ESPN Men's Basketball

Is it the college basketball preseason yet?

Why I am even asking this question? Because in 2013, for the first time ever, the NCAA's date before which teams cannot participate in full practice was moved two weeks up the calendar -- technically, it began Friday. Some teams celebrated their Midnight Madness events this weekend, but many more have chosen to wait. And so the big, all-encompassing Midnight Madness explosion we grew so fond of in the past has been replaced by a slow, excruciating trickle. If the rule change didn't make so much obvious sense, I would probably be a little sad.

The upside, of course, is that the new Midnight Madness landscape doesn't preclude America's college basketball coaches from participating in a tradition unlike any other: dressing up as a ridiculous cultural reference in the hopes of making college kids laugh.

On Saturday morning, at Pittsburgh's "Morning Madness" -- scheduled to precede the Pitt football tailgate -- coach Jamie Dixon kicked off the fun. And by "kicked off the fun," I mean he donned the garb of a person named "Uncle Si," from a reality television show about a colorful group of people who made tons of money selling duck calls. Yes, Dixon a character from "Duck Dynasty." He even did the accent and everything.

All told, according to Pittsburgh, more than 4,000 people showed up for the event, which, as you can see above, also included quirky introductions, slam dunks, trivia, and more slam dunks. All in all, it appears to have been a massive success. And Pitt has an ace up its sleeve when it comes to costumed coaches: Dixon "appeared and performed in a variety of commercials" as a kid in Southern California, and "is a card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild," according to a school release. "Uncle Si" appears to have been a method performance. Impressive stuff.

All of which is to say: Your move, Izzo.

1. The Final Four is accepting offers for future sites for 2017-20. The deadline for the bids is Oct. 11. Let's clear this up a bit. Indianapolis, host again in 2015 after North Texas in 2014, has a deal with the NCAA that they will host at least every five years through 2039. Indianapolis is a great host city with its proximity between venues and passion for the sport. The plan for a new dome in Atlanta, tentatively scheduled to open in 2017, would put that city back in the mix. New domes are always looking for huge events. If North Texas is a success, then putting the event back in Jerry's World will likely happen. I'm hopeful San Antonio and New Orleans will continue to bid for the event, as both cities have been terrific hosts and are accessible for fans. You need destinations for an event like the Final Four. That's why Houston was not a great host. The Final Four was too spread out at three different locations with nothing happening around the dome itself. Houston somehow got two Final Fours the last time the bids were handed out. Houston hosted in 2011 and will again in 2016. Phoenix/Glendale failed to host the last time around. So it will be interesting to see if they make a play again for the event. The 60,000-seat minimum and 10,000-hotel room minimum will limit some from bidding.

2. Practice starts next Friday in college basketball and teams are looking for creative ways to get fans interested early. Duke will host an open practice next Saturday from 10 to noon. But my favorite is Pitt. The Panthers had a successful late-night event on campus. This time, the Panthers are hosting an event in advance of Pitt playing Virginia in football near Heinz Field. So the morning madness next Saturday at 10:30 a.m. will try to get Panthers fans jazzed. There will be a special guest, though. Check him out here.

3. BYU coach Dave Rose is home and resting after having cancerous spots removed. But he is well enough to host recruits this weekend. If anything, the recruits should see the courage and fight in Rose that should provide quite a sales pitch to play for someone who is going through something much harder than they would ever dream about while playing at BYU. The plan is still for Rose to be ready to go for the start of practice on Oct. 7. The Cougars are choosing to wait a week to start.

1. Syracuse has done an exceptional job of handling its departure from the Big East as to not alienate any of the former rivals. The Orange have scheduled Villanova and St. John’s for next season and likely will get a deal done with Georgetown for either 2014 or 2015. Colorado handled its exit from the Big 12 in a similar fashion and plays former rivals Kansas, Oklahoma State and Baylor this season. It’s time for Kansas and Missouri to look at doing something similar. The same is true for Pitt and West Virginia, as well as Texas and Texas A&M. Kansas, with the best non-conference schedule in the country, doesn’t need Mizzou. But it would still create an incredible atmosphere at a neutral site, if that’s the best the two sides can do (maybe alternate between Kansas City and St. Louis). Mizzou needs the game more than Kansas, based on the weaker bottom half of the SEC for power-rating points. Pitt’s schedule is soft and could use another power-five school like West Virginia. Playing the game, even at the home of the Penguins, should be a start. Texas has no issue getting games. Meanwhile, the Aggies either can’t or choose not to find quality in their non-conference scheduling. Getting Texas on the slate at least would create some interest in their non-conference scheduling. Egos need to be checked. In an era where college basketball needs to generate non-conference interest, playing these games that fans actually care about should be a priority over another guarantee game against a school with an unfamiliar name.

2. Tyler Roberson isn’t listed on the Syracuse website roster yet, but he has been cleared to play. And that’s great news for Syracuse and the attempt to unseat ACC favorite Duke in the first year of being in the league. "He’s obviously a good player," said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim of the 6-7 forward from Union, N.J. "He gives us some depth at forward with C.J. [Fair] and Jerami [Grant]. It gives us three athletic, quick forwards. We’re excited about that." Boeheim said the news Roberson is eligible has bigger ramifications. "Long-range, that’s the key," said Boeheim of a replacement for Fair once he’s done with his eligibility in the spring of 2014. "Next year, he’ll be really, really good by then. He’s a really good player. He’s pretty quick."

