With Parts One and Two in the books, let’s move on to Part Three, where we hit up four of the more interesting mid-majors this year – The Mountain West, the WCC, the Valley, and the new-look 16-team Conference USA.

MOUNTAIN WEST

Coming off the best season in league history, the Mountain West has some ‘splaining to do.  It has been a really poor start for a league that looked like it might be becoming a perennially elite conference.  San Diego State (and maybe Utah State) is probably the only preseason contender that hasn’t underperformed thus far.

• Preseason Favorite:  New Mexico
  At the end of last year (before Tony Snell declared for the draft), I honestly thought that this UNM team was Final Four good.  Even without Snell, I still saw them as Top Ten good.  And, while they won’t actually get there, the 3 losses (UMass, @Kansas, New Mexico State) aren’t all that troubling.
• Most Impressive:  San Diego State
  The only top-tier MWC team that has outperformed expectations is SDSU.  The Aztecs only loss was to #1 Arizona and they have wins over Creighton, Marquette, and Washington.
• Most Disappointing:  UNLV
  The Rebs have bounced back to win 5 straight, but it has been over some rather poor competition, and they did play Arizona tough in Tucson, but it’s hard to ignore the 21-point throttling that they took from UCSB on their home floor.
• “My” Favorite:  Boise State
  Everyone is back from a tournament team (yet still underrated team) last year, including the dynamic backcourt of Anthony Drmic and Derrick Marks.
• Potential Sleepers:  Utah State, Wyoming
  Utah State’s inaugural MWC season will be interesting to follow because of their amazing homecourt advantage.  Wyoming has actually played some real competition this year and acquitted themselves okay, so they might be a decent sleeper pick here.
• Also Relevant:  Colorado State
  They lost a TON from last year, but they still have Larry Eustachy, who can flat-out coach, so they have to be considered relevant.
• Dregs: San Jose State, Air Force
  San Jose State has actually played somewhat well, but they have NO talent.  Air Force is just not competitive this year, as shown by a home loss to the SWAC’s Jackson State.
• The Pick:  New Mexico
  I still believe in this team and think they are the best team in the league.

WEST COAST

The conference formerly known as the “Gonzaga Conference” is still dominated by the Zags, but the rest of the league has really picked it up.  And, with last year’s addition of BYU, it has become a pretty interesting conference.

• Preseason Favorite:  Gonzaga
  The Zags are still the best team in the league, without any real question.
• Most Impressive:  Gonzaga
  Despite losses to Dayton and K-State, the Zags have been solid and haven’t shown anything to make you think they aren’t still the best team in the WCC.
• Most Disappointing:  San Francisco, Santa Clara
  Both USF and SC were supposed to potentially contend for an upper-division finish this year, but both have looked rather bad so far.  Santa Clara is less alarming because they are very young, but Rex Walters is not exactly doing the bang-up job that people thought he would as head man at USF.  He could be on the hot seat if they don’t turn it around.
• “My” Favorite:  BYU
  This team is really good.  And, it doesn’t hurt that they are incredibly fun to watch with their up-and-down style.  Spencer Haws is the best kept secret in college basketball, and UCLA-transfer Matt Carlino is a dynamic point guard.  And, in 2016-17, remember the name Eric Mika, who will return from his Mormon mission ready to dominate in his sophomore season.  Right now, he’s just fun to watch because he’s so big and so athletic.
• Potential Sleepers:  Portland, Pacific
  These two teams will not contend for a top-3 finish, but you have to be careful because they are both playing very well right now.
• Also Relevant:  Saint Mary’s
  Before a disastrous Christmas trip to Hawaii for the Diamondhead Classic, the Gaels were undefeated and looking VERY good.  Now, there are serious question marks, though they did only lose three games by a combined 11 points, so maybe it was just a bad trip.
• Dregs: Pepperdine
  As great as their campus is, that’s about how bad their hoops team has been recently.  This year, however, the Waves are improved and might be going in the right direction, but they are still the worst team in this league.
• The Pick:  Gonzaga
  No-brainer here.  The Zags have incredible advantages in this league when it comes to prestige, resources, and amenities, so it would be hard to pick anyone (other than BYU) over them any year.  This year is no different.  They should win this league going away.

