens 81-74, Saint Bonaventure outlasted what we think is a pretty good Bradley team 69-63, and Murray State and Drake also picked up early season wins.

-Troy picked up a tough road win against Kent State in overtime 93-87. The MAC-SBC Challenge games also gave us some really good matchups. Miami OH looked good in their win against Old Dominion, and Arkansas State also got a nice road win at Ohio U.

Several teams had to sweat more than expected.

-UCLA had trouble putting Eastern Washington away, but held on 80-74.

-Auburn needed overtime to get past Bethune Cookman 95-90, and Cookman actually had a chance to go up two possessions with less than a minute to go, but Auburn came up with a big defensive stop. It was heartbreaking for Cookman and would have been a monster win, but this is a really good Cookman team that seems positioned to have a big season. The SWAC has a lot of good teams this year and will likely do much better than the 16 line.

-Colgate hung with Michigan State for a while, and this was not a Colgate team we were expecting much out of in the Patriot League. The Spartans got control of the game and won 80-69, but it took them a while to do it.

-Georgia Tech needed overtime to get past Maryland Eastern Shore 56-52. UMES is expected by many to be among the worst teams in all of D1. Not a great start for the Yellowjackets.

And, there were a few upsets!!

-New Orleans, who I wasn’t expecting anything out of this year at all but who Rocco Miller seemed to like, went into TCU and got a 78-74 win. This is a fantastic start to the season for UNO!!

-And last, and certainly least Boise State, who all of us except Joby Fortson were expecitng to have a real shot at making the NCAA Tournament, lost at home to D2 Hawaii Pacific 79-78. This game actually won’t impact the metrics that badly because most of them do not account for nonD1 games, but this will absolutely torpedo their tournament resume!!

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-TEXAS VS DUKE (Charlotte NC) – Many, including myself, feel that Duke is a Final Four contender and is the clear favorite to win this game, but Texas has some life in them. Sean Miller takes over as head coach and is trying to build Texas’s program back up. A win tonight would be a very quick and very major step forward in regards to changing the perception of that team, not to mention it would put a high level quality win on their resume.

-HAWAII AT OREGON – I like this Hawaii team and think they can make quite a bit of noise in the Big West this year, and perhaps even compete to win the Big West. Having said that, this is a very tough road assignment against an Oregon team that’s rebuilding, but also seems to have reloaded with talent.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-UNC Asheville @ Wichita State – it’s not the best game, but at least both teams appear to have a pulse, and it’s good chance for UNCA to get a really solid road win in their opener

-Louisiana Tech @ Nevada – LA Tech is a team from CUSA that has a little bit of promise. A road win tonight would be really nice for them and a great way to start the season

-Long Beach State @ San Diego State – this isn’t a bad regional matchup to play, but tonight it’s a huge mismatch. Beach just isn’t what they used to be

-Portland State @ Stanford – this is a buy game, but I’m listing it here because it wouldn’t shock me if Portland State won this one

CRAPPY BUY GAMES:

-Evansville @ Purdue
-Nicholls @ Kentucky
-NC A&T @ South Carolina
-Alcorn State @ Florida State
-Mount Saint Mary’s @ West Virginia
-Lindenwood @ Texas Tech
-UNC Greensboro @ Kansas State – far from the worst buy game, but still a buy game
-Oral Roberts @ Oklahoma State
-Robert Morris @ Iowa
-Cal Poly Humboldt (nonD1) @ Santa Clara
-UT Martin @ UNLV