Charleston (0-0) vs. Southern Illinois (0-0) – 12:00 PM ET (YouTube)
While there is one game that starts at 11:00 AM between IU-Indianapolis and non-D1 IU-Columbus, the season begins in earnest at noontime in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the historic Sanford Pentagon. The College of Charleston begins the season with a new coach in Chris Mack; his one-time assistant Pat Kelsey took over at Louisville during the offseason. Two notable players stayed behind – CAA Preseason Player of the Year Ante Brzovic and CAA 2nd Teamer CJ Fulton.
There is also a change in the coaching ranks for Southern Illinois – Scott Nagy left behind a perennial Horizon League contender in Wright State to take over as head coach of the Salukis. Kennard Davis is one of three players returning from last year’s team; he was a third team-preseason MVC pick. Ali Dibba was another third team-MVC pick; he played last year for Abilene Christian.
-HAPPY COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON EVERYBODY!!!! There are 199 games today! That makes today the busiest day of the whole season! Quite honestly, well over 170 of them will likely be complete crap. The tendency for most schools is to ease into their season, and to sort of eat their desserts first before getting to the real meat and potatoes of their schedule. The result is a lot of crap games to kick things off, which I do not feel is the best thing for the sport when the opening night consists of 170+ crap games. But, there are a few decent games, including a top-ten matchup!
-It is important to remember that every team is starting off at zero. Even some of the preseason metrics that have a preseason rating will phase out any preseason data and by the 10th game or so will only be using data from this season. It is a 355-way tie for 1st place right now!! All the analysis below is nothing more than my own personal supposition, so take that for what it is worth: not even I think it is worth all that much.
-It is also important to remember that the committee evaluates every game on every night of the season pretty much the same. A tier-1 win on opening night impacts the metrics and shows up on the team sheet just the same as a tier-1 win in late February. So, these early games all matter and they all count. I think the biggest reason Virginia was selected for the NCAA Tournament last year is because they managed an out of conference win away from home against a team that was inside the bubble (Florida) and no one else on the bubble really did. That win came on just the fourth day of the season. James Madison’s big win against Michigan State came on the very first night of the season. So, these early games (and this year they are EXCEPTIONALLY early) still mean just as much as the games that are played at any point in the year. They all count the same in the metrics and they all appear the same on the Team Sheets
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-IU COLUMBUS (nonD1) AT IU INDY. The only reason we highlight this game is because it is the first official tip off of the season that involves a D1 team.
-CHARLESTON VS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (Field of 68 Showcase – Sioux Falls SD). This is a very liberal use of the word “Showcase”…but it is a somewhat interesting match-up. Chris Mack takes over at Charleston and has a chance to get what may at least be a somewhat notable win away from home to start things off.
-SAINT LOUIS VS SANTA CLARA (Field of 68 Showcase – Sioux Falls SD). I really like this Saint Louis team, and if you liked Indiana State a year ago you should like them too. Santa Clara is actually expected to make some noise in the WCC this year, so this is a really good early-season test for them as well. On a day where most of the games are complete crap, this looks like it may actually be a good one!
-MCNEESE VS SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (Field of 68 Showcase – Sioux Falls SD). McNeese is probably a legit top-40-caliber team. The problem is they just do not get that many opportunities for the kinds of big wins that would impress the committee, so their margin for error when it comes to landing inside the bubble is razor-thin. South Dakota State appears to be down this year, but playing them at the Pentagon is still tougher than playing a home buy game like many other top-40ish teams are doing today.
-MIAMI OH AT APPALACHIAN STATE. I highlight this not so much because I expect either team to be anywhere near the bubble at the end of the season, but because I think it might actually be a halfway-decent game. This is also one of a dozen games being played today in the first of two rounds of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge (Round 2 coming in January).
-TEXAS A&M AT UCF. We are really big on this TAMU team this year and think they can end up as a protected seed. They are the road team, and they are playing a UCF team that does at least have a bit of a pulse, so you cannot call this an automatic win for the Aggies, but it still one that you would expect them to win. Starting off the season with a true road win is better than starting off with a blah home-buy-game win.
