17 Nov13 - What A Relief

Volume XXII, No. 2 - 17 Nov13 - [] Top 25 Ballot

What A Relief

This year's exhibition season was different than any other because of the summer of devastation from Hurricanes Harvey(Houston), Irma(Florida) and Maria(Puerto Rico). Besides the usual slate of uber-blowouts of non-Division I schools, many (if not most) of the big-name schools scheduled they-should-play-this-every-year grudge matches against natural rivals as charity exhibition games for Hurricane Relief. Ordinarily, exhibition results are meaningless (even losses), but because of the grudge factor, these results were more real than normal. (I haven't counted the results in the won/loss records/ratings of individual teams, but I did count them towards the won/loss records/ratings of the conferences.)
     Most notable among the results: "Little Brother" Georgia State upset crosstown "Big Brother" host Georgia Tech in the A-TOWN SHOWDOWN (although it's GaSt that has more students); other BigBro's all won: host St. Mary's over Fresno State, host Villanova routed non-BIG 5 Drexel, host Creighton dumped crosstown Omaha, host Kentucky thumped Morehead State, host Marquette thumped crosstown Milwaukee, host Purdue dumped Indiana State, visiting Florida dumped host Jacksonville. Border war clashes included Kansas past Missouri (in Kansas City), BYU won at New Mexico, host Mount St. Mary's escaped in overtime past Delaware, host Oregon dumped Idaho, host Kansas State dumped Missouri State, host Nevada handled Grand Canyon. Old foes rekindled their rivalries as host Rutgers beat St. Johns, Providence won at Connecticut, host Vermont bested Boston University. Host Rhode Island needed overtime to escape against Buffalo. Other results include Michigan State over Georgia, and Seton Hall handled La Salle.

- - - - - -

Three UCLA freshmen (fCody Riley as well as bLiAngelo Ball and fJalen Hill) were caught shoplifting while in Shanghai (and sat out the PAC-12 CHINA GAME against Georgia Tech) -- President Trump even intervened on their behalf to reduce their sentence and jail time -- UGH! (The depleted Bruins edged the undermanned Yellow Jackets, @63-60.) In the ARMED FORCES CLASSIC at Ramstein Air Force Base in GERMANY, Texas A&M dominated West Virginia (88-65). At the VETERANS CLASSIC double-header at Annapolis, Alabama held off Memphis (82-70) while host Navy surprised Pittsburgh (@71-62).
     Mike Krzyzewski became "Coach K" once again after his 1000th win at Duke in the Blue Devils' @99-69 romp over Utah Valley. (He was already over 1000 in total wins, counting his 73-59 record in 5 years at Army.)
     The best quality wins over the weekend were probably Notre Dame on the road over DePaul (72-@58, led by xBonzie Colson[18p13r5a]) and Georgia Southern edging at Wake Forest (85-@83). Young Kentucky struggled in two games, never putting away Utah Valley (@73-63) and letting splashworthy Vermont hang around until an endplay, @73-69 -- you couldn't expect five freshmen starters to be instantly cohesive (but a bigger worry is that this roster doesn't appear to have much three-point prowess). Northwestern unexpectedly failed to put away Loyola(Maryland), escaping @79-75 (behind 26p from Scottie Lindsey).

The BIG 10(14-0, including key Hurricane Relief Exhibition results), BIG EAST(13-2) and SEC(11-2) all got off to flying starts the first weekend -- (granted, most all of these were home warm-up games in preseason tournaments). The ACC was a mediocre 3-3 thanks to Pittsburgh's and Georgia Tech's official losses (and counting GT's @58-65 home loss to crosstown-rival Georgia State in their first-ever A-TOWN SHOWDOWN Hurricane Relief Exhibition).
     Only the MID-AMERICAN earned any notice among 1BCs with a 4-1 record thanks to sweeping the HORIZON 2-0 in their annual CVC-NEO NorthEast Ohio) showdown (as host Akron downed Cleveland State @67-57 and Kent State thumped Youngstown State @111-@78); but Miami(Ohio) also won on the road at Fordham (55-@54) in a JAMAICA CLASSIC warm-up (and Buffalo took Rhode Island into overtime before losing 72-@80[OT] in their Hurricane Relief Exhibition). The BIG SKY(4-3), METRO ATLANTIC(4-4) and AMERICA EAST(3-5) at least held their own the first weekend. (Nine leagues failed to post a "real" win: BIG SOUTH, SOUTHERN, ATLANTIC SUN, IVY, SOUTHLAND, WAC[0-4], MEAC[0-7] and SWAC[0-7] -- 0-33 combined.)
     Individually, cJordan Murphy(Minnesota) posted 35p15r against South Carolina Upstate; Allonzo Trier(Arizona) averaged 31p in two games; xChris Cokley(UAB) had 26p13r5a against Jacksonville; cLuke Maye(North Carolina) had 26p10r against Northern Iowa; bTrevon Bluiett(Xavier) had 25p5r against Morehead State; xKerry Blackshear Jr.(Virginia Tech) had 22p15r8a in a 132-93 track meet with The Citadel; xBruce Brown(Miami[Florida]) had a triple-double(10p10a11r) against Gardner-Webb.
     Among the GCs, cMarvin Bagley III(Duke) (who graduated early and joined the Blue Devils a year ahead of schedule) averaged 25p10r in two games.
     No GTs had breakout performances.

- - - - - -

How much are Shoes a factor in College Basketball? In the new PHIL KNIGHT-80 INVITATIONAL (dual 8-bracket draws) in Portland, honoring the founder of Nike, it appears the "invitation-only" event only includes "Nike schools" -- UGH!
     Due to the damage done by Hurricane Maria, two preseason tournaments had to be relocated: The PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF has been moved from San Juan to Myrtle Beach, SC (hosted by Coastal Carolina) -- (it's the second-straight year they've had to move; last year, it was because of the Zika virus!) The PARADISE JAM had to be moved from St. Thomas, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS to Lynchburg, VA (hosted by Liberty).

Among the full tournaments in the preconference period, the strongest draws are the BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS (Arizona, Villanova, Purdue) and the new PHIL KNIGHT-80-A (Duke, Florida, Gonzaga) and PHIL KNIGHT-80-B (Michigan State, at Oregon, North Carolina) dual brackets. Just below those are some solid events: DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC (USC, Miami[Florida]), NIT SEASON TIP-OFF (Seton Hall, Rhode Island), 2K CLASSIC (Providence, Virginia Tech), MAUI INVITATIONAL (Wichita State, Notre Dame), the new CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC (Cincinnati, UAB, South Dakota State) and WOODEN LEGACY (St. Mary's, San Diego State).
     These events appear to have one clear favorite: EMERALD COAST CLASSIC (TCU), BROOKLYN-THANKSGIVING CLASSIC (Minnesota), HALL OF FAME TIP-OFF (Northwestern), LAS VEGAS-THANKSGIVING INVITATIONAL (Xavier), CBE CLASSIC (UCLA)
     There are also some great chances for 1BCs to claim a major crown: the new ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS SHOWCASE (Vermont, Northern Kentucky), GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT (College of Charleston, Idaho), PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF (Western Michigan) and GULF COAST SHOWCASE (Georgia Southern, Missouri State).
     Still others are completely up for grabs, lacking no team with a preseason pedigree: A/ORLANDO INVITATIONAL, LEGENDS CLASSIC, LAS VEGAS-MAIN EVENT, CHARLESTON[SC] CLASSIC, PARADISE JAM, the new JAMAICA CLASSIC, LAS VEGAS-CHRISTMAS CLASSIC, CANCUN CHALLENGE and SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL.

