The 5 best games of men’s college basketball’s opening night
The greatest sport in the world is officially back on Monday, and with the return comes a pretty loaded opening slate. Here’s a quick look at the five best games of college basketball’s opening day. 5. No. 18 Iowa State vs. Memphis (Sanford Pentagon: Sioux Falls, SD) (7 p.m. ET/FS1) T.J. Otzelberger and company will […]
The opening night of men’s college basketball showcased five exciting games. First, No. 18 Iowa State faced off against Memphis in San Diego, with Iowa State hoping to make an early statement without their top scorers. Memphis, on the other hand, appeared to be a program at a crossroads, despite early excitement.
Next, No. 25 BYU took on Ohio State, with BYU hoping to make a significant impact despite a disappointing season in the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State featured an underrated player in John Mobley Jr. which could prove crucial.
Gonzaga faced off against Purdue, with the Zags looking to notch their first win against Matt Painter’s squad. Gonzaga returns a strong frontcourt with Braden Huff and Massamba Diop, while Purdue brings size but unproven recent form.
Arizona took on UCLA in Las Vegas, a highly-anticipated match-up in the UCLA-Arizona rivalry. Arizona looks like a national title contender with returns from Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov, while UCLA has a strong potential superstar in Nikola Kusturica.
Finally, the top-ranked Florida team took on Miami in Tampa, with Florida returning Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu. Miami, despite being viewed as a darkhorse Final Four contender, could prove a tough challenge with Malik Reneau back and strong frontcourt help from Shelton Henderson and Somto Cyril.
Written by urgent.news from SB Nation's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