3. Utah State has a rarity of hosting two schools from power conferences in USC (Pac-12) and Mississippi State (SEC) in Logan this season -- the first for the Aggies in the Mountain West. The series with the Bulldogs is a two-for-one that coach Stew Morrill wasn’t thrilled with but will do. The Aggies went out to Starkville in 2012 (lost by two), get the Bulldogs in Logan this season after the series took a year off under new coach Rick Ray and will go back next season. The USC game was as a result of the Aggies going to USC -- Sept. 21 -- in football. "My AD (Scott Barnes) asked that if we do that could we get a home and home in basketball," said Morrill. The series was supposed to start last season in Logan but former USC coach Kevin O'Neill said he needed to put it off a year but then would play the opener this season. O’Neill then got fired. "I told him there was a hefty buyout to move it back a year and that the buyout doubled," said Morrill. "Andy (Enfield) got the job, and there was a $150,000 buyout on this game." Utah State opens up with USC at home Nov. 8 and will return the game next season. "People have no idea how hard it is to get games," said Morrill. Utah State has kept the BYU series in Salt Lake City on a neutral court. Utah has put off playing Utah State and Morrill said he would only play the Utes in a home-and-home situation.

Sometimes it’s smart to schedule soft. You’re a year or two into your job at a program that needs to be completely rebuilt. You want some easy wins early to develop confidence in your players and fan support/excitement for your team. So you construct a nonconference schedule filled mostly with patsies and vow to change your ways a few years down the road when things are on stable footing.

Makes total sense.

Thus, as we unveil our list of the 10 worst nonconference schedules in the country among the big boys, I can totally understand why a coach such as Mississippi State’s Rick Ray or TCU’s Trent Johnson devised a relatively weak slate. Others such as Mike Anderson at Arkansas and Jamie Dixon at Pittsburgh have no excuse.

Whatever the context, all of the schools on this list are high-major programs from the nine conferences that were part of this package and all 10 could’ve done better by at least adding another marquee game or two (schools listed in alphabetical order).

AIR FORCE

Toughest: Colorado (Nov. 30)
Next-toughest: Richmond (Nov. 27)
The rest: vs. Army (Nov. 8 in Lexington, Va.), vs. Citadel/VMI (Nov. 9 in Lexington, Va.), Jackson State (Nov. 14), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 17), Colorado Christian (Nov. 20), South Dakota (Dec. 5), Western State (Dec. 9), UC Riverside (Dec. 14), at UC Davis (Dec. 21)

Give the Falcons credit for scheduling a pair of quality opponents at home in Colorado and Richmond. But there really isn’t much else to get excited about here. Air Force’s only true road game is a Dec. 21 tilt at UC Davis. The rest of the schedule is abysmal, but Dave Pilipovich’s squad is in rebuilding mode, so this is actually a smart slate for this particular team.

ARKANSAS

Toughest: Maui Invitational (Nov. 25-27)
Next-toughest: SMU (Nov. 18)
The rest: SIU-Edwardsville (Nov. 8), Louisiana (Nov. 15), Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 3), Clemson (Dec. 7), Savannah State (Dec. 12), Tennessee-Martin (Dec. 19), South Alabama (Dec. 21), High Point (Dec. 28), Texas-San Antonio (Jan. 4)

This is one of the more embarrassing schedules on this list. If I'm ranking the top 10, Arkansas would probably be No. 2 or No. 3. Other than the Maui Invitational (the Razorbacks open against Cal and then play either Minnesota or Syracuse), there is not a single noteworthy game on this list. Arkansas is known for its tremendous fan support. Yet the best home game Mike Anderson can schedule for the Razorback faithful is a tilt with SMU? Inexcusable.

CLEMSON

Toughest: Charleston Classic (Nov. 21-24), at Arkansas (Dec. 7)
Next-toughest: South Carolina (Nov. 17)
The rest: Stetson (Nov. 8), Delaware State (Nov. 13), Coastal Carolina (Nov. 29), South Carolina State (Dec. 3), Furman (Dec. 14), at Auburn (Dec. 19), VMI (Dec. 30)

The Tigers will likely enter ACC play with a gaudy record, but they won’t have many quality wins on their résumé. Other than maybe a road tilt at Arkansas, there isn’t one noteworthy game on this schedule. Unless, of course, you count the Charleston Classic, but it doesn't have a particularly strong field this season. Brad Brownell’s team opens up with Temple and will face either Georgia or Davidson the following day. This is an incredibly weak slate. Luckily Clemson has a big-time football team that will hold fans’ attention until January.

HOUSTON

Toughest: Legends Classic (Nov. 25-26 in Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Next-toughest: at Texas A&M (Dec. 4)
The rest: Texas State (Nov. 8), at UT-Pan American (Nov. 11), UT-San Antonio (Nov. 14), Lehigh (Nov. 17), Howard (Nov. 21), Texas-Corpus Christi (Nov. 30), San Jose State (Dec. 7), Alcorn State (Dec. 9), Louisiana-
Lafayette (Dec. 14), Rice (Dec. 21)

Four players on the Cougars' roster were ranked in the Top 100 of their respective high school class. In other words, there is way too much talent on Houston’s roster to be playing a schedule this weak. Playing Stanford (and either Pittsburgh or Texas Tech) at the Legends Classic is fine. But if UH wants to be taken seriously on a national level, it needs to add a few marquee games to its slate starting next season. The Cougars -- who won 20 games last season -- are in a big-boy conference now. They need to start scheduling like it.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Toughest: at Utah State (Nov. 23), Florida Gulf Coast (Dec. 19)
Next-toughest: Las Vegas Classic (Dec. 22-23)
The rest: Prairie View A&M (Nov. 8), Kennesaw State (Nov. 14), Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 19), Jackson State (Nov. 27), Loyola-Chicago (Dec. 1), TCU (Dec. 5), Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 13), Florida A&M (Dec. 17), Maryland Eastern Shore (Jan. 2)

