The college basketball season is almost done with its first week but there are some great games of the week to look forward to. You are going to see some tournament games over the next few weeks, and a lot of neutral-site games as well, an easy way for various programs to play high-level non-conference contests. Among the offerings still to come this week, here’s a look at what’s particularly interesting.
Michigan vs. Marquette – Thursday
The really sexy games of this week occurred on Tuesday, with Kentucky playing Michigan State and Duke playing Kansas while Maryland faced Georgetown and Wisconsin lost to Creighton. Among the games that are left, this one stands at the top. Michigan barely got into the NCAA Tournament last season while Marquette missed out. This is an early battleground game which could become a central point of differentiation on two resumes come Selection Sunday next March. If you look through this list, most of the entries involve at least one team which did not make the NCAA Tournament last season. The complication is that some teams missed the NCAA Tournament for reasons not directly related to college basketball.
Providence Friars vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Thursday
The Ohio State Buckeyes are one such team which did not make the NCAA Tournament last season. OSU head coach Thad Matta is one of the better coaches in the country, so it was a noticeable surprise when he fell short of March Madness. It’s not something anyone is used to in Columbus, Ohio. This game marks Ohio State’s first real chance to set a new tone and establish the kind of confidence which was often lacking last season. Ohio State needs to develop the talent it has. A lot of young players were incompatible with Matta’s system last season. The Buckeyes have needed to be very patient with their roster, and this is the season in which the work of the coaching staff must manifest itself. Providence has made each of the last three NCAA Tournaments. The Friars will find out something about themselves here, so it’s not as though Ohio State is the only college basketball team trying to prove itself.
Pittsburgh Panther vs. SMU Mustangs
Thursday
The Pitt Panthers barely got into the NCAA Tournament last season, while SMU was ineligible to participate in March Madness due to NCAA violations. Since then, SMU coach Larry Brown left the program, causing concern that his successor and coach-in-waiting, Tim Jankovich, won’t be able to measure up. This is the first big game of the Jankovich era, and given Pitt’s identity as a tournament team in the high-powered ACC, this is a game both teams could look back on in March. Pitt also has a new head coach, Kevin Stallings, who came over from Vanderbilt.
Rhode Island Rams vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
Saturday
The neutral-court college basketball matchup involves, on one hand, a Rhode Island team which has NCAA talent but did not make the NCAA tourney last season, and – on the other hand – a Cincinnati team which made March Madness but lost in the first round. Rhode Island was not a deficient basketball team last season. It got hit by the injury bug. Star player E.C. Matthews was hurt very early in the season, and the Rams simply were not built to win without him. Matthews is healthy this season, so the Rams think they should get to the tournament this time. Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin almost became head coach at UNLV, but he stayed. The Bearcats should be a tournament-worthy team once again, but Rhode Island offers a fascinating test.
USC Trojans at Texas A&M Aggies
Friday
These teams were both surprises last season, and they’ll try to remain successful this season. USC would have won an NCAA Tournament game had it made late free throws. Texas A&M pulled off the most remarkable comeback in NCAA Tournament history to make the Sweet 16. The Aggies were down 12 to Northern Iowa with 34 seconds left in the second round and somehow forced overtime en route to a win. These teams need to show that making March Madness last spring was no fluke or one-note wonder.
Current College Basketball Top 10 Rankings
1. Duke Blue Devils
2. Kentucky Wildcats
3. Villanova Wildcats
4. Oregon Ducks
5. North Carolina Tar Heels
6. Indiana Hoosiers
7. Kansas Jayhawks
8. Virginia Cavaliers
9. Wisconsin Badgers
10. Arizona Wildcats
