16 can’t-miss early-season games to watch in 2024-25

There’s a lot to watch for during the nonconference portion of the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season.

It’s not just for 17-year-old phenomenon Cooper Flagg, who will make his prime-time debut Nov. 12 when Duke takes on Kentucky in the Champions Classic (9 p.m. ET, ESPN). That also happens to be the first marquee game for Mark Pope, who stepped in to replace John Calipari — who moved over to Arkansas.

The SEC for its part is firmly in its basketball era, and determined to prove it early on, with Alabama and Auburn both wanting a piece of Big 12 behemoth Houston. UConn‘s Dan Hurley is continuing to set some of the most difficult early-season schedules we’ve seen in recent years from a (two-time) defending champion. And, yeah, the other blue bloods will get to size each other up too.

It’ll take some time to memorize all the new faces in new places (quick, name all 36 teams in the Big Ten and ACC!), but seeing some of them in action in the nonconference portion will help. ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, Neil Paine, Joe Lunardi and Jeff Borzello highlight 16 games you don’t want to miss in November and December.

Nov. 8 | 7 p.m. ET | Lawrence, Kansas | ESPN2

The Cooper Flagg buzz — and it’s all valid — has diminished the spotlight on a player who could move past Flagg and the rest of the field in the national player of the year conversation by the end of the campaign. Last season, RJ Davis averaged 21.2 PPG and made 40% of his 3-point attempts. An early burst against the preseason No. 1 team in America could remind the country that the Wooden Award winner could emerge from the ACC — but it might not be the name you expect. — Myron Medcalf

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Nov. 9 | 9:30 p.m. ET | Houston | ESPNU

This is the best nonconference game of the entire season — according to Ken Pomeroy. For Houston, his No. 1 team, this will be an early test of Kelvin Sampson’s post-Jamal Shead lineup. Auburn, the defending SEC tournament champ and KenPom’s No. 3 team, has Wooden Award candidate Johni Broome poised to have his best season yet, though the Tigers must still find replacements for starters Jaylin Williams and Aden Holloway. Neither team is what it will be by March, but Auburn is a 64% favorite for this one, per KenPom. — Neil Paine

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Nov. 12 | 5 p.m. ET | Philadelphia | CBSSN

The Hawks should be in the NCAA tournament conversation for the first time under Billy Lange. Last season, they ended a 12-year losing streak against their old archrivals on the way to winning the expanded Philly Big 5 (plus Drexel). The Wildcats went 0-3 (sixth place) in the new format, adding to the heat on Kyle Neptune for a pair of unwelcome NIT bids since he succeeded Jay Wright. Add bubble implications to the usual local bragging rights and this becomes a major early-season test for both sides. — Joe Lunardi

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Nov. 15 | 7:00 p.m. ET | West Lafayette, Indiana | Peacock

After making it all the way to the national championship game, the Boilermakers will undoubtedly drop off some without two-time Wooden Award winner Zach Edey. But the cupboard isn’t bare for Matt Painter, who returns Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn and adds 7-foot-3 freshman Daniel Jacobsen. Nate Oats’ team will also use this game to coalesce a lineup around three new starters — chief among them Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi, who knows Purdue well, having logged 181 minutes against the Boilermakers in six meetings while he was a Big Ten player. Purdue is slightly favored (at 56%) for this home game, per KenPom, though it would also surprise no one to see Bama — the AP preseason No. 2 team — take the W. — Paine

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Nov. 18 | 10 p.m. ET | San Diego | CBSSN

Soon enough, this pairing will be a regular occurrence in the new Pac-12. For now, SDSU still carries the banner of a Mountain West conference trying to prove its six NCAA bids this past March wasn’t a fluke. Kudos to the Bulldogs for playing at Viejas Arena while so many other power programs won’t travel to campus sites. But the pressure will be on the Aztecs to post a résumé-building win in a year in which continuing their multiyear NCAA streak is by no means guaranteed. — Lunardi

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Nov. 22 | 10:30 p.m. ET | Tucson, Arizona | ESPN2

Yes, I’m a sucker for the traditional home-and-home series. Recall, Arizona escaped Cameron Indoor Stadium early last season with a 78-73 victory. The Blue Devils will no doubt look to return the favor at the McHale Center in a battle between two potential Final Four teams. While we can’t miss the buzz around Duke, the Wildcats are flying a bit under the radar as they enter a Big 12 dominated recently by Kansas, Baylor and Houston. Tommy Lloyd’s program is very much due for a breakthrough. — Lunardi

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Nov. 25 | 11:30 p.m. ET | Lahaina, Hawai’i | ESPN2

It’s worth noting the Flyers are 9-3 in four prior appearances in Maui, including the 2003 tournament title and a runner-up finish in 2019. That 2019-20 edition of the Flyers was 29-2 and on its way to an NCAA tournament No. 1 seed before COVID-19 intervened. Incidentally, one of those two losses was an overtime thriller against Kansas in the Maui championship game. Something to keep in mind when you switch over from “Monday Night Football” to the nightcap of a power-packed opening day in Lahaina. — Lunardi

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Nov. 26 | 8 p.m. ET | Las Vegas | TBS