MISSOURI VALLEY

This year marks the end of a long run of stability in the MVC.  The Valley had the same makeup of teams for longer than any other conference in the country other than the Ivy League, until this year when Creighton has been replaced by Loyola-Chicago.  Not only is the stability messed up, but that is a gigantic downgrade.  And, with UNI and Missouri State still rebuilding, there shouldn’t be much challenge to Wichita this year.

• Preseason Favorite:  Wichita State
  The Shockers shocked everyone with a Final Four run last year after a decent season.  This year wouldn’t be much of a shock, as they look like one of the elite teams in the country.  An otherwise down year in The Valley (and without Creighton), should mean a cakewalk for the Shockers here.
• Most Impressive:  Wichita State
  Wichita is among the handful of “Most Impressive” in the whole country, as they sit at 12-0 without really being threatened.
• Most Disappointing:  Bradley
  Bradley was the clear-cut pick as the biggest threat to Wichita (if there was going to be one), but the Braves have been dreadful so far, including home losses to IUPUI and IPFW.  Not coincidentally, Bradley has taken the biggest fall in KenPom rankings from the preseason (134 in the preseason to 246 now).
• “My” Favorite:  Indiana State
  I just really like Jake Odum.  The Sycamores don’t have the horses to challenge Wichita, but they should be able to pull out a second-place finish here and potentially get at-large consideration.
• Potential Sleepers:  Drake, Northern Iowa
  Drake has looked rather feisty so far, and UNI has a lot of talent.
• Also Relevant:  Missouri State
  The Tigers have come out of nowhere to start off 9-2.  I think it’s a bit of smoke and mirrors, but they have been good enough to call “relevant” so far.
• Dregs: Loyola-Chicago, Southern Illinois
  While SIU is widely known for their poor start because of the ridiculous rant by their coach, Barry Hinson, that got national acclaim across the spectrum, Loyola-Chicago has been far worse so far capped off by a home loss to lowly Northern Illinois and a drubbing at lowly Fordham.
• The Pick:  Wichita State
  Probably one of the two easiest picks (along with New Mexico State in the WAC) in the country.

CONFERENCE USA

All of a sudden, Conf USA remakes itself, and keeps itself rather interesting.  There are now 16 teams in this, the largest league in the country, and while it hasn’t been of that high a quality, the conference race is fascinating because of all the inconsistency at the top.

• Preseason Favorite:  UTEP
  Several teams have been picked as the favorites here from various preseason prognostications (cases can be made for UTEP, Southern Miss, La Tech were the most common, but arguments can be made for Charlotte, Middle Tennessee, and even Tulsa, UAB, or ECU), but UTEP is seen by slightly more as the pick here.  But, needless to say, it is WIDE OPEN.
• Most Impressive:  Southern Miss
  The best team so far has probably been Southern Miss, though they don’t have a real quality win on their ledger yet.
• Most Disappointing:  Tulsa
  The one of the plethora of “contenders” here that has looked worse than the others has to be Tulsa, which is upsetting because you have to root for Danny Manning, right?  I trust Coach Manning to turn it around come conference play, though.
• “My” Favorite:  Louisiana Tech
  I love this team led by the unknown superstar, Raheem Appleby.  This team won the WAC last year and brings back just about everyone, so they’re kind of loaded.  The only question is how will they do in a new league with new road trips and schedules.
• Potential Sleepers:  Middle Tennessee, East Carolina
  Mid Tenn is another team from a new league, but they have the talent to compete if they figure it out.  ECU was picked 9th in the league in the preseason, but they look like they might contend for a title – if it all goes right.
• Also Relevant:  UAB, Charlotte
  Charlotte drew national attention by winning the Puerto Rico Shootout (taking down K-State, Northeastern, and Michigan in the process), but have just been okay since.  UAB drew national attention by beating UNC and have been pretty good all year.
• Dregs: UTSA, Rice, Florida-Atlantic, North Texas
  Rice is the typical doormat of this league, but with the expansion they now have some company.
• The Pick:  Louisiana Tech
  I am going with La Tech here because I think they have the most talent.  But, this is kind of a “throw a dart” pick because this league is so wide open – it should be fun.

