College basketball’s opening weekend is upon us. The Gophers open with a pair of games and should get a taste of two worlds, opening Friday vs. soft pastry UMKC (8 p.m. Williams Arena) before getting what should be a good test Sunday vs. Louisiana-Monroe (2 p.m. Williams Arena, BTN). Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook projects the Warhawks to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference, but Road to Selection Sunday tabbed ULM as the Sun Belt’s preseason NCAA automatic qualifier.
The K.C. Kangaroos, meanwhile, are picked to finish third in the WAC, but that’s quite deceiving. Save for perennially strong New Mexico State, the once-proud WAC now arguably holds the title of worst conference in college basketball. If the youthful Gophers struggle with the ‘Roos, that’s a troubling sign right out of the gate.
The Gophers, UMKC, and UL-Monroe are just three of 351 teams beginning the Road to the Final Four, which will convene April 2 & 4 in Houston. Let’s take a quick look at some of the key games on tap this weekend.
Friday (the 13th) Funkadelic (honoring Dan Barreiro’s chats with the late Flip Saunders)
Colorado vs. #8 Iowa State (4/ESPN2) — This one’s at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, and features the Cyclones with coach Steve Prohm making his debut. It can’t be easy following Fred Hoiberg, but The Mayor left Prohm with a full cupboard. The Buffs slipped a bit last year but have been a solid program under 6th-year head coach Tad Boyle. This is how you start a season, Power 6 vs. Power 6. … but play the game on someone’s home court.
#4 North Carolina vs. Temple (6/CBSSN) — This Veterans Classic game in Annapolis should catch Gopher fans’ interest. The Gophers will see Temple in the quarterfinals of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Nov. 19. The Owls will catch Good Ole’ Roy and the Academic Tar Heels without star senior PG Marcus Paige, expected to miss the Tar Heels’ first 5 games with a broken bone in his right hand.
#10 Gonzaga vs. Pitt (6/ESPN2) — The Armed Forces Classic will be played in Okinawa, Japan. The Zags are loaded again, but Mark Few will have to find some guards to go with his stellar frontcourt of Kyle Wiltjer, Domantas Sabonis, and Przemek Karnowski. The Panthers, not long ago one of my favorite basketball programs to watch play, appear to be on the decline. Jamie Dixon needs to extinguish the stale scent surrounding the Panther program.
Stephen F. Austin @ Baylor (8:30) — Say what you want about Scott Drew, he’s built a really nice program in Waco. The Bears annually are a factor in the Big XII. They better be careful here, though. The Lumberjacks again are the prohibitive favorite to win the Southland Conference, and are a popular pick to be a March Cinderella.
UAB @ Auburn (8:30) — This is a sneaky-good basketball matchup in football country. The Blazers stunned Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64, and have most of their key players returning. Bruce Pearl made a dent (albeit a late one) in his first season at Auburn, taking his Tigers on a surprising 3-win run to the SEC Tournament semifinals. It won’t take the Tigers that long to get going this season.
S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y. … Night
Harvard @ Providence — A light slate as college football takes the Saturday stage in mid-November. The Crimson aren’t the Ivy League favorites this year, but they’ll still be plenty good, even without PG and Minnesota native Siyani Chambers, out this season with a torn ACL. The Friars feature perhaps the nation’s best player, preseason All-American do-it-all guard Kris Dunn.
Sunday Stroll
Iona @ Valparaiso (1:30) — Don’t be surprised to see both of these teams in the NCAA Tournament. RTSS pegs Valpo as a Sweet 16 participant, and the Gaels have established themselves as arguably the premier program in the MAAC.
The Gophers & Their Power 6 Peer Group (Alabama, Creighton, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Nebraska, Washington)
Friday
Kennesaw State @ Alabama — Kennesaw picked to finish last in the Atlantic Sun by Blue Ribbon, while the Tide are picked 13th in the SEC under new coach Avery Johnson.
Cornell @ Georgia Tech — Cornell picked last in the Ivy League, the Rambling Wreck 14th in the ACC.
UMES @ Kansas State — A tricky spot for Bruce Weber’s Wildcats? RTSS picked UMES to win the MEAC (Blue Ribbon picked 4th), while the sinking and rebuilding Wildcats are pegged for 8th in the Big XII.
