50 non-conference games you can't miss
Does anyone really need a reason to watch college hoops? I suppose there could be conflicting interest occasionally, but I’m here to correct that: Non-conference games you can’t miss.
Essentially, there’s a game to watch starting mid-November. So just print this page and cross ‘em off as they come along. I’m user-friendly that way.
Pay special attention to Nov. 27, Dec. 6 and Dec. 22. You won't be able to get up from the couch those days.
Nov. 9: Florida International at North Carolina (Coaches vs. Cancer). Sure, the defending champs may turn Isiah Thomas’ college coaching debut into a laugher, but why miss one of the season’s earliest game? FIU made noise about this matchup last month, but that didn’t last.
Eric Gay/AP |
UNC's Deon Thompson and Michigan State's Draymond Green battle for a rebound in the 2009 NCAA Championship. They'll do it again in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
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Nov. 13: Bradley at BYU. The MVC-MWC Challenge Series kicks off with a dandy. The Braves could be the Mo Valley’s top team, while the Cougars are tough to beat at home. (Few teams get more friendly home calls.)
Nov. 17: Hall of Fame Showcase. Courtside seats for this doubleheader were going for more than $200. Makes sense when you can watch Arkansas vs. Louisville and Memphis vs. Kansas in one evening.
Nov. 19: Cal vs. Syracuse, UNC vs. Ohio State (Coaches vs. Cancer semifinals). The Bears are the Pac-10’s best team, while the Buckeyes feature one of the game’s elite players in Evan Turner. Catch the next day’s title game, too.
Nov. 19: Puerto-Rico Tip-Off. Dayton vs. Georgia opens the tourney and is possibly the best game. And the winner playing Villanova the next night also is nice.
Nov. 21: Philly Hoops Classic. Siena at Temple. Saints could the mid-major du jour this season, and the Owls gets an up-close look.
Nov. 23: Paradise Jam Championship. Keeping my fingers crossed to see Tennessee play Purdue.
Nov. 24: CBE Classic title game: I think it’ll be Pitt vs. Texas, which might be jumping the gun a bit with Pitt losing Jermaine Dixon for two months, but the Panthers rarely lose in Nov. and Dec.
Nov. 26: Old Spice Classic opening games. Michigan vs. Creighton and Marquette vs. Xavier just screams mid-majors pulling off the upsets.
Nov. 27: NIT Season Tip-Off title game. Probably Duke vs. UConn. ‘Nuff said.
Nov. 27: Legends Classic semifinal. Michigan State vs. Florida. Sometimes I hate it when tournaments specify semifinals. This isn’t one of them.
Nov. 27 & 28: Las Vegas Invite. Four quality teams. Illinois vs. Utah and Bradley vs. Oklahoma State. Watch the semis, and don’t miss Friday’s games.
Nov. 29: 76 Classic title game. With Texas A&M, Clemson, West Virginia, UCLA, Butler and Minnesota involved, it’ll be worth watching who emerges.
Dec. 1: Big Ten/ACC Challenge: Michigan State at UNC, Wake Forest at Purdue. If the Big Ten is ever gonna win one of these things, it has to win the marquee games.
Dec. 2: Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Duke at Wisconsin, Florida State at Ohio State. Same story, different day.
Dec. 5: North Carolina at Kentucky. The defending champs travel to Rupp to face John Calipari’s fab freshmen. Frankly, it should and could be the best game of the non-conference slate.
Dec. 6: Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. Kansas at UCLA, Arizona at Oklahoma. The two best games of the series on the same day.
Dec. 6: BB&T Classic. Maryland vs. Villanova in Washington D.C. Because I want to see Greivis Vasquez against the Wildcats’ array of guards.
Dec. 8: Jimmy V Classic. Butler vs. Georgetown, Indiana vs. Pittsburgh. I’ll be interested to see how far Tom Crean’s come in his Hoosier rebuilding project, but Bulldogs vs. Hoyas is the better game.
Dec. 9: SEC/Big East Invitational (in NYC): UConn vs. Kentucky. Jim Calhoun and John Calipari aren’t friends, to say the least. Their teams can fight it out.
Dec. 10: SEC/Big East Invitational (in Tampa, Fla.). Florida vs. Syracuse. The Orange lost a heap from last year’s squad, but don’t sleep on Jim Boeheim’s team.
Dec. 11: Sun Belt Classic. Vandy vs. Western Kentucky. Can the Hilltoppers pull off their usual March Madness in December?
Dec. 12: Ohio State at Butler. Gordon Hayward shows Thad Matta’s team just how good a mid-major can be. Wait, Siena did that last March…
Dec. 12: Siena vs. Northern Iowa. Speaking of the Saints, they face one of the MVC's best teams in Cedar Rapids.
Dec. 13: Cincinnati at Xavier. Never miss the crosstown throwdown. It should be a law.
Dec. 19: Creighton at New Mexico. The Pit ain’t an easy place to play. But that won’t deter the Blue Jays.
Dec. 19: North Carolina vs. Texas (At Cowboys Stadium). Two Final Four contenders playing in what could eventually be a Final Four venue. Love it.
Dec. 19: Duke vs. Gonzaga (at MSG). This could be the Devils’ first loss of the season.
Dec. 19: Xavier at Butler. The winner wins unofficial title of best mid-major. (Not that either wants to be called that.)
Dec. 22: Michigan State at Texas. Spartans and ‘Horns have killed non-conference skeds. It’s just another treat for us fans.
Dec. 22: Cal at Kansas. The Pac-10’s best travels to the Big 12’s best. Don’t blink or you’ll miss Jerome Randle.
Dec. 22: Las Vegas Classic. Nebraska vs. Tulsa, BYU vs. Nevada. The ‘Cane should give the Huskers fits, while the Cougars and Wolf Pack should go down to wire.
Dec. 23: Illinois vs. Missouri (in St. Louis).This matchup has been one of the best the last few years.
Dec. 31: Oklahoma vs. Gonzaga (in Seattle). Trying to decide if this is how I’ll ring in the New Year.
Jan. 1: West Virginia at Purdue. Forget the college football games. Both Boilermakers and Mountaineers have Final Four aspirations.
Jan. 2: Louisville at Kentucky. This game lost some luster the last few years, but John Calipari’s arrival ends that. It’s time for this rivalry to resume its place alongside Duke-UNC and Cincinnait-Xavier in terms of sheer entertainment.
Jan. 10: Kansas at Tennessee. The Jayhawks dismantled the Vols last season in Lawrence. Will a road test be any different?
Jan. 23: Texas at UConn. Neither team really needs a test like this in this middle of conference play, but hey, I’m all for it.
Feb. 6: Gonzaga at Memphis. New rosters, no Calipari, but still a classic non-conference set-up.
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