ESPN Tip-Off Marathon Schedule Revealed

Duke-Kentucky and Kansas-Michigan State headline a slate of 12 games scheduled for the 2012 ESPN Tip-off Marathon. ESPN released on Wednesday the full schedule for its marathon madness, which will air on Tuesday, Nov. 13 with around-the-clock coverage. Although the college basketball season officially debuts Nov. 9—with a handful of games tipping off on Nov. 9 at special locales—the Tip-Off Marathon will celebrate the season-opener for more than a dozen teams competing in the 24-hour event.

Here’s a game-by-game look at 11 of the 12 matchups—the 12^th has yet to be announced—and what to watch for in each (all times ET):

After decades of battling in the rough-and-tumble Big East, West Virginia’s first-ever game as a member of the Big XII doesn’t get much easier. The Mountaineers travel to Spokane for a midnight thriller with West Coast Conference stalwart Gonzaga. Bob Huggins’ team will have to do battle without Big East Player of the Year runner-up Kevin Jones, who leaves Morgantown as one of the program’s most prolific four-year players ever. West Virginia’s young guards will need to be up to the challenge against Gonzaga’s stellar backcourt, led by Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. In light of the loss of Truck Bryant, rising sophomores Jabarie Hinds, Aaron Brown and Gary Browne must grow up quickly if the Moutaineers are to pull the road upset. Deniz Kilicili versus Sam Dower down low is a match-up to keep an eye on in this one. And Elias Harris versus anyone who’s guarding him.  Harris is a flat-out stud.

Davidson at New Mexico

2 a.m.

A midnight game (MST) at the Pit requires no prelude. Two NCAA tournament teams from a season ago square off in one of the signature non-conference games for each school. Davidson returns its top-eight contributors from last year’s team, including all five starters, all of whom were double-digit scorers. Forwards De’Mon Brooks—who averaged an insane 27.5 points per 40 minutes last season—and Jake Cohen will lead the way for Bob McKillop’s bunch. While the Wildcats will lean on their fabulous frontcourt, the Lobos will turn to their loaded backcourt, spearheaded by returning floor general and future pro Kendall Williams. With Drew Gordon lost to graduation, it will be up to Williams and backcourt mates Jamal Fenton, Tony Snell and Demesrius Walker to lead the  way for New Mexico in this late-night clash between stellar frontcourt and dynamic backcourt.

Houston Baptist at Hawaii

4 a.m.

The 4 a.m. (ET) tip-time doesn’t seem so off-putting out in Hawaii, where it’s only 10 p.m. local time. This early morning tilt pits the humorously-named Great West (there’s nothing great about it) against the Big West. Houston Baptist (Great West) enters with higher hopes after a disappointing campaign last season. The Huskies will be improved next season, returning four of their top five scorers and eight of their top ten. Although it won’t be challenging two-time defending conference champ North Dakota for league supremacy, Houston Baptist does have enough to keep this a tightly-contested ball-game for 40 minutes. Hawaii, meanwhile, returns three of five starters from a team that finished 6-8 in the Big West last season. The Warriors will lean on rising sophomore Shaquille Stokes to fill the void left by departing 2-guard Zane Johnson. Hawaii does not, however, have an immediate replacement for lost point guard Jeremiah Ostrowski, one of the most underrated passers in college basketball last season. Ostrowski averaged 9.3 assists per 40 minutes during his senior campaign. Hawaii is a team in backcourt flux. Expect Baptist star guard Marcus Davis to take advantage.

Stony Brook at Rider

6 a.m.

Rider has become an early-morning mainstay during the tip-off challenge. After hosting [and ultimately losing by 18 to] Drexel during the 6 a.m. slot last season, Rider will hope to turn around its fortunes against Stony Brook at the same hour this year. In Drexel, Rider got an early peak at what was a trendy surprise pick entering last season (the Dragons went on to win 29 games and the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title). The Broncs will get a belated look this year at another popular pick to have a breakout season in 2011-12, this time in the form of Stony Brook.  The Seawolves, like the Dragons, won their conference regular season before falling in the American East conference tournament (just as Drexel did in the CAA tournament). Stony Brook will be without three of its starters from a team which won 22 games last eyar. Sharpshooter Bryan Dougher and forwards Dallis Joyner and Al Rapier have since graduated. Joyner (61.1-percent from the floor) led the AmEast in field goal percentage last season, and Rapier was a staple to the Seawolves front line. Rider, which has its own problems after losing three of its top four scorers, would have had no shot against Stony Brook had this game been played last year. But both programs are mired in retooling mode, giving the underdog Broncs as good a shot as they’re going to get.