UMKC @ Gophers — As previously mentioned Blue Ribbon picks the ‘Roos to finish 3rd in the WAC, the Gophers 11th in the B1G.
Texas vs. Washington (in Shanghai, China) — The “Shakahorns” are tabbed for 4th in the Big XII, the Huskies 10th in the Pac 12.
Saturday
Texas Southern @ Creighton — Mike Davis’ squad picked to finish 2nd in the SWAC, Creighton last in the Big East.
Mississippi Valley State @ Nebraska — MVSU picked 9th in the SWAC, the Cornhuskers 12th in the B1G.
Sunday
Louisiana-Monroe @ Gophers
B1G Opening Weekend “Upset-O-Meter” (least likely to most likely to get upset)
Friday
Mount Saint Mary’s @ Maryland — The Mount picked 2nd in the NEC
Western Illinois @ Wisconsin — WIU picked last in the Summit League
North Carolina A&T @ Purdue — A&T picked 3rd in the MEAC
Eastern Illinois @ Indiana — EIU picked 3rd in the OVC West
FAU @ Michigan State — FAU picked 9th in Conference USA
UMass-Lowell @ Northwestern — UML picked last in America East
Gardner-Webb @ Iowa — G-W picked 6th in Big South
Kansas City @ Gophers
North Florida @ Illinois — UNF pegged as Atlantic Sun preseason favorite
Saturday
Mississippi Valley State @ Nebraska
VMI @ Penn State — VMI picked 9th in SoCon
Sunday
Coppin State @ Iowa — Coppin picked 9th in MEAC
Siena @ Wisconsin — Siena picked 5th in MAAC
Mount Saint Mary’s @ Ohio State
Howard @ Rutgers — Howard picked 6th in MEAC
Vermont @ Purdue — Vermont picked 3rd in America East
North Dakota State @ Illinois — NDSU picked 2nd in Summit League
Louisiana-Monroe @ Gophers
BuzzBits
(1) Illinois’ first four non-conference “home” games will be at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield as renovations are completed on The Giant Mushroom (now called the State Farm Center). Don’t care what they call it, it’ll always be Assembly Hall to me. Saw my first state high school basketball tournament at Assembly Hall in 1974, when Joe Ponsetto and Proviso East took down Audie Matthews and Bloom, 61-56 in the Class AA title game. I digress. … speaking of the first four, don’t be surprised if the Illini — if they get healthy — are a candidate for Dayton’s First Four games.
(2) Gopher freshman I’m most high on after one look? Dupree McBrayer. This kid’s gonna’ be a player. Can’t wait ’til he fills out. Like the thought of having a good-sized (6-4) PG that can handle. Will take some time, but he’ll get there.
(3) A pleasant surprise coming out of East Lansing is the play of 6-5 guard Matt McQuaid (Duncanville, Tex.). Evidently the guy has some serious court vision. McQuaid had 11 assists in the Spartans’ two exhibition games. Tom Izzo was expected to redshirt McQuaid this season, but that’s no longer a sure thing, even with the Spartans’ sick depth at the guard position.
(4) An upset a day helps keep odor away. Who’s on upset alert this weekend? I’ll give you one for each day:
Friday: Belmont over Marquette
Saturday: Western Michigan over DePaul
Sunday: Bucknell over Wake Forest
(5) The B1G really should win all of its games this weekend (18 total, excluding Michigan and Rutgers games vs. non-DI opponents), but the percentages are someone is going to get knocked off. Banged-up Illinois is the leading candidate playing not one but two decent teams (North Florida & NDSU), and I’d put the Gophers 2nd on that list (UL-Monroe).
(6) Nevertheless, the call remains 2-0 for the Gophers this weekend. Friday it’s Gophers 70-56 over UMKC, and Sunday it’s Gophers 73-69 over UL-Monroe. Steady Joey King will lead the Gophers in scoring this weekend, Carlos Morris in rebounding, and Dupree McBrayer in assists.
(7) We end on a football note. That Sunday hoops win over UL-Monroe will give the Gophers a perfect 3-0 weekend for the U’s Big Two sports, as Tracy Claeys’ Gophers gonna’ pull off a stunner in Iowa City over the #5 Hawkeyes on a late Ryan Santoso FG of more than 40 yards.