The Bulldogs’ program was in shambles when Rick Ray took over prior to last season -- and things got even worse during the year thanks to a long list of suspensions and injuries. It got so bad that Ray had to use a graduate assistant in practice, until he tore his ACL. Somehow, Ray kept his players’ spirits up, and they managed to win a few games (including one against NCAA tournament team Ole Miss) near the end of the season. It was a phenomenal coaching job by Ray, but make no mistake, this program is still in full rebuilding mode, which is why this schedule makes sense. Whoever thought that Florida Gulf Coast would be the No. 1 home opponent on the nonconference schedule of a team from a major conference?

PITTSBURGH

Toughest: vs. Cincinnati (Dec. 17 in New York)
Next-toughest: Legends Classic (Nov. 25-26 in Brooklyn, N.Y.)
The rest: Savannah State (Nov. 8), Fresno State (Nov. 12), Howard (Nov. 17), Lehigh (Nov. 20), Duquesne (Nov. 30), Penn State (Dec. 3), Loyola Marymount (Dec. 6), Youngstown State (Dec. 14), Cal Poly (Dec. 21), Albany (Dec. 31)

The Panthers aren’t doing much to prepare themselves for their first season in the ACC, which will easily be the nation’s toughest conference. When your marquee nonconference game is against Cincinnati -- and this is the only thing close to a marquee game on this schedule -- then you know you’ve got problems. The only other semi-decent opponents are Penn State in early December and then Texas Tech in the Legends Classic, with a game against either Stanford or Houston the following night. Pittsburgh lost some key players to graduation (Tray Woodall) and the NBA draft (Steven Adams). And J.J. Moore transferred to Rutgers. So this may be the perfect year for a weak slate. Still, considering how good Pitt has been over the years, this could be the worst schedule in America.

SETON HALL

Toughest: Coaches vs. Cancer (Nov. 22-23 in New York)
Next-toughest: at Rutgers (Dec. 8)
The rest: Niagara (Nov. 9), Kent State (Nov. 13), at Mercer (Nov. 16), Monmouth (Nov. 18), Fairleigh Dickinson (Dec. 1), LIU Brooklyn (Dec. 5), NJIT (Dec. 10), St. Peter’s (Dec. 14), Eastern Washington (Dec. 22), Lafayette (Dec. 27)

My colleague, Dana O’Neil, said it best about the Pirates in her analysis of nonconference schedules in the Big East: “If the Pirates beat Oklahoma in the Coaches vs. Cancer, they might face Michigan State. Or they might not. And that’s about all there is to like about this schedule.”

TCU

Toughest: vs. SMU (Nov. 8 in Dallas), at Washington State (Nov. 24)
Next-toughest: Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 27, 29-30), at Mississippi State (Dec. 5)
The rest: Longwood (Nov. 12), Abilene Christian (Nov. 19), Texas Pan-American (Dec. 15), Grambling State (Dec. 19), Tulsa (Dec. 21), Texas Southern (Dec. 29)

This would be a terrible schedule for a program that was experiencing a moderate amount of success. But considering TCU won just two Big 12 games last season, this is the perfect slate for the Horned Frogs as they try to rebuild. Second-year coach Trent Johnson didn’t schedule the type of Top 25 squads that will shatter his team's confidence. But he also didn't produce a schedule so weak that it wouldn’t challenge his team as it continues to grow. SMU could contend for an NCAA tournament berth and, even though Washington State has struggled in recent seasons, Pullman is a difficult place to play. Tulsa and Texas Southern are both solid teams, and Mississippi State was making huge strides at the end of last season.

TEXAS A&M

Toughest: Corpus Christi Challenge (Nov. 29-30), vs. Oklahoma (Dec. 21 in Houston)
Next-toughest: Buffalo (Nov. 8)
The rest: Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 11), Rice (Nov. 15), Prairie View A&M (Nov. 19), Sam Houston State (Nov. 24), Arkansas Pine-Bluff (Nov. 26), Houston (Dec. 4), McNeese State (Dec. 14), North Texas (Dec. 31), UTPA (Jan. 4)

I’m a little surprised that Billy Kennedy didn’t put together a tougher schedule for his third season. Granted, the Aggies lost two of their top players (Elston Turner and Ray Turner), so this team may take a small step back. But there’s not a single true road game on the nonconference schedule. The Aggies’ most daunting nonleague game is against an Oklahoma squad that probably won’t make the NCAA tournament. And their most appealing home contest is against Houston. Yay.

UTAH

Toughest: at Boise State (Dec. 3), BYU (Dec. 14)
Next-toughest: Fresno State (Dec. 7)
The rest: Evergreen State (Nov. 8), UC Davis (Nov. 15), Grand Canyon (Nov. 21), Lamar (Nov. 22), Savannah State (Nov. 23), Ball State (Nov. 27), Idaho State (Dec. 10), Texas State (Dec. 19), St. Katherine (Dec. 28)

After struggling for most of the season, Utah won four of its final five games last spring and entered the offseason full of enthusiasm about the 2013-14 campaign. Reaching the NCAA tournament, however, will be darn near impossible with a schedule that includes just one true road game (at Boise State) and only two contests against likely tourney-bid contenders (Boise State and BYU). Playing a weak schedule the past two seasons made sense. But the Utes should’ve stepped it up a bit this season.

