Gopher Basketball
I have picked thirty games that I think will be outstanding contests this year. Please note, you won’t see any potential pre-season tournament showdowns among the thirty-I went strictly with games that are set on the schedule. I also leaned heavily upon non-conference games, as my logic is conference basketball play can be so wild and woolly that it can be really difficult to predict which conference games will be key when we’re sitting here in early November. If you can pick only thirty non-Gopher, regular season games this year, I implore you to tune into these contests (and as I stated before, clear December 22nd on your calendar):
November 14, Davidson vs. UNC-There will be plenty of opportunities to watch Davidson this preseason, as they take on UCLA, Duke, and N.C. State in addition to this game. I selected this particular game to watch the Wildcats not because I think they will upset the Tar Heels (I don’t think Davidson will be able to beat any of these heavyweights), but I do think stylistically these teams match up well. Both teams like to get up and down the court and seeing Stephen Curry match up with the athletes of UNC will be interesting. Davidson is more than just Curry-they return all five starters from last season’s 29-5 squad and Jason Richards is a preseason nominee for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top point guard.
November 25, Arizona vs. Kansas-The Big 10/ACC Challenge has begat the Pac 10/Big 12 Challenge, adding more quality non-conference games to the college basketball schedule. The headliner of this contest appears to be this contest, when Lute Olson or Kevin O’Neill bring their Wildcats to Allen Fieldhouse. It appears that Brandon Rush won’t be back from his ACL injury yet (anticipated return for Rush is December 1st, so it will be close), but regardless the Jayhawks will have plenty of talent with Sherron Collins, Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson, Dorell Arthur and others matching up against Chase Budinger, Jerryd Bayless, Jawann McClellan, Jordan Hill, and others. Expect a track meet.
November 28, N.C. State vs. Michigan State-The Big 10/ACC Challenge games this year look like they leave plenty to be desired, but this game should be very entertaining. The contrast between the styles, with Michigan State dominated by the little men (Drew Neitzel, Travis Walton, Kalin Lucas) and N.C. State featuring the great height of Brandon Costner, Ben McCauley, Gavin Grant, and Colin Falls will be intriguing. It will also be instructive to see how the young Wolfpack respond to the hostile environs of the Izzone.
November 29, Oregon vs. Kansas State-I really hope this game gets national coverage, because I think it will be a barn burner. Athletes will reign supreme as Oregon will trot out Malik Hairston, Bryce Taylor, Marty Leunen, and Tajuan Porter to match up against fabulous frosh Michael Beasley, athletic freak Bill Walker, and David Hoskins. Fire up the popcorn popper for this one.
December 1, Indiana vs. Southern IllinoisYou can criticize Kelvin Sampson on many fronts, but you have to admire his willingness to take his Hoosiers on the road to Carbondale to play the smothering defense of the Salukis. I will be interested to see how Eric Gordon matches up against Chris Lowery’s defense. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Indiana in the Final Four, but I will be surprised if they leave Carbondale with a victory. (by the way, Ohio State travels to Butler this same day; I wouldn’t be surprised if the Big Ten goes 0-2 against the mid-majors this afternoon, and prepare yourself for a lot of bemoaning about how weak the Big 10 is this year, but anyone who follows college basketball knows that Southern Illinois and Butler can beat just about anyone on their home courts)
December 2, Texas A&M vs. Arizona-How did Arizona draw the short straw for the Pac 10? Because of the difference in conference size, Arizona and Stanford will actually play two games against the Big 12. But while the Cardinal will take on mediocre teams Colorado and Texas Tech, Arizona will be facing Kansas (mentioned earlier) and A&M. At least Arizona gets to take on the Aggies at home, but they will be severely tested on the front line with Joseph Jones and DeAndre Jordan manning A&M’s frontcourt.
