NCAA Basketball: 5 biggest opening week games of 2022-23 season
By Matt Melton
As the 2022-23 NCAA Basketball season gets set to officially tipoff Monday night, all eyes around the college basketball world will be searching for which games to watch for in the opening week slate.
Well, here are five of the biggest that you should be watching for during the opening week of the 2022-23 season, as well as when each is set to be played. (Games considered from Monday, November 7 through Sunday, November 13)
Gonzaga vs Michigan State – 11/11 at 6:30 PM ET on ESPN
Arguably NCAA basketball’s biggest opening week game comes Friday night as Gonzaga takes on Michigan State aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the 2022 Peraton Armed Forces Classic. Two of college basketball’s premier brands, the Bulldogs will come into this contest ranked as the No. 2 team in the country led by national player of the year contender Drew Timme, with this contest also marking the first of four-straight games against a ranked team for the Spartans (also play Kentucky, Villanova, and Alabama – potentially five-straight should they play Oregon in Phil Knight Invitational).
Tennessee vs Colorado – 11/13 at 2:00 PM ET on ESPN
One of the final games of the week, Tennessee and Colorado are set to collide Sunday afternoon in Nashville for an intriguing SEC/Pac-12 matchup. The Volunteers, who are ranked No. 11 entering the season, have about as talented a roster as any in the SEC, while Colorado was one of the top teams in the Pac-12 a year ago, finishing with a 21-12 overall record.
Vanderbilt vs Memphis – 11/7 at 8:00 PM ET on SEC Network+/ESPN+
If you’re looking for the biggest game Monday night to officially begin the 2022-23 NCAA Basketball season, there aren’t many more intriguing than the Tennessee in-state showdown between Vanderbilt and Memphis. A game that the Commodores will host in Nashville, Vanderbilt is coming off one of their best seasons in recent years, with this also being the first game in a Memphis uniform for top AAC offseason transfer Kendric Davis.
Boise State vs Washington State – 11/12 at 7:00 PM ET on TBD
One of the top teams from the Mountain West a year ago, Boise State is set to host Washington State on Saturday night in an intriguing matchup out west. The Broncos could be one of the best in the Mountain West once again this season, and will certainly be put to the test against a Cougars team that was among the top half of the Pac-12 a year ago.
San Diego State vs BYU – 11/11 at 10:30 PM ET on TBD
Next. How would Gonzaga fare in the Big 12?. dark
Another big game to watch for Friday night comes out west as San Diego State hosts BYU inside Viejas Arena. Ranked as the No. 19 team in the country, the Aztecs are the arguable preseason favorite in the Mountain West, and will be put to the test early against a BYU team that should be among the better teams in the WCC.