This week, ESPN.com is breaking down the nonconference schedules of each team in nine of the nation's top leagues. Let's carry on with the ACC.

BOSTON COLLEGE

Toughest: 2K Sports Classic (Nov. 21-22), at Purdue (Dec. 4), vs. VCU (Dec. 28 in Brooklyn), at Harvard (Jan. 1)
Next-toughest: at Providence (Nov. 8), vs. UMass (Nov. 10 at TD Garden, Boston)
The rest: Toledo (Nov. 14), Florida Atlantic (Nov. 17), Sacred Heart (Nov. 26), at USC (Dec. 8), vs. Philadelphia (Dec. 15), at Auburn (Dec. 22)

Toughness scale (1-10): 7 — The differences between Boston College's 2012-13 schedule and its slate in 2013-14 mirror the differences in the two squads' expectations. Last season's Eagles were young and still very much rebuilding; this year's group, led by Ryan Anderson and Olivier Hanlan, has serious sleeper potential. We'll get to see just how much in late November, when Steve Donahue's team takes on UConn and then either Indiana or Washington in Madison Square Garden, followed by a trip to Purdue, a New Year's date at Harvard, and what should be a fascinating nonconference sojourn to New York City to play VCU.

CLEMSON

Toughest: Charleston Classic (Nov. 21-24), at Arkansas (Dec. 7)
Next-toughest: South Carolina (Nov. 17)
The rest: Stetson (Nov. 8), Delaware State (Nov. 13), Coastal Carolina (Nov. 29), South Carolina State (Dec. 3), Furman (Dec. 14), at Auburn (Dec. 19), VMI (Dec. 30)

Toughness scale (1-10): 2 — I'm not sure whether it's possible to hand out a zero in these nonconference rankings. I'm pretty sure it's never been done. And I haven't seen every schedule in the country yet, I admit. But still: Clemson's schedule is … not great. It is possessed of exactly one interesting event -- the Charleston Classic, aka "a bunch of so-so teams and New Mexico" -- and, save a trip to Arkansas (if that), nothing else. (This isn't actual criticism, by the way. Clemson looks as if it's in the process of a big rebuild, and you wouldn't expect it to schedule hard in advance of this loaded ACC. But still. Ick.)

DUKE

Toughest: vs. Kansas (Nov. 12 in Chicago), NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 27-29), Michigan (Dec. 3), vs. UCLA (Dec. 19 in New York City)
Next-toughest: Davidson (Nov. 8)
The rest: Florida Atlantic (Nov. 15), UNC Asheville (Nov. 18), East Carolina/Norfolk State (Nov. 19), Vermont (Nov. 24), Gardner-Webb (Dec. 16), Eastern Michigan (Dec. 28), Elon (Dec. 31)

Toughness scale (1-10): 8 — The Blue Devils rarely overdo it with their schedules, but just as rarely make it to ACC season without at least a handful of solid results on their docket. So it is again in 2013-14, if slightly tougher than the norm. That's true for a few reasons: Duke drew high-powered Michigan in its ACC/Big Ten matchup; Duke plays Kansas, which landed uber-recruit Andrew Wiggins this summer, in the Champions Classic in November; the Blue Devils look likely to get Arizona in the NIT Season Tip-Off; and UCLA could be formidable if the leftover talent from Ben Howland's tenure jells under Steve Alford. But all of these games are safely within the Blue Devils' sphere of influence. Somehow, Coach K managed to get two of the West Coast's marquee programs without going any farther west than Chicago. Same as it ever was.

FLORIDA STATE

Toughest: Puerto Rico Tip-Off (Nov. 21-24), at Florida (Nov. 29)
Next-toughest: at Minnesota (Dec. 3)
The rest: Jacksonville (Nov. 8), at UCF (Nov. 13), UT-Martin (Nov. 17), Jacksonville State (Dec. 8), Charlotte (Dec. 17), vs. Massachusetts (Dec. 21 in Sunrise, Fla.), Charleston Southern (Dec. 30)

Toughness scale (1-10): 7 — Florida State's season would have looked much different if two freshmen -- Wiggins, who looked hard at his parents' alma mater before choosing to go to Kansas instead; and Xavier Rathan-Mayes, a top-50 recruit who did not get through the NCAA clearinghouse this spring -- had joined up. Without them, star forward Okaro White has a daunting challenge ahead of him all season, beginning with a really good field in Puerto Rico (with first-round opponent VCU, plus Michigan, Georgetown, Kansas State in the mix), followed by road trips to Florida and Minnesota in close succession.

GEORGIA TECH

Toughest: Barclays Center Classic (Nov. 29-30), Illinois (Dec. 3)
Next-toughest: at Georgia (Nov. 15), Dayton (Nov. 20) The rest: Presbyterian (Nov. 8), Delaware State (Nov. 11), North Carolina A&T (Nov. 24), Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 26), East Tennessee State (Dec. 7), Kennesaw State (Dec. 16), at Vanderbilt (Dec. 21), at Charlotte (Dec. 29)

Toughness scale (1-10): 5 — The Yellow Jackets don't have a ton here, but what they do have is solid enough, given where the program is sitting (probably best described as "getting better, if slowly") under third-year coach Brian Gregory. The Barclays Center Classic is a better-than-you-think event, with Ole Miss (and Marshall Henderson, which should be fun) followed by Penn State or St. John's, both of which should be improved over 2012-13. Illinois is the other notable nonconference game, a rematch of last season's 75-62 loss in Champaign, Ill.

