2021-22 College Basketball Thread

[GeorgiaModerate]

College basketball season is just around the corner!  The regular season starts on November 9, but exhibition games can occur as early as this weekend.

The preseason AP Top 25 was released this morning.  Gonzaga was the runaway favorite with 55 first-place votes to 8 for UCLA, while defending champion Baylor is ranked 8th.  The full list:

1. Gonzaga
2. UCLA
3. Kansas
4. Villanova
5. Texas
6. Michigan
7. Purdue
8. Baylor
9. Duke
10. Kentucky
11. Illinois
12. Memphis
13. Oregon
14. Alabama
15. Houston
16. Arkansas
17. Ohio State
18. Tennessee
19. North Carolina
20. Florida State
21. Maryland
22. Auburn
23. St. Bonaventure
24. Connecticut
25. Virginia

https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll

[NewYorkExpress]

I'd be interested in hosting a pick'em for the second straight year, assuming someone is willing to keep score and we can attract a couple of players.

I'd be looking at a few rules changes from last year, such as instead of the week starting on Monday, it would start on Wednesday, and there would likely be a maximum of thirty games picked during the non-conference season (while not including non-conference tournaments such as the Maui Invitational), and forty-five during the conference season.

[GeorgiaModerate]

I'd be interested in hosting a pick'em for the second straight year, assuming someone is willing to keep score and we can attract a couple of players.

I'd be looking at a few rules changes from last year, such as instead of the week starting on Monday, it would start on Wednesday, and there would likely be a maximum of thirty games picked during the non-conference season (while not including non-conference tournaments such as the Maui Invitational), and forty-five during the conference season.

I'll keep score again if we can get enough players to make it worthwhile.  Not starting before Wednesday is a good change.  I'd stick with a weekly max of 30 (or even 25) games through the whole season, though; 45 is a lot to ask of people.

[NewYorkExpress]

Alright, here's how the College Basketball pick'em will work, for anyone who is interested.

I will post the schedule of games on either Saturday or Sunday. With the exception of the opening week, which will be posted either tonight or tomorrow, all weeks will start on Wednesday.

During the non-conference season, there will be a maximum of thirty games picked, not including tournaments like the Maui Invitational. During the Conference Season, there be a maximum of forty-five games picked. These are maximums, and the actual number of games picked may end up being fewer than that, depending on the schedule for the week.

This is a regular season only pick'em. While I encourage you to share your predictions for the conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament (and the other postseason tournaments), we will not be picking them here, largely due to the difficulty of picking a tournament format.

Please indicate your interest in the pick'em by making your picks for week one, the schedule for which will be up shortly.

[NewYorkExpress]

College Basketball Pick'em

Schedule for Week One

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Kansas @ Michigan State (Madison Square Garden) ESPN

Kentucky @ Duke (Madison Square Garden) ESPN

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Buffalo @ Michigan 6:30 PM Big Ten Network

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Vermont @ Northern Iowa

Friday, November 12, 2021

Army @ Duke 7:00 PM ACC Network

Oregon State @ Iowa State 8:00 PM ESPN+

Virginia Tech @ Navy 8:30 PM

Pittsburgh @ West Virginia 8:30 PM ESPNU

San Diego State @ BYU 9:00 PM

SMU @ Oregon 11:00 PM PAC12 Network

Villanova @ UCLA 11:30 PM ESPN2

Saturday, November 13, 2021

USC @ Temple ESPN+

California @ UNLV

Georgia @ Cincinnati

UCF @ Miami (FL) 2:00 PM ACC Network

Texas @ Gonzaga 10:30 PM ESPN2

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Florida State @ Florida 1:00 PM ESPN

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/OddsShark/status/1450513323695374345

[Orwell]

Disrespect to Sparty dawg as always. Go Green!

[GeorgiaModerate]

AP preseason first-team All-Americans:

Collin Gillespie, Villanova
Johnny Juzang, UCLA
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Kofi Cockburn, Illinois

In other news, I watched a good chunk of Memphis's exhibition vs. Lemoyne-Owen on ESPN+.  To the extent you can tell anything from an exhibition against an overmatched D-II team, they do look scary: big, fast, disciplined, and with a couple of terrific shooters.  They won 105-57, with much-heralded freshman Emoni Bates and a few other players sitting out.

(But they still don't shoot free throws worth a damn.)

[NewYorkExpress]

After losing an appeal in the long running investigation linked to the FBI shoe company bribery scandal, Oklahoma State has been given a one year postseason ban.

[I’m not Stu]

Tuesday, November 9, 2021
UC Riverside @ San Diego State Stadium Mountain West Network

[Mr. Illini]

I-L-L, baby

[JGibson]

Schedule for Week One

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Kansas @ Michigan State (Madison Square Garden) ESPN

Kentucky @ Duke (Madison Square Garden) ESPN

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Buffalo @ Michigan 6:30 PM Big Ten Network

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Vermont @ Northern Iowa

Friday, November 12, 2021

Army @ Duke 7:00 PM ACC Network

Oregon State @ Iowa State 8:00 PM ESPN+

Virginia Tech @ Navy 8:30 PM

Pittsburgh @ West Virginia 8:30 PM ESPNU

San Diego State @ BYU 9:00 PM

SMU @ Oregon 11:00 PM PAC12 Network

Villanova @ UCLA 11:30 PM ESPN2

Saturday, November 13, 2021

USC @ Temple ESPN+

California @ UNLV

Georgia @ Cincinnati

UCF @ Miami (FL) 2:00 PM ACC Network

Texas @ Gonzaga 10:30 PM ESPN2

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Florida State @ Florida 1:00 PM ESPN

