College basketball's 12 biggest nonconference games in 2017-18

E.Jay Zarett

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College basketball's 12 biggest nonconference games in 2017-18 image

With the college basketball season drawing ever closer, Sporting News decided to look at some of the best upcoming nonconference games in 2017-18.

There are several games that immediately pop out on paper — a top-three matchup between Duke and Michigan State comes to mind — but there are several games any college basketball fan absolutely has to be keyed in on this year.

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Let's get ready for some basketball. (All times are Eastern and rankings are from SN’s way-too-early top 25).

No. 3 Duke vs. No. 2 Michigan State

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 14
Location: United Center (Chicago)
Time: 7 p.m.

After opening their seasons against mid-major opponents, Duke and Michigan State face off in the first must-watch game of 2017-18 at the Champions Classic.

The Blue Devils are set to feature one of the most talented rosters in all of college basketball, while Michigan State returns sophomore forwards Miles Bridges as well as Nick Ward and adds highly touted freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. In his first opportunity to play on a national stage, 2017’s top overall recruit, Marvin Bagley , could spend significant portions of the game matched up with Bridges, who averaged 16.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season.

Bridges went just 4 of 13 from the floor as Michigan State fell at Duke 78-69 in last season’s ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Duke has topped the Spartans in 11 of the teams' 13 contests, including the 2015 Final Four.

No. 5 Kansas vs. No. 4 Kentucky

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 14
Location: United Center (Chicago)
Time: 8:30 p.m.

Two of college basketball’s most storied programs will take the floor for the second half of the Champions Classic. Both teams advanced to the Elite Eight and won more than 30 games a season ago.

The Wildcats bring in the nation's No. 2 recruiting class, highlighted by Jarred Vanderbilt, Kevin Knox and Hamidou Diallo, who enrolled at UK in January  2017 but did not play. All are five-star recruits, according to 247Sports. Meanwhile, Kansas returns three guards in its backcourt who averaged 24 or more minutes per game last season: Devonte’ Graham, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and Lagerald Vick. They also add Malik Newman, a transfer from Mississippi State.

Kansas rallied from a double-digit first half deficit to come away with a win at Kentucky in the 2016-17 SEC/Big 12 Challenge. But Kentucky holds a 22-8 advantage all-time in the series.

No. 16 Notre Dame at No. 2 Michigan State

Date: Thursday, Nov. 30
Location: Breslin Center (East Lansing, Mich.)
Time: 7 p.m.

The matchup between Notre Dame and Michigan State will feature a battle between two of college basketball’s top front courts.

The Spartans return Miles Bridges, one of the best players in the country, as well as Marvin Clark. The pair combined to average 30.8 points and 14.8 rebounds per game last season. Bridges was named to both the All-Big Ten rookie and second team. Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson, a third-team All-American in 2016-17, will be back for his senior season. Colson averaged a double-double, 17.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season and was a first-team All-ACC player.

Notre Dame pulled out a one-point overtime victory the last time it faced Michigan State in December 2014.

No. 6 Louisville at No. 4 Kentucky

Date: Friday, Dec. 29
Location: Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.)
Time: 1 p.m.

Kentucky’s schedule is filled with top games, but none may be bigger than their in-state matchup with Louisville, as the teams resume one of the best nonconference rivalries in college basketball. 

Kentucky’s core of freshman, led by Kevin Knox, Hamidou Diallo and Quade Green, will host an experienced Cardinals team, which returns two of its top three scorers — guard Quentin Snider and forward Deng Adel — from 2016-17. Last season, Snider and Adel combined for 40 points and Malik Monk missed a game-tying 3-pointer with time winding down as Louisville held on for a 73-70 victory over the Wildcats at the KFC/Yum! Center. It was the Cardinals' first win in the rivalry since 2012.

Overall, Kentucky holds a 26-14 advantage in the all-time series. Interim coach David Padgett will be at the helm of Louisville for the first time in the rivalry, following the FBI investigation that led to the firing of Rick Pitino in late September.

No. 21 Miami at No. 10 Minnesota

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 29
Location: Williams Arena (Minneapolis)
Time: 9:15 p.m.

Minnesota received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17, one season after it captured just eight victories and finished 14th in the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers return five of six scorers from that team, which was upset by Middle Tennessee State in the NCAA Tournament’s opening round.

The Golden Gophers' first test of 2017-18 will come when it faces Alabama and Miami (Fla.) in back-to-back games over a four-day stretch.

After playing the Crimson Tide at the Barclays Center, Minnesota will return home to face the Hurricanes, which is expected to be one of the ACC’s top teams. Minnesota’s Nate Mason will match up with Miami’s Ja’Quan Newton in a battle of senior point guards. Each averaged more than 13 points per game last season.

No. 13 Cincinnati at No. 18 Xavier

Date: Saturday, Dec. 2
Location: Cintas Center (Cincinnati)
Time: Noon

Xavier had won three straight Crosstown Shootouts heading into last year’s matchup. But Cincinnati finally got an 86-78 over the Musketeers in 2016-17.

Bearcats guard Jacob Evans tallied 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists to lead Cincinnati past Xavier 86-78 for their first win in the series since 2012-13. In that game, Xavier's Trevon Bluiett poured in a career-high 40 points for the Musketeers. Evans and Bluiett will both be back on the court for Cincinnati and Xavier, respectively, and both teams are expected to finish near the top of their conference standings.