MARYLAND

Toughest: UConn (Nov. 8 in Brooklyn), at Ohio State (Dec. 4)
Next-toughest: Oregon State (Nov. 17), Paradise Jam (Nov. 22-25)
The rest: Abilene Christian (Nov. 13), Morgan State (Nov. 29), at George Washington (Dec. 8), Florida Atlantic (Dec. 14), Boston University (Dec. 21), Tulsa (Dec. 29), North Carolina Central (Dec. 31)

Toughness scale (1-10): 6 — The Terrapins won't get much in the way of RPI boost out of their early-season tournament; La Salle, Providence and maybe Northern Iowa appear to be the only reasonable challengers in the Virgin Islands. But the Terps do have a good opening night date with UConn in Brooklyn, similar to last year's near miss against Kentucky, and the Big Ten-ACC Challenge sends them to Ohio State, which is guaranteed to be a win on the RPI sheet no matter what happens on the floor.

MIAMI

Toughest: Wooden Legacy (Nov. 28-Dec. 1)
Next-toughest: La Salle (Dec. 22)
The rest: St. Francis (Nov. 8), Georgia Southern (Nov. 11), Texas Southern (Nov. 14), at Charleston (Nov. 18), UCF (Nov. 21), Nebraska (Dec. 4), at Savannah State (Dec. 19), Loyola-Md. (Dec. 30)

Toughness scale (1-10): 6 — After a thoroughly euphoric 2012-13 season marked by an ACC regular-season and tournament title, a No. 2 tournament seed, and a first-round draft pick (point guard Shane Larkin), the Hurricanes are due for a serious hangover in 2013-14. Fortunately, their nonconference schedule shouldn't be too punishing. Other than the Wooden Legacy -- a quality field featuring Creighton, Marquette, San Diego State and Arizona State -- La Salle is the one real opponent of note, and the Explorers have to come to Coral Gables.

NORTH CAROLINA

Toughest: Hall of Fame Tipoff (Nov. 23-24), at Michigan State (Dec. 4), Kentucky (Dec. 14)
Next-toughest: Texas (Dec. 18)
The rest: Oakland (Nov. 8), Holy Cross (Nov. 15), Belmont (Nov. 17), at UAB (Dec. 1), UNC Greensboro (Dec. 7), Davidson (Dec. 21), Northern Kentucky (Dec. 27), UNC Wilmington (Dec. 31)

Toughness scale (1-10): 9 — The usual North Carolina scheduling partners are all here. There's that trip to Michigan State (this time thanks to the ACC/Big Ten Challenge), the home-and-home with Texas, the huge mid-December date with Kentucky -- it's all there. This year, UNC even adds to that with the Hall of Fame Tipoff tournament, which, if expectations hold, will put the Tar Heels up against defending national champion Louisville in Uncasville, Conn. (after an opening game against Richmond). That means the Heels are likely to face the preseason No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the country before the middle of December. Not too shabby.

NC STATE

Toughest: at Cincinnati (Nov. 12), at Tennessee (Dec. 18)
Next-toughest: Missouri (Dec. 28)
The rest: Appalachian State (Nov. 8), Campbell (Nov. 16), North Carolina Central (Nov. 20), Florida Gulf Coast (Nov. 26), Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 30), Northwestern (Dec. 4), Long Beach State (Dec. 7), Detroit (Dec. 14), East Carolina (Dec. 21)

Toughness scale (1-10): 5 -- NC State's young but promising batch of talent might surprise some people this season, particularly if the Wolfpack are ready for those key road dates at Cincinnati and Tennessee. It's hard to know what to expect from Missouri this season, but that could end up being a quality chance for a nonconference win in Raleigh. A two-loss nonconference run -- or better -- would have folks jumping aboard the T.J. Warren bandwagon just in time for ACC play.

NOTRE DAME

Toughest: at Iowa (Dec. 3), vs. Ohio State (Dec. 21 in New York)
Next-toughest: vs. Indiana (Dec. 14 in Indianapolis, Ind.)
The rest: Miami (Ohio) (Nov. 8), Stetson (Nov. 10), Indiana State (Nov. 17), Santa Clara (Nov. 22), Army (Nov. 24), Cornell (Dec. 1), Delaware (Dec. 7), Bryant (Dec. 9), North Dakota State (Dec. 11), Canisius (Dec. 29)

Toughness scale (1-10): 7 -- Notre Dame's official welcome to the ACC doesn't come in January but rather in the first week of December, when the Irish travel to Iowa for their first ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup. At any point in the past few years, that would have been a perfectly manageable game, but the ascending Hawkeyes are one of the best defensive teams in their league, and Carver-Hawkeye is close to full, rollicking buy-in once more. The Crossroads Classic draw against Indiana is interesting, if not as intimidating as last season, and the Gotham Classic will match Mike Brey's team with the stifling Ohio State defense in Madison Square Garden just before Christmas break.