December 2, UCLA vs. Texas-I think I’m going to love this Pac 10/Big 12 Challenge. This game would be worth price of admission alone for the point guard showdown between Darren Collison and D.J. Augustin, but the supporting casts for both squads should make it a wholly entertaining affair. It helps that the game is in Austin, as I see the Longhorns being a bit down this year with an uncertain frontcourt.
December 4, USC vs. Memphis-This one has my mouth watering. Derrick Rose may not have been garnering national attention since seventh grade, but his reputation on the court has surpassed O.J. Mayo’s in recent times. Coming into Memphis off of consecutive games against Oklahoma and Kansas will be a huge test for Mayo and the Trojans. He can go a long ways towards diminishing the critics with an impressive performance here.
December 5, Washington State vs. Gonzaga-Sick of Pac 10 teams yet? I hope not, because we’re not done with them just yet. At least this is a regional rivalry (transgression-ten years ago, could one ever imagine such a vibrant college basketball scene in the state of Washington? Washington, Washington State, and Gonzaga all have successful programs with young coaches and talented recruits lining up on their campuses-it’s like the state of North Carolina has relocated!). Last year, Washington State was able to use their victory over Gonzaga as a springboard to a shocking emergence as a top notch basketball team. They won’t surprise the Zags this year and this game promises to be a tough contest between two NCAA bound squads.
December 15, Louisville vs. Purdue– Okay, I’ve given you a breather to get your Christmas shopping finished up. This should be an interesting Midwest showdown between a young team returning all its starters with hopes of a Final Four versus a young, talented team spurred on by a quartet of freshman. This will be the first opportunity for Big Ten fans to gauge how the vaunted Boilermaker freshman will fare against quality opponents and we can also gauge if Louisville will be as good as predicted.
December 20, Gonzaga vs. Oklahoma– We jump back into the fray with the Zags again, but this time on the road traveling to take on the Sooners. Per usual, Mark Few has loaded up on the non-conference schedule and this game should feature a great individual matchup on the blocks between Josh Heytvelt and Blake Griffin. We should get a good idea of how good the Sooners can be from this game, as they take on a very good team at home. A win here could give them a great deal of confidence heading into Big 12 conference play.
December 22, Florida vs. Ohio State-I’m not one to hype games because of team’s histories (notice that the North Carolina-Kentucky game is not among my top 30 games), as I prefer to focus on the here and now. However, I do think this game will be fascinating to see where each program sits after playing for the national championship a mere eight months ago, but with such a different cast of characters for both teams. By this point, the newcomers should have had some time to gel on the court and I believe we will see some pretty good talent and play on display.
December 22, Texas vs. Michigan State-This will be another stiff test for D.J. Augustin in his quest as the best point guard in the nation. This game should be decided between the backcourts, with two of the nation’s best, facing off (Augustin and A.J. Abrams for Texas, Walton, Neitzel, and Lucas for the Spartans). Rick Barnes’ teams have been notorious for struggling on the road against quality opponents in non-conference games, this is a great opportunity to overcome that reputation.
December 22, Georgetown vs. Memphis-While the previous games should all be very entertaining, none seem to have the potential of matching up two Final Four teams. This one does have that potential and the contrast between JTIII’s cerebral Princeton style offense to Coach Cal’s implementation of the Attack, Attack, Skip, Attack, Attack offense will be interesting to observe. Lots of premium talent will be on display, two of the better coaches in the nation, and what I would expect to be an electric atmosphere.
December 28, Butler vs. Southern Illinois-Since I don’t consider Gonzaga a mid-major anymore and with apologies to VCU, this is a contest between the two best mid-major teams this year. I hope television coverage will be forthcoming for this game, because both teams promise to make the NCAA tournament and garner somewhere between a third and sixth seed. I’m not sure how Chris Lowery is convincing teams to visit Carbondale to take on his Salukis, but if this coaching thing doesn’t work out, I believe he might have a career in real estate ahead of him.