[NewYorkExpress]

Well, since someone decided to make picks in the pick'em (which isn't completely official yet-Georgia Moderate won't keep score without a few more players), I'll get my picks in.
Tuesday, November 9
Michigan State
Duke
Wendsday, November 10
Michigan
Thursday, November,11
Northern Iowa
Friday, November 12
Duke
Iowa State
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
SMU (The PAC-12, has struggled at basketball, UCLA last year notwithstanding. I think that trend continues)
Villanova
Saturday, November 13
USC
California
Cincinnati
Miami(FL)
Gonzaga
Sunday, November 14
Florida

[GeorgiaModerate]

I think we need at least five players to make a pick'em worthwhile.  I'm willing to be one of them, so if two more post picks by Tuesday then I'll add mine and start recording the picks.

[Illiniwek]

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Kansas @ Michigan State (Madison Square Garden) ESPN

Kentucky @ Duke (Madison Square Garden) ESPN

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Buffalo @ Michigan 6:30 PM Big Ten Network

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Vermont @ Northern Iowa

Friday, November 12, 2021

Army @ Duke 7:00 PM ACC Network

Oregon State @ Iowa State 8:00 PM ESPN+

Virginia Tech @ Navy 8:30 PM

Pittsburgh @ West Virginia 8:30 PM ESPNU

San Diego State @ BYU 9:00 PM

SMU @ Oregon 11:00 PM PAC12 Network

Villanova @ UCLA 11:30 PM ESPN2

Saturday, November 13, 2021

USC @ Temple ESPN+

California @ UNLV

Georgia @ Cincinnati

UCF @ Miami (FL) 2:00 PM ACC Network

Texas @ Gonzaga 10:30 PM ESPN2

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Florida State @ Florida 1:00 PM ESPN

[Pessimistic Antineutrino]

I'm going to the UCLA-Villanova game on Friday - I've had the date circled for months! Go Bruins!

My picks:

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Kansas @ Michigan State (Madison Square Garden) ESPN

Kentucky @ Duke (Madison Square Garden) ESPN

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Buffalo @ Michigan 6:30 PM Big Ten Network

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Vermont @ Northern Iowa

Friday, November 12, 2021

Army @ Duke 7:00 PM ACC Network

Oregon State @ Iowa State 8:00 PM ESPN+

Virginia Tech @ Navy 8:30 PM

Pittsburgh @ West Virginia 8:30 PM ESPNU

San Diego State @ BYU 9:00 PM

SMU @ Oregon 11:00 PM PAC12 Network

Villanova @ UCLA 11:30 PM ESPN2

Saturday, November 13, 2021

USC @ Temple ESPN+

California @ UNLV

Georgia @ Cincinnati

UCF @ Miami (FL) 2:00 PM ACC Network

Texas @ Gonzaga 10:30 PM ESPN2

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Florida State @ Florida 1:00 PM ESPN

[GeorgiaModerate]

OK, since we've got enough players it's on.  Here are my picks:

Kansas @ Michigan State (Madison Square Garden) ESPN
Kentucky @ Duke (Madison Square Garden) ESPN

Buffalo @ Michigan 6:30 PM Big Ten Network

Vermont @ Northern Iowa

Army @ Duke 7:00 PM ACC Network
Oregon State @ Iowa State 8:00 PM ESPN+
Virginia Tech @ Navy 8:30 PM
Pittsburgh @ West Virginia 8:30 PM ESPNU
San Diego State @ BYU 9:00 PM
SMU @ Oregon 11:00 PM PAC12 Network
Villanova @ UCLA 11:30 PM ESPN2

USC @ Temple ESPN+
California @ UNLV
Georgia @ Cincinnati  Interesting matchup but I have little faith in Georgia basketball.
UCF @ Miami (FL) 2:00 PM ACC Network
Texas @ Gonzaga 10:30 PM ESPN2

Florida State @ Florida 1:00 PM ESPN

[NewYorkExpress]

An early heads up on the schedule for the pick'em for the next two weeks.

Because most of the games are preseason conference tournaments, and those aren't part of the pick'em for logistics reasons, I've decided to combine weeks two and three into one long week.

The schedule for Week Two/Three will begin on Wednesday November 17, and will continue until Sunday, November 28.

Good luck with week one, everyone, and the schedule for the next two weeks should come out between tomorrow and Saturday.

[I’m not Stu]

Frontier doesn’t have ACCN. Frontier subscribers can’t see every Duke game.

[GeorgiaModerate]

NYE & Illiniwek: you're both missing a pick (not the same one).

[I’m not Stu]

Isn’t the November 12 San Diego State-BYU game on BYUtv?

[GeorgiaModerate]

Nearly a top 20 upset on opening day as Ohio State escapes Akron 67-66 on a basket with 1 second left.

[NewYorkExpress]

Adding the pick of BYU over San Diego State, since I'm pretty sure that's the one I'm missing.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Adding the pick of BYU over San Diego State, since I'm pretty sure that's the one I'm missing.

It was.

[NewYorkExpress]

Navy leads against #25 Virginia 61-55 with less than two minutes to go.