PITTSBURGH

Toughest: vs. Cincinnati (Dec. 17 in New York)
Next-toughest: N/A
The rest: Savannah State (Nov. 8), Fresno State (Nov. 12), Howard (Nov. 17), Lehigh (Nov. 20), Legends Classic (Nov. 25-26 in Brooklyn), Duquesne (Nov. 30), Penn State (Dec. 3), Loyola Marymount (Dec. 6), Youngstown State (Dec. 14), Cal Poly (Dec. 21), Albany (Dec. 31)

Toughness scale (1-10): 1. In recent seasons, few coaches have proved as good at gaming the Rating Percentage Index as Jamie Dixon. This is not a criticism; the NCAA's current system is made to be gamed, and, by this point, coaches who don't at least try to use the faulty system to their advantage are leaving potential seed-line improvements on the table. So I'm guessing that, by the end of the season, Pitt's RPI will be in solid shape. (And maybe the new-look ACC will take care of that on its own.) But that aside, this is a straight-up awful basketball schedule. Just … ugh. Cincinnati in Madison Square Garden is the only "marquee" game on the list, and that's a generous application of the term. The Legends Classic features an opening game against Texas Tech and a second-round matchup against either Stanford or Houston. None of those teams is truly awful -- same goes for Penn State on Dec. 3 -- but they're hardly inspiring opponents, either.

SYRACUSE

Toughest: Maui Invitational (Nov. 25-27), Indiana (Dec. 3)
Next-toughest: Villanova (Dec. 28), at St. John's (Dec. 15)
The rest: Cornell (Nov. 8), Fordham (Nov. 12), Colgate (Nov. 16, St. Francis-N.Y. (Nov. 18), Binghamton (Dec. 7), High Point (Dec. 20), Eastern Michigan (Dec. 31)

Toughness scale (1-10): 6 -- This score is awarded mostly for the Maui Invitational, which boasts a typically deep, if not vintage, field (Gonzaga, Baylor, Minnesota, Cal, Dayton, Arkansas, Chaminade). But it's worth noting that Indiana game at the Carrier Dome, which will be more of a test for the young Hoosiers, sure, but is nonetheless a big rematch of Syracuse's dominant Sweet 16 win in March. There are also two fixtures against former Big East foes Villanova and St. John's. The former is an improving, defensive group that took down the Orange in Philly last season; the latter is a road game against a talented but disjointed Red Storm.

VIRGINIA

Toughest: VCU (Nov. 12), Wisconsin (Dec. 4), at Tennessee (Dec. 30)
Next-toughest: Northern Iowa (Dec. 21)
The rest: James Madison (Nov. 8), vs. Davidson (Nov. 16 in Charlotte), Navy (Nov. 19), Liberty (Nov. 23), Hampton (Nov. 26), Corpus Christi Challenge (Nov. 29-30), at Green Bay (Dec. 7), Norfolk State (Dec. 23)

Toughness scale (1-10): 7 -- VCU and Virginia don't have much of a historical basketball rivalry because why would they? But now that Shaka Smart's program has become the state's most notable, it makes sense for Tony Bennett to schedule the Rams, whose pressure defense will be a huge stylistic test for the slow-and-steady Cavaliers in Charlottesville. Wisconsin, which lost to Virginia in Madison last season, won't be that but will be a tough home date in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and a road trip at Tennessee rounds out the slate. UVa missed the tournament last season mostly thanks to (a) a bad noncon schedule and (b) a bunch of really bad noncon losses. This slate should help nullify both concerns.

VIRGINIA TECH

Toughest: Coaches vs. Cancer (Nov. 22-23), vs. VCU (Dec. 21 at Richmond Coliseum)
Next-toughest: West Virginia (Nov. 12)
The rest: USC Upstate (Nov. 9), Western Carolina (Nov. 15), VMI (Nov. 18), Furman (Nov. 26), Radford (Nov. 29), Winthrop (Dec. 3), UNC Greensboro (Dec. 28), Maryland-Eastern Shore (Dec. 31)

Toughness scale (1-10): 4 -- The Coaches vs. Cancer event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn features a first-round game against Michigan State and a matchup against either Oklahoma or Seton Hall, and the home date against VCU at the Richmond Coliseum is really more like a road game. And honestly, that's probably good enough for the Hokies right now. Virginia Tech was a bit of a mess in James Johnson's first season, and that was with guard Erick Green, who submitted one of the best, most efficient all-around offensive seasons of the past half decade or so. Without him, it's going to get ugly.

WAKE FOREST

Toughest: Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 28-30), at Xavier (Dec. 28)
Next-toughest: Richmond (Dec. 7)
The rest: Colgate (Nov. 8), VMI (Nov. 12), Presbyterian (Nov. 15), Jacksonville (Nov. 18), The Citadel (Nov. 21), Tulane (Dec. 4), St. Bonaventure (Dec. 17), UNC Greensboro (Dec. 21)

Toughness scale (1-10): 5 — Even if Xavier still isn't back to Top 25-level hoops by late December, the Cintas Center is a brutal place to play. But the main feature of this nonconference schedule is Wake's trip to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis, where it will play Wiggins and Kansas in the first round (which, good luck with that), followed by USC or Villanova, with Iowa, Tennessee, UTEP and Xavier lurking on the other side of the bracket. This is a crucial year for maligned coach Jeff Bzdelik and his boss, athletic director Ron Wellman. The Deacs absolutely have to show some signs of progress early on.

The times and networks have been finalized for the 15th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge, which will take place Dec. 3-4 on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU.

All 12 Big Ten teams and 12 of the 15 ACC schools will participate in the 2013 Challenge, including the three newest ACC members (Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse). Clemson, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest will not play in this year's event.

The ACC and Big Ten split last year’s Challenge with six wins each. In the event of a tie, the Commissioner’s Cup remains with the conference that won the previous year, which was the Big Ten in 2011. The ACC holds a 10-3-1 Challenge record, winning the first 10 events (1999-2008) before the Big Ten won the next three (2009-2011).

