I received a few e-mails about my column from earlier this week, the one in which I wrote it would be nice to have a true season-opening event featuring the top eight teams playing each other and providing a noticeable launch for college basketball.
Some of you argued this could never happen because elite schools wouldn't agree to start the season against great competition, to which I ask, Why not?
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| One loss definitely won't hurt Kentucky's chances for the NCAA Tournament. (AP) |
Did North Carolina's loss to Santa Clara to open the 2004-05 season hurt the Tar Heels? They still earned a No. 1 seed and won the NCAA Tournament.
Did Florida's loss to Kansas last November hurt the Gators? They still earned a No. 1 seed and won the NCAA Tournament.
In other words, an early loss in college basketball is often meaningless come March, which is why I don't understand why more coaches wouldn't be for the idea if the logistics could be worked out.
Ultimately, the event would bring untold national exposure and when the final horn sounded, all eight schools would have a win over a marquee opponent (that's good) or a loss to a marquee opponent (that's not too bad) on a neutral floor.
Either way, it's better than losing to Gardner-Webb at home.
Here's the season debut of the Friday Look Ahead.
Game worth flying to see in person: This freshman class is loaded, and a reasonable person could like Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon or Kevin Love the best. It's up for debate. But there is no debating O.J. Mayo is the most-hyped of the group, and he makes his college debut Saturday afternoon when USC plays host to Mercer. How good is Mercer? Can't say for sure. But what I can tell you is that the Bears (that's right, they are the Mercer Bears) were picked fifth in the Atlantic Sun, three spots ahead of Gardner-Webb. So watch out, O.J.
Game worth driving to see in person: Rick Majerus' official return to coaching is Friday night, but it is Sunday that he can make national headlines. His Saint Louis Billikens are in Pittsburgh for the Hispanic College Fund Classic, and they'll get a shot at Jamie Dixon's Pitt Panthers in the event's closing contest.
Game worth flying and then driving to see in person: This is a special category, not one that'll make it here each week. But I thought I'd throw it in because I'm actually flying to Tulsa, Okla., and then driving to Stillwater, Okla., for Friday night's game between Oklahoma State and Prairie View A&M. It'll be my first visit to Gallagher-Iba Arena, and it's too bad JamesOn Curry couldn't be there to share the moment. Instead, he's sitting on the bench for the Chicago Bulls. But the kid is making $427,163 a year to do it, so I can't say I blame him for leaving Oklahoma State, silly as it seemed at the time.
Game worth watching on TV: There isn't much in the way of televised games. But Temple vs. Tennessee can be found Friday night on Fox Sports South, and that's not bad. One school (Temple) has a former coach (John Chaney) who once wanted to fight John Calipari and the other school (Tennessee) has a current coach (Bruce Pearl) who will likely have the same desire on the recruiting trail at some point in the future, assuming he hasn't already.