Northern Illinois at Valparaiso

8 a.m.

There will be ample opportunity to watch championship-caliber basketball on this day of marathon madness. If you have this sudden pang for bad basketball, however, check out Northern Illinois at 8 a.m. The Huskies won just five games a season ago, finishing 3 and 13 in a league (the MAC) which Akron won outright during the conference regular season (though Ohio won the conference tournament and advanced all the way to overtime in the Sweet 16 against North Carolina). Northern Illinois loses its top player from last year’s 26-loss team, which ensures they’ll be

really

bad this go-around. Valparaiso, meanwhile, is the odds-on favorite to win the Horizon League next season. The Crusaders return everyone of significance—all five starters and their top ten contributors—from a team which won the Horizon outright during the 2011-12 regular season. With Butler out of the picture, Valparaiso and Detroit will jockey for the league regular season and tournament crowns. But before it can become star of the show in the Horizon League, Valpo must first play the role of straight man on Nov. 13. Must-see TV.

Harvard at Massachusetts

10 a.m.

The state of Massachusetts will send two teams to the NCAA tournament next season. You can take a look at both of them in this late-morning matchup. Harvard, fresh off its first NCAA tournament berth in 66 years last season, is in position to repeat as Ivy League champs. Tommy Amaker’s crew will be without two-time co-captain and team leader Keith Wright, as well as former starter Oliver McNally, but the Crimson still returns three starters plus all of its main weapons off the bench. UMass, meanwhile, is a sleeper to win the A-10. The Minutemen were an offensive machine last season, finishing in the top 25 nationally in points per game and assists while finishing 13

th

in rebounds. Outside of starting center Sean Carter, UMass loses no one of significance. Chaz Williams is a name to remember in this one. The Hofstra transfer excelled in his first season at his new school. Williams is poised to have a breakout season now with a year of A-10 experience under his belt. Long story short, this year’s battle of the Bay State runs through Amherst. And on Nov. 13, you can catch the two best teams in New England duke it out for state supremacy.

Temple at Kent State

Noon

With Ramone Moore and Juan Fernandez out, Temple has some big holes to fill. One internal fix will be Khalif Wyatt, who came along strong last season for the Owls, leading the team in points per 40 minutes with 20.7. Rahlif Hollis-Jefferson could be poised for a breakout season. His maturation will be pivotal in determining where Temple stacks up in a loaded A-10 next season. Kent State, meanwhile, will be a bigger threat to Temple than you might think. Despite losing four of its top six scorers, the Golden Flashes still have reason to be encouraged about their prospects next season. Chris Evans should excel in an expanded role, while Randal Holt is good enough to compete for the MAAC All-First Team. The Owls and Golden Flashes will both be down, and though Temple has a better roster, home court could be the great equalizer in this one. The Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center is not an easy place to play.

Detroit at St. John’s

2 p.m.

Ray McCallum and D’Angelo Harrison by themselves are enough to make this Tuesday matinee worth the watch. Contrasting styles will converge as the two guards square off in Manhattan in one of the marquee player matchups of the day. McCallum, the reigning Horizon League Player of the Year, was one of the better guards in the nation last season despite shooting only 24-percent from downtown. McCallum shot a sensational 55.1-percent last season from inside the arc. Harrison, on the other hand, did most of his damage from behind it. The St. John’s freshman shot 36.2-percent from 3-point range last season. Of his 441 field goal attempts, almost half (218) were from long distance. Both guards are lightning quick and crafty in the lane. And each will face a heavy workload in 2012-13 as the focal point of his respective school. Chase Simon, McCallum’s sidekick last year, is out in Detroit after graduating in May. And Moe Harkless, Harrison’s running mate a season ago, forwent his sophomore season and entered the NBA draft (Philadelphia, No. 15). God’sgift Achiuwa is another player to keep an eye on this game, if not for his talent, then certainly his name. He’ll be the third best player on the floor, though his name confers greater expectations than that.