-TOLEDO AT TROY. Another interesting game on a night where there simply are not very many. I do not think either team will wind up inside the bubble, but both should do very well in their conferences: I think Troy is a darkhorse in the Sun Belt this year. This game is also part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.
-OHIO U AT JAMES MADISON. If you ask me to guess whether or not Ohio U will end the season inside the bubble, my guess would be that they will not. Having said that, I do at least think their chances of doing it are far greater than zero, and this would actually be a really nice road win on their resume. James Madison has undergone a substantial roster overhaul, but they are still good and are still likely to win most of their games at home, so if Ohio U can beat them on their floor the committee will notice that. This game is also part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.
-INDIANA STATE AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC. Both teams are coming off very strong runs in recent years, especially FAU, but both teams have also been completely gutted and are now tasked with rebuilding almost from scratch.
-VERMONT AT UAB. Vermont is the likely America East frontrunner and while this is a very difficult road game, it is not beyond their capabilities to win it. UAB is a team that we think is a top-40 caliber team, but one of their issues appears to be their schedule. They just do not play anybody, which basically means any game they lose will look very damaging. Will they look like a top-40 team on paper come March given what their schedule is?
-WICHITA STATE AT WESTERN KENTUCKY. Wichita State is looking to make a huge improvement this season, and they are starting out on the road against a WKU team that is very talented. This is a really good opener and a good opportunity for both teams.
-QUINNIPIAC AT YALE. An odd game to highlight, but it is a fun in-state match-up between two teams that are expected to do well in their conferences, so…why not?
-MISSOURI AT MEMPHIS. Expectations are not all that high for Mizzou this year. Memphis is talented, but the question for them is can they play up to their potential? They should be able to win this one at home tonight.
-LIPSCOMB AT DUQUESNE. This is a road game that Lipscomb may be able to win. Duquesne had a fantastic run last year, but is faced with a complete rebuild and will be challenged right out of the gate tonight against a Lipscomb team that is expected to finish atop the ASun.
-SOUTH FLORIDA VS FLORIDA (Jacksonville FL). South Florida had a very special season last year, and are beginning this year with heavy hearts as they will take the floor after the sudden passing of Amir Abdur-Rahim. The Gators look like they can be a solid NCAA Tournament-caliber team and should be able to start things off with a win in this one.
-TEXAS VS OHIO STATE (Hall of Fame Series – Las Vegas NV). Expectations are really high for Texas this year and they start things off with a bit of a test against an Ohio State team that is picked to finish around the middle of the Big Ten and could end up making a push for the bubble. While expectations are not as high for the Buckeyes, winning this game will certainly put a big spotlight on them right out of the gate, so it is a good opportunity for both teams.
-TOWSON AT SAINT MARY’S. This is a buy game, and the final result will likely resemble it, but Towson is at least projected to be a conference frontrunner in the CAA, so they likely will not be complete pushover and may be able to play with the Gaels and make it somewhat interesting.
-CHATTANOOGA AT USC. Another buy game, but USC will want to be on upset alert. Chattanooga is one of the stronger teams in the SoCon, and while USC should win this one, they will not if they just completely overlook them.
-BAYLOR AT GONZAGA. A huge game to finish off the night!! After a long day of mostly one-sided affairs, we get a solid match-up between two top-ten teams to close things out!! I think Baylor is a likely protected seed, but Gonzaga is a potential #1 seed/Final Four caliber team, and given that they are playing at home the Zags should win this. But, it is still a great opportunity to get a massive win that will most likely mean a lot come March when the committee evaluates both these teams, and it is a great early season showcase for the fans! Teams have more to gain and less to lose by opening in a game like this instead of opening against a team they got off the pastry cart. For a list of all those games, check out what’s below..