Both of these teams are ranked in the top five entering the season, and they are a contrast in styles between Nate Oats’ elite offense and Kelvin Sampson’s elite defense. The biggest key for the Cougars this season will be how Jamal Shead’s replacement performs at point guard. Milos Uzan will undoubtedly be tested by Alabama All-American Mark Sears. But can the Tide deal with Houston’s physicality? I give the slight edge to Bama. — Jeff Borzello

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Nov. 26 | 9 p.m. ET | Las Vegas | ESPN

The projected No. 1 pick in the NBA draft going against my preseason No. 1 team? In Las Vegas? Yep, I’m in. Duke will have marquee matchups before this Feast Week tilt (see: the Champions Classic on Nov. 12), but going against experienced college forwards such as AJ Storr and K.J. Adams Jr. should make for an entertaining watch. This game is also a test for projected lottery pick Khaman Maluach, who will have to defend Kansas’ All-American big man Hunter Dickinson. I think Kansas will be further along at this point in the season, so I’ll go with the Jayhawks to win. — Borzello

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Dec. 4 | 6:30 p.m. ET | Storrs, Connecticut | FS1

Mike Krzyzewski was criticized for his lean nonconference schedules that often positioned Duke for two months of easy wins before conference play. Dan Hurley has taken the opposite approach. This matchup against Baylor — anchored by former Duke star Jeremy Roach and projected lottery pick VJ Edgecombe — is in the middle of one of the most difficult 20-day stretches in the season. It takes place after UConn’s appearance at the Maui Invitational (where matchups against Iowa State, Auburn and/or UNC are possible) and before matchups against Texas and Gonzaga. On the flip side, it’s a chance for Baylor to climb into a national title convo if it can beat the defending champs. — Medcalf

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Dec. 4 | 8:15 p.m. | Durham, North Carolina | ESPN

Auburn faces a very difficult nonconference slate, including the aforementioned Houston game, plus contests against Iowa State (Maui Invitational), Ohio State (Holiday Hoopsgiving) and Purdue. Then there’s this game, at one of college basketball’s most unforgiving environments, against a loaded Blue Devils team that ranks No. 2 on KenPom. Can Duke slow down an Auburn team that liked to strike quickly last season? Can Johni Broome & Co. defend against all-around phenom Cooper Flagg, who will be playing in his eighth collegiate game by this point? Predictably, Duke is favored at 63% by KenPom, but Auburn’s ability to contend with the opposing talent, and the crowd, might tell us something about its eventual potential in March. — Paine

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Dec. 7 | 10 p.m. ET | Seattle | ESPN2

Entering this season, a handful of players have dominated the Wooden Award conversation: Cooper Flagg, RJ Davis, Mark Sears, Johni Broome, Wade Taylor IV and others. Graham Ike hasn’t been a popular name in that dialogue. He should be. After he led the Zags to the Sweet 16, this matchup against Mark Pope’s Kentucky squad should draw a large national audience — and the opportunity for Ike to remind the country he’s on that short list of national player of the year candidates, too. — Medcalf

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Dec. 12 | 3 p.m. ET | Phoenix | ESPN2

This is supposed to be a space for nonconference matchups, right? Well, the realignment chaos has turned this meeting into a battle of two teams from different leagues for the first time since 1978 — the year Arizona joined the Pac-12 (it was known as the Pac-10 then). Beyond that storyline, however, it’s a fun matchup. Mick Cronin believes former USC standout Kobe Johnson can be a pro, and McDonald’s All American Trent Perry looks like a soon-to-be star, too. Arizona’s Caleb Love is chasing a second trip to the Final Four — and Wooden Award consideration. And he’s joined by a strong fleet of veterans. Get ready for this fabulous … Big Ten-Big 12 battle. — Medcalf

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Dec. 14 | 8 p.m. ET | New York | FOX

UConn’s blowout of Gonzaga last December was one of the first signs the Huskies had a legitimate chance at winning back-to-back national championships. The Zags now travel across the country to Madison Square Garden for a prime-time Saturday night game hoping to exact some revenge. The Huskies will have an edge on the wings with the sharpshooting duo of Alex Karaban and Liam McNeeley, while Gonzaga’s inside-outside combination of Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike should cause problems for Dan Hurley’s team. With the game played in “Storrs South,” I lean toward UConn emerging with a win. — Borzello

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Dec. 14 | 8:30 p.m. ET | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | SEC Network

One of the themes of these nonconference games is their usefulness as a gauge for teams that lost key players in the offseason. Creighton is one of those after saying goodbye to leading scorers Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander. The third member of its three-headed offensive monster, Ryan Kalkbrenner, is back, however, along with Steven Ashworth and Mason Miller. The Tide will be a great opponent to check that progress against, with Mark Sears and Clifford Omoruyi good sparring partners for Ashworth and Kalkbrenner. Bama is a 68% home favorite in the KenPom model, but the Bluejays could also prove they are potentially capable of a fourth Sweet 16 bid in five seasons. — Paine

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Dec. 21 | 12 p.m. | Newark, New Jersey | FOX Sports 1

This isn’t a potential top-five or top-10 matchup like many of the others on this list, but it features two of the more fascinating teams entering the season. For Rutgers, the reasons are obvious. Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are both projected top-five NBA draft picks, and the expectations for the Scarlet Knights are the highest in program history. Meanwhile, Princeton has two elite mid-major players in Caden Pierce and Xaivian Lee, and the Tigers will get an opportunity for a neutral-site statement win. I’ll take the upset. — Borzello