There are some families who put up Christmas trees on Halloween, and paint eggs while it snows.
And there are those homes where college basketball is a foreign concept that is only rebooted every year after the college football and NFL seasons go into hibernation.
Don’t be those guys.
College teams return next week to instant success with marquee showdowns, new headliner talent and some familiar faces posing in foreign territory: Are you in red, John Calipari?
As the 12-team field begins to narrow down for the College Football Playoff, the hoops season offers a variety of holiday leagues ripe with potential title-worthy matchups.
Early season championships and the Tournament of Champions Classic without Calipari wailing on the Kentucky sideline are games marked on the calendar.
If you need advance notice for matches to be listed on the early season calendar, we have the following:
Baylor vs. Gonzaga, November 4
A great glass of wine on the opening day of the season, here are some suggestions for getting ready for Monday night. Rehydrate and go ahead with your afternoon coffee. This is the only matchup on the schedule between the top 10 teams in a rematch of the 2021 national title game. No. 6 Gonzaga and No. 8 Baylor are well-armed for another run this season and the speed favorites point to a meet on the track. About that caffeine: This is the 11:30 PM ET tip on ESPN after “Monday Night Football” and you’ll want to take a look at the Bears’ newest face – freshman VJ Edgecombe – against a deep and experienced Bulldogs team. .
North Carolina at Kansas, November 8
Friday night at Phog Allen Fieldhouse provides a big welcome for the Hoops in a pair of blue bloods capable of cutting down the nets in March and April.
Tennessee at Louisville, November 9
Dalton Knecht, the SEC Player of the Year, was cut from the Vols’ roster and landed with the Los Angeles Lakers as a first-round draft pick. Now it’s up to Rick Barnes to keep Tennessee atop the SEC in new Cardinals coach Pat Kelce’s first game under the lights.
Kentucky vs. Doc, November. 12 (Atlanta)
Yes, we know Kansas is here too, playing Michigan State in a marquee matchup. We’re here for Copper Flag’s prime-time matchup with the Wildcats. Mark Pope arrives in Calipari’s place with a roster of dried out plants that could make their mark with combined defensive DNA and a dash of star power. UK’s newcomers include three-point specialist Kobe Brea (Dayton), 6-11 forward Andrew Carr (Wake Forest) and 6-10 Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State). Don’t worry, Jayhawks fans, we’ll be watching when Duke squares off against Kansas in Las Vegas in 14 days.
Duke in Arizona, November 22
Hello again, Caleb Love. The Wildcats’ scoring guard helped push Mike Krzyzewski into retirement in the 2022 finale in New Orleans with North Carolina and remains a top prospect on the scouting report with Arizona. Another top-10 team on Duke’s schedule in November. Among Arizona’s new helping hands is Campbell transfer Anthony Del Orso, who averaged 19.5 points per game last season. Sophomore center Motiejus Krivas is another player to keep an eye on for the Wildcats.
Houston vs. Alabama, November 26 (Las Vegas)
Coming into the season ranked No. 2, Alabama doesn’t have a lot of play nationally. But fourth-place Houston knows that headlines and hype are no measure of potential success. The Cougars may look a little different without dynamic mover and first-team all-American Jamaal Shedd. Rest assured, the plan is the same as the Cougars rely on cutting down defense and physical play to crush Alabama’s offense led by All-American point guard Mark Sears before the season begins.
Duke vs. Kansas, November 26 (Las Vegas)
No. 1 Kansas and the presumed No. 1 pick in 2025, Flagg’s pick should be attractive enough. Hunter Dickinson is back for redemption, and the Jayhawks have plenty of experience. Duke’s recruiting class tracks as heavyweights and borders on ridiculously behind Flagg with 7-foot-2 center Khaman Maluach and 6-6 wings Isaiah Evans and Kuhn Knoebel.
Baylor at UConn, Dec. 4
A potential matchup in the Maui Classic with Michigan State (Nov. 26) in the second round in Lahaina would make this list, but this list is not set in stone. The two-time defending national champions may be unbeatable again this season even after losing Stephon Cassel, Donovan Clingan and Cam Spencer to the NBA. That’s because coach Dan Hurley registered a win in the transfer portal as Aiden Mahaney landed via St Mary’s and secured a promising recruiting class headlined by Liam McNealy.
Alabama at North Carolina, December 4
Alabama could be playing as the No. 1 team in the country exactly one month into the regular season when we reach the SEC-ACC Challenge. It’s a rematch of the Sweet Sixteen of 2024. North Carolina has experience and guard depth. But the Tar Heels have big questions to answer inside without Armando Bacot for the first time since the 2018 season.
Gonzaga vs. UConn, Dec. 14 (Madison Square Garden)
This is how Mark Few does non-conferences. Matchups with Baylor and Kentucky and a potential meeting with Arizona in the Battle 4 Atlantis headline the Bulldogs’ buildup for the WCC schedule.
Duke vs. Illinois, February 22 (Madison Square Garden)
In the kind of scheduling that risks everything, we can’t help but appreciate that, this appears to be a game that could set the baseline for the NCAA Tournament for at least one of these clubs. Illinois has a new-look roster, no longer relying on Terrence Shannon Jr. or Coleman Hawkins, and that may not be bad news for Brad Underwood. His recruiting class was crazy. Everyone will be excited about Lithuanian goaltender Kasparas Jakosionnis, and there are big things ahead with Will Riley, Maurice Johnson Jr. and Arizona transfer Kellan Boswell.
– Media at the field level