NOTABLE BUY GAMES (or games that might as well be):
-Denver @ Stanford -Valparaiso vs Liberty – I am not that big on the Flames this year, but some at Hoops HD liked them -TAMUCC @ Purdue – TAMUCC should do well in the Southland, but they are overmatched today -Fordham @ Saint John’s -Missouri State @ Butler -Maine @ Duke -Gardner Webb @ Tennessee -Arkansas Pine Bluff @ Cincinnati -Wright State @ Kentucky – Mark Pope’s first regular season game as Kentucky’s coach -Monmouth @ Michigan State -SC Upstate @ NC State -New Hampshire @ UMass – UMass may be able to make some noise in the A-10 this year -Saint Francis U @ Dayton -NC Central @ George Mason -Radford @ Pittsburgh -Fairleigh Dickinson @ Miami FL -Northern Kentucky @ Florida State -Central Connecticut @ Providence – CCSU is likely the NEC frontrunner, but is overmatched today -North Florida @ South Carolina -Manhattan @ Maryland -Robert Morris @ West Virginia – Darian DeVries’s first game as WVU’s coach -Le Moyne @ Syracuse -Iona @ Princeton – We really like this Princeton team and think they can end up in the top-40 and inside the bubble -Morehead State @ Louisville -Charleston Southern @ Clemson -Bellarmine @ VCU -Navy @ Saint Joseph’s -York (nonD1) @ Drake -Texas Southern @ Xavier -Saint Peter’s @ Seton Hall -Binghamton @ Penn State -West Georgia @ Mississippi State – Welcome to D1 West Georgia!! -Tennessee Tech @ Georgia -Howard @ Kansas -Jackson State @ Houston -Mississippi Valley State @ Iowa State -UMES @ Vanderbilt -SEMO @ Bradley – Bradley is the MVC favorite this year -Mercyhurst @ George Washington – Welcome to D1 Mercyhurst! -Lafayette @ Villanova -Holy Cross @ Wisconsin -Lehigh @ Northwestern -TAMU Commerce @ Iowa -UTRGV @ Nebraska -Cleveland State @ Michigan -Eastern Illinois @ Illinois -Florida A&M @ TCU -Delaware State @ Virginia Tech -Coppin State @ Wake Forest -Stony Brook @ Marquette -Long Island @ Ole Miss -Chicago State @ Loyola Chicago -Tarleton State @ SMU -UNC Asheville @ Alabama -Elon @ North Carolina -Lindenwood @ Oklahoma -Cal State Fullerton @ Grand Canyon -Nicholls @ New Mexico -Alcorn State @ Utah -Green Bay @ Oklahoma State -Eastern Washington @ Colorado – This would have been a great game a season ago -North Dakota @ Colorado State -Canisius @ Arizona -Rider @ UCLA -UC Riverside @ Oregon – UCR should be strong in the Big West, but is probably overmatched tonight -Chapman (nonD1) @ UC Irvine -Portland State @ Washington State -Alabama State @ UNLV -Cal State Bakersfield @ California – CS Bakersfield may actually be able to win this one
The start of November means that the regular season is right around the corner: FINALLY! We take this time to recognize the best players in college basketball from the 2024 exhibition season. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel has reviewed all the numbers and is ready to announce his picks for the 5 best performances from the past few weeks based on all-around stats for power conference/mid-majors/non-D-1 players. If you think that he has overlooked anyone then feel free to tweet us your comments.
Power conference: G: Elliot Cadeau, North Carolina: 11 PTS/13 AST/4 STL in win over Memphis G: Seth Trimble, North Carolina: 33 PTS/11-17 FG in win over Memphis F: Tobe Awaka, Arizona: 14 PTS/5-6 FG/15 REB in win over Eastern New Mexico F: Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s: 27 PTS/12-20 FG/13 REB in win over Rutgers C: Johni Broome, Auburn: 18 PTS/14 REB in win over Furman
Mid-major: G: Mehki Ellison, Stetson: 26 PTS/9-16 FG/12 AST/4 STL in win over Lynn G: James White, New Orleans: 23 PTS/12 REB in loss to Southern Miss F: Denijay Harris, Southern Miss: 30 PTS/11-19 FG/15 REB in win over New Orleans AND 25 PTS/9-15 FG/13 REB in OT win over Jackson State F: Allen Mukeba, Oakland: 24 PTS/10-13 FG/10 REB in win over Rochester Christian C: Oscar Cluff, South Dakota State: 21 PTS/13 REB in win over Black Hills State
Non-D-1: G: Brett White, Rochester Christian: 31 PTS/5-9 3PM in loss to Oakland G: Josh Morissette, Saint Anselm: 27 PTS/5-9 3PM in loss to Vermont G: Kashie Natt, LSU-Alexandria: 20 PTS/13 REB in win over Lamar F: Leo Beath, Lynn: 27 PTS/20 REB in loss to Stetson F: Andrew Young, Missouri S&T: 17 PTS/15 REB/4 BLK in loss to Tulsa
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A full panel convenes tonight for our final preseason podcast. We release a Preseason Media Bracket that was put together using the AP Poll, Coaches Poll, Media Day polls, and various other preseason prognostications. We reveal it line by line and debate, discuss, and assess it as we go.
