Preview Roundups
November 06, 2018
Chicago St. at Indiana 6:30 PM ET
One of the more hyped newcomers in the Big Ten this season is 2018 Indiana Mr. Basketball Romeo Langford, voted the unanimous preseason Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The 6-foot-6 guard begins his college career with the Hoosiers on Tuesday against Chicago State after averaging 35.5 points and 8.9 rebounds as a high school senior while becoming the fourth leading scorer in Indiana prep basketball history.
Siena at Providence 6:30 PM ET
Providence has established itself as a perennial NCAA Tournament team under head coach Ed Cooley and a heralded recruiting class - along with some solid returnees - has the Friars pointed in the right direction in 2018-19. Cooley's team begins its regular season Tuesday at home against Siena of the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Wagner at Seton Hall 6:30 PM ET
Seton Hall will attempt to rebuild after the loss of a talented senior class, a pursuit that begins Tuesday against visiting Wagner in the regular-season opener for both teams. The Pirates won over 20 games for the third straight season and picked up an NCAA Tournament win in 2017-18, but gone are a quartet of players that combined to average 52.2 points and 25 rebounds.
Loyola-Maryland at St. John's 6:30 PM ET
Loyola Maryland and St. John's get their seasons underway on Tuesday evening in Queens, N.Y., as part of the GoPrint.com Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper. Tavaras Hardy makes his head-coaching debut for the Greyhounds, while Chris Mullin returns for his fourth season at the helm of his alma mater with a deeper, more talented Red Storm team than the ones that went 38-60 for him the last three seasons.
Rider at Central Florida 6:30 PM ET
Central Florida had high expectations last season before a rash of injuries took away any chance at achieving its lofty goals, but the Knights open the 2018-19 campaign with a healthy roster and will be tested immediately by visiting Rider on Tuesday. B.J. Taylor, who was picked as the preseason Player of the Year by the American Athletic Conference, and 7-6 Tacko Fall were each limited to 16 games in 2017-18 and lead the way for UCF.
Towson at Virginia 7:00 PM ET
Virginia looks to put its crushing loss to 16-seed Maryland-Baltimore County in the NCAA Tournament last year behind it as it kicks off the 2018-19 season by hosting Towson on Tuesday evening. The 2017-18 ACC champs have high expectations this season as they open the year ranked fifth in the nation.
Eastern Washington at Syracuse 7:00 PM ET
Syracuse made a surprise run in the NCAA Tournament last season, and now coach Jim Boeheim has more with which to work as the 2018-19 campaign begins. The 14th-ranked Orange tip off their season on Tuesday against visiting Eastern Washington in the 2K Classic.
Mount St. Mary's at NC State 7:00 PM ET
North Carolina State looks to build off coach Kevin Keatts’ successful first season as it begins its 2018-19 season by hosting Mount St. Mary’s on Tuesday evening. The Wolfpack surprised most last season by finishing in a tie for third in the ACC standings and earning an NCAA Tournament bid before losing to Seton Hall in the first round.
Lenoir-Rhyne at Tennessee 7:00 PM ET
There are plenty of eyes on Tennessee after the Volunteers won 26 games and the regular-season SEC title, but entering Tuesday’s season opener at home against Lenoir-Rhyne the focus is on looking ahead, and not behind. The sixth-ranked Volunteers are a popular pick to challenge Kentucky for the conference title, especially with three double-digit scorers returning from last season, but coach Rick Barnes has emphasized steady day-to-day improvement.
Morgan St. at Villanova 7:00 PM ET
Fresh off its second national championship in three seasons, No. 8 Villanova has a totally different look this time around. The Wildcats lost four starters to the NBA, so coach Jay Wright is bringing a new mindset to the court, starting with Tuesday's game against visiting Morgan State.
North Carolina at Wofford 7:00 PM ET
Seventh-ranked North Carolina hopes to start the season the right way and gain a measure of revenge for an upset loss almost a year ago when it visits dangerous Wofford on Tuesday night. The Tar Heels suffered a shocking 79-75 loss at home against Wofford last December and will have a roster loaded with key veterans to go along with some talented newcomers to face an experienced Terriers’ squad.
Michigan St at Kansas 7:00 PM ET
Two of the top teams in the nation face off in a season-opening contest when top-ranked Kansas and No. 10 Michigan State battle in the State Farm Champions Classic in Indianapolis on Tuesday. The Jayhawks and Spartans lost key players from last season's squads but bring back experienced players as well as some top recruits to make themselves into title contenders again.
