NCAA Basketball: Top 10 games to watch on opening night of 2021-22 season
4. Oral Roberts at Colorado State – 9:30 pm ET. on Check Local Listings
With David Roddy and Isaiah Stevens back, the Rams of Colorado State are thinking about both the Mountain West title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. They have the talent up and down the roster to be a top-25 team and can be potent offensively. But not as much as the Golden Eagles, who became the Cinderella of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, thanks to Kevin Obanor and Max Abmas, who led the country in scoring at 24.5 ppg and was the Summit League Player of the Year.
Oral Roberts doesn’t have Obanor anymore but still looks to be a major threat to knock off many non-power conference programs. The guard matchup between Abmas and Stevens will be extremely fun but how the Golden Eagles defend Roddy inside will be a major storyline. But the Rams should be very careful with this elite offensive program.
Prediction: Colorado State 88, Oral Roberts 75
3. Louisiana Tech at No. 14 Alabama – 9:00 pm ET. on SEC Network
The Crimson Tide has one of the best backcourts in the country, led by leading scorer Jaden Shackelford, and point guards Jahvon Quinerly, and five-star freshman JD Davison. Even while dealing with some injuries, this is a Final Four contender as long as the defense remains top-tier.
They’ll be tested by a Bulldogs team that is projected to finish near the top of Conference USA. They’re led by sophomore Kenneth Lofton, a 6’7 and 280-pound big man that was a key piece on the U-19 USA Team this Summer in the World Championship winning roster. Louisana Tech also is a top-10 overall defense and could very well cause problems all 40 minutes for a closer-than-expected finish.