What to Watch For: College Basketball's Opening Week

Week 1: Nov. 9-15

The college basketball season officially tips off on Monday, Nov. 9. Here are some key games you might not want to miss in the days through Sunday, Nov. 15.

Monday, Nov. 9

Opening night of the season for college basketball features four opening round games directly from the 2k Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Each of the four games gives an early peek at four different ESPN/USA Today’s Top 25 teams.

Florida International vs. No. 4 North Carolina, 7:00PM: The anticipated regular season debut for head coach Isaiah Thomas and Florida International is slated for 7:00 pm. Unfortunately, it takes place in Chapel Hill. The debut probably won’t be a good one for Thomas.

Murray State vs. No. 12 California, 11:00PM:   Head coach Mike Montgomery and the Golden Bears appear to be the favorite in a weakened Pac-10 this season, and they shouldn’t have much trouble against the Racers of Murray State.

Alcorn State vs. No. 17 Ohio State, 7:00PM: Alcorn State went 6-25 last season; it will probably be 0-1 after Monday night.

Albany vs. No. 25 Syracuse, 9:00PM: After an exhibition loss at the hands of Division II LeMoyne, the regular season cannot come quicker for the Orange. No worries though, they will be just fine in this one.

Wednesday, Nov. 11

A few more games from the 2k Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic highlight Wednesday’s schedule. No. 4 North Carolina will take on North Carolina Central, No. 12 California will battle Detroit, and Robert Morris pays a visit to No. 25 Syracuse.

Thursday, Nov. 12

The eve before most of the nation’s kicks off their season features only two games. One of which is James Madison taking on No. 17 Ohio State as another part of the 2k Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. The other one is as follows...

Georgia State vs. North Carolina State, 7:00PM: Joe Dukes and Trae Goldston lead the way for this Panthers team, while North Carolina State might be the worst team in the ACC. Nah, it couldn’t happen. Sidney Lowe cannot afford to drop this one to open up the season.

Friday, Nov. 13

It will be a Friday the 13^th this upcoming week and most of the nation will begin its regular season action. Overall, the day features 126 games, including some early peeks at 13 of the nation’s 25 ranked teams.

Morehead State vs. No. 5 Kentucky, 6:00PM: The anticipated regular season debut of the new-look Wildcats. A new head coach, the top recruiting class, and the return of All-American candidate Patrick Patterson has kept expectations building in Lexington.

Hofstra vs. No. 1 Kansas, 8:00PM: Their quest for the National Championship begins on Friday. The first look at the nation’s top team is against Hofstra.

UNC Greensboro vs. No. 8 Duke, 7:00PM: No Nolan Smith in this game, but Coach K and Duke have more than enough to take care of the Spartans.

William & Mary vs. No. 14 Connecticut, 7:30PM: The Huskies got some good news with Dyson and Beverly now eligible, but questions surrounded the replacement of some of their key players from a year ago. William & Mary does not pose much of threat in this one, so UConn should get off to a quick start.

Saturday, Nov. 14

The first Saturday of college hoops in 2009-2010 features a few games that may have some people thinking.

Davidson vs. No. 10 Butler, 2:00PM: Stephen Curry is gone, so where does that leave Davidson? Good luck with that in taking on the nation’s No. 10 team to open up the season. 

Mount St. Mary’s vs. No. 16 Oklahoma, 2:00PM: Mount St. Mary’s might be the best team in the Northeast Conference this season and could earn one of the 65 NCAA Tournament bids come March, but it is November and Willie Warren and the Sooners will have no trouble in their first game without Blake Griffin.

Creighton vs. No. 22 Dayton, 1:00PM: Creighton has experienced mid-major success in the past, now it is Dayton’s turn to say hello to the national scene. Chris Wright should lead the Flyers in this one.

Cornell vs. Alabama, 2:00PM: Certainly an interesting matchup here. Cornell is heavily favored in the Ivy League and went to the NCAA Tournament last year. Anthony Grant and the Crimson Tide might have a battle on their hands.

Sunday, Nov. 15

A few more ranked teams open up their season on Sunday, Nov. 15.

UC Irvine vs. No. 3 Texas, 2:00PM: Expectations are high for Rick Barnes and the Longhorns; they’ll open the year with UC Irvine.

Loyola (MD) vs. No. 9 West Virginia, 4:00PM: Are the Mountaineers the best team in the Big East? Only time will tell for Bob Huggins and company; they will open up the season with Loyola (MD).

Oregon State vs. Texas Tech, 4:00PM: The Beavers might be on the rise in the Pac-10, and they have an interesting matchup against a Big 12 opponent early in the season.

Texas Tech is not expected to very good, but this is an early November game and might serve as a little test for Oregon State.

Looking forward to any other games? Leave them on the comment board if you think they are matchups that might be worth checking out.

Check back on Monday, Nov. 16 for a look at some of the key games coming up in the second week of college hoops (Nov. 16-22).