Fairfield at Purdue 7:00 PM ET
No. 22 Purdue enters the 2018-19 opener Tuesday at home against Fairfield with plenty of question marks after losing four starters from a team that won 30 games and reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Boilermakers overcame a first-half challenge from Marian (Ind.) University in their exhibition game Wednesday before securing a 75-56 victory.
Wis.-Milwaukee at Boston College 7:00 PM ET
Boston College is coming off its first winning season in seven years and has one of the nation's most exciting players in junior guard Ky Bowman. He and the rest of the Eagles will try to continue the program's steady rise in 2018-19, beginning with a home game against Milwaukee of the Horizon League on Tuesday.
The Citadel at Clemson 7:00 PM ET
Coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011, No. 23 Clemson returns a strong core from last season’s squad and hopes for a return trip to the big dance. The Tigers begin that quest at home Tuesday against in-state rival The Citadel.
South Carolina Upstate at South Carolina 7:00 PM ET
Two years removed from a stunning run to the Final Four, South Carolina opens the season Tuesday at home against South Carolina Upstate energized by the return of Chris Silva and several newcomers whom coach Frank Martin hopes will lead the Gamecocks back to the postseason. The Gamecocks finished one game above .500 and did not reach the postseason a season ago, Martin citing a lack of veteran leadership as a burden that no longer exists.
Youngstown St. at Pittsburgh 7:00 PM ET
After two miserable seasons under Kevin Stallings, the Jeff Capel era officially begins Tuesday when the once-proud Pittsburgh program opens the 2018-19 season at home against Youngstown State. Capel was a former star player at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski and served as his assistant there over the last seven years after head coaching stints at VCU and Oklahoma.
Illinois-Chicago at Notre Dame 7:00 PM ET
Notre Dame looks to forget about a 2017-18 season that was derailed by injuries as it tips off the 2018-19 campaign by hosting Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday. The Fighting Irish were ranked as high as fifth last season before key injuries to Bonzie Colson, Matt Farrell and D.J. Harvey sent them spiraling into the NIT.
Alabama A&M at South Florida 7:00 PM ET
South Florida starts over in coach Brian Gregory’s second year at the helm, with just three returnees on the roster, when the Bulls open the season Tuesday night against visiting Alabama A&M of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. USF had several transfers playing key roles last season who have moved on and Gregory brought in some talented players that he hopes can meld into an improved team.
Incarnate Word at Texas Tech 7:30 PM ET
Texas Tech will have a new look when the Red Raiders open the season against visiting Incarnate Word on Tuesday. However, the focus - balanced offense and solid defense - will be the same as last season's Elite Eight team.
La Salle at Temple 7:30 PM ET
Temple and La Salle dive head-first into the 2018-19 season Tuesday with a Big Five matchup on the Owls' home court. The Big Five is a round-robin between five Philadelphia area schools, including this pair of former Atlantic 10 rivals.
Delaware at Maryland 7:30 PM ET
Maryland looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2017-18 season when they open the new campaign at home against Delaware on Tuesday. The Terrapins dropped 10 of their last 16 games to miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years and hope their talented incoming freshman class can offset the losses of Kevin Huerter and Justin Jackson, both of whom bolted to the NBA after their sophomore seasons.
Delaware State at East Carolina 7:45 PM ET
After nearly 20 years away, Joe Dooley is back for a second stint at East Carolina, which opens the season Tuesday against visiting Delaware State. Dooley won 57 games with the Pirates over four seasons in the 1990s and is back to try to turn the program around, starting with a non-conference game with the Hornets.
Southern at Alabama 8:00 PM ET
Alabama must figure out a way to replace NBA lottery pick Collin Sexton as it begins its 2018-19 season by hosting Southern on Tuesday, but coach Avery Johnson is optimistic the Crimson Tide will succeed in doing so. The one-and-done Sexton and his team-high 19.2 points per game went No. 8 to the Cleveland Cavaliers but players such as transfer Tevin Mack are ready to pick up the slack.
Eastern Illinois at Texas 8:00 PM ET
Texas will be missing part of its talented backcourt when the Longhorns host Eastern Illinois to open the season on Tuesday. Senior guard Kerwin Roach II has been suspended for the opener for a violation of team rules.
Tennessee Tech at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
Former Memphis star Penny Hardaway makes his debut as coach when the Tigers host Tennessee Tech in the season opener for both teams Tuesday. Hardaway, an All-American for Memphis in 1991-92 and 1992-93, has not coached at the collegiate level but the hope is he can turn around a Tigers program that hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2014.
Alcorn St. at Tulsa 8:00 PM ET
Tulsa coach Frank Haith is expecting big things out of his offense as the Golden Hurricane host Alcorn State on Tuesday in their season opener. Tulsa averaged an ordinary 73.5 points - fourth-best in the American Athletic Conference - last season, but could light up the scoreboard if Haith's vision comes true.