Here's a comprehensive list:

• ARMED FORCES CLASSIC 1Off Nov10 @ RamsteinAFB_GERMANY: (TexasA&M-WVirginia)
  
• VETERANS DAY CLASSIC DblHdr Nov10 @ Annapolis MD: (Alabama-Memphis, @Navy-Pittsburgh)
  
• HAWAII-C RAINBOW CLASSIC RndRob3 Nov10-13 @ Honolulu HI: (NDakota, @Hawaii, Troy, ARPineBluff)
  
• GS INVITATIONAL RndRob4 Nov10-24 on-campus: (@Illinois, TNMartin, Marshall, NCCentral, Southern)
  
• CVC-NEO MAC/HORIZON CHALLENGE DblHdr Nov11 @ AkronOH: (@Akron-@ClevelandSt[OH][NEO], @KentSt-@YoungstownSt[OH][NEO])
  
• (new)SHOWCASE ON THE BANKS RndRob4 Nov12-24 on-campus: (Rutgers, ECarolina, CConnecticutSt, ClevelandSt, CoppinSt)
  
• MABC-B SHOWCASE RndRob4 Nov12-25 @ on-campus/@StocktonCA: (AirForce, Canisius, @Pacific, TexasSt, ARPineBluff)
  
• [I]HOOSIER CLASSIC RndRob4 Nov12-26 on-campus: (@Indiana, EaMichigan, SFlorida, ArkansasSt, Howard)
  
• MAYOR'S CUP 1Off Nov13 on-campus: (@Tulsa-OralRoberts[TulsaOK])
  
• GAVITT TIP-OFF GAMES - BIG 10/BIG EAST Nov13-17 on-campus: (@SetonHall-Indiana, @Providence-Minnesota, @Northwestern-Creighton, Xavier-@Wisconsin, Purdue-@Marquette, @StJohns-Nebraska, @Maryland-Butler, @Illinois-DePaul[IL]) ( Iowa, Michigan, MichiganSt, OhioSt, PennSt, Rutgers do not play. / Georgetown, Villanova do not play. )
  
• GRAND CANYON[ANTELOPE] CLASSIC RndRob4 Nov13-26 on-campus/@LittleRockAR: (SanDiego, @LittleRock, RobertMorris, @GrandCanyon, NorfolkSt)
  
• MABC-A HOOPS IN THE HEARTLAND RndRob4 Nov13-Dec1 on-campus: (@MississippiSt, NDState, GreenBay, Stetson, FloridaA&M, StephenFAustin)
  
• [GT]RAMBLIN' WRECK SHOWCASE RndRob4 Nov13-Dec1 on-campus: (@GeorgiaTech, NTexas, TXRGValley, BethuneCookman, GramblingSt)
  
• CHICAGO-A CHAMPIONS CLASSIC DblHdr Nov14 @ ChicagoIL/UNITED/: (@Duke-@MichiganSt, @Kentucky-@Kansas)
  
• [NCG]SPARTAN CLASSIC RndRob3 Nov15-28 on-campus: (Delaware, Longwood, @UNCGreensboro, {NCWesleyan})
  
• [K/WILDCAT]ADOLPH RUPP CLASSIC RndRob4 Nov15-29 on-campus: (@Kentucky, FtWayne, Troy, ILChicago, ETennesseeSt, DelawareSt)
  
• SOUTH TEXAS SHOWDOWN HomeAway Nov15,Dec6: (@TexasA&MCC-TXRGValley[TX]; @TXRGValley-TexasA&MCC[TX])
  
• 2K CLASSIC 2x4; Semis Nov16-17 @ NewYorkNY/MSG/: (Providence-Washington, VirginiaTech-StLouis)
  
• CHARLESTON[SC] CLASSIC Qtrs Nov16-19 @ Charleston SC: (Auburn-IndianaSt, Temple-OldDominion; OhioU-@Clemson, Dayton-Hofstra)
  
• PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF Qtrs Nov16-19 (relocated)@ MyrtleBeachSC/CoCarolina/: (@SCarolina-IllinoisSt, BoiseSt-UTEP; IowaSt-AppalachianSt, WeMichigan-Tulsa)
  
• (new)ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS SHOWCASE Qtrs Nov17-19 @ NassauBAHAMAS: (Vermont-Bradley, CoCarolina-TXSanAntonio; JamesMadison-NoKentucky, WeberSt-Iona)
  
• PARADISE JAM Qtrs Nov17-19 (relocated)@ LynchburgVA/Liberty/: (Houston-Drexel; @Liberty-Mercer; Colorado-Quinnipiac, WakeForest-Drake)
  
• (new)JAMAICA CLASSIC 2x4; Semis Nov17,19 @ MontegoBayJAMAICA: (Tulane-ColoradoSt, FloridaSt-Fordham)
  
• [M]PANTHER/BLACK & GOLD SHOOTOUT RndRob3 Nov17-19 @ MilwaukeeWI: (Elon, FLInternational, @Milwaukee, {ConcordiaStPaul})
  
• BILL FRACK TOURNAMENT 1Off Nov18: (@BowlingGreen-FLGulfCoast)
  
• HALL OF FAME-C TIP-OFF 2x4; Semis Nov18-19 @ UncasvilleCT/MOHEGAN/: (Northwestern-LaSalle, TexasTech-BostonCol)
  
• HALL OF FAME-D-MIAMI INVITATIONAL RndRob4 Nov18-Dec2 on-campus/@MiamiFL: (Kansas-Syracuse, Toledo, Oakland, TexasSo; @Miami-Princeton)
  
• CBE CLASSIC 2x4; Semis Nov20-21 @ KansasCityMO: (UCLA-Creighton, Wisconsin-Baylor; Yale, AlcornSt)
  
• LEGENDS CLASSIC 2x4; Semis Nov20-21 @ BrooklynNY/BARCLAYS/: (PennSt-Pittsburgh, TexasA&M-OklahomaSt)
  
• LAS VEGAS-B MAIN EVENT 2x4; Semis Nov20,22 @ LasVegasNV/T-MOBILE/: (Mississippi-Utah, @UNLV-Rice; GeorgiaSt)
  
• HAWAII-B MAUI INVITATIONAL Qtrs Nov20-22 @ LahainaHI: (WichitaSt-California, Marquette-VCU; NotreDame, LSU-Michigan)
  
• (new)CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC Qtrs Nov20-22 @ GeorgeTownCAYMAN_ISLANDS: (Cincinnati-Buffalo, UAB-Richmond; Iowa-Louisiana, Wyoming-SDState)
  
• GULF COAST SHOWCASE Qtrs Nov20-22 @ EsteroFL: (NoIllinois-Penn, Towson-FLAtlantic; Manhattan-MOKansasCity, GeorgiaSo-MissouriSt)
  
• [WS]RAIDER CLASSIC RndRob3 Nov20-26 @ DaytonOH: (Fairfield, Jacksonville, @WrightSt, GardnerWebb)
  
• CANCUN CHALLENGE 2x4; Semis Nov21-22 @ CancunMEXICO: (FresnoSt-Evansville, GeoMason-LouisianaTech)
  
• BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS-B Qtrs Nov22-24 @ ParadiseIslandBAHAMAS: (Arizona-NCState, SMU-NoIowa; Villanova-WeKentucky, Purdue, Tennessee)
  
• GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT Qtrs Nov22-25 @ AnchorageAK: (ColofCharleston-CalPolySLO, CMichigan-SamHoustonSt, Idaho-SantaClara, CalStBakersfield)
  
• NIT SEASON TIP-OFF 2x4; Semis Nov23-24 @ BrooklynNY/BARCLAYS/: (SetonHall-RhodeIsland, Vanderbilt-Virginia; UNCAsheville)
  
• LAS VEGAS-A THANKSGIVING INVITATIONAL 2x4; Semis Nov23-24 @ LasVegasNV/ORLEANS/: (Xavier-GeoWashington, ArizonaSt-KansasSt; UCIrvine)
  
• (new)PK-80-A INVITATIONAL Qtrs Nov23-26 @ PortlandOR: (Duke-@PortlandSt, Butler-Texas; Florida-Stanford, Gonzaga-OhioSt)
  
• (new)PK-80-B INVITATIONAL Qtrs Nov23-26 @ PortlandOR: (MichiganSt-DePaul, @Oregon-Connecticut, NCarolina-@Portland, Arkansas-Oklahoma)
  
