16 can’t-miss early-season games to see in 2024-25
Oct 23, 2024, 02:00 PM ET There’s a lot to look for during the nonconference part of the 2024-25 males’s college basketball season.It’s not simply for 17-year-old phenomenon Cooper Flagg, who will make his prime-time launching Nov. 12 when Duke takes on Kentucky in the Champions Classic(9 p.m. ET, ESPN ). That likewise happens to be the first marquee game for Mark Pope, who actioned in to replace John Calipari– who moved over to Arkansas.The SEC for its part is firmly in its basketball era, and determined to prove it early on, with Alabama and Auburn both wanting a piece of Big 12 leviathan Houston. UConn’s Dan Hurley is continuing to set some of the most tough early-season schedules we have actually seen over the last few years from a( two-time )protecting champion. And, yeah, the other blue bloods will get to size each other up too.It’ll take a while to memorize all the brand-new faces in new locations(quick, name all 36 teams in the Big 10
and ACC!), however seeing some of them in action in the nonconference part will assist. ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, Neil Paine, Joe Lunardi and Jeff Borzello highlight 16 games you don’t want to miss in November and December.
Nov. 8|7 p.m. ET|Lawrence, Kansas|ESPN2 The Cooper Flagg buzz– and it’s all legitimate– has diminished the spotlight on a player who might move previous Flagg and the rest of the field in the nationwide player of the year discussion by the end of the project. Last season, RJ Davis averaged 21.2 PPG and made 40 %of his 3-point efforts. An early burst versus
the preseason No.
1 team in America might remind the country that the Wooden Award
winner might emerge from the ACC– but it may not be the name you expect.– Myron Medcalf play 2:40 Auburn’s Pearl explains method behind difficult nonconference schedule Bruce Pearl chats with the”SEC Today”crew about why he prepared such a tough start to the season and the effect of the Tigers’brand-new faces in the backcourt.
Nov. 9|9:30 p.m. ET|Houston|ESPNU This is the very best nonconference game of the whole season– according to Ken Pomeroy. For Houston, his No. 1 group, this will be an early test of Kelvin Sampson’s post-Jamal Shead lineup. Auburn, the safeguarding SEC competition champ and KenPom’s No. 3 group, has Wooden Award prospect Johni Broome poised to have his best season yet, though the Tigers should still find replacements for starters Jaylin Williams and Aden Holloway. Neither team is what it will be by March, but Auburn is a 64% favorite for this one, per KenPom. — Neil Paine
Editor’s Picks 2 Related Nov. 12|5 p.m.
ET|Philadelphia|CBSSN The Hawks must remain in the NCAA competition conversation for the very first time under Billy Lange. Last season, they ended a 12-year losing streak versus their old archrivals en route to winning the expanded Philly Big 5 (plus Drexel). The Wildcats went 0-3 (sixth place) in the new format, adding to the heat on Kyle Neptune for a pair of unwanted NIT bids considering that he succeeded Jay Wright. Include bubble ramifications to the normal local bragging rights and this ends up being a major early-season test for both sides. — Joe Lunardi
Nov. 15|7:00 p.m. ET|West Lafayette, Indiana|Peacock After making it all the way to the national championship game, the Boilermakers will unquestionably drop off some without two-time Wooden Award winner Zach Edey. But the cupboard isn’t bare for Matt Painter, who returns Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn and includes 7-foot-3 freshman Daniel Jacobsen. Nate Oats’ group will likewise use this game to coalesce a lineup around 3 brand-new starters– chief among them Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi, who knows Purdue well, having actually logged 181 minutes versus the Boilermakers in 6 meetings while he was a Huge Ten player. Purdue is somewhat favored (at 56%) for this home game, per KenPom, though it would likewise surprise no one to see Bama– the AP preseason No. 2 team– take the W. — Paine
Nov. 18|10 p.m. ET|San Diego|CBSSN Quickly enough, this pairing will be a regular event in the new Pac-12. For now, SDSU still brings the banner of a Mountain West conference attempting to prove its 6 NCAA quotes this previous March wasn’t a fluke. Congratulations to the Bulldogs for dipping into Viejas Arena while so many other power programs won’t travel to campus sites. But the pressure will be on the Aztecs to post a résumé-building win in a year in which continuing their multiyear NCAA streak is by no methods ensured. — Lunardi
Last year Arizona beat Duke in Durham. Can heaven Devils return the favor when they
travel to Tucson to deal with the Wildcats once again in late November? Grant Halverson/Getty Images Nov. 22|10:30 p.m. ET|Tucson, Arizona|ESPN2 Yes, I’m a sucker for the standard home-and-home series. Recall, Arizona got away Cameron Indoor Stadium early last season with a 78-73 triumph. Heaven Devils will no doubt look to return the favor at the McHale Center in a fight in between two possible Final 4 groups. While we can’t miss the buzz around Duke, the Wildcats are flying a bit under the radar as they enter a Huge
12 dominated recently by Kansas, Baylor and Houston. Tommy Lloyd’s program is very much due for an advancement.– Lunardi
Nov. 25|11:30 p.m. ET|Lahaina, Hawai’i|ESPN2 It’s worth noting the Flyers are 9-3 in four prior appearances in Maui, including the 2003 competition title and a runner-up finish in 2019. That 2019-20 edition of the Flyers was 29-2 and on its method to an NCAA competition No. 1 seed before COVID-19 stepped in. By the way, among those two losses was an overtime thriller against Kansas in the Maui national championship. Something to bear in mind when you switch from “Monday Night Football” to the nightcap of a power-packed opening day in Lahaina. — Lunardi