Louisiana Tech at Wichita St. 8:00 PM ET
The road to an eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance for Wichita State begins Tuesday night when it kicks off the non-conference portion of its schedule at home against Louisiana Tech. Shockers fans will recognize their team’s jerseys, just not many of the players wearing them.
Nebraska Omaha at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
As dominant as Jordan Murphy was throughout the 2017-18 season, he could do little to keep Minnesota from suffering through one of the more disappointing seasons in college basketball. The Golden Gophers hope the return of their preseason All-Big Ten selection and three other starters can help the program return to prominence beginning Tuesday when they host Omaha.
Coppin St. at Wisconsin 8:00 PM ET
Wisconsin looks to rebound from one of its most disappointing seasons in recent memory when it opens the new campaign at home to Coppin State on Tuesday. The Badgers suffered their first losing season since 1997-98 last year while watching their streak of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances end at 19, and coach Greg Gard hopes his group of core veterans can vault his squad back into conference contention despite being picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten Preseason Media Poll.
Central Arkansas at Missouri 8:00 PM ET
After one of the biggest turnarounds in the nation last season, Missouri looks to build on that momentum in Cuonzo Martin’s second campaign at the helm. The Tigers open the season at home against Central Arkansas on Tuesday.
Alabama St. at Iowa State 8:00 PM ET
Iowa State averaged 24.3 wins with six NCAA Tournament appearances from 2011-17, but stumbled to a 13-18 finish a year ago – the program’s worst season since 2002. Fourth-year head coach Steve Prohm has hit the reset and reload buttons, aiming for a bounce-back season which tips off Tuesday night against visiting Alabama State of the Southwest Athletic Conf
Mississippi Valley State at Nebraska 8:00 PM ET
Nebraska enjoyed a breakthrough campaign by most accounts last year with the program's most single-season wins since 1990-91, but neither that nor a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten was enough to convince the selection committee of its worthiness for the NCAA Tournament. Beginning on Tuesday, the 25th-ranked Cornhuskers hope to write a different ending to their story one season later when they host Mississippi Valley State.
Cal St. Fullerton at Arizona State 8:00 PM ET
Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley has reconfigured
his roster after losing his top three scorers and faces of last season’s
successful “Guard U” program identity. The new-look Sun Devils’ first challenge
is Tuesday night’s season opener against visiting Cal State Fullerton, the
defending Big West Tournament champion.
Maryland - E. Shore at Georgetown 8:30 PM ET
Year two of the Patrick Ewing era begins Tuesday when Georgetown faces visiting Maryland-Eastern Shore in a non-conference game. Ewing is keeping his expectations close to the vest but with the return of one of the nation's top big men in Jessie Govan, the Hoyas should start off on the right foot against the Hawks.
Western Illinois at Creighton 8:30 PM ET
Creighton has won 20 games in seven of the eight seasons under coach Greg McDermott, but the Blue Jays will be hard pressed to keep that streak moving forward this season with a scholarship roster that consists of eight underclassmen and four upperclassmen. The challenge will begin on Tuesday when they host Western Illinois, a team that has won 48 games over the past five seasons.
Indiana - Purdue at Xavier 8:30 PM ET
Former Xavier assistant Travis Steele has his work cut out for him after taking over a team that lost head coach Chris Mack to Louisville and leading scorers Trevon Bluiett, J.P. Macura and Kerem Kanter - a foursome that guided the squad to its first-ever No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season. Steele will sit at the head of the bench for the first time after 10 seasons as an assistant when the Musketeers open the 2018-19 season at home against IUPUI on Tuesday.
Southeastern Louisiana at Louisiana State 8:30 PM ET
The return of standout guard Tremont Waters and
one of the most highly touted recruiting classes in school history figure to
lead LSU to its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2015. That quest begins
Tuesday night when the Tigers tip off the much-anticipated season against defending
Southland Conference regular-season co-champion Southeastern Louisiana.
Norfolk State at Michigan 8:30 PM ET
No. 18 Michigan looks to build on a memorable season when it kicks off the 2018-19 campaign at home against Norfolk State. The Wolverines set a new program record for wins last season with 33 en route to their eighth Final Four appearance before falling to Villanova in the championship game. They hope their group of incoming freshman can fill the void left by the departure of three key contributors, as they aim for their first Big Ten regular-season title since 2014.
South Alabama at Auburn 9:00 PM ET
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl began last season on the hot seat, only to lead the team to a share of the Southeastern Conference title and the its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003. Pearl’s seat has cooled, but the expectations are raised as the 12th-ranked Tigers prepare to open their season at home against South Alabama on Tuesday.
