RE: Good Bball Night for the MAC!
interesting college basketball start in general. some random quick notes with a nod to mid majors, MAC, and UT opponents.
MAC looks tough, with the 3 big opening night wins (OU-Belmont, Miami-GaTech, NIU-Wash) while akron buffalo and kent all look real good in losses to strong teams. overall, the league is just 5-9 vs D1 but 12 of the 14 have been on the road with 9 of those vs P6 teams. only home games so far are Belmont and the EMU home opener win in double OT over Illinois St as Stan Heath returns to the MAC and his alma mater with a W. the Valley opens 0-2 vs the MAC and also 5-9 overall vs D1, but 8 of those 14 at home and only 1 P6 road game. elsewhere, half the Ivy is undefeated-Cornell, Yale, Harvard, Princeton- and Brown goes toe to toe with UNC in a close loss. Princeton went to 2-0 with a win over south carolina in a 4 team neutral court tourney (lord, I wish we could play in some of the mixed mid/high major tourneys for a change). That loss was one of only 2 for the SEC (19-2, princeton>s caro, Duke>Kentucky) but all 19 wins were home games, none against P6, best win prob Alabama over La Tech. Princeton now plays minnesota in a tourney championship game that could put them in at large discussions down the line. minny nips almost MAC member WKU by 4. furman goes to 2-0 with an OT win at Louisville. the Big West is a meh 5-8 vs D1 but gets wins at Arizona St (UC-Riverside) and Cal (UC-San DIego). Plus, UC Davis goes to 2-0 with a win over a really good Utah St team that has already beaten Richmond. Marshall knocks off a good Wright St team. the Rockets 4th opponent, Charlotte, opens w 2 D1 home wins. The Big 10 is 24-2 vs D1 which seems amazing but they have yet to play a road game (25 home, 1 neutral) and have not beaten a single P6 team, 0-1. the Big 10's best wins have been Michigan's 88-76 home win over Buffalo and Minnesota's 73-69 neutral court win over WKU. UT's third opponent, Oakland, is the only team to beat a Big12 team, 1-15. The Big East is also 15-1, and but doesn't have a road or P6 win. The American is 13-1 but hasn't won a road game or beaten a P6, A10, or MWC team. The SWAC has played 20 D1 opponents, they are 1-0 at home and 0-19 on the road. The Southern Conf is 6-5 vs D1 and 2-3 vs P6. The MWC has yet to beat a P6 team, it's best win and only road win is Utah St at Richmond.
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