MORE:  Cincinnati celebrates end of its Shootout skid 

Cincinnati holds a 46-31 all-time advantage in the series.

No. 9 Wichita State at Baylor

Date: Saturday, Dec. 2
Location: Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas)
Time: 1 p.m.

Baylor and Wichita State will each aim to pick up a key non conference victory when they matchup in Waco.

The Shockers carry a talented roster into their first season in the AAC. Guard Landry Shamet and forward Markis McDuffie were both named to the MVC All-First Team last season, while forwards Darral Willis Jr. and Shaquille Morris each averaged more than nine points and five rebounds per game. Shamet suffered a broken foot in late July, but is expected to return by mid-November.

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The Bears lost Johnathan Motley from a team that won 27 games and rose to No. 1 in the AP Poll for the first time in program history a season ago. But Baylor does return Manu Lecomte, who averaged 12.2 points and shot 40.8 percent from 3-point range in 2016-17. The Bears return three other rotation players to a team expected to finish near the top of the Big 12.

Virginia at No. 14 West Virginia

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 5
Location: WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, W.V.)
Time: 7 p.m.

Virginia plays VCU, Wisconsin and Vanderbilt during its nonconference slate. The Cavaliers' matchup with West Virginia, however, may be their most intriguing game.

Virginia and West Virginia both excel defensively, but their styles are distinctly different. WVU extends its defense full court, forcing opponents to break its press, while the Cavaliers pack the paint and make it difficult for teams to score near the rim. Both finished in the top five of last season’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings, according to kenpom.com.

West Virginia traveled to Charlottesville and defeated the Cavaliers 66-57 last season.

No. 12 Gonzaga vs. No. 8 Villanova

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 5
Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
Time: 7 p.m.

Gonzaga and Villanova have been two of the top college basketball programs over the last decade. The teams — both No. 1 seeds — could have faced each other in last season’s Final Four, but Villanova was upset by Wisconsin in the second round. Instead, they’ll play at Madison Square Garden as part of the Jimmy V Classic.

First-team All-Big East guard Jalen Brunson, a key contributor to the Wildcats'  2015-16 national championship team, will be back for Villanova — as will last season’s Big East co-Defensive Player of the Year, Mikal Bridges. The Wildcats will also be bolstered by the return of Phil Booth, who missed most of 2016-17 because of a knee injury.

Gonzaga lost four of its top six scorers from last season’s who played for the national title. But the Bulldogs will have guard Josh Perkins and Johnathan Williams, who averaged 10.2 points per game, back on their roster.

No. 13 Cincinnati vs. No. 7 Florida

Date: Saturday, Dec. 9
Location: Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.)
Time: TBA

Cincinnati and Florida will meet for the first time ever in early December when they play on a neutral floor in New Jersey.

The defensive-minded Bearcats will be tasked with slowing down All-SEC guard KeVaughn Allen, who averaged 14 points per game and shot 37 percent from 3-point range for the Gators last season.

Cincinnati returns four of its top five scorers from a team that won 30 games in 2016-17. The Bearcats also add guard Cane Broome, who averaged 23.1 points per game at Sacred Heart in 2015-16 before transferring and redshirting last season.

No. 23 Purdue vs. No. 17 Butler

Date: Saturday, Dec. 16
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
Time: Noon

Butler and Purdue both advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2016-17, but face major questions heading into the season.

Purdue will be forced to deal with the loss of consensus First-Team All-American Caleb Swanigan to the NBA. The Boilmakers built their offense around him last season, as the forward demanded double-teams in the post. They will have to adjust on that end of the floor. Purdue does bring back six players who averaged more than 19 minutes per game last season, including sharp shooter Vincent Edwards and 7’2 center Isaac Haas.

But Butler lost its coach, Chris Hotlmann, in early June when he was hired to take over at Ohio State. He was replaced by former Bulldog LaVall Jordan, who's coming off an 11-24 season while at the helm of Milwaukee, his lone year as a head coach at the NCAA level.

No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 12 UCLA

Date: Saturday, Dec. 23
Location: Smoothie King Center (New Orleans)
Time: 4 p.m.

UCLA and Kentucky played in one of the best regular season games last season when they met in Rupp Arena.

The Bruins appeared to have put the game away when they took an 11-point lead with just 30 seconds left. Kentucky, however, cut its deficit to just three just 20 seconds later — before UCLA made a pair of free throws to hold on for the 97-92 win. Eleven players reached double-figure scoring totals in that game.

But, when the teams met again three months later in the Sweet 16, it was Kentucky that came out on top. Led by 39 points from point guard De'Aaron Fox, the Wildcats ended UCLA’s season when it gave the Bruins an 86-75 loss.

UCLA will look to avenge its NCAA Tournament loss when the teams play in New Orleans.

Other Games to Watch

No. 18 Xavier at Wisconsin: Thursday, Nov. 16
No. 10 Minnesota vs. Alabama: Saturday, Nov. 25
No. 18 Xavier vs. Baylor: Tuesday, Nov. 28  
No. 6 Louisville at No. 23 Purdue: Tuesday, Nov. 28
No. 1 Arizona vs. Alabama: Saturday, Dec. 9
No. 22 Virginia Tech at No. 4 Kentucky: Saturday, Dec. 16

E.Jay Zarett