NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 8 matchups for 2022 Gavitt Tipoff Games

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - JANUARY 06: Trayce Jackson-Davis #23 and Trey Galloway #32 of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrate during the 67-51 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on January 06, 2022 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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The reintroduction of Thad Matta NCAA Basketball Gavitt Tipoff Games /

6. Nebraska at St. John’s

The Cornhuskers aren’t going to be a very interesting team next season, after losing but Bryce and Trey McGowens this offseason. Seeing who emerges early on will be something to watch but there won’t be any implications for them. However, for a team like St. John’s that can’t afford to lose to Nebraska, this makes it a must-win for them.

There’s also some roster intrigue with the Red Storm, including the addition of Illinois point guard Andre Curbelo. His play alone will determine the ceiling for the Big East program and this game as well. That makes this game interesting enough to watch all by itself.

5. Butler at Penn State

The Bulldogs got a big name in Thad Matta as the new head coach and landed a couple of key transfers in Manny Bates and Ali Ali. Along with returning guard Chuck Harris, Bulter has a chance to be a better-than-expected team for next season. The same could be said for Penn State, which brought back guards Jalen Pickett and Myles Dread while bringing in transfers, Andrew Funk and Cam Wynter.

The Nittany Lions are also a potential breakout team to watch in the Big Ten under second-year head coach Micah Shrewsbury. This game doesn’t have a lot of individual starpower but this could be a sneaky game with NIT implications.

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