Here in Part Two of our CBB conference previews, we are now going to hit on the two relevant new-look conferences, the Big East and American, along with the disappointing SEC and the always interesting A-10.

SEC

Kentucky and Florida are very, very good (though they haven’t shown just how good yet) and Missouri, LSU, Tennessee, and Arkansas can be good in flashes, but, generally, this conference is yet again one of the more disappointing leagues in America.

• Preseason Favorite:  Kentucky
  The preseason #1 team in the country resided in Lexington with all their freshmen again.  This team appeared (and is) loaded.  With McDonald’s All-Americans at every position, it’s hard to think of them as anything but loaded.
• Most Impressive:  Florida
  Honestly, there hasn’t really been a “most impressive” team in this league because everyone has struggled.  But, the best team in the league so far has probably been the Gators, who have wins over Kansas and Memphis and only have a 6-point loss at Wisconsin and a 1-point loss at UConn.
• Most Disappointing:  Alabama
  TI used to think that Anthony Grant was a great coach.  I’m not ready to give up on that belief, but I am ready to stop screaming it from the rooftops.  This ‘Bama team is – yet again – too talented to be irrelevant, and yet they are heading down that path.
• “My” Favorite:  LSU
  I think it will probably take a big win for people to finally take note of what’s going on in Baton Rouge right now (St. Joe’s, UAB, and Butler don’t count), but when that happens, Johnny Jones will finally get some credit for the program he’s building down on the Bayou.  Jones brought in stud big man Johnny O’Bryant in his first year last year and has added two more ELITE recruits this year – Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey.  While Martin seemed like the recruiting coup (McDonald’s All-American, 5-star rating), the less heralded Mickey may be just as important a piece.  Either way, with Martin, Mickey, and O’Bryant in the frontcourt, this Tiger team is big, talented and still very young.  They will only get better.  I would not want to play them in March, and if they all stick around, this might be a Top-10 team next November.
• Potential Sleepers:  Arkansas, Ole Miss
  Everyone knows about Marshall Henderson at Ole Miss (though, it is kind of strange how well he’s taken to a bench role – I guess it fits him perfectly because he doesn’t have to share the ball with the second team), but people are not paying much attention to the rebuilding job of Mike Anderson at his alma mater in Fayetteville.
• Also Relevant:  Missouri, Tennessee
  Frank Haith is doing it again at Mizzou with a brand-new set of super-guards.  Marcus Denmon left two years ago and Flip Pressey and Michael Dixon (the latter transferred to Memphis) left last year along with nearly the entire starting five.  But, Haith brought in two unheralded transfers and turned them into stars.  Jordan Clarkson (Tulsa) and Earnest Ross (Auburn) are perfect for this system and Clarkson has put himself into potential SEC Player of the Year discussions.  As for Tennessee, they have all the talent in the world, the question just remains as to whether or not Cuonzo Martin knows how to maximize it.
• Dregs: Mississippi State, Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina
  Not only has the top of the league been disappointing, but the bottom has been simply dreadful.  Northwestern State, Davidson, Manhattan, USC-Upstate, Missouri State, Utah State.  That might be a list of decent mid-major programs, yes.  But, it’s also a list of teams that have won road games at SEC schools.  Quality mid-major programs or not, that is terrible.  And, I left out the UTEPs, TCUs, and Boise States of the world.
• The Pick:  Kentucky
  This is a tough pick.  While Florida has looked like the better team, I still think that, in the end, the talent will win out – and Kentucky has so much talent, it’s laughable.  Gimme the ‘Cats to figure it out and take the SEC title.

BIG EAST

The Big East went from a fantastic, yet bloated and somewhat stale conference to a slimmed down, pretty solid top-to-bottom league.  They lost a lot of star power with Boeheim and Pitino and history with Notre Dame, Pitt, and Cincinnati, but kept a lot of the quality that gave this league the substance to go along with the sizzle of past years.  Plus, the additions of Creighton, Xavier, and Butler just add to the all-around quality of what remains.  I am actually excited for this league in the coming seasons – I think it might have that tunnel-visioned basketball focus that seems to elude leagues like the SEC and Pac-12. 

