NCAA Men's College Basketball: 5 Things I Learned From Opening Night

The basketball season is officially underway. Although Monday only gave us four games that actually counted, I learned plenty about both the teams that played as well as the general state of college basketball just from watching those four games.

1. Pittsburgh Could Win The Title

Last night was a great stepping stone for the Pittsburgh Panthers. Ranked at No. 4 and No. 5 in the ESPN and AP polls, respectively, Jamie Dixon's team wasn't going to sneak up on anyone this year. However, not many people think that they will make the Final Four.

Although on paper it may seem that the Panthers look more vulnerable, the fact that they are playing an entire half a week before anyone else gives them a bit of leeway. Plus, Brad Wanamaker and Ashton Gibbs showed exactly why Pittsburgh has been such a solid team in the Big East the last couple of years by pulling out the win in the last minutes of the game.

Dixon's old school method of teaching freshman, playing sophomores off the bench, starting juniors and starting seniors has proven to be a perfect way to keep replenishing talent each year. Without landing high-profile recruits, Jaime Dixon keeps winning by developing the talent he has. 

This system of gradual playing processes is an ingenious way of using blue-collar players to win games without putting too much pressure on any one player. Brad Wanamaker and Ashton Gibbs were not high-profile names before last season. Gibbs actually won the most improved player in the Big East last season.

As last night proved, Gibbs and Wanamaker make up one of the best backcourts in college basketball. Wanamaker put up a career night 24 points and eight assists, while Gibbs put up 24 points of his own. In addition, a star in the making was revealed last night in Talib Zanna.

The redshirt freshman fits the stereotypical Dixon profile; he works hard and doesn't complain while putting up solid numbers. Zanna put up nine points and 11 rebounds in his first game for Pittsburgh.

Wanamaker and Gibbs will obviously anchor this team throughout the season, but there is a developing supporting cast to help them.

2. There Are Many More Sleepers Out There

Don't undervalue the close win the Panthers pulled out last night. The Rhode Island Rams were one or two wins away from an NCAA tournament bid last season and they took defending national champion North Carolina down to the buzzer in the NIT semifinals last season.

Senior Delroy James is a breakout player this year that could end up being a great role player in the NBA and Akeem Richmond showed that he can light up the scoreboard on any night. The pesky Rams looked very dangerous in a game against the nation's best on the road.

Maryland is another example of a team that could do some damage late in the season. The Terps have virtually no expectations to live up to. After losing one of the greatest players in the history of their program, no one really expects them to duplicate results. However, that doesn't mean they can't.

Last night two rising stars really shone in College Park. Junior Sean Mosley and Sophomore Jordan Williams proved that they will ably step into the shoes of Greivis Vasquez. Mosley put in 21 points while tallying four assists and five rebounds, and Williams scored 17 points and pulled in a career high 15 rebounds.

Albeit this was against a measly Seattle University, but this proves dangerous for people underestimating the Terrapins. College Park is always a dangerous road trip for any team, but now that we know there is a dangerous team waiting there, it could be even more dangerous.

With these two teams playing so well, it makes me wonder, who else is out there awaiting their own unsuspecting victim to underestimate them?

3. Texas Needs To Be Ranked Higher

The level of play in Austin, Texas was superb. Maybe not in the first half, but certainly in the second. In fact, the Longhorns were really anchored by their youngsters. The players that looked best last night were all freshmen or sophomores.

Jordan Hamilton was easily the best player on the floor. The breakout star who rode the backseat to Damion James last season, proved his mettle last night, posting 26 points and 10 points. He scored from all over the floor: hitting 3's, making jumpers, getting to the rim and drawing fouls. He was an absolute force when he was playing and showed why he's on the Wooden Award Preseason 50 list.

The others that showed well were freshman Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson. They controlled their jobs well and showed lots of poise. Joseph lost some of that poise eventually, but he proved that the ability to play at a high level is there. Thompson showed brilliance in the post, and his ability to fill in to a sparse forward position provides a nice spark for the Longhorns.

J'Covan Brown also came off the bench and delivered six assists, but he turned the ball over five times. This is a number that needs to come down before he will see significant minutes.

Although I've talked about the young talent, that isn't to say that the upperclassmen did not play well. Gary Johnson pulled down 10 rebounds to tie the game high and scored 17 points as well, second best on the team. He will be an important cog in Austin as well this season. Dogus Balbay seemed a little out of sync, but I can account that to being rusty coming off his serious injury last season.

The only real problem I saw in the Longhorns was their ball handling ability. The guards accounted for the majority of the Texas turnovers, which should not be the case. This needs to improve before Texas starts playing tougher opponents or it'll be exploited.

I feel weird saying this, but Texas may be a sleeper team that could make a run in the Big 12 jumble this season. They should be ranked higher already, because they have an explosiveness that not many have.

4. Ilinois Has The Depth To Compete In The Big Ten

Before last night, virtually the only hype you were going to find about the Illini was involving returning point guard Demetri McCamey. Not without cause, this one-dimensional praise usually went along the lines of "McCamey is such a great passer; his ability to see the floor makes this team better."

Last night's game against UC Irvine showed that Illinois has more than just a stellar point guard.

The one thing I gleaned from an overall great performance was how well coached Bruce Weber's team is. They play as a unit, a thing that is way too rare in today's game. In one possession specifically, the team made at least five passes and everyone touched the ball before a lane opened up for Mike Tisdale to lay one in unopposed.

This team play is what made me realize the Fighting Illini were the real deal. Everyone played together as if they had been doing so their entire lives. The bench was especially well involved. Guard Brandon Paul seemed to be on the receiving end of the team's play as he made six open 3's throughout the game coming off the bench.

The piece that ties it all together was there too, although not in the best form ever.

Demetri McCamey did exceed his average assists last year with eight. However, he also had five turnovers, too much for him. McCamey needs to calm down and work the ball around like he did last year. McCamey was showcasing more of his talents last night, driving to the basket and finishing well.

I fear that if McCamey continues to try and impress scouts, the team may suffer and could ultimately lead to the downfall of the Illini. If he gets his game under control though, Illinois will be in the hunt for a Big Ten title.

5. Tennessee May Be Headed Down a Dark and Gloomy Road

Although it may be blown out of proportion already, the Tennessee Volunteers lost to Division II Indianapolis by 15 at home last night. The game was an exhibition and doesn't count towards their overall record, but this is a major concern in Knoxville. The Vols had plenty of questions coming into the season, including how the were going to replace three fabulous starters.

Although they added McDonald's All-American Tobias Harris, Tennessee still has a lot of concerns with the rest of their starting lineup. They still have Scotty Hopson, who has the talent to be an all-SEC selection, but he just doesn't have the attitude. He needs to step up to turn this team around.

Bruce Pearl said in his postgame press conference that all the blame for the loss falls on him, but eventually that excuse is going to run out. Pearl is a good enough coach that something else has to be going wrong.

Maybe the team is still shaky with their new team, or maybe they just figured they would win automatically. Who knows the reason? All I know is that this is not a new thing in college basketball.

Ask Roy Williams and UNC how they turned it around. Answer: They didn't. Bruce Pearl needs to light a fire under these guys.

As for the fans, just don't panic. As a fan who has been there before, it will get better. Just support your team and have confidence. Backing helps a team a lot. DON'T PANIC. Bruce Pearl should get control of this team. Otherwise, Indianapolis may be victorious over the NIT champions.