• WOODEN LEGACY/ANAHEIM CLASSIC Qtrs Nov23-26 @ FullteronCA: (StMarys-Harvard, WashingtonSt-StJosephs, SanDiegoSt-SacramentoSt, Georgia-@CalStFullerton)
  
• A/ORLANDO INVITATIONAL Qtrs Nov23-26 @ OrlandoFL: (Nebraska-@UCF, WVirginia-Marist, Missouri-LongBeachSt, StJohns-OregonSt)
  
• EMERALD COAST CLASSIC 2x4; Semis Nov24-25 @ NicevilleFL: (TCU-NewMexico, Maryland-StBonaventure)
  
• BROOKLYN-THANKSGIVING CLASSIC 2x4; Semis Nov24-25 @ BrooklynNY/BARCLAYS/: (Minnesota-Massachusetts, Alabama-BYU)
  
• SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL 2x4; Semis Nov24-25 @ SavannahGA: (KentSt-Valparaiso, UNCWilmington-LoyolaIL)
  
• SANFORD-B CHALLENGE RndRob3 Nov24-26 @ SiouxFallsSD/PENTAGON/: (NoColorado, @SDakota, SoMississippi, YoungstownSt)
  
• [FGC]EAGLE SHOOTAROUND RndRob3 Nov24-26 @ FtMyersFL: (Denver, Navy, StFrancisNY, @FLGulfCoast)
  
• (new)CREEK CLASSIC RndRob3 Nov24-Dec2 @ BuiesCreekNC: (BowlingGreen, @Campbell, SCUpstate, AbileneChristian)
  
• BATTLE OF THE BOULEVARD HomeAway Nov27,Dec4 on-campus: (@Belmont-Lipscomb[NashvilleTN]; @Lipscomb-Belmont[NashvilleTN])
  
• ACC/BIG 10 CHALLENGE Nov27-30 on-campus: (Duke-@Indiana, @MichiganSt-NotreDame, @Minnesota-MiamiFL, Northwestern-@GeorgiaTech, Louisville-@Purdue, @NCarolina-Michigan, @VirginiaTech-Iowa, @Virginia-Wisconsin, @Rutgers-FloridaSt, @NCState-PennSt, @WakeForest-Illinois, @OhioSt-Clemson, @Nebraska-BostonCol, @Syracuse-Maryland) ( Pittsburgh does not play. / )
  
• MWC/MVC CHALLENGE Nov28-Dec3 on-campus: (@SanDiegoSt-Bradley, @MissouriSt-ColoradoSt, @NoIowa-UNLV, @BoiseSt-LoyolaIL, @Nevada-IllinoisSt, @SoIllinois-SanJoseSt, @Wyoming-Drake, @Valparaiso-UtahSt, @IndianaSt-FresnoSt, @NewMexico-Evansville) ( Fresno State does not play. / )
  
• NEW YORK-C UA REUNION DblHdr Nov30 @ NewYorkNY/MSG/: (@SetonHall-TexasTech, SCarolina-Temple)
  
• (new)JESUIT BASKETBALL CLASSIC 1Off Dec1 on-campus: (@Gonzaga-Creighton)
  
• THE CITY GAME 1Off Dec1 @ PittsburghPA: (@Pittsburgh-@Duquesne[PittsburghPA])
  
• (new)HALL OF FAME-E-BELFAST CLASSIC Semis Dec1-2 @ BelfastNORTHERN_IRELAND: (LaSalle-Towson, Manhattan-HolyCross)
  
• [C]BULLDOG BASH Semis Dec1-2 @ CharlestonSC: (Marist-@TheCitadel, MDBaltimoreCo-ArmyWP)
  
• THE HOLY WAR 1Off Dec2 on-campus: (@StJosephs-Villanova[PhiladelphiaPA][BIG5])
  
• CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT 1Off Dec2 on-campus: (@Xavier-Cincinnati[CincinnatiOH])
  
• BB&T CLASSIC DblHdr Dec3 @ Washington DC: (@Georgetown-CoppinSt, @GeoWashington-Temple)
  
• (new)VALLEY OF THE SUN SHOOTOUT DblHdr Dec5 @ PhoenixAZ: (Arizona-TexasA&M, @GrandCanyon-StJohns)
  
• JIMMY V CLASSIC DblHdr Dec5 @ NewYorkNY/MSG/: (Villanova-Gonzaga, Connecticut-@Syracuse)
  
• GOTHAM CLASSIC RndRob4 Dec6-20 on-campus/@ NewYorkNY/MSG/: (Louisville-Memphis, Siena, Albany, Bryant)
  
• CY-HAWK SERIES 1Off Dec7 on-campus: (@IowaSt-Iowa)
  
• HALL OF FAME-A-LA CLASSIC TrplHdr Dec8 @ LosAngelesCA/STAPLES/: (USC-Oklahoma, TCU-NewMexico, @ArizonaSt-StJohns)
  
• NEW YORK-B C/HOOPS CLASSIC 1Off Dec9 @ NewYorkNY/MSG/: (@Kentucky-Monmouth)
  
• NEVER FORGET TRIBUTE CLASSIC DblHdr Dec9 @ NewarkNJ: (@SetonHall-VCU, Cincinnati-Florida)
  
• COUNTDOWN CLASSIC 1Off Dec9 on-campus: (@Louisville-Indiana[BG])
  
• (new)BEEHIVE CLASSIC DblHdr Dec9 @ SaltLakeCityUT (@Utah-@UtahSt[UT], @WeberSt-@BYU)
  
• BACKYARD BRAWL 1Off Dec9 on-campus: (@Pittsburgh-WVirginia)
  
• GARDEN STATE CLASSIC 1Off Dec16 on-campus: (SetonHall-@Rutgers[NJ])
  
• (new)DISTRICT DETROIT SHOWCASE DblHdr Dec16 @ DetroitMI: (@MichiganSt-@Oakland[MI], @Detroit-@Michigan[MI])
  
• CHICAGO-B LOU HENSON CLASSIC DblHdr Dec16 @ ChicagoIL/UNITED/: (@Northwestern-@DePaul[ChicagoIL], @Illinois-NewMexicoSt)
  
• ORANGE BOWL CLASSIC DblHdr Dec16 @ SunriseFL: (@Florida-Clemson, @FloridaSt-OklahomaSt)
  
• CROSSROADS CLASSIC DblHdr Dec16 @ IndianapolisIN: (@NotreDame-@Indiana[IN], @Purdue-@Butler[IN])
  
• BIRMINGHAM SHOWCASE DblHdr Dec16 @ BirminghamAL: (@UAB-AlabamaA&M[AL], @Auburn-MidTennessee)
  
• (new)ROC CITY HOOPS CLASSIC 1Off @ RochesterNY: (@StBonaventure-Vermont)
  
• [IOWA]BIG FOUR HV CLASSIC DblHdr Dec16 @ DesMoinesIA: (@Iowa-@Drake[IA][BIG4], @IowaSt-@NoIowa[IA][BIG4])
  
• NEW YORK-D HOLIDAY FESTIVAL DblHdr Dec17 @ NewYorkNY/MSG/: (@StJohns-Iona, AirForce-@ArmyWP)
  
• (new)ASHEVILLE MOUNTAIN BIG SOUTH/SOUTHERN CLASSIC DblHdr @ AshevilleNC: (@UNCAsheville-@WeCarolina, @HighPt-Wofford)
  
• HALL OF FAME-B-CT HOLIDAY SHOWCASE DblHdr Dec20 @ UncasvilleCT/MOHEGAN/: (Providence-Houston, StJohns-StJosephs)
  
• (new)GARDEN CITY SHOWCASE 1Off Dec20 @ GardenCityNY: (@Hofstra-@Manhattan[NewYorkNY])
  
• CABLE CAR CLASSIC 1Off Dec21: (@SantaClara-SanJoseSt[CA])
  
• DON HASKINS/SUN BOWL CLASSIC Semis Dec21-22 @ ElPasoTX: (UNCWilmington-NDState, @UTEP-Howard)
  