• Preseason Favorite:  Creighton, Marquette
  This was expected to be a pretty wide open league this year with Creighton (fueled by the amazing Doug McDermott) and Marquette (fueled by the media’s perennial, inexplicable love affair with Buzz Williams) receiving the most preseason hype.
• Most Impressive:  Villanova
  There may not be a more surprisingly good start in the nation that the one at ‘Nova.  This was generally thought of as a borderline tournament team, but Jay Wright has this team playing smart and hard, and they look like a legit team, nationally, not just in the Big East.
• Most Disappointing:  Marquette
  As great as the Villanova start has been, that is how disappointing the Marquette start has been.  They have lost five games and their best two wins were a neutral-court game against GW and a road game at CS-Fullerton.  Their other 5 wins were home games against the dregs of the nation (Southern, Grambling, New Hampshire, IUPUI, and Ball State).  One thing to say, though, is that none of their five losses were particularly “bad” losses, as all five teams are probably going to play in the tournament, but most of them weren’t even competitive.
• “My” Favorite:  St. John’s
  All five starters back, a ton of talent, back-to-back Top-10 recruiting classes, and a national championship coach.  How is this team not better?  They have to be good, right?
• Potential Sleepers:  Butler, Xavier, Providence
  Butler and Xavier are going to cause headaches for every opponent they face, particularly on their home floors, and Providence has one of the best inside-outside combos in the country in Bryce Cotton and Kadeem Batts.
• Also Relevant:  Georgetown
  The one Hoya gone – Otto Porter – from last year leaves a pretty huge hole in this team, but whole rest of the roster returns to a team that did get a 2-seed.  Was Porter that good?
• Dregs: DePaul, Seton Hall
  DePaul is always bad – and this year is no exception.  But, Seton Hall?  What is going on there?  They have already lost to two of the worst teams in the nation – Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Peter’s…at home.  There may not be a team other than Grambling that I would expect to lose home games to those two programs.  And, this is Seton Hall!
• The Pick:  Creighton
  I went back and forth on this one and finally came up with the Blue Jays because I just think that McDermott is that much better than anyone else in this league.  So, with the best player on the floor every night, it’s hard to pick against them over the long haul.

AMERICAN

The new American Conference debuts this year with a pretty strong cast of characters, though Louisville is only in a one-year stopover before joining the ACC next year.

• Preseason Favorite:  Louisville
  The defending national champs were the clear-cut favorites to take the first ever AAC title.
• Most Impressive:  Louisville, UConn
  Louisville did lose to UNC, but other than that has been as good as advertised.  But, UConn – until a home loss to Stanford – has looked as good, if not better, than the Cardinals.
• Most Disappointing:  Rutgers
  The loss of Mike Rice is certainly being felt at Rutgers…too soon?  Well, this team is dreadful.  They have lost 4 home games to mid-majors already, including one to the atrocious Fairleigh Dickinson (yes, the same FDU that beat Seton Hall on the road, but trust me – they’re BAD).
• “My” Favorite:  SMU
  I have said it a thousand times – if I had to win one basketball game tomorrow and I could have anyone in the world coaching my team, I would pick Larry Brown.  And, now, he actually has a couple players down in Dallas, so watch out.
• Potential Sleepers:  Cincinnati, Temple
  The Bearcats are kind of the forgotten team around these parts, but they are still a solid team that should be in contention for this title, even if it’s in an ugly fashion.  I put Temple here maybe as a homer pick, but I do think that this team is getting better and might have something to say about this conference race before it’s all said and done.
• Also Relevant:  Memphis
  The beauty of this conference is at the top, where you have two bluebloods in Lousiville and UConn and then you have a Cincy team that is always good, an SMU team that is burgeoning, and a Memphis team that has somehow been nationally relevant forever without ever playing in a legitimate conference.  Well, the Tigers are for real this year – let’s just see if Josh Pastner actually knows how to do anything other than charm the media.
• Dregs: Houston, Rutgers
  The non-beauty of this league lies in these two teams.  Rutgers is terrible (see above), and Houston might be worse.  They have losses to Texas Tech, San Jose State, and Louisiana-Lafayette and near-losses to Texas A&M-Corpus Cristie and Rice…ouch.
• The Pick:  Louisville
  IThe league is good, and I wouldn’t be completely shocked if UConn or Memphis won it, but in good conscience, no one should pick against the Cards in this conference this year.