December 29, Mississippi State vs. Missouri-This is another game that I don’t know that we’ll see on national television, but for our sake I hope so. Mississippi State features the best player no one has ever seen in Jamont Gordon and Missouri. . .well, I have a feeling that Mike Anderson is gearing up the Tigers for the extreme pressing and fast breaking system that grabbed our attention when he was at UAB. This should be a very entertaining game, let’s hope it’s not constricted to the crawl on ESPN’s ticker.
December 29, Tennessee vs. Gonzaga-If the previous game isn’t broadcast, we can take solace in seeing Bruce Pearl bring his run and gun Volunteers to sleepy Spokane, which won’t be so sleepy that night. This game could climb into the 100’s for both teams and if it occurs at night, it will be a nice opportunity to practice for New Year’s Eve two nights later.
January 5, Washington State vs. Washington-We jump into conference play with a showdown between the two Pac 10 teams from Washington. The balance of power in Washington shifted unexpectedly last season with Washington’s decline and WSU’s emergence. Lorenzo Romar and his players will try to reestablish themselves in the state and in the Pac 10 with this early conference game.
January 12, Notre Dame vs. Marquette-Existing just below the conference favorites Georgetown and Louisville are several teams that could contend for the Big East championship, with these two teams particularly intriguing. Marquette is coming off what many considered a disappointing season and their terrific three guard lineup of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Wes Matthews could put them into contention for the Big East title. That other Catholic institution could provide quite a bit of respite for their fans after this historically awful football season. Coach Mike Brey returns some key players from last year’s tournament team (Rob Kurz, Luke Harangody, Tory Jackson) plus guard Kyle McAlarney returns after being booted from the team last year for marijuana possession. This early season conference showdown could set the tone for how the Big East season goes for both teams.
January 19, Villanova vs. Syracuse-Both of these teams will be showcasing wonderful young talent and it’s always fun to see a raucous crowd at the Carrier Dome. Per Jim Boeheim’s M.O., the Orange have a pretty weak non-conference slate, so we likely won’t be able to get full glimpses of Johnny Flynn, Donte Greene, and sophomore Paul Harris until Big East play, and watching that athletic bunch matching up against Jay Wright’s athletic bunch should be a lot of fun.
January 30, Kansas vs. Kansas State-Kansas State has not defeated Kansas at home since 1984. Forgive me for being a cynic, but I think the Wildcats best take their opportunity this season, as I don’t see Michael Beasley and Bill Walker sticking around Manhattan for more than one season, and I’m not sold on new coach Frank Martin just yet (I’d like to see him coach a season or two). Easiest prediction of the year: if the Wildcats win this game, the fans will flow out of the bleachers onto the court.
February 2, Nevada vs. Utah State-Midway through the conference basketball season, I offer you a diversion from your normal fare. It will likely be cold out and who wants to venture out on a frigid Saturday night when you could see two of the best seniors in the nation square off against one another? By this point, Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll should be very close to breaking Utah State’s all time scoring record. On the opposing team will be Marcelus Kemp, who won’t set Nevada’s all-time record (Nick Fazekas put that out of reach), but will give Carroll a run for WAC Player of the Year. Both of these players may be underexposed, but both have realistic chances to be playing next year in the NBA and both could lead their teams into the NCAA tournament and cause some major conference team to have a very brief March Madness experience.
February 7, Indiana vs. Illinois-The Eric Gordon game. Even if no one is to blame in this whole scrutinized recruiting story, Gordon will surely suffer the wrath of the Illini faithful on this night, likely their only chance to unleash on Gordon on their homecourt. The entire controversy will hit its fevered pitch on this night and it will be fascinating to see how Gordon responds.
February 16, UCLA vs. USC-I clearly believe that UCLA is the better of these two teams, but I think the Trojans have a very good chance to win this game. Tim Floyd’s squad was able to defeat the Bruins at home last year and he has enough talent to do so again this year. The national spotlight is sure to descend upon this game, and once again, O.J. Mayo will have an opportunity to prove he’s worthy of all the hype.
