All around the country, someone in vertical stripes will toss a ball straight up to commence the season. Isn't it beautiful? Today, 19 ranked teams will open their schedule, most in the comfy confines of home, and others playing neutral site games from Brooklyn to South Korea. Here are the games to watch tonight:
(1) Kentucky vs UNC-Asheville: No, this will not be a close game. This is the first chance to see how well Calipari's elite group of underclassmen perform as a group. Randle should be dominant. The Harrison twins will score in bunches. James Young will impress. Watch this game for sheer entertainment value. The game will be telecast on ESPN3.
(5) Kansas vs. UL Monroe: This will be a blowout as well. Like the Kentucky game above, this is a notable game because it marks the collegiate debut of Joel Embiid, Wayne Selden, and top NBA Draft choice hopeful Andrew Wiggins. The 3 top frosh may not play many minutes together (due to the score of the game) but the time they do spend on the court as a unit could be magical to watch. The game will be telecast on ESPN3.
(19) Oregon vs. Georgetown: From a military base on South Korea, Oregon vs. Georgetown is the marquee matchup of opening night. Oregon is a talented team who recently lost point guard Dominic Artis to a suspension for selling his team-given shoes. Georgetown lost their best player in Otto Porter, but return many veterans who could make a run at a Big East Championship. This is the game to watch of the day, and will be shown on ESPN.
(20) Wisconsin vs. St. John's: Talk about a contrast in styles. St. John's boasts a bevy of raw athletes and streaky scorers. They have, perhaps, the best shot blocker in the country in Chris Obekpa. Wisconsin has sneakily been the best team in the country no one has talked about over the past few years. They have an elite player in Sam Dekker, and valuable players around him that fit in Bo Ryan's system. St. John's will make some highlight plays, but do not expect the Badgers to go away from their methodical ways. This game will be exciting, and is being shown on the Big Ten Network.
(25) Baylor vs. Colorado: I am still very intrigued by Isaiah Austin, who ended last season in a slump. He pairs with Cory Jefferson to make a top frontcourt in the Big 12. If Austin can be a go to guy- perhaps scoring 17 points with a reasonable FG%- Baylor will be team to watch in the postseason. Colorado lost Andre Roberson, but returns PG Spencer Dinwiddie and post Josh Scott as potential NBA players and All Pac-12 players. This will be a competitive game that could head for a down-to-the-wire finish. The game will be shown on MASN2.
Other potentially intriguing games:
Boston College vs. Providence
Stanford vs. Bucknell
Davidson at (4) Duke
No comments:
Post a Comment