NCAA Basketball: Top 10 games to watch on opening night of 2021-22 season
8. Belmont at Ohio – 7:00 pm ET. on ESPN+
These are two of the best mid-major programs in the country and are expected to compete for regular-season titles in both the MAC and Ohio Valley respectively. Belmont in particular has at-large potential if they can pull off a couple of top-100 wins in the non-conference and the Bobcats have the makings of a top-100 team.
Belmont may have the advantage on paper, thanks to star point guard and triple-double threat Grayson Murphy, along with 6’11 big man Nick Muszynski. Ohio lost star guard Jason Preston to the NBA Draft but does have bigs Dwight Wilson, Bennett Vander Plas, and Xavier transfer Jason Carter. This will be a fun mid-major matchup that could go down to the wire.
Prediction: Belmont 68, Ohio 60
7. Dixie State at No. 1 Gonzaga – 9:00 pm ET. on Check Local Listings
We’ll have to wait until next Saturday to see the Texas vs Gonzaga matchup but the warmup for the Bulldogs vs Dixie State should be a good appetizer for now. The preseason No. 1 team in the country has the No. 1 recruit in the country in Chet Holmgren and the favorite to win National Player of the Year in Drew Timme. Seeing top-20 freshmen Hunter Sallis and Nolan Hickman on the court for the first time also will be a must-watch.
Barring something completely unexpected, the WAC program Dixie State has no shot at making this a competitive game. The only intrigue will be whether the Bulldogs make it to 100 points or not. But seeing a 7’1 unicorn in Holmgren always will be something enjoyable to see on television.