Nothing in NCAA Basketball is won or lost in November, but here are 10 things opening night might have told us about what’s coming up this season.
Duke is the national title favorite
We knew Duke would have fire power welcoming one of the best freshman classes in college hoops history, but nobody could’ve guessed they were going to use opening night to embarrass Kentucky the way they did. I picked Duke as my preseason favorite for the national championship, and I think they just won over a few more people.
Penn is ready to return to the tournament
The buzz around the defending Ivy Champs seemed a quiet leading into the season. Ryan Betley and AJ Brodeur were returning for Steve Donahue’s squad, but some folks seemed ready to pencil Harvard into their March Madness bracket before the season tipped. Not so fast, the Quakers said, going down to Fairfax and knocking off a George Mason team that’s been a popular pick for the A10.
Illinois State is more than Milik Yarbrough
The talk of Illinois State, the team that’s supposed to give the strongest challenge to Loyola’s Missouri Valley title defense, has been all conference player Milik Yarbrough. But in the Redbirds 8 point win over Florida Gulf Coast, Phil Fayne had a double-double, and both he and Josh Jefferson matched Yarbrough’s 17 points.
Wichita State might have more problems than we thought
We knew the Shockers were losing a lot, and Gregg Marshall was going to struggle finding a way to overcome the departures of guys like Shaq Morris, Landry Shamet, and Conner Frankamp, but an opening night 13 point loss on their homecourt to Louisiana Tech might set off panic in Wichita.
Delaware doesn’t miss Ryan Daly
At least not yet. The Blue Hens might not have stolen their opener against their neighbors in Maryland, but a big second half unexpectedly made a contest out of this one. Daly scored over a thousand points in two seasons before transferring to St. Joe’s, but UDel might still be a CAA contender after all.
Washington is for real
Make no mistake about Western Kentucky; the Hilltoppers team that Washington just sank by almost 20 is loaded with talent. I think the conversation around the Pac-12 just got a little more interesting.
Buffalo should circle Ball State
Tahjai Teague shot 10-14 and scored 21 points as Ball State dropped 54 in the second half to secure a 17 point win over Indiana State to open the year. The Bulls might want to start worrying about Ball State, if they aren’t already.
Wofford should play UNC every year
No, the Terriers didn’t replicate the magic they had at the Dean Dome a season ago, and UNC came out with what would be a comfortable 11 point win, but Wofford played the Heels tough and managed to tie the game up in the second half in front of a raucous home crowd. I’m sure it’s a result the Terriers will feel good about to open the year. Maybe there’s just something about playing UNC that brings out the best in Wofford basketball
Temple’s sophomores took the next step
Nate Pierre-Louis had his first career double-double, Dre Perry and JP Moorman both had big impacts with significant minutes, and Justyn Hamilton shut down Miles Brookins who was terrorizing the Owls before Fran Dunphy experimented with the match up. Temple needed their second year guys to take the next step, and it looks like they have.
The Johnnies’ backcourt is as deadly as we thought
Maybe Loyola Maryland isn’t the best barometer, but Shamorie Ponds dropped 20 and Mustapha Heron added 15. This is probably going to be business as usual in Queens.