• (new)NEW ORLEANS-B CLASSIC Semis Dec21-22 @ NewOrleansLA: (FtWayne-Liberty, @LouisianaTech-AlabamaSt)
  
• SANFORD-A SHOWCASE 1Off Dec22 @ SiouxFallsSD/PENTAGON/: (Iowa-Colorado)
  
• LAS VEGAS-C CHRISTMAS CLASSIC 2x4; Semis Dec22-23 @ LasVegasNV/ORLEANS/: (SFlorida-Duquesne, @Nevada-SoIllinois)
  
• HAWAII-A DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC Qtrs Dec22-25 @ HonoluluHI: (USC-Akron, MidTennessee-Princeton; MiamiFL-@Hawaii, Davidson-NewMexicoSt)
  
• NEW ORLEANS-A C/SPORTS CLASSIC DblHdr Dec23 @ NewOrleansLA: (@Kentucky-@UCLA, @NCarolina-@OhioSt)
  
• BRAGGIN' RIGHTS 1Off Dec23 @ St Louis MO: (@Illinois-@Missouri)
  
• JACKSON SHOWCASE 1Off Dec23 @ JacksonMS: (@MississippiSt-@SoMississippi[MS])
  
• LAS VEGAS-D SHOWCASE 1Off Dec27 @ LasVegasNV/ORLEANS/: (GrandCanyon-MorganSt)
  
• THE STAR GAME HomeAway Jan14,Feb10 on-campus: (@Navy-ArmyWP[MIL]; @ArmyWP-Navy[MIL])
  
• CAPITAL CITY/BLACK AND BLUE CLASSIC HomeAway Jan17,Feb7: (@VCU-Richmond[RichmondVA]; @Richmond-VCU[RichmondVA])
  
• BIG 10 SUPER SATURDAY 1Off Jan20 @ NewYorkNY/MSG/: (@Minnesota-@OhioSt)
  
• BIG 12/SEC CHALLENGE Jan27 on-campus: (Kentucky-@WVirginia, TCU-@Vanderbilt, @Kansas-TexasA&M, @Florida-Baylor, @Alabama-Oklahoma, @KansasSt-Georgia, @Texas-Mississippi, @Arkansas-OklahomaSt, @IowaSt-Tennessee, @SCarolina-TexasTech) ( / Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri do not play. )
  
• (new)MAAC CLASSIC TrplHdr Jan27 @ UniondaleNY: (Fairfield-Quinnipiac[CT][CT6], @Iona-@Manhattan, Monmouth-@Marist)
  
• (new)NEW YORK-A HG CLASSIC 1Off Feb3 @ NewYorkNY/MSG/: (Duke-@StJohns)
  

In the CHAMPIONS CLASSIC (this year in Chicago), it's Duke versus Michigan State and Kentucky versus Kansas -- (elsewhere the first game is being billed as "No.1 vs. No.2", but not here) -- Duke should hold off MichSt but Kans could spank UK. In the GAVITT TIP-OFF GAMES (Monday through Friday) both leagues have started strong -- look for the BIG EAST to steal it 5-3 with road wins from Xavier, Butler countering one by Purdue while Providence and Northwestern counter each other with quality home wins. The 2K CLASSIC Final (Friday) could bring us Providence-Virginia Tech; Northwestern should cruise to the HALL OF FAME-C TIP-OFF crown (Saturday-Sunday); Vermont has a great chance to take the new ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS CLASSIC (Friday-Sunday); anyone among Colorado/Houston/Wake Forest could take the PARADISE JAM (Friday-Sunday); Iowa State should best host South Carolina at the PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF (Thursday-Sunday); it's all up for grabs among Auburn/Temple/host Clemson/Dayton at the CHARLESTON CLASSIC (Thursday-Sunday); Florida State should best Tulane/Colorado State at the new JAMAICA CLASSIC (Saturday-Sunday). Wichita State hosts College of Charleston (Monday) with Splashworthy CofC getting its chance to make the noise that Vermont couldn't against Kentucky. No more 24-hour TIP-OFF MARATHON from ESPN! (Too bad, it was a great way to get wound up for the season.) -- Ron

Key games this week:

Monday:

@WichitaSt-ColofCharleston, @Vanderbilt-Belmont(NashvilleTN), @Penn-LaSalle(PhiladelphiaPA)(BIG5)(/PALESTRA/),
MAYOR'S CUP-(@Tulsa-OralRoberts[TulsaOK]),
HAWAII-C RAINBOW CLASSIC RndRob3/3 @ HonluluHI/Hawaii/
-(NDakota-ARPineBluff, @Hawaii-Troy),

Monday-Friday:

GAVITT TIP-OFF GAMES - BIG 10[1-0;1]/BIG EAST[0-1;1] on-campus
[Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers all do not play;
  Georgetown and Villanova both do not play.]
-(Mon week: @Providence-Minnesota;
   Tue week: Purdue-@Marquette;
   Wed week: @SetonHall-Indiana, @Northwestern-Creighton, @Maryland-Butler;
   Thu week: Xavier-@Wisconsin, @StJohns-Nebraska;
   Fri week: @Illinois-DePaul[IL]),

Monday-Sunday:

PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF WarmUp1 8Bracket @ SanJuanPUERTORICOMyrtleBeachSC/CoCarolina/
-(@SCarolina-IllinoisSt, BoiseSt-UTEP; WeMichigan-Tulsa, IowaSt-AppalachianSt),
PARADISE JAM WarmUp1 8Bracket @ StThomasUSVILynchburgVA/Liberty/
-(Colorado-Quinnipiac, WakeForest-Drake; Houston-Drexler, @Liberty-Mercer),

Monday-Wednesday week:

HAWAII-B MAUI INVITATIONAL WarmUp1 8Bracket @ LahainaHI/{Chaminade}/; Cons RndRob2 @ SpartanburgSC/Wofford/
-(Main: WichitaSt-California, Marquette-VCU, NotreDame-@{Chaminade}, LSU-Michigan;
   Cons: NFlorida, @Wofford, MtStMarys),
(new)CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC WarmUp1 8Bracket @ GeorgeTownCAYMANISLANDS; Cons 3rd/Semis @ ChattanoogaTN/Chattanooga/
-(Main: Cincinnati-Buffalo, UAB-Richmond, Iowa-Louisiana, Wyoming-SDState;
   Cons: JacksonvilleSt-SavannahSt, @Chattanooga-AlabamaSt),

Monday-Friday week:

BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS WarmUp1 8Bracket @ ParadiseIslandBAHAMAS; Cons 3rd/Semis @ CatonsvilleMD/MDBaltimoreCo/
-(Main: Arizona-NCState, SMU-NoIowa; Villanova-WeKentucky, Purdue-Tennessee;
   Cons: @MDBaltimoreCo-ChicagoSt, Presbyterian-Nicholls),
NIT SEASON TIP-OFF WarmUp2 2x4 Semis @ BrooklynNY/BARCLAYS/; Cons RndRob4 on-campus
-(A: SetonHall, RhodeIsland; Monmouth, FairleighDickinson;
   B: Vanderbilt, Virginia; AustinPeay, UNCAsheville),
HALL OF FAME-C TIP-OFF RndRob2 2x4 Semis @ UncasvilleCT/MOHEGAN/
-(A: Northwestern, LaSalle; StPeters, SacredHeart;
   B: TexasTech, BostonCol; Maine, SAlabama),
LAS VEGAS-A THANKSGIVING INVITATIONAL RndRob2 2x4 Semis @ LasVegasNV/ORLEANS/
-(A: Xavier, GeoWashington; NoArizona, Hampton;
   B: ArizonaSt, KansasSt; UCIrvine, Rider),
LEGENDS CLASSIC WarmUp2 2x4 Semis @ BrooklynNY/BARCLAYS/; Cons Semis @ MalibuCA/Pepperdine/
-(A: PennSt, Pittsburgh; Montana, OralRoberts;
   B: TexasA&M, OklahomaSt; UCSantaBarbara, @Pepperdine),
GS INVITATIONAL RndRob4 on-campus
-(@Illinois, TNMartin, Marshall, NCCentral, Southern),
LAS VEGAS-B MAIN EVENT RndRob2 2x4 Semis @ LasVegasNV/T-MOBILE/
-(A: Mississippi, Utah; EaWashington, GeorgiaSt;
   B: @UNLV, Rice; EaKentucky, PrairieViewA&M),
GULF COAST SHOWCASE WarmUp1 8Bracket @ EsteroFL
-(NoIllinois-Penn, FLAtlantic-Towson; Manhattan-MOKansasCity, GeorgiaSo-MissouriSt),
(new)JAMAICA CLASSIC RndRob2 2x4 Semis @ MontegoBayJAMAICA
-(A: Tulane, ColoradoSt; LongIsland, NorthwesternSt; Winthrop;
   B: FloridaSt, Fordham; MiamiOH, Hartford; TheCitadel),