February 20, UNC vs. N.C. State-I’m really hoping that the Wolfpack can once again emerge as a consistent power in the ACC, I think they would garner the support of a nation that doesn’t want to cheer for either UNC or Duke. Sidney Lowe’s bunch has quite a bit of talent this year and sniping the Tar Heels at home seems very doable. This would be another game where the home team winning would almost guarantee a rushing of the court by the fans.
February 23, Memphis vs. Tennessee-If I could pick just game this year, this would be it. Two massive egos on the sideline who don’t each other in Bruce Pearl and John Calipari. Two extremely athletic squads who love to get up and down the court and push the scoreboard towards 100. Two teams with national championship aspirations. All-American, Player of the Year, and future NBA candidates all over the floor. The intrastate rivalry. Yeah, I want to watch this game.
February 26, Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt-Ready for some more Tennessee basketball? The Volunteers might be prone to overlooking the Commodores just three days after their big matchup against Memphis, but if my instincts are correct, that would be a huge mistake, especially since we’re talking a SEC conference game. I think these could be the two top teams in the SEC this season and both teams bring a lot to the table.
March 2, Indiana vs. Michigan State-The preseason prognostications make it pretty clear that these are the two elite teams in the Big 10 this season. Although both teams have two games afterward in regular season play, this game should go a long way towards the Big 10 regular season championship and a potential #1 seed in the tourney. For Michigan State, it also is the lone home game in a brutal four game stretch with a trip to Wisconsin preceding this game, and games at Illinois and Ohio State to finish the season.
March 8, Louisville vs. Georgetown-Much like the previous game, these two squads are co-favorites heading into the season as Big East champs. If things fall as predicted, the last regular season game for both should be a face off to see who’s Big East champs and who will get a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. (I’ve got my money on the Hoyas).
March 8, UNC vs. Duke-Hey, it looks like March 8th is a pretty good day for college basketball too. You may despise either or both of these programs, but it is undeniable that they have a great, historic rivalry and even when if they’re not fighting it out for the ACC lead, the games are entertaining (witness Hansbrough’s broken nose at the hands, err, forearm of Gerald Henderson last spring). UNC may have a #1 seed wrapped up by this point, but even if they do, the atmosphere will be charged, and it will be fun to see Psycho T coming in to Cameron.
March 9, Kentucky vs. Florida-I see both of these teams falling behind Tennessee in the SEC this season, but I like the rivalry that has developed between these two programs, and I especially enjoy it because Florida has been handing it to Kentucky as of late. I expect Billy G. to have the Wildcats recovered from their early season loss to Gardner-Webb by this point, and I expect Billy D. to have his Gators humming pretty good too. Both teams should make the NCAA tournament, this is just positioning for SEC bragging rights between the two Billys and their respective fanbases.
Alright, there’s 31 games (I just couldn’t get it down to 30), sans NCAA tournament games, not counting the Golden Gophers, excluding the Maui Invitational, preseason NIT, Great Alaskan Shootout, and the ECAC Holiday Festival Tournament! What does that tell us? Get the DVR fired up, start charting out the games, and it’s time to have that conversation with your life partner and explain for the next six months you will need to gain control of the television set and they will need to take control of the household tasks and responsibilities. It’s college basketball season, I’m sure they will understand.
Okay. . .that concludes the college basketball preview and I have gained a new appreciation for beat writers who have to crank out daily copy (Shelman and Fuller, if you’re reading, you have my utmost respect). I’ll be taking a hiatus for awhile, I’m not sure when The Sunday Night Ramble will return, as the other priorities of life need to be tended to for awhile. Between now and then, I suggest Jeff Goodman on foxsports.com for the national lowdown on college basketball; he’s become my heroin-like addiction for the sport, and he updates his blog (Good N Plenty) on almost a daily basis. Thanks for all the kind comments and let’s enjoy together the renaissance of Golden Gopher Basketball!
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