Idaho State at Gonzaga 9:00 PM ET
Fourth-ranked Gonzaga opens the season without one of its top players when it hosts Idaho State on Tuesday. Junior forward Killian Tillie underwent surgery on his right ankle to repair a stress fracture last week and will be sidelined approximately eight weeks.
MD Baltimore County at Marquette 9:00 PM ET
The energy of the Marquette fans should be through the roof Tuesday night when the first regular season collegiate game is played in the newly opened Fiserv Forum as the Golden Eagles host Maryland-Baltimore County. UMBC will look to carry the momentum of being the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which they did in March with a convincing 74-54 upset of Virginia.
Florida at Florida State 9:00 PM ET
There's no easing into the 2018-19 campaign for Florida and No. 15 Florida State as the intra-state rivals tip off in the Sunshine Showdown on Tuesday evening. Both teams have talent and experience, with the visiting Gators aiming for their third straight NCAA Tournament bid and the Seminoles looking to build off last season's Elite Eight run.
UC Riverside at Oregon St. 9:00 PM ET
After winning a total of 21 games over the last two seasons, Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle is expecting a big improvement from his squad and possibly even a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016. The Beavers open their season on Tuesday night with a home game against a UC Riverside team that won just nine games a year ago.
Purdue Fort Wayne at UCLA 9:00 PM ET
After beginning last season with an international incident in China, No. 20 UCLA is hoping for a much smoother start for Tuesday’s opener against visiting Purdue Fort Wayne. Picked to finish second in the Pac-12 preseason poll, the Bruins received a boost when guards Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes withdrew their names from NBA draft consideration to return for their sophomore seasons.
Winthrop at Vanderbilt 9:30 PM ET
Vanderbilt lost its top three scorers from a team that finished next-to-last in the SEC last season, and yet optimism is soaring as the Commodores prepare to host Winthrop on Tuesday in the season opener. The Commodores landed one of their biggest recruiting classes in program history, fronted by forward Simi Shittu and guard Darius Garland, and Notre Dame transfer forward Matt Ryan is eligible after sitting out last season.
Texas Southern at Baylor 9:30 PM ET
For only the second time since the 2006-07 campaign, Baylor was unable to reach the 20-win mark last season and ended a school-record run of four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Scott Drew will have several fresh faces at his disposal to make sure his team can avoid a similar fate this season, and he'll get his first real look at them on Tuesday when they host Texas Southern.
Duke at Kentucky 9:30 PM ET
A major showdown will take place on the opening night of the season when No. 2 Kentucky faces No. 3 Duke in the State Farm Champions Classic in Indianapolis on Tuesday. The Wildcats have a deep incoming class while also landing Stanford transfer Reid Travis, and the Blue Devils unveil the nation's top three recruits in RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish.
Seattle at Stanford 10:00 PM ET
Stanford lost its leading scorer and rebounder when Reid Travis transferred to Kentucky for his final season, but coach Jerod Haase believes his team has the athleticism to surprise in the Pac-12. The Cardinal begin the post-Travis era on Tuesday against visiting Seattle University, which was picked to finish third in the WAC.
Western Kentucky at Washington 10:30 PM ET
No. 24 Washington has high hopes for the second season of the Mike Hopkins era and it opens the season Tuesday at home against Western Kentucky. The Huskies surprisingly recorded their first 20-win campaign since 2011-12 in Hopkins' first season and the team is primed to end a seven-year NCAA Tournament drought.
Brigham Young at Nevada 11:00 PM ET
With four starters back from a team that won its second consecutive outright Mountain West regular season championship and advanced to the Sweet 16, Nevada is garnering plenty of support as a potential Final Four sleeper team this season. The ninth-ranked Wolf Pack open their season on Tuesday night when they host a BYU squad that has its sights set on returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
Robert Morris at Southern California 11:00 PM ET
USC welcomes back seven of its top 10 scorers from a 24-12 squad that finished second in the Pac-12 and also adds a top 15 recruiting class. The Trojans, who host Robert Morris in their season opener on Tuesday night, are turning to redshirt junior Derryck Thornton to take over the floor leadership role of departed four-year starting point guard Jordan McLaughlin.
Portland St. at Oregon 11:00 PM ET
Oregon freshman Bol Bol’s dynamic offensive game is highlighted by a surprisingly strong perimeter shot, but coach Dana Altman is quick to remind everyone that his 7-foot-2 phenom is far from a finished product. Bol makes his collegiate debut Tuesday when the 16th-ranked Ducks host Portland State, which was picked to finish fifth in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll.