Bracketology 2023: 5 key matchups to watch on opening week

Saint Mary’s vs. North Texas, Nov 13, 8:00 pm ET, Moraga, CA

Conference USA is one of the more underrated mid-major conferences in the country and Grant McCasland’s North Texas Mean Green is a big reason why. They end the first week of the season by traveling to Moraga, California for an intriguing matchup with St. Mary’s on Sunday.

North Texas is one of the best defensive teams in the country last season and part of that is because they also limit possessions by playing at a snail’s pace offensively, although that could change a bit this season. They did lose three key pieces in the offseason but do return one of the best players in the conference in Tylor Perry. The senior guard has nerves of steel and ice in his veins and has no problem taking the last shot with time winding down. In addition to Perry, Abou Ousmane is the perfect complement to Perry as an inside-out duo. Ousmane is the team’s second-leading returning scorer, but in order to get minutes under McCasland you have to play defense and Ousmane anchors the middle.

The reason for more optimism on the offensive end is the introduction of three newcomers who have the ability to put the ball in the basket at a high level. Tyree Eady from North Dakota State, Jayden Martinez from New Hampshire, and Kai Huntsberry from the Division II ranks all have the ability to score and more specifically shoot the ball from deep, combining to knock down over 40% of their attempts last season, giving North Texas to play at a quicker pace if they so desire. But, defense is still important and that’s where Eady, who was an All-Defensive player in the Summit League, and sophomore swingman Aaron Scott who is a burgeoning stud on the defensive end.

This game is the team’s first D1 game of the season and it is the marquee matchup of their non-conference slate, and a win over St. Mary’s on the road would be a big notch in the belt of the Mean Green.

Gonzaga gets all of the ink when it comes to the WCC, but Randy Bennett and the Saint Mary’s Gaels have been a thorn in their side for years. Once again, the Gaels look as though they are just a notch below Gonzaga but are primed to be in at-large contention if the auto bid is out of reach.

Tommy Kuhse is gone but a pair of youngsters are ready to step in and fill the void. Aidan Mahany is a big-time prospect who showed flashes of understanding of what it takes to run Bennett’s system and Augustus Marcuilionis is ready to take on an increased role as a ball handler in his sophomore year. In the frontcourt, it will be time for Kyle Bowen and the latest in Bennett’s Australian pipeline Mitchell Saxen to have much bigger roles this season. Another huge key for Saint Mary’s on the offensive end will be swingman Alex Ducas as he is likely the Gaels’ best shooter.

In addition to this matchup with North Texas which will be considered a strong win for whoever comes out on top, the Gaels have headlining games with Houston and San Diego State and finish non-conference play with another strong game, this one with Wyoming.