Monday-Saturday week:

EMERALD COAST CLASSIC RndRob2 2x4 Semis @ NicevilleFL
-(A: TCU, NewMexico; Omaha, TennesseeTech;
   B: Maryland, StBonaventure; EaShore, JacksonSt),

Monday-Sunday week:

CANCUN CHALLENGE WarmUp/CoolDown2 2x4 Semis @ CancunMEXICO
-(A: FresnoSt, Evansville; MontanaSt, SUNYB;
   B: GeoMason, LouisianaTech; CalStNorthridge, SEMissouri),
(new)GRAND CANYON [ANTELOPE] CLASSIC RndRob4 on-campus; Cons RndRob3 @ LittleRockAR/LittleRock/
-(SanDiego, @LittleRock, RobertMorris, @GrandCanyon, NorfolkSt),

Monday week-Fri 1 Dec:

MABC-A HOOPS IN THE HEARTLAND RndRob4 on-campus
-(MississippiSt, NDState, GreenBay, Stetson, FloridaA&M, StephenFAustin),
[GT]RAMBLIN' WRECK SHOWCASE RndRob4 on-campus
-(@GeorgiaTech, NTexas, TXRGValley, BethuneCoookman, GramblingSt),

Tuesday:

CHICAGO-A CHAMPIONS CLASSIC DblHdr @ ChicagoIL/UNITED/
-(@Duke-@MichiganSt, @Kentucky-@Kansas),

Tuesday-Wednesday week:

CBE CLASSIC RndRob2 2x4 Semis @ KansasCityMO; Cons RndRob4 on-campus
-(A: UCLA, Creighton; CArkansas, AlcornSt;
   B: Wisconsin, Baylor; Yale, SCState),
(new)ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS SHOWCASE WarmUp1 8Bracket @ NassauBAHAMAS
-(Vermont-Bradley, CoCarolina-TXSanAntonio; JamesMadison-NoKentucky, WeberSt-Iona),

Tuesday-Friday week:

(new)SHOWCASE ON THE BANKS RndRob4 on-campus
-(Rutgers, ECarolina, CConnecticutSt, ClevelandSt, CoppinSt),

Tuesday-Sunday week:

(new)PK-80-A INVITATIONAL WarmUp1 8Bracket @ PortlandOR; Cons RndRob2 @ NashvilleTN
-(Main: Duke-@PortlandSt, Butler-Texas; Florida-Stanford, Gonzaga-OhioSt;
   Cons: UtahSt, Northeastern, NewHampshire, Furman),
(new)PK-80-B INVITATIONAL WarmUp1 8Bracket @ PortlandOR; Cons RndRob2 @ StonyBrookNY/StonyBrook/
-(Main: MichiganSt-DePaul, @Oregon-Connecticut; NCarolina-@Portland, Arkansas-Oklahoma;
   Cons: BallSt, @StonyBrook, Bucknell),
MABC-B SHOWCASE RndRob4 on-campus
-(AirForce, Canisius, @Pacific, TexasSt, ARPineBluff),

Wednesday-Saturday week:

BROOKLYN-THANKSGIVING CLASSIC RndRob2 2x4 Semis @ Brooklyn NY /BARCLAYS/; Con Semis @ NiagaraNY/Niagara/
-(A: Minnesota, Massachusetts; TXArlington, WeCarolina;
   B: Alabama, BYU; @Niagara, AlabamaA&M),

Wednesday-Tue 28 Nov:

[NGC]SPARTAN CLASSIC RndRob3 on-campus, @ GreensboroNC/UNCGreensboro/
-(Delaware, Longwood, @UNCGreensboro, {NCWesleyan}),

Wednesday-Wed 29 Nov:

[K/WILDCAT]ADOLPH RUPP CLASSIC RndRob4 on-campus
-(@Kentucky, FtWayne, Troy, ILChicago, ETennesseeSt, DelawareSt),

Wednesday, Wed 6 Dec:

SOUTH TEXAS SHOWDOWN HomeAway2 on-campus
-(Wed: @TexasA&MCC-TXRGValley[TX];
   Wed 6 Dec: @TXRGValley-TexasA&MCC[TX]),

Thursday-Friday week:

2K CLASSIC WarmUp2 2x4 Semis @ NewYorkNY/MSG/; Cons Semis @ NashvilleTN/Belmont/
-(A: Providence, Washington; @Belmont, HoustonBaptist;
   B: VirginiaTech, StLouis; Detroit, Seattle),

Thursday-Sunday week:

[I]HOOSIER TIP-OFF CLASSIC RndRob4 on-campus
-(@Indiana, EaMichigan, SFlorida, ArkansasSt, Howard),

Thursday-Wed 29 Nov:

CHARLESTON[SC] CLASSIC CoolDown1 8Bracket @ CharlestonSC
-(Auburn-IndianaSt, Temple-OldDominion; OhioU-@Clemson, Dayton-Hofstra),

Thursday-Thu 30 Nov:

A/ORLANDO INVITATIONAL WarmUp1 8Bracket @ OrlandoFL/UCF/
-(Nebraska-@UCF, WVirginia-Marist; Missouri-LongBeachSt, StJohns-OregonSt),

Friday:

@Villanova-@Lafayette(PA)(@AllentownPA), @Kansas-SDState, @NewMexicoSt-NewMexico(NM), @LoyolaMD-Towson(BaltimoreMD), @MissouriSt-NDState,

Friday-Sunday:

[M]PANTHER/BLACK & GOLD SHOOTOUT WarmUp1 RndRob3 @ MilwaukeeWI/Milwaukee/
-(Elon, FLInternational, @Milwaukee, {ConcordiaStPaul}),

Saturday:

@Purdue-Fairfield,
BILL FRACK CHALLENGE-(@BowlingGreen-FLGulfCoast),

Saturday, Wednesay week-Saturday week:

GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT WarmUp1 8Bracket @ AnchorageAK/{AKAnchorage}/
-(ColofCharleston-CalPolySLO, CMichigan-SamHoustonSt; Idaho-SantaClara, CalStBakersfield-@{AKAnchorage}),

Saturday-Sat 2 Dec:

HALL OF FAME-D-MIAMI INVITATIONAL RndRob4 on-campus; Feature DblHdr @ MiamiFL/MiamiFL/
-(Main: Kansas-Syracuse, Toledo, Oakland, TexasSo;
   Feature Sat 2 Dec: @MiamiFL-Princeton),

Sunday-Sunday week:

SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL RndRob2 2x4 Semis @ SavannahGA; Cons RndRob2 @ BirminghamAL/Samford/
-(A: KentSt, Valparaiso; @Samford, MSValleySt;
   B: UNCWilmington, LoyolaIL; SELouisiana),

- - - - - -

Monday week-Sunday week:

(new)CREEK CLASSIC WarmUp1 RndRob3 @ BuiesCreekNC/Campbell/
-(BowlingGreen, @Campbell, SCUpstate, AbileneChristian),
SANFORD-B CHALLENGE WarmUp1 RndRob3 @ SiouxFallsSD/PENTAGON/
-(NoColorado, @SDakota, SoMississippi, YoungstownSt),
[WS]RAIDER CLASSIC WarmUp1 RndRob3 @ DaytonOH/WrightSt/
-(Jacksonville, Fairfield, @WrightSt, GardnerWebb).