For an analysis of this year's matchups, check out Eamonn Brennan's take from back in May. As for the times and networks, here they are ...

Tuesday, Dec. 3 (all times ET)
7:15 - Indiana at Syracuse (ESPN)
7:15 - Illinois at Georgia Tech (ESPN2)
7:30 - Penn State at Pittsburgh (ESPNU)
9:15 - Michigan at Duke (ESPN)
9:15 - Notre Dame at Iowa (ESPN2)
9:30 - Florida State at Minnesota (ESPNU)

Wednesday, Dec. 4 (all times ET)
7:00 - Maryland at Ohio State (ESPN or ESPN2)
7:00 - Wisconsin at Virginia (ESPN or ESPN2)
7:30 - Northwestern at NC State (ESPNU)
9:00 - North Carolina at Michigan State (ESPN)
9:00 - Boston College at Purdue (ESPN2)
9:30 - Miami at Nebraska (ESPNU)

A few notes on this year's matchups:

• Seven of the 12 games will mark first-time Challenge matchups: Michigan-Duke, Maryland-Ohio State, Miami-Nebraska and Boston College-Purdue, plus the debut of the three new ACC members Syracuse (vs. Indiana), Notre Dame (at Iowa) and Pitt (vs. Penn State).
• In addition to first-time Challenge games, several of the teams are infrequent opponents: Nebraska holds a 3-1 record against Miami; Purdue won both previous meetings against BC; Ohio State and Maryland last played in 1985 with OSU three out of the five all-time games; and Notre Dame will play Iowa for the first time since 1990 and holds a 8-5 series record.
• Old Pennsylvania rivals Pitt and Penn State will meet for the first time since 2005. The Panthers have won the past five contests.
• Illinois/Georgia Tech and Wisconsin/Virginia will follow their first-time Challenge meetings in 2012 with a rematch in the 2013 event. The Illini and Cavaliers won last year's matchups.
• Best Three Out of Five: North Carolina/Michigan State and Minnesota/Florida State will meet in the Challenge for the fifth time. Both series are 2-2.
• Rubber Match: Northwestern and NC State will square off in the Challenge for the third time. Northwestern won in 2009 and NC State in 2002.
• Syracuse and Indiana have met five previous times in non-Challenge games, with the Orange winning the past four, including last season’s Sweet 16 matchup.

Editor's Note: Over two days, we're releasing the brackets/matchups for 11 of the top early-season events. Starting Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET, we'll unveil the final six: Charleston, 2K Sports, Diamond Head, CBE, Wooden and Maui. A thread of previews and info for all 11 tourneys can be found here.

When and where: Nov. 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Semifinal schedule for the Legends Classic:

Nov. 25: Pittsburgh vs. Texas Tech (7:30 p.m., ESPN2); Stanford vs. Houston (9:30, ESPN2)
Nov. 26: Consolation game (7 p.m., ESPN3); Championship game (9:30, ESPNU)

Initial thoughts: Three of these four programs are in a state of flux. Texas Tech is in its first season under Tubby Smith. Houston -- although it won 20 games last season -- is still attempting to work its way back into relevancy. And Pittsburgh is dealing with the loss of four of its top players (Steven Adams, Tray Woodall, Trey Zeigler and J.J. Moore). Stanford appears to be on solid footing, as it returns virtually all of the key pieces from a 2012-13 squad that showed flashes of brilliance but could never develop any consistency. It will be a disappointment if the Cardinal doesn't make the NCAA tournament this season.

Matchup I can’t wait to see: Stanford vs. Houston. Don’t sleep on the Cougars. Even though standout shooting guard Joseph Young transferred to Oregon, Houston is hardly short on talent. TaShawn Thomas is a beast down low and wing Danuel House -- a former top-25 recruit -- should make huge strides as a sophomore. Houston's coaching staff is crossing its fingers that Baylor transfer L.J. Rose, a point guard, will receive a waiver from the NCAA that would allow him to play immediately. It will be interesting to see how the Cougars fare against a veteran Stanford team led by 6-foot-10 forward Dwight Powell and guard Chasson Randle.

Potential matchup I’d like to see: Stanford vs. Texas Tech. I realize a Stanford-Pittsburgh title game may sound a bit more sexy. But the Panthers took such a big hit with offseason departures that I’ll be surprised if Jamie Dixon’s squad is clicking this early in the season. Even though it will be playing for a new coach, Texas Tech returns the majority of a roster that was showing some positive signs toward the end of last season.

Five players to watch:

Jaye Crockett, Texas Tech: Crockett is the leading returning scorer (11.9) and rebounder (6.5) for a Red Raiders squad that went just 11-20 last season. The 6-foot-7 forward shot 49.8 percent from the field. The third-year starter will have to perform even better this season for Texas Tech to take a significant step. Junior Jordan Tolbert is just as big of a threat down low.

Lamar Patterson, Pittsburgh: Patterson, who averaged 10 points last season, is the Panthers’ leading returning scorer. The 6-foot-5 small forward attempted nearly half of his shots (111 of 248) from 3-point range. He’ll be the go-to guy on a squad that’s incorporating a lot of new parts.

Dwight Powell, Stanford: Powell averaged 14.9 points and 8.4 rebounds last season on a balanced team. The versatile big man has a nice touch on his shot -- he made 80 percent of his free throws -- that allows him to score from almost anywhere. And he possesses a nice arsenal of moves in the paint.