ATLANTIC 10

With Temple and Xavier gone, the new-look A-10 somehow feels about the same.  A good, deep league with a TON of intrigue.

• Preseason Favorite:  VCU
  Havoc.  Many thought the Rams were Top-10 good this year, and easily the best team in the A-10.
• Most Impressive:  UMass
  While VCU has struggled, UMass has been ROCK-solid and should have no trouble going to their first tournament since the ’90s.  Chaz Williams is the real deal, but the rest of the team is solid, as well.  Great job by Derek Kellogg at his alma mater.
• Most Disappointing:  LaSalle
  After an exciting (and kind of fluky) Sweet 16 trip last year, the expectations were sky high for Dr. Giannini and the Explorers.  They only lost one starter and should have better health.  But, it hasn’t exactly gone as planned, as the Explorers have lost tough games (all to decent, but not great teams) that are seriously jeopardizing any at-large consideration they could possibly have.
• “My” Favorite:  Saint Louis
  Lost in the preseason love for VCU and the non-conference season love for UMass is the most experienced and, quite possibly, the most talented team in the league.  I love the Billikens this year.  They were playing at a nationally elite level last year and only lost one starter – Kwamain Mitchell – who was hurt for much of the season last year.  Don’t sleep on the Billikens.
• Potential Sleepers:  St. Joe’s, Richmond
  A talented team with an overrated coach (St. Joe’s) and a scrappy team with an underrated coach (Richmond) could each cause different kinds of problems for the top of the A-10 this year.
• Also Relevant:  GW, Dayton
  Dayton actually found themselves in the AP Top 25 earlier this year – and justifiably so – after a phenomenal showing in Maui.  GW is on the brink of cracking the Top 25 right now after a 10-1 start that includes wins over Maryland and Creighton.
• Dregs: Fordham, Duquesne
  No surprise here – these two teams are the perennial dregs of the A-10.  Hey, at least Duke fans can watch their senior point guard (T.J. McConnell) leading the #1 team in the nation.
• The Pick:  Saint Louis
  Call me crazy, but I think SLU is the best team in the league, so I am going to pick them to win it.  I’m not selling VCU, and I am believing in the legitimacy of UMass.  I just think that this SLU team is so underrated that they are the best team in a very good league.

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve contributed to BSB.  Can I blame a newborn, a two-year old, a second job, and TWO job changes?  Well, I’m going to, whether I can or not.  And, while my first post back should be a post-mortem on the Phillies season or my take on the Chip Kelly Era, I’m really just going to start fresh.  A brand-new college hoops season kicks off on Friday with 136 games on the slate.  With 58 more on Saturday and 31 on Sunday, that is 225 games this weekend alone!  So, let’s take a look at the slate.    

THE BEST GAMES OF THE WEEKEND

Friday 6:30 – Maryland vs #18 Connecticut (in Brooklyn, NY) 
In the first collegiate edition of a great season of hoops scheduled for the Barclay Center this year, this is an interesting matchup of one probable tournament team and one potential tournament team.  Dez Wells might be a star this year and, if so, the Terps should be dangerous in their final year in the ACC.  On the other side, the Huskies have one of the best (albeit undersized) backcourts in the country with Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.  And, both team return a lot of core players other than their stars, so this should be decent basketball right out of the gate.

Friday 7:00 – St. John’s vs #20 Wisconsin (in Sioux Falls, SD)
Like the UConn-Maryland game above, this pits one team that is likely a tournament team against another team that – if the pieces come together – might actually have a higher upside.  The Johnnies could be really good this year…or barely mediocre.  The Badgers will always be good as long as Bo Ryan is there.  I guess it’s more of a home game for Wisconsin, but a neutral-site game in Sioux Falls, SD, is anyone’s guess.  