Nov. 26|8 p.m. ET|Las Vegas|TBS Both of these groups are ranked in the top five getting in the season, and they are a contrast in styles in between Nate Oats’elite offense and Kelvin Sampson’s elite defense. The greatest key for the Cougars this season will be how Jamal Shead’s replacement performs at point player. Milos Uzan will unquestionably be tested by Alabama All-American Mark Sears. However can the Tide handle Houston’s physicality? I offer the minor edge to Bama. — Jeff Borzello
Nov. 26|9 p.m. ET|Las Vegas|ESPN The projected No. 1 choice in the NBA draft breaking my preseason No. 1 team? In Las Vegas? Yep, I remain in. Duke will have marquee matchups before this Banquet Week tilt (see: the Champions Classic on Nov. 12 ), but breaking knowledgeable college forwards such as AJ Storr and K.J. Adams Jr. should make for an entertaining watch. This game is likewise a test for forecasted lottery pick Khaman Maluach, who will need to safeguard Kansas’ All-American big male Hunter Dickinson. I believe Kansas will be even more along at this moment in the season, so I’ll opt for the Jayhawks to win. — Borzello
Dec. 4|6:30 p.m. ET|Storrs, Connecticut|FS1 Mike Krzyzewski was criticized for his lean nonconference schedules that frequently placed Duke for two months of easy wins before conference play. Dan Hurley has actually taken the opposite technique. This matchup versus Baylor– anchored by former Duke star Jeremy Roach and projected lottery pick VJ Edgecombe– remains in the middle of among the most difficult 20-day stretches in the season. It takes place after UConn’s look at the Maui Invitational (where matches against Iowa State, Auburn and/or UNC are possible) and before matches against Texas and Gonzaga. On the other hand, it’s an opportunity for Baylor to climb up into a nationwide title convo if it can beat the protecting champs. — Medcalf
Dec. 4 |
8:15 p.m.|Durham, North Carolina|ESPN Leading stories of the week from Get exclusive access to thousands of premium short articles a year from leading writers. – MBB:
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Auburn deals with a very tough nonconference slate, consisting of the previously mentioned Houston game, plus
contests against Iowa State
(Maui Invitational), Ohio State (Vacation Hoopsgiving) and Purdue. Then there’s this game, at one of college basketball’s most unforgiving environments, against a loaded Blue Devils team that ranks No. 2 on KenPom. Can Duke slow down an Auburn team that liked to strike quickly last season? Can Johni Broome & Co. prevent all-around phenom Cooper Flagg, who will be playing in his eighth collegiate game by this point? Naturally, Duke is favored at 63 %by KenPom, however Auburn’s ability to contend with the opposing skill, and the crowd, may inform us something about its ultimate potential in March.– Paine Dec. 7|10 p.m. ET|Seattle|ESPN2
Entering this season, a handful of players have controlled the Wooden Award discussion: Cooper Flagg, RJ Davis, Mark Sears, Johni Broome, Wade Taylor IV and others. Graham Ike hasn’t been a popular name because dialogue. He must be. After he led the Zags to the Sugary food 16, this match versus Mark Pope’s Kentucky team need to draw a large nationwide audience– and the opportunity for Ike to advise the nation he’s on that short list of nationwide player of the year prospects, too.– Medcalf Dec. 12|3 p.m.
ET|Phoenix|ESPN2 This is supposed to be a space for nonconference matches, right? Well, the realignment mayhem has actually turned this conference into a battle of two groups from different leagues for the very first time given that 1978– the year Arizona joined the Pac-12 (it was referred to as the Pac-10 then). Beyond that storyline, however, it’s an enjoyable matchup. Mick Cronin believes former USC standout Kobe Johnson can be a pro, and McDonald’s All American Trent Perry looks like a soon-to-be star, too. Arizona’s Caleb Love is chasing after a second journey to the Final Four– and Wooden Award factor to consider. And he’s signed up with by a strong fleet of veterans. Get ready for this fabulous … Big Ten-Big 12 battle. — Medcalf
UConn easily beat Gonzaga last December– and will attempt once again this year in “Storrs South.” AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson
Dec. 14|8 p.m. ET|New york city|FOX UConn’s blowout of Gonzaga last December was one of the first indications the Huskies had a legitimate opportunity at winning back-to-back championship games. The Zags now take a trip across the country to Madison Square Garden for a prime-time Saturday night game hoping to specific some revenge. The Huskies will have an edge on the wings with the sharpshooting duo of Alex Karaban and Liam McNeeley, while Gonzaga’s inside-outside combination of Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike must trigger problems for Dan Hurley’s group. With the game played in “Storrs South,” I lean toward UConn emerging with a win. — Borzello
Dec. 14|8:30 p.m. ET|Tuscaloosa, Alabama|SEC Network One of the styles of these nonconference games is their usefulness as a gauge for groups that lost crucial players in the offseason. Creighton is among those after saying goodbye to leading scorers Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander. The 3rd member of its three-headed offensive monster, Ryan Kalkbrenner, is back, however, along with Steven Ashworth and Mason Miller. The Tide will be a fantastic opponent to check that development against, with Mark Sears and Clifford Omoruyi good sparring partners for Ashworth and Kalkbrenner. Bama is a 68% home favorite in the KenPom model, but the Bluejays could also prove they are possibly efficient in a 4th Sugary food 16 quote in 5 seasons. — Paine
Dec. 21|12 p.m.|Newark, New Jersey|FOX Sports 1
This isn’t a possible top-five or top-10 match like a lot of the others on this list, however it includes two of the more remarkable teams entering the season. For Rutgers, the reasons are apparent. Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are both forecasted top-five NBA draft choices, and the expectations for the Scarlet Knights are the highest in program history. Meanwhile, Princeton has 2 elite mid-major players in Caden Pierce and Xaivian Lee, and the Tigers will get an opportunity for a neutral-site statement win. I’ll take the upset. — Borzello