Welcome one, welcome all, as college basketball has finally arrived. If you have access to Youtube TV, ESPN+, and B1G+, you probably haven't left your house today, or in several days. But no time for showers or gainful relationships with other people, it's time to tip it off!
Don't know who any of these people are? That's just modern college basketball baby! Feel free to click on each B1G team to see OTR's Award* Winning Basketball Previews.
Big Ten Previews
#223 Oakland Golden Grizzlies at #14 Michigan Wolverines
6 ET, BTN
BoilerUp89: The longest tenured head coach in Division 1 travels to Ann Arbor to take on the defending national champions. Oakland isn't as good as they were a few years back, but they are still going to give it their all and fight for 40 minutes. Don't be shocked if Oakland hangs around for a little while before Michigan pulls away late.
#239 Quinnipiac Bobcats at #11 Michigan State Spartans
7 ET, B1G+
BoilerUp89: I'm curious what happens with the Michigan St center rotation, but otherwise this is unlikely to very interesting.
MaximumSam: Give me BONK and give it to me now. He'll probably singlehandedly double B1G+ subscriptions.
#354 Bucknell Bison at #39 Maryland Terrapins
7 ET, B1G+
BoilerUp89: Not really sure how Bucknell has fallen so far, but here we are. Buzz's year two team is going to rebound, rebound, and rebound. That should see them pound buy game opponents into dust.
MaximumSam: I've been bullish on the USS Buzz. Don't screw it up and make me look bad, Terps.
#337 Eastern Illinois Panthers at #25 Indiana Hoosiers
7 ET, B1G+
BoilerUp89: Marty Simmons (1983 Illinois Mr. Basketball and former Indiana/Evansville player) is still somehow holding down the Eastern Illinois job. Don't buy B1G+ just to watch this one.
#8 Gonzaga Bulldogs v. #34 Purdue Boilermakers
Las Vegas, 7:30 ET, TNT
BoilerUp89: Purdue is going to get shredded inside during this game. Daniel Jacobsen has to stay out of foul trouble or things could get real ugly. Gonzaga has lots of depth in the post while Purdue's post depth is... questionable. For the Boilers to have a chance they need to get hot from outside. Easier said than done. I'll also be watching to see whether Caden Pierce or Jack Benter can even begin to guard Braden Huff at the PF spot.
glass: I think Purdue gets spanked and that's ok this time of year. Gonzaga will have the 2 best players on the floor but the Boilers may have 3-7 because I do not trust Xaivian Lee. The smartest plan might be to just let Huff go for 30 and see if we can contain everyone else.
#261 Denver Pioneers at #45 Wisconsin Badgers
7:30 ET, B1G+
BoilerUp89: If only this was a hockey game.
#322 Le Moyne Dolphins at #15 Nebraska Cornhuskers
7:30 ET, B1G+
BoilerUp89: Everyone's favorite Division 1 basketball team from Syracuse, New York travels to Lincoln. While the Cornhuskers are almost certainly still figuring things out with a new look roster, this shouldn't be a huge challenge.
#323 Canisius Golden Griffins at #121 Penn State Nittany Lions
7:30 ET, B1G+
BoilerUp89: Enjoy the win Penn State.
#348 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at #7 Illinois Fighting Illini
8 ET, BTN
BoilerUp89: Bunch of trolls for scheduling this game.
#328 Binghamton Bearcats at #73 Northwestern Wildcats
8 ET, B1G+
BoilerUp89: Northwestern has lost to worse teams under Chris Collins, but it's opening night. They should be plenty focused and ready to play.
MNW: Honestly, it really feels like we're just hoping the 'Cats hold serve until that November 13 date for the Mayor's Key with DePaul. Nothing positive to take or learn from these first few, just lots of exhaling, I hope.
#19 The Ohio State Buckeyes v. #23 Brigham Young Cougars
Salt Lake City, 9 ET, FS1
BoilerUp89: Possibly the game of the night in the Big Ten, it's a road environment for the Buckeyes as they take on BYU. The Buckeyes looked a bit rough during exhibition season and most concernedly, John Mobley Jr. turned his ankle during the second exhibition. The latest update we had on that was five days ago and listed Mobley as questionable with him not having returned to the court at that time. Both BYU and Ohio St have their own 5 star freshman, potential top-10 draft pick. Anthony Thompson and Bruce Branch very well may match up with each other for much of the game, so how those two freshman do in their college basketball debut could decide the game.