Friday 8:00 – Georgetown vs #19 Oregon (in South Korea)
In probably the game of the weekend, the Otto Porter-less Hoyas travel to South Korea to face a really, really good Oregon team.  The Ducks lost 4 starters from last year’s team, but have the potential to be better this year because of the new faces to Eugene that aren’t that new to the college hoops fan.  With sophomore sensations Dominic Artis and Damyean Dotson in the backcourt, they bolstered their squad with UNLV transfer Mike Moser and Houston transfer Joseph Young (who led the Cougars in scoring last year at 18/game).  They also added a couple stellar JUCO transfers.  

Friday 10:00 – Colorado at #25 Baylor
If the South Korea game isn’t the best of the weekend, this one is.  The Buffs lost Anthony Roberson, but return Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker in one of the more underrated backcourts in the nation.  Baylor is – as always – INCREDIBLY athletic, but will probably be rather undisciplined.  Even on the road, this might be a signature win for the Buffs right off the bat.  

Saturday 2:00 – Manhattan at LaSalle
This is more of a Philly-centric pick here, as the Explorers will try and build off of the Sweet 16 run from last year (with everyone except Galloway back) against a really tough Manhattan team that is the favorite to win a solid MAAC this year.  

Saturday 5:00 – Temple at Penn
And, in a complete homer pick, the Temple Owls open their season with a Big Five game in the greatest basketball arena in the world.  

GAMES THAT MIGHT MATTER COME SELECTION SUNDAY

Friday 5:00 – Oklahoma at Alabama
Come early March, when the word “bubble” is the most oft-used word in sports, this game may be referenced more than you might imagine.  Neither of these teams are probably good enough to compete in their respective leagues, but they both are definitely good enough for Tournament consideration.  And, if they are both on the bubble a head-to-head game – regardless of it taking place on November 8th – could be huge.   

Friday 6:00 – Boston College at Providence
A very interestesting game at the Dunkin Donut Center, as two teams that are kind of forgotten on the global college hoops landscape have legit chances to be relevant this year.   

UPSET ALERTS

Friday 7:00 – Gardner-Webb at Xavier
Xavier is in complete rebuild mode, which is the only reason a Big South team would even have a shot to go in and beat them.  And GW is a veteran team that should be decent this year.  Watch out, Muskies.  

Friday 8:00 – Lehigh at Minnesota
C.J. McCollum is gone and the Mountain Hawks are kind of in rebuild mode, but they brought in one of the best recruiting classes in program history, so if they can gel early enough, they have a shot against a shaky Gopher team.  

Friday 8:00 – Lafayette at Villanova
Didn’t Lafayette beat the ‘Cats last year?  Well, the Leopards are even better this year (though, so is ‘Nova), so who knows?  

Friday 8:00 – Buffalo at Texas A&M
Texas A&M hasn’t recovered from the departure of the incredibly underrated Mark Turgeon and could struggle this year.  Whereas, the Bulls of Buffalo are a decent MAC program that has another decent roster this year.  

Friday 8:00 – Mercer at Texas
Rick Barnes might actually be on the hot seat if not for the incredibly hot seat of UT’s football coach, Mack Brown.  Either way, Barnes has not recruited well lately, which is a death sentence to a guy who has had Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, D.J. Augustin, B.J. Tyler, Terrence Rencher, etc, etc, etc, and never made a Final Four.  And, they welcome an experienced, outstanding Mercer team that returns 4 starters (including their stud PG Langston Hall) from a team that finished ahead of the “Dunk City” FGCU team in the A-Sun last year.  

Friday 9:00 – Oakland at #12 North Carolina
Oakland returns 4 starters from a decent team a year ago for their inaugural season in the Horizon League.  UNC is a little in flux with off-the-court issues  surrounding guys like P.J. Hairston and on-the-court issues surrounding guys like J.M. McAdoo.  I don’t think the Heels will lose in the Dean Dome here, but they better come to play.  

