Opening Week (Non-UConn) Game Thread

[HooperScooper]

Take it easy. They’ve got talent and a good young coach. Ivy League is wide open.

I'll take your word for it since I don't know much about Brown except that their history in the Ivy League isn't great. It has to be a tough place to win at.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Take it easy. They’ve got talent and a good young coach. Ivy League is wide open.

Especially with the year off in 20-21, totally unpredictable.

Thanks to the 3MW preview, Brown is big (6'4, 6'4, 6'5, 6'6, 6'10) starting lineup and their bread and butter is defensive aggressiveness, almost a "bully ball" style.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Mixed feelings about Villanova.

On the one hand, they played an impressive game in a hostile environment versus an elite team (UCLA). Should have won the game. Tough, veteran players that can shoot and post-up.

On the other hand, some concerns:

-Lack of size,
-Lack of elite athleticism / future pro,
-Lack of depth (only 6 guys played real minutes). But I'll give Jay Wright time on this one. Bryan Antoine is recovering from injury. Antoine would have helped a lot in this matchup. And Wright may work his young players into the rotation as the season progresses.

Overall, Nova represented the Big East well. Too bad they couldn't close the deal. Nova will be a tough out for anyone, but several other BE teams should challenge them.

Villanova's biggest challenge will be replacing Robinson-Earl.

I was not impressed by Eric Dixon and I am salivating thinking about how Sanogo matches up against him: Dixon isn't quick enough to defend Sanogo's post moves and Dixon isn't enough of an offensive threat to expose Sanogo's defensive shortcomings.

Sanogo should feast.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I'll take your word for it since I don't know much about Brown except that their history in the Ivy League isn't great. It has to be a tough place to win at.

I’d be shocked if they won ten games in the four years I was there, but like I said they’ve got a good coach and some talent and there’s a lot more parity within the league. Would have been huge if they could have pulled it off last night.

 

[Dooooooomed]

Ivy League doing it again...

Dartmouth 37
Georgetown 21
Halftime

Other scores of note:

Tulane loses to Southern
USF loses to Georgia Southern
Rutgers trails Merrimack by 7 at the half

 

[Tenspro2002]

Villanova beating UCLA would have been a big scalp for the conference -- big missed opportunity there.

That's the sort of win that would have buoyed the whole BE in terms of the computer numbers.

 

[superjohn]

Georgetown still getting run by Dartmouth. Down 13 under 7 minutes left.

 

[87Xfer]

G'town down by 13 to Dartmouth w 6 minutes to go

 

[Mr. French]

just came here to chime in about Dartmouth - Georgetown a big ooooof

 

[HuskyHoosier]

Even though GT losing - Aminu Mohammed looks really good. Will be fun watching his career progress in college and potentially NBA.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Ewing has to figure out a way to keep players from wanting to leave.

 

[nwhoopfan]

10:30 PM:

Texas @ Gonzaga - ESPN2: This will be my “Sunday Morning Coffee” game before yard work. The amount of talent in the front court is insane: Timme, Holmgren, Mitchell, Disu, Bishop…

Timme unstoppable to start the game.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Just finished watching the Gonzaga/Texas game. I would have loved to see this matchup in two months once Texas can get a chance to get its chemistry together, but still, very impressive win for the Zags.

I can't imagine another team with greater title hopes than Gonzaga.

Start with Drew Timme. His hands in the low post are elite level: his ability to catch tough pass while defended well (Christian Bishop is a heck of an interior defender), adjust his footwork and score with touch is some of the best I've ever seen.

The rest of their starting lineup is so well-balanced: Nembhard is their steady senior distributor with elite length, Bolton is their veteran microwave scorer/bucket-getter, Holmgren is their stretch rim-protector and Strawther is their glue guy.

Off the bench, their development of Anton Watson has been impressive as he brings the team a much needed physical post defender they haven't had since Brandon Clarke.

Just total domination by the Zags.

It was interesting hearing Fraschilla talk about Tre Mitchell: this isn't the A-10 anymore...he seems totally outmatched by the speed and athleticism of the Zags. This was the first game where I've thought yes, I love UConn's frontcourt, but this is the first time I've been totally cool with Tre Mitchell not committing w/ UConn.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Here's my bonus Sunday preview:

Noon:

Yale @ Seton Hall - FS1: Potentially an interesting game, but even though Yale should be one of, if not, the best team in the Ivy, I’m not confident they will be gelled together after a year off. Greenwich’s Jack Molloy is a big part of Yale’s future and will be an interesting prospect to see develop

1 PM:

Florida State @ Florida - ESPN: Great opening weekend in-state game. Leonard Hamilton is one of my favorite coaches and it seems like he’s never rebuilding, just retooling. Houston transfer Caleb Mills will be a big scoring boost while the top-30 freshman wing duo of Matthew Cleveland and Jalen Warley will be exciting to see how they fit in Hamilton’s system.

Florida won the Myreon Jones sweepstakes and are a team mostly built by transfers. I don’t think he’s playing Sunday, but I wish Keyontae Johnson a speedy recovery. Hope to see him on the court soon.

3 PM:

South Dakota State @ Stephen F. Austin- ESPN+: Very good mid-major matchup. South Dakota State is arguably the top team in the Summit, returning FIVE double-digit scorers, three of which averaged 15+ last season. SDSU has good size too: their starting lineup clocks in at 6’4, 6’4, 6’6, 6’7 and 6’8.

SFA, the former Southland stud, is entering its first year in the WAC and should be a top-tier team thanks to three of their best players returning for a fifth year. Gavin Kensmil is their stud, a 6’7 260 monster in the post. SFA is known for two things: causing turnovers (3rd in nation last year) and offensive rebounding (7th in nation).

5 PM:

Western Kentucky v South Carolina - ESPNU:

I feel like people are sleeping on WKU. Yes, all-time great Charles Bassey is gone, but Stansbury has done a nice job plugging in his spot with DePaul transfer Jaylen Butz and 7’5! Jamarion Sharp. BC/Maryland transfer Jarirus Hamilton has started the season averaging 16.5 ppg. Amongst their returnees, sophomore point guard Dayton McKnight is averaging 26.5/7/5 and the team will be even stronger once former Cincy wing Keith Williams plays.

For South Carolina, I’ve always like Frank Martin coached teams: not very gifted in skill, but they work their butts off.

 

[NowInStorrs]

Saint Bonaventure down 9 to Canisius with 11 minutes left.

 

[NowInStorrs]

It was basically all Bonnies after that point though. They won by 9.