College basketball is finally back in session and the first day of action didn’t disappoint. Every year, low/mid-major programs receive compensation to participate in road contests against high-major schools. These contests are referred to as “Buy Games” and they are known to benefit both parties, but there are times when the underdog winds up securing the cash and the victory. Look at James Madison and Abilene Christian for example, most individuals expected those teams to begin their respective 2023-24 campaigns with losses, but they both found a way to get into the win column on opening night.
The Dukes, who finished 22-11 a season ago, waltzed into the Breslin Center on Monday and controlled the tempo for 40 minutes. They possessed a four-point lead at the break and continued to frustrate head coach Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans once the second half commenced. While James Madison finished the night shooting a horrid 27% from three-point land, they managed to reach the charity stripe 28 times and do most of their damage in the paint. Despite their brilliant offensive display, they were unable to put the Spartans away in regulation, largely in part to Tyson Walker’s willingness to raise his level of play. From aggressive rip throughs to the rim on the perimeter to rhythm pull up J’s near the free throw line area, Walker did everything he could to help the Spartans avoid an early season upset. Unfortunately for him, however, his performance was overshadowed by a dagger JMU triple in OT that ultimately led to a 79-76 victory for the 1-0 Dukes.
After Airion Simmons nailed an early jumper to tie Abilene Christian and Oklahoma State up at four, the Wildcats proceeded to end the half on a 32-21 run and take full control of the ball game. Thanks to a solid second half performance from Bryce Thompson (team’s leading scorer last season) and a stronger defensive effort, though, the Cowboys faced a measly three-point deficit late in regulation. With a prime opportunity to escape with an undeserving win in front of their home crowd, the Cowboys failed to convert two freebies at the foul line, missed a layup at the rim and surrendered the ball to the Wildcats all in the final 40 seconds of the contest. It wasn’t the prettiest win of the night, but at the end of the day, Abilene Christian made enough plays to earn a 64-59 victory over a Big 12 opponent.
Rutgers and Princeton competed at a neutral site, making it a regular Big Ten-Ivy League matchup, but I would be remiss if I didn’t credit the Tigers for putting together a complete game against the Scarlett Knights. Rutgers lost three key pieces from last year’s 19-14 squad, but the Scarlett Knights were still deemed worthy of being 5.5-point favorites over Princeton. Similar to the Dukes, however, the Tigers found themselves in front after 20 minutes and didn’t fold in the final half. How did they do it? Well, they played disciplined man-to-man defense with timely rotations, moved effectively without the ball on the offensive end and shot 45% from downtown in their impressive 68-61 win over the Scarlett Knights. The Tigers may not play the most exciting brand of basketball in the country, but judging by their impressive 2022-23 resume (22-8 record with a Sweet 16 appearance), it can lead to plenty of success if executed properly.
Overall, it was an entertaining night of college basketball, even though they were an abundance of 20+ point high-major over low/mid-major blowouts. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Rutgers respond to dropping their first game of the season, but I’m not a believer in overreacting to stunning opening-night losses (and you shouldn’t be either). It’s going to take some time for these ball clubs to get things rolling and find their groove offensively and/or defensively, so let’s just kick our feet up and enjoy watching everyone grow over time.
Courtside With Caleb 
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