Friday 9:00 – Florida Gulf Coast at Nebraska
Not sure if anyone’s ever heard of FGCU, but they’re not bad.  And, while Nebraska is improving, they are still not really a competitive Big Ten team and are vulnerable here.  

Friday 9:00 – Northern Colorado at Kansas St.
It’s hard to say enough about the coaching job Bruce Weber turned in in his first season in Manhattan, KS, last year.  But, Rodney McGruder and Angel Rodriguez are both gone, and it remains to be seen if Will Spradling and Shane Southwell can step up and lead this team.  And, they have to find out real fast, as the other UNC is one of the more under-the-radar mid-majors this year and might challenge the perennial top dogs in the Big Sky.  Also to note – if the refs actually start calling the game the way they have been asked to, then depth could be at a premium this year, and UNC is one of the deeper teams in the country, whereas K-State is not.  Hmm…  

Friday 10:00 – Cal Poly at #6 Arizona
This is kind of crazy because Arizona is loaded this year, but Cal Poly is a dangerous team that returns a large part of the team that knocked off UCLA last year around this time.  

Friday Midnight – Drexel at #22 UCLA
Speaking of knocking off UCLA, the Drexel Dragons will try and erase the awful memories of a terribly disappointing season last year with one big midnight victory.  But, aside from playing in Pauly Pavilion, there might be a body-clock issue here, as a midnight game will probably favor the West Coasters.  Then again, these are college kids and when I was in college, I was at my best in the early hours of the morning.  

Saturday noon – USC-Upstate at Virginia Tech
I’m not even sure this would be a huge upset.  Va Tech has fallen on really hard times (shouldn’t have fired Mr. Greenberg), while USC-Upstate is a program that is really on the rise (despite a disappointing setback last year) that returns all 5 starters.  

Saturday 4:00 – Wagner at Penn St.
The best team in the NEC versus possibly the worst in the Big Ten.  Still a big advantage for the Big Tenners, but would you be that surprised?  

Saturday 7:00 – St. Joe’s at Vermont
I love to kick St. Joe’s when it’s down, so let me just say that Vermont should probably be favored in this game (I haven’t seen a line, so they might be).  

RANKED TEAMS WITH WALKOVERS

Friday 3:00 – North Florida at #10 Florida
This probably won’t be a very competitive game, as the Ospreys of North Florida are a mediocre team from the A-Sun, but it will give us our first look at dynamic freshman PG for the Gators, Kasey Hill.  And, we should get a prolonged, 40-minute look at him, as they may have as few as five players dress for this game with all the issues going on in Gainesville.    

Friday 7:00 – UNC-Asheville at #1 Kentucky
Our first look at the WildKittens.  Even the best UNC-Asheville teams of recent memory wouldn’t have a shot at Rupp Arena, but this Asheville team is gonna get BLOWED OUT.  Should be fun to see just how athletic and cohesive this new-look UK team is.    

Friday 7:00 – McNeese St. at #2 Michigan St.
While the raw, uber-talented #1 team is beating up on Asheville, the veteran, experienced #2 team should be doing the same to McNeese St.    

Friday 7:00 – Davidson at #4 Duke
Our first look at Jabari Parker and this year’s Dukies is against an always-tough Davidson team.  The Wildcats lost a lot from last year, including 2-time SoCon POY, Jake Cohen, so they probably won’t put up more than 10 minutes of fight.    

Friday 7:00 – UMass-Lowell at #7 Michigan
The first ever D-I game for UMass-Lowell probably won’t be one to remember.    

Friday 7:00 – Cornell at #8 Syracuse
Wait, Syracuse is playing a non-conference game against a lower-level team in the Carrier Dome?  No way…    

Friday 7:00 – Illinois St. at #14 VCU
Shaka Smart’s havoc-filled Rams are loaded yet again.  They get an opening day opponent that is only scary in reputation, as the Redbirds lost all 5 starters and are in compete rebuild this year.    

Friday 7:00 – Miami (OH) at #21 Notre Dame
I’m not 100% sold on the Irish this year, but they should have no trouble with a rebuilding Red Hawks team. 