MaximumSam: I'm ready to be hurt again.
#316 North Dakota Fightin' Hawks at #80 Minnesota Golden Gophers
9 ET, B1G+
BoilerUp89: Another game that would be a better hockey matchup.
MNW: It already was, and the 0-3-1 Gophers swept the Fightin' Racist-Logos-in-Granite. Get dicked, UND.
#2 Arizona Wildcats v. #24 UCLA Bruins
Las Vegas, 10 ET (or 30 minutes after Purdue/Gonzaga), TNT
BoilerUp89: Arizona looks really good. I'm decently high on UCLA, but I don't think they have the weapons to match up with the Wildcats. If UCLA can keep the game at their preferred pace (half-court) instead of UCLA's (get out and run), they might have a shot. Watch the battle of the European players - Nikola Kusturica for the Bruins and Ivan Kharchenkov for Arizona. Kusturica reportedly cost UCLA the GDP of a small island nation but it still just 17 while Kharchenkov is older and more experienced at this level of basketball.
#214 Montana Grizzles at #41 Oregon Ducks
10 ET, BTN
BoilerUp89: Oregon should be fine so long as the interim head coach isn't terrible. Oh, it's Tony Stubblefield. That may be a problem. Still, Montana isn't projected to be a great mid/low-major.
#212 Colgate Raiders at #74 Washington Huskies
10 ET, B1G+
BoilerUp89: Nothing like flying a team in from upstate New York to Seattle for a college basketball game. You sicken me Danny Sprinkle.
#247 Milwaukee Panthers at #37 Southern Cal Trojans
10:30 ET, B1G+
BoilerUp89: Can the sum of the USC pieces as least equal the individual parts? This is our first opportunity to determine if that will be the case. I'm boxscore watching this one.
Other Games of Note
Miami Florida v Florida Gators, Tampa, 6pm ET, ESPN2
glass: I will let others cover the power 5.5 games as I tend to hyper focus on mid majors when I not watching the Big 10.
There are 2 tremendous events going on today. The Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon and the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. And to be perfectly honest if you wanted to just fixate on those sets of games you'd be in pretty good shape.
The Field of 68 (which will broadcast all games via their YouTube channel) is highlighted by (all ratings per Bart Torvik and, because I not a heathen, all times EST):
#69 High Point vs #140 Liberty at Midnight (probably over by the time this is published) - Get used to the Panthers being a media darling, they've got big $$$ and the Big South is terrible.
#105 Murray St vs #177 Tennessee St at 1130AM - battle between the favorites in their respective Valleys.
#79 McNeese vs #128 UAB at 530 - The Cowboys schedule is such that they need this and about 30 others to land inside the bubble.
The SBC-MAC challenge is fun but rarely consequential on a national scale. All games are on ESPN+ at either 7, 730 or 8pm.
Outside of those two events be sure to keep an eye on:
#152 Howard @ #192 Yale (7pm ESPN+) - The heavy MEAC favorite vs the best program in the Ivy over the last 5 years.
#104 Illinois St @ #66 St Mary's (10pm ESPN+) - We will call the RedBirds co-favorites in the Mo Valley and the Gaels Co-favorites in the WCC.
#179 Robert Morrison @ #85 Nevada (10pm MW+) - I do not remember if MW+ is still free. I certainly hope so.
#186 Towson @ #89 Santa Clara (10pm ESPN+) - Pet Skerry's Tigers have won 19 or more games (out of the CAA) in each of the last 5 season and have still yet to make the tournament in any of Skerry's 15 years in charge. Will this be the year?? No it will not. Also Herb Sendek!
#131 Seattle @ #136 Hawaii (11:59pm MW+) - Two schools I seem to be perpetually excited about.
SICKOS SPECIAL
#246 Northeastern @ #297 Boston U (7pm ESPN+) - Even though they are no longer in the same league, this is a yearly rivalry game. These two have played 153 times since 1921 with Northeastern leading the series 77-76. Neither will be any good this season but over the last 10 games in this series, 7 have been decided by 2 possessions or less.
MNW: a little Peach Basket Beanpotting? sure, you sumbitch, I'm in.
*The award was a half eaten butterburger Alma found inside an old shoe.