---

Top 25 - 17 Nov13 - [] Column

1. Arizona (2-0)
   
2. Duke (2-0)
   
3. Kentucky (2-0)
   
4. USC (1-0)
   
5. Seton Hall (2-0)
   
6. Providence (1-0)
   
7. TCU (1-0)
   
8. Michigan State (1-0)
   
9. Wichita State (1-0)
   
10. Minnesota (1-0)
    
11. Northwestern (1-0)
    
12. Villanova (1-0)
    
13. Xavier (2-0)
    
14. Kansas (1-0)
    
15. Louisville (1-0)
    
16. Miami(Florida) (2-0)
    
17. Cincinnati (1-0)
    
18. UCLA (1-0) (:P12.CHINA)
    
19. Florida
    
20. Oregon (1-0)
    
21. North Carolina (1-0)
    
22. Notre Dame (1-0)
    
23. St. Mary's (1-0)
    
24. Purdue (2-0)
    
25. Rhode Island (1-0)
    

Honorable Mention:

Texas A&M (1-0) (:ARMED.F), Georgia Southern (1-0), Navy (1-1)/Alabama (1-0) (:VETERANS).

17 Nov 6 - Shoes And 'Shockers (PRESEASON)

Volume XXII, No. 1 - 17 Nov 6: PRESEASON - [] Top 25 Ballot

Shoes And 'Shockers

Over the summer, College Basketball was rocked by an FBI investigation into bribery and fraud involving the payment of money to high school prospects (or their families and associates) in order to persuade them to attend a certain school. Payments under the table to get high-quality players to attend a school is nothing new. What's new is the source of the payments and the method of persuasion. In the past, the problem has always been from Boosters (either alumni or supporters of a specific school) who paid players under the table. (Most prominently, Michigan's "Fab Five" was later revealed to have received money from a booster in order to get the unusual result of so many talented freshmen all going to the same school.) Now, though, the source of that money has changed. In the new version of "Coke vs. Pepsi", it's now the Shoe/Apparel companies who are behind the payments -- it's "Adidas vs. Nike vs. Under Armour". Strictly speaking, payments to players is not illegal (it's an organizational violation as agreed upon by member institutions of the NCAA). What got the FBI involved is paying middlemen [AAU coaches, college assistants and maybe even head coaches] to "advise" prospects where they should go. We're now in a world where Adidas wants to "brand" a player as an "Adidas guy" who goes to an "Adidas school" where he'll be wearing Adidas attire in his highlight reels. Paying money to middlemen to influence others is the bribery part; advising players where to go (without revealing that you've been paid to make a specific recommendation) is the fraud part. The scandal has touched several major schools (including Arizona, Auburn [assistant/former star player Chuck Person], Miami[Florida], Oklahoma State and USC) and ultimately resulted in the firing of Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino at Louisville (who was already on probation for his part in a previous scandal involving prostitutes and recruits, which resulted in the NCAA's vacating 103 wins, including the 2013 National Championship).
     The issue of how to fairly compensate players for their contribution to the quality of the entertainment product that is College Basketball (which generates millions upon millions of dollars for schools, coaches and Shoe/Apparel companies) remains the ultimate problem underlying all of this "illegality". We're so in love with the idea of "amateur status" that it puts people in all of these compromising situations. The obvious truth is that the worth of these star athletes far exceeds the value of free tuition and board. (How do we make that right?)
     (On a lighter note, hope you were able to catch a couple of prominent summer hoops events. The 4th Annual "TBT" [The Basketball Tournament] keeps getting better. It's a 64-team winner-take-all $2 million bracket with teams consisting of mostly overseas pros and players just below the NBA level -- best part is the college alumni teams that have increasingly been a part of it with teams of from Gonzaga, Dayton, Marquette, Ohio State, Syracuse, VCU, etc. all making deep runs. Also, Ice Cube's new "Big 3" 3-on-3 league featuring former NBA players was plenty entertaining as well.)

Last year's College Hoops season was ultimately Part II of the two-year run of North Carolina which came up short in an endplay loss (to Villanova) in a classic National Championship game in 2016 only to find redemption in a endplay win (over Gonzaga) in the 2017 Final. Gonzaga came up two wins short of an undefeated season. Kansas (and Bill Self) tied the all-time record of THIRTEEN-STRAIGHT REGULAR SEASON TITLES. The perennial dominance of Gonzaga (and Mark Few) [SIXTEEN OF SEVENTEEN WCC TITLES] finally culminated in its first-ever Final Four (with fifth-year senior cPrzemek Karnowski setting the all-time record for career wins [137]). Oregon made the Final Four for the first time since 1939 (before there even was a "Final Four"). bSindarius Thornwell led South Carolina on the greatest run in school history ending in its own Final Four appearance. Last year's Player Of The Year, pFrank Mason III, led Kansas to its record-setting regular season title, but couldn't get the Jayhawks to the Final Four. Last year's Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Joel Berry II, hopes to have a similar season of leadership at the point (as North Carolina has lost much of its frontcourt talent from a year ago). No one-and-done Golden Child players or quick-fix Graduate Transfer players ultimately figured in the biggest results (but those trends continue to dominate the College Hoops landscape). No One-Bid Conference (1BC) teams were able to claim an NCAA win last year; and only two Mid-Major teams were able to make a Splashworthy breakthrough -- (Wichita State[MISSOURI VALLEY] for the FIFTH-STRAIGHT YEAR and Middle Tenneseee[CONFERENCE USA] for the second-straight year). B-Major leagues claimed the top two prizes as BIG12/TCU won the NIT (and all five starters return this year with much bigger success in their sites). 1BC teams took the CBI (MOUNTAIN WEST/Wyoming) and CIT (METRO ATLANTIC/St. Peter's) tournaments (whereas
the Vegas-16/8 tournament disbanded after just one year).

- - - - - -

(Besides the Shoe Scandal), the biggest off-season change from last year has been the move of Wichita State (and Gregg Marshall) from the HORIZON LEAGUE to the AMERICAN ATHELTIC CONFERENCE. Marshall parlayed his success in 1BC-land at Winthrop into a jump to the Mid-Major level at WichSt. He took the Wheatshockers program to new heights (including a Final Four in 2013, and an undefeated regular season in 2014). You'd expect his next step to be a jump to a B-Major league. What he's done instead (and which is probably a greater accomplishment) is turn his program into one whose addition will most likely elevate the AMERICAN into its own B-Major status (and with five returning starters from last year's 32-Splash squad, it might even be a Carpetbagger switch to boot!). WichSt's jump has caused ripples in three other conferences -- (weakening each, unfortunately). Valparaiso replaces WichSt in the MVC (a downgrade); IUPUI replaces Valpo in the HORIZON (a downgrade) and the SUMMIT has one less member after IUPUI's departure. So we'll likely be gaining one new B-Major at the expense of weakening three 1BCs. ("That's progress", I guess.)
     The four teams that were still reclassifying for Division I have all completed the process; so AMERICA EAST/Massachusetts-Lowell, SOUTHLAND/Abilene Christian, SOUTHLAND/Incarnate Word and WAC/Grand Canyon are now all fully eligible for their conferences postseason tournament and an NCAA bid (and Grand Canyon is the favorite in the WAC
this year).
     Retiring coaches included Steve Fisher(San Diego State) and Thad Matta(Ohio State). The firing of Tom Crean(Indiana) paved the way for Archie Miller to move up from Dayton and former Dayton star Anthony Grant to return to lead his alma mater. The firing of John Thompson III allowed former star Patrick Ewing to take over at Georgetown -- (can't wait for Georgetown vs St. John's with Ewing and Chris Mullin squaring off as coaches after their storied rivalry as players). Former Maryland star Juan Dixon takes over at Coppin State.