Below is a final copy of The Bracket, but don’t look at it until you’ve watched the show!!
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
We are less than 1 week away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have a little time left to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Sacred Heart JR PG Ny’Ceara Pryor, who talked about leading the nation in SPG and her expectations for this season.
You were born/raised in Baltimore: what made you choose Sacred Heart? When I arrived on campus it was so beautiful and the staff/players were very welcoming. Some places try to sweet talk you to get you into the bag, but this felt like a home away from home with a close-knit family.
You play for Coach Jessica Mannetti: what makes her such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? She crafts her players into what she wants them to be but also trusts them, even as freshmen. She trusts us to make plays and do what is best for the team. We have position coaches who talk directly to us because she relies on them. Ever since I was named team captain as a freshman, she taught me how to be vocal, which will help me with other career goals.
As a freshman you became the 1st player in league history to be named NEC POY/DPOY/ROY in the same season: how were you able to come in and dominate right from the start? Putting in the work was the biggest thing for me. I am 5’3” but did all the work that nobody sees: the work you put in is the work you will get out.
That year you led the nation with 3.7 SPG and led the conference with 17.8 PPG: how are you able to balance your offense with your defense? Defense is WAY more important than offense: it wins you championships! There are so many other things you can get out of good defense: assists, buckets, etc. Scoring points is an individual thing but defense shows how connected you are with your team and how well you know your scouting report.
In the 2023 NEC tourney title game you had 20 PTS/11 REB/7 AST in a win over FDU en route to being named tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? That was crazy: we had a pit in our stomach because it was now or never. The day before the game Coach had us write down what we wanted to get out of the game and what we prayed for. I won a state title in high school and remember telling myself to not make the game bigger than it was. When you make it bigger it becomes bigger, so I just did whatever my team needed.
Last December you had the school’s 2nd-ever triple-double with 25 PTS/11 REB/10 AST in a win over Bryant: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? Triple-doubles do not come easily for a 5’3” guard. I put so much out there so to get that accolade was amazing. My team was very proud of me, but I just put it behind me and moved on to the next game.
Last year you set a school-record with 636 PTS: what is the secret to being a great scorer? Just reading the defense, see how they are playing you, and adjusting. As a freshman a lot of teams sagged off me, so as a PG I just tried to make the right reads. It is all about your basketball IQ.
In 2024 you won the conference tourney again, were named conference tourney MVP again, and made the NCAA tourney again: what is the key to winning games in March? Being healthy: if you are still aching from the regular season then you will lose to a team that is more connected/focused. You must take it 1 quarter at a time and be yourself. You are team captain again this year: what is the key to being a good leader? Knowing when to speak and knowing when to let your actions speak for themselves. I was more vocal last year as a sophomore but not everyone responds the same way. Most people do not respond to yelling but some people need to get called out to get their head into the game. You need to connect with your team and get everybody on board.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? A lot of people have expectations for me but the effort I put in will show itself, and when it does then the people who have my back will be proven right. Some of my goals are being a better leader, turning us into the best team that we can be, trusting in my coaches, etc. Accolades do not matter to me: it is all about winning, and the accolades will come if you put the work in. We are trying to get the 3-peat this season.
Chad is joined by Rocco, David, and the other David for the Under the Radar Preseason Special. We run through each of the 22 UTR conferences and discuss all of the league frontrunners as well as some interesting notes. Grand Canyon, McNeese, and Princeton are among the teams that we think could do more than just win their conferences, but make a run at landing inside the bubble. We discuss all that, and more. And, as we do every week, we close with this week’s UTR Top Ten.