Friday 7:00 – James Madison at #24 Virginia
Last year’s JMU team that made the tournament wasn’t that good, while last year’s UVA team that didn’t make the tournament was that good.  This UVA team should be better, while the JMU team is worse.  Should be a nice-looking win early for UVA that might not seem as good later on. 

Friday 8:00 – LA-Monroe at #5 Kansas
Welcome to our college hoops lives for a couple months, Andrew Wiggins.  He has a cushy start, as ULM is terrible.  Aside from Wiggins, I might be more eager for the collegiate debuts of dynamic SG Wayne Selden and 7-foot monster Joel Embiid.  While not as heralded (or as good) as Wiggins, they will probably be in our lives a little bit longer before jumping to the Association. 

Friday 8:00 – Mississippi Valley St. at #8 Oklahoma St.
Another terrible team on the road against arguably the nation’s best player.  The only unanimous selection to the All-American team, Marcus Smart, might only play a half in this one.     

Friday 8:00 – Christian Brothers (D2) at #13 Memphis
Hey, Josh, you’re a big-time program  who is now in a big-time conference.  Act like it and stop playing D-II teams.  This Memphis roster boasts maybe the best backcourt in the nation, but it’s pretty crowded with the addition of Michael Dixon from Mizzou, so playing time could be interesting all year. 

Friday 8:00 – Southern at #17 Marquette
I’m officially sick of the massive overrating of Buzz Williams, so I will not be tuning into this one even if it is on one of my 1000 cable channels. 

Saturday noon – Morgan St. at #11 Ohio St.
At first, I didn’t understand the decision of DeSean Thomas to leave OSU for the NBA draft.  He was a STUD in Columbus.  But, then, when I heard that he was signed to a 7-figure contract in France after getting cut by the Spurs, I realized that there is so much more to these decisions than my enjoyment.  Anyway, people are touting Aaron Craft’s supporting cast (Lenzell Smith, Sam Thompson, LaQuinton Ross, etc.),  but I am not sold.  And, it’s just that – not sold.  I don’t disagree, but I don’t know enough to agree.  And, it’s not like we’ll learn anything here.  Morgan is a contender in the MEAC, but no MEAC will walk into Columbus on Opening Day and win. 

Saturday 1:00 – College of Charleston at #3 Louisville
I like this Charleston team (as usual) and like their move to the CAA.  But, Louisville’s press should run over just about any mid-major in the Yum! Center before they have a chance to set their rotations or learn each other’s cuts and such.  This could get ugly pretty quickly. 

Saturday 2:00 – Emporia St. (D2) at #16 Wichita St.
I’m interested to see how this Shocker team deals with the success of the Final Four run.  And, did Cleanthony Early just have an amazing month or is he really THAT good? 

Saturday 7:00 – Bryant at #15 Gonzaga
This is a long trip for Bryant, but I like that they scheduled up the year after breaking through to real respectability.  It should be interesting to see if they can build on a great 2012-13.  But, it won’t start here.  The Zags are too good. 

Saturday 8:00 – #23 New Mexico at Alabama A&M
I love the Lobos this year.  They have everyone back, except Tony Snell, who bolted for the NBA.  I’m not sure why they are on the road at a SWAC team that is usually just looking for a paycheck, but they wouldn’t have any trouble if it was played on Mars.  

Sunday 1:00 – Stetson at #21 Notre Dame
Another Notre Dame game.  My same sentiments apply, though I think Stetson can hang with them for a half or so. 

Sunday 4:00 – Northern Kentucky at #1 Kentucky
The WildKittens are at it again on Sunday and should be able to put on another show.    

OTHERS OF INTEREST

Friday 7:00 – Chicago St. at Indiana
Should be no problem in the first game of the “year after” in Bloomington.  I think they will be better than people think because I believe in Tom Crean, but chances like last year don’t come along too often.  

Friday 9:00 – Murray St. at Valparaiso
This is a great matchup of two of the stalwart mid-major programs.  But, Isaiah Cannon isn’t walking through that door.  Bryce Drew isn’t walking through that door.  Both programs are in a bit of a rebuild, but will still compete for the top of their respective conferences.