Only seven teams from last year's Sweet 16 have as many as three starters coming back this year (and every one of them lost at least one lead player. Elite 8/Kentucky lost all five starters ... then again, they do have 5 GC replacements coming in!) So we're definitely in for a clean break from the past. You've got to go down to the 32-Splash level to find teams with at least four starters coming back: Northwestern(pBryant McIntosh), Wichita State, Michigan State(tMiles Bridges), embattled Louisville, USC(fChimezie Metu, fBennie Boatright) and St. Mary's(cJock Landale). Are any of those teams strong enough to stay ahead of reloaded Kentucky and Duke (3 GCs)? The highest profile individual stars back for another go include cLandale(St. Marys), cAngel Delgado(Seton Hall) and cBonzie Colson(Notre Dame), bAllonzo Trier(Arizona) and tTrevon Bluiett(Xavier).
     With the AMERICAN now expected to be a full B-Major league, the depleted ATLANTIC-10 might slip to glorfied 1BC status. The WEST COAST should stay a B-Major (but it's St. Mary's rather than Gonzaga with the best chance to secure a Top-16 seed come NCAA time). The MOUNTAIN WEST hopes to get back to MM status behind revamped teams at San Diego State and UNLV.
     It continues to be slim pickings in 1BC-land as far as splashworthy teams. UAB looks good to give CONFERENCE USA its fourth-straight first-round win. Otherwise, the best bets are title champ HORIZON/Northern Kentucky(cDrew McDonald), undefeated TiTo champ AMEREAST/Vermont, three-time defending title/Tito champ PATRIOT/Bucknell (cNana Foulland), SUNBELT/Georgia Southern(bIke Smith), COLONIAL/College of Charleston, MVC/Missouri State(cAlize Johnson), SUMMIT/South Dakota State(xMike Daum) and MAAC/Fairfield(gTyler Nelson).
     In conference play, Kansas is down (but so is the rest of the BIG 12), so it's on for the Jayhawks/Bill Self to break the all-time record with consecutive title No. 14. Stephen F. Austin is the favorite to capture its fourth SOUTHLAND title in five years. (Villanova probably isn't the favorite to capture a fifth-straight BIG EAST title. Similarly, Gonzaga may be on the outside looking in trying to make it seventeen WCC titles in eighteen years.)
     None of the GTs figure to be game-changers, but maybe Oregon's duo of (ex-New Mexico) 6-4 bElijah Brown and (ex-Illinois State) 6-7 fMiKyle McIntosh or perhaps Florida's (ex-Rice) 6-5 bEgor Koulechov have the best chance to headline for their respective teams.
     Among this year's bumper crop of GCs, Kentucky's fKevin Knox, Duke's fWendell Carter Jr., Arizona's 7-0 cMitchell Robinson and Michigan State's fJaren Jackson Jr. all figure to have to share the spotlight with other GCs or talented veteran teammates. Maybe Kansas' fBilly Preston or UCLA's bJaylen Hands have the best chance to stand out individually on high-profile teams.

- - - - - -

Several long-time-coming rivalry games have been scheduled as preseason exhibitions as charity games for Hurricane Relief. (Hopefully, it'll be a spark to make those games permanent matchups that count for real from now on.) The first weekend is a little less high-profile than usual. On Friday, the PAC-12 CHINA GAME gives us UCLA "hosting" Georgia Tech in Shanghai. Texas A&M and West Virginia square off in the ARMED FORCES CLASSIC at Ramstein AFB in GERMANY while the VETERANS CLASSIC at Annapolis features a double-header of Alabama-Memphis and Navy hosting Pittsburgh. The NEO schools (Akron, Cleveland State, Kent State, Youngstown State) have their MID-AMERICAN/HORIZON double-header showdown on Saturday. On Sunday, Kentucky hosts Vermont (one of the few 1BCs that might be splashworthy come NCAA time). Most everything else is warm-up games for preseason tournaments. Because of Hurrican Maria, the PARADISE JAM had to relocate from St. Thomas USVI to Lynchburg, VA (Liberty) and the PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF had to relocate for the second-straight year -- (last year it was because of the Zika outbreak) -- from San Juan PUERTO RICO to Myrtle Beach, SC (Coastal Carolina).
     (ESPN has discontinued its 24-hour(+) TIP-OFF MARATHON that used to run Monday week overnight/all-day Tuesday week.)

This year, we're on the road to SAN ANTONIO!!!

-- Ron

(P.S. THOR: Ragnarok couldn't possibly have lived up to my high expectations, but at least they got some things quite right (Hela's look [but where was her touch of death?] and Surtur's endplay) ... but where were the Norns spinning the prophecy to begin with, Fenris Wolf vs. Odin, Heimdall vs. Loki, Thor vs. The Midgard Serpent ... and Mangog unsheathing the Odin-Sword!!!??? So much they left out!!! Still, Thor vs. Hulk as gladiators was great. Fun movie overall, but a little less than the full majestic potential it could have been.)

Key games this week:

Friday:

@Missouri-IowaSt @WeberSt-UtahSt(UT), @StBonaventure-Niagara(NY)(BIG4), @Hartford-CConnecticutSt(CT)(CT6),
PAC-12 CHINA GAME 1Off @ ShanghaiCHINA
-(@UCLA-GeorgiaTech),
ARMED FORCES CLASSIC 1Off @ RAMSTEIN_AFB,GERMANY
-(TexasA&M-WVirginia),
VETERANS CLASSIC DblHdr @ AnnapolisMD/Navy/
-(Alabama-Memphis, @Navy-Pittsburgh),
GREAT FALLS SHOWCASE 1Off @ GreatFallsMT
-(@MontanaSt-Omaha),

Friday-Monday week:

RAINBOW CLASSIC RndRob3 @ HonluluHI/Hawaii/
-(NDakota, Troy, @Hawaii, ARPineBluff),

Friday-Sunday week:

PARADISE JAM 8Bracket WarmUp1 on-campus; 2nd/Qtrs @ StThomasUSVILynchburgVA/Liberty/
-(Colorado-Quinnipiac, WakeForest-Drake; Houston-Drexler, @Liberty-Mercer),
[M]PANTHER SHOOTOUT RndRob3 WarmUp1 on-campus; @ MilwaukeeWI/Milwaukee/
-(FLInternational, @Milwaukee, Elon, {ConcordiaStPaul}),

Friday-Wed 22 Nov:

MAUI INVITATIONAL 8Bracket WarmUp1 on-campus;
   2nd/Qtrs @ LahainaHI/{Chaminade}/; Cons RndRob2 @ SpartanburgSC/Wofford/
-(Main: WichitaSt-California, Marquette-VCU, NotreDame-@{Chaminade}, LSU-Michigan;
   Cons: NFlorida, @Wofford, MtStMarys),
(new)CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC 8Bracket Warm1 on-campus;
   2nd/Qtrs @ GeorgeTownCAYMANISLANDS; Cons 3rd/Semis @ ChattanoogaTN/Chattanooga/
-(Main: Cincinnati-Buffalo, UAB-Richmond, Iowa-Louisiana, Wyoming-SDState;
   Cons: JacksonvilleSt-SavannahSt, @Chattanooga-AlabamaSt),
CBE CLASSIC 2x4 RndRob2,4 on-campus; 3rd/Semis @ KansasCityMO
-(A: UCLA, Creighton; CArkansas, AlcornSt;
   B: Baylor, Wisconson; Yale, SCState),
(new)ISLAND OF THE BAHAMAS SHOWCASE 8Bracket WarmUp1 on-campus
-(Vermont-Bradley, TXSanAntonio-CoCarolina, WeberSt-Iona, NoKentucky-JamesMadison),

Friday-Fri 24 Nov:

BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS 8Bracket WarmUp1 on-campus;
   2nd/Qtrs @ ParadiseIslandBAHAMAS; Cons 3rd/Semis @ CatonsvilleMD/MDBaltimoreCo/
-(Main: Arizona-NCState, SMU-NoIowa; Villanova-WeKentucky, Purdue-Tennessee;
   Cons: @MDBaltimoreCo-ChicagoSt, Nicholls-Presbyterian),
NIT SEASON TIP-OFF 2x4 RndRob2,4 on-campus; 3rd/Semis @ BrooklynNY/BARCLAYS/
-(A: SetonHall, RhodeIsland; Monmouth, FairleighDickinson;
   B: Vanderbilt, Virginia; UNCAsheville, AustinPeay),
2K CLASSIC 2x4 WarmUp2 on-campus;
   3rd/Semis @ NewYorkNY/MSG/; Cons 3rd/Semis @ NashvilleTN/Belmont/
-(A: Providence, Washington; HoustonBaptist, @Belmont;
   B: VirginiaTech, StLouis; Detroit, Seattle),
HALL OF FAME-C TIP-OFF 2x4 RndRob2 on-campus; 3rd/Semis @ UncasvilleCT/MOHEGAN/
-(A: Northwestern, LaSalle; StPeters, SacredHeart;
   B: TexasTech, BostonCol; SAlabama, Maine),
LAS VEGAS-THANKSGIVING INVITATIONAL 2x4 RndRob2 on-campus; 3rd/Semis @ LasVegasNV/ORLEANS/
-(A: Xavier, GeoWashington; NoArizona, Hampton;
   B: ArizonaSt, KansasSt; UCIrvine, Rider),
LAS VEGAS-MAIN EVENT 2x4 RndRob2 on-campus; 3rd/Semis @ LasVegasNV/T-MOBILE/
-(A: Utah, Mississippi; EaWashington, GeorgiaSt;
   B: @UNLV, Rice; EaKentucky, PrairieViewA&M),
LEGENDS CLASSIC 2x4 WarmUp2 on-campus; 3rd/Semis @ BrooklynNY/BARCLAYS/; Cons 3rd/Semis @ MalibuCA/Pepperdine/
-(A: TexasA&M, OklahomaSt; @Pepperdine, UCSantaBarbara;
   B: Pittsburgh, PennSt; OralRoberts, Montana),
(new)JAMAICA CLASSIC 2x4 RndRob2 on-campus; 3rd/Semis @ MontegoBayJAMAICA
-(A: FloridaSt, Fordham; Hartford, MiamiOH; TheCitadel;
   B: Tulane, ColoradoSt; NorthwesternSt, LongIsland; Winthrop),
GS INVITATIONAL RndRob4 on-campus
-(@Illinois, Marshall, TNMartin, NCCentral, Southern),
GULF COAST SHOWCASE 8Bracket WarmUp1 on-campus; 2nd/Qtrs @ EsteroFL
-(FLAtlantic-Towson, Penn-NoIllinois; GeorgiaSo-MissouriSt, Manhattan-MOKansasCity),

Saturday (VETERANS DAY):

@NewMexicoSt-NewMexico(NM), @Portland-PortlandSt(PortlandOR), @Buffalo-Canisius(BuffaloNY)(BIG4),
LONG ISLAND HOOPS SHOWCASE 1Off @ UniondaleNY
-(@StonyBrook-Maryland),
CVC-NEO MAC[1-0;1]/HORIZON[0-1;1] CLASSIC DblHdr @ Akron, OH /Akron/
-(@Akron-@ClevelandSt[OH][NEO], @YoungstownSt-@KentSt[OH][NEO]),

Saturday-Sun 26 Nov:

SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL 2x4 RndRob2 on-campus; 3rd/Semis @ SavannahGA; Cons RndRob2 @ BirminghamAL/Samford/
-(A: UNCWilmington, LoyolaIL; SELouisiana;
   B: Valparaiso, KentSt; @Samford, MSValleySt),

Sunday:

@Kentucky-Vermont,

Sunday-Sunday week:

PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF 8Bracket WarmUp1 on-campus; 2nd/Qtrs @ SanJuanPUERTORICOMyrtleBeachSC/CoCarolina/
-(@SCarolina-IllinoisSt, BoiseSt-UTEP; IowaSt-AppalachianSt, Tulsa-WeMichigan),

Sunday-Sat 24 Nov:

EMERALD COAST CLASSIC 2x4 RndRob2 on-campus; 3rd/Semis @ NicevilleFL
-(A: TCU, NewMexico; Omaha, TennesseeTech;
   B: Maryland, StBonaventure; JacksonSt, EaShore),
(new)SHOWCASE ON THE BANKS RndRob4 on-campus
-(Rutgers, ECarolina, Cleveland, CConnecticutSt, CoppinSt),

Sunday-Sun 25 Nov:

MABC-B SHOWCASE RndRob4 on-campus
-(AirForce, @Pacific, TexasSt, Canisius, ARPineBluff),

Sunday-Mon 26 Nov:

(new)PK-80-B INVITATIONAL 8Bracket WarmUp1 on-campus; 2nd/Qtrs @ PortlandOR; Cons RndRob2 @ StonyBrookNY/StonyBrook/
-(Main: MichiganSt-DePaul, @Oregon-Connecticut; NCarolina-@Portland, Arkansas-Oklahoma;
   Cons: @StonyBrook, Bucknell, BallSt),
[I]HOOSIER TIP-OFF CLASSIC RndRob4 on-campus
-(@Indiana, SFlorida, ArkansasSt, EaMichigan, Howard),

- - - - - -

Monday week:

@Vanderbilt-Belmont(NashvilleTN),
MAYOR'S CUP -(@Tulsa-OralRoberts[TulsaOK]),
@Penn-LaSalle(PhiladelphiaPA)(BIG5)(/PALESTRA/),

Monday week-Friday week:

GAVITT TIP-OFF GAMES - BIG EAST[0-0;1]/BIG 10[0-0;1] on-campus
[Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers all do not play;
Georgetown and Villanova both do not play.]
-(Mon week: @Providence-Minnesota;
   Tue week: Purdue-@Marquette;
   Wed week: @SetonHall-Indiana, @Northwestern-Creighton, @Maryland-Butler;
   Thu week: Xavier-@Wisconsin, @StJohns-Nebraska;
   Fri week: @Illinois-DePaul[IL]),

Monday week-Mon 26 Dec:

CANCUN CHALLENGE 2x4 WarmUp/CoolDown2 on-campus; 3rd/Semis @ CancunMEXICO
-(A: FresnoSt, Evansville; SUNYB, MontanaSt;
   B: GeoMason, LouisianaTech; SEMissouri, CalStNorthridge),
(new)GRAND CANYON [ANTELOPE] CLASSIC RndRob4 on-campus; Cons RndRob3 @ LittleRockAR/LittleRock/
-(SanDiego, @LittleRock, @GrandCanyon, RobertMorris, NorfolkSt),

Monday week-Fri 1 Dec:

MABC-A HOOPS IN THE HEARTLAND RndRob4 on-campus
-(MississippiSt, Stetson, NDState, StephenFAustin, GreenBay, FloridaA&M),
[GT]RAMBLIN' WRECK SHOWCASE RndRob4 on-campus
-(@GeorgiaTech, NTexas, BethuneCoookman, TXRGValley, GramblingSt).

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Top 25 - 17 Nov 6: PRESEASON - [] Column

1. Arizona
   
2. Duke
   
3. Kentucky
   
4. USC
   
5. Seton Hall
   
6. Providence
   
7. TCU
   
8. Michigan State
   
9. Wichita State
   
10. Minnesota
    
11. Northwestern
    
12. Villanova
    
13. Xavier
    
14. Kansas
    
15. Louisville
    
16. Miami(Florida)
    
17. Cincinnati
    
18. UCLA
    
19. Florida
    
20. Oregon
    
21. North Carolina
    
22. Notre Dame
    
23. St. Mary's
    
24. Purdue
    
25. Rhode Island
    

Worth keeping an eye on:

College of Charleston, Gonzaga, San Diego State, UAB, Vermont, Virginia Tech.