Butler at Xavier

4 p.m.

This won’t be the first time Butler and Xavier square off in 2012-13, but it will certainly be the strangest. In Butler’s first-ever game in the A-10, the Bulldogs will square off against the Musketeers Tuesday afternoon as non-conference foes. That’s because the two schools scheduled the game as a non-conference matchup back when Butler was still an abiding member of the Horizon League. The Bulldogs and Musketeers will duke it out for a second time next season as well, this time as conference foes. How cool. Butler notches a league game and a non-conference game against the same opponent, in the same season, despite not changing conferences mid-season. The Bulldogs will rely heavily on forward Khyle Marshall next season. And if Brad Stevens has any hopes of getting back to the Big Dance, which eluded his program for the first time in six seasons, Andrew Smith will have to do a better job impersonating Matt Howard, the man he was brought in to replace. Short of a Matt Howard-like senior season out of Smith—which would require a large spike in toughness as well as an uptick in his 3-point shooting ability—the Bulldogs will be hard-pressed to keep up in a loaded A-10 next season. Although Xavier too will be down next season, having lost Tu Holloway and Kenny Frease to graduation, Dezmine Wells could be a not-so-friendly reminder to Butler that this isn’t the forgiving Horizon League anymore.

Kansas vs. Michigan State (Champions Classic)

7 p.m.

Now we’re talking. Goliath vs. Goliath. Big XII superpower vs. Big Ten superpower. Self vs. Izzo. Magic vs. Manning. Well, not quite that far. It’s safe to say Kansas and Michigan State will each have new looks next season. The Jayhawks have clown-size shoes to fill in the wake of the loss of National Player of the Year runner-up Thomas Robinson as well as polarizing point guard Tyshawn Taylor. Losing sharpshooter Conner Teahan, who was virtually automatic from the left corner, doesn’t help either. Michigan State isn’t feeling any sympathy. Not after losing Big Ten Player of the Year Draymond Green, starting shoot guard Brandon Wood and reserve Austin Thornton. Just how much these two programs have changed next season should become crystallized in primetime on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Can Jeff Withey, who improved by leaps and bounds over the course of the season, emerge as an All-American type talent? Can Travis Releford and Elijah Johnson develop into something more than just specialized role players? Will Perry Ellis make an instant impact as a freshman? Will he even live up to the hype? Meanwhile, for Michigan State, can Keith Appling become “the guy?” Will Derrick Nix finally get into shape? Does Adreian Payne have elite potential? Can he make a big jump between his sophomore and junior season? Is Gary Harris the real deal? Is Jabari Parker on his way to East Lansing. We should have the answers to some, hopefully most, if not all of these questions by nightfall on Nov. 13.

Duke vs. Kentucky (Champions Classic)

9:30 p.m.

The two teams haven’t met since 2001, yet it remains one of the fiercest rivalries in college basketball. Despite being put on pause for more than a decade, the Duke-Kentucky rivalry hasn’t skipped a beat. The vitriol still oozes out of each fan base like sweat. The pent-up animosity, so soon to be released, threatening to tear the roof off the Georgia Dome. Blueblood vs. blueblood. Royal blue vs. royal blue. Two larger than life coaches: Coach Cal vs. Coach K. College basketball’s best recruiter versus college basketball’s greatet basketball mind. March 28, 1992: Woods. Hill. Laettner. The Shot. Then March 22, 1998: Langdon. Wojo. Sheppard. Padgett. 18-point comeback. Each school stealing a game it had no business winning. Nov. 13, 2012: the stakes aren’t quite as high, but don’t tell that to each fan base. Is Nerlens Noel the real deal? Will he even be the best center on the floor? How does Kentucky’s newest recruiting class stack up against its best (2011)? Can Duke shake off the loss of Rivers and become a more efficient, team-oriented offense with him gone? Will the defense shore up with more size along the wing (Alex Murphy)? Plumlee vs. Noel. Murphy vs. Poythress. Kelly vs. Wiltjer. Cook vs. Harrow. Sulaimon vs. Goodwin. The matchups are scintillating. The storylines abound. Two of college basketball’s most decorated programs duke it out under the bright lights of the Georgia Dome. It’s the nightcap of the Champions Classic. And there’s no more befitting stage.