Chasson Randle, Stanford: The guard averaged 13.6 points per game last season but shot just 40 percent from the field and only 36 percent from 3-point range. His shot selection isn’t always the best, but Randle is one of the most dangerous players in the Pac-12 when he’s “on.”

TaShawn Thomas, Houston: The 6-foot-8 forward was one of the most underrated big men in the country in 2012-13. He averaged 16.9 points and 9.8 rebounds and eclipsed the 20-point barrier on 12 occasions. He could do even better as a junior thanks to an improved supporting cast.

Title game prediction: Stanford over Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders will give Tubby Smith his first signature win with a victory over Pittsburgh in the semifinals. But Texas Tech won’t be able to get past a veteran Cardinal club that should be high on chemistry and cohesion. Powell, Randle, Josh Huestis and Aaron Bright will be too much for the Red Raiders.

Who others are picking:

Eamonn Brennan: Pittsburgh over Stanford
Jeff Goodman: Stanford over Pittsburgh
Seth Greenberg: Stanford over Pittsburgh
Andy Katz: Stanford over Pittsburgh
Myron Medcalf: Pittsburgh over Stanford
Dana O'Neil: Pittsburgh over Stanford

How do new leagues affect the teams that join them? Are we even sure they do?

Take Butler. Last summer, when the Bulldogs left the Horizon League to join the limited-offer-one-time-only 16-team Atlantic-10, the immediate reaction -- that it would have to evolve to keep up with its purportedly bigger, more athletic, more monied leaguemates -- was born of a notion that Butler's success was of a piece with its longtime conference home. Instead, in what would be Brad Stevens' final season at the helm, with zero lead time to allow for said evolution, the Bulldogs went 11-5 in league play, 27-9 overall and finished ranked No. 45 in the Pomeroy efficiency ratings. In Stevens' five previous seasons, from 2008 to 2012, Butler finished, in order, ranked No. 32, No. 45, No. 12, No. 41 and No. 110. Throw out the outliers and 2013 was a perfectly normal Butler year. The conference changed. The results did not.

This is why tempo-free analytics -- particularly those that bake competition strength into their formula -- make us better observers of the game. There are always outside factors to consider, sure, and if Butler had been moving to the Big Ten, the story would have been different. But in general, when a league and a team come together to form a mutually beneficial union, it's because the calculus is going to be simple. If Butler was good enough to finish in the top 50 in adjusted efficiency while in the Horizon League, it was good enough to do the same in the A-10. And so it did.

In other words, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame shouldn't spend too much time stressing this season's long-awaited move from the old Big East to the new ACC. Indeed, they should spend even less time worrying than Butler -- or any of its conference-climbing brethren -- ever did.

That might be the most important point: The Orange, Panthers and Irish didn't leap to the ACC because it was a better basketball league. All three are well-established, successful programs to varying degrees, and all three leapt for drastically different reasons than your average mid-major social climber.

Indeed, it can be argued that all three do more for the ACC than the ACC does for them. Whether the league will be the best in college hoops history, as Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is so fond of saying, is up for endless debate. One thing's for sure: When all three arrive this fall, the ACC is not merely going to get better. It's also going to get more consistent.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame is easily the least impressive of the new ACC additions entering the league in 2013-14. Before Notre Dame fans stop studying their color-coded football depth charts long enough to register anger at the previous sentence, they should know it says more about their fellow travelers than it does about the Irish.

Indeed, before Mike Brey arrived in 2000, the Irish spent the 1990s under Digger Phelps successor John MacLeod, who averaged a whopping 13.3 wins a season from 1991 to 1999. The fact that MacLeod averaged 13.3 wins a season and lasted for eight seasons tells you everything you need to know about where basketball ranked among the sporting priorities in South Bend, Ind. (I'd place it roughly between Interhall Football and Saturday morning consumption gymnastics.)

Brey has changed that. Since 2003, the Irish have ranked no lower than No. 48, and no higher than No. 15, in Pomeroy's adjusted efficiency rankings. They posted just two sub-.500 conference records in that span, have gone to nine NCAA tournaments in Brey's tenure and have never advanced past the Sweet 16. They've been a top-50 efficiency defense just twice. They've ranked lower than No. 22 offensively the same number of seasons. The highs are never too high, the lows never too low. Notre Dame basketball stays in its lane.

Expect the same in 2013-14. The Irish will have to compensate for the loss of the country's best rebounder, Jack Cooley, but returns essentially everyone else (notably senior backcourt Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins, intriguing rising sophomore Cameron Biedscheid, and sophomore shooter Pat Connaughton) from a 2012-13 team that did what Notre Dame does: 25 wins, an 11-7 Big East record, top-20 offense, mediocre defense, culminating in an early tournament exit at the hands of Iowa State.

Brey is desperate to get the Irish deeper into the tournament, and understandably so, but the baseline he has set is admirable in and of itself. For better or worse, Notre Dame is a model of reliability. Relative to the topsy-turvy recent editions of the ACC, the program is a rock -- and a near-lock for a top-half finish next spring.

Pittsburgh

When you look closely, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame share a swath of similarities.

Both programs languished in the 1990s before a rejuvenation in the aughts. Neither program recruits surefire NBA prospects on a yearly basis, preferring to develop overlooked preps into cohesive four-year veterans. The Irish are always at their best on the offensive end; with rare exceptions, so is Pitt. The Irish always play so slowly they earn an undeserved reputation for defense from the tempo-free-averse; Pitt always plays so slowly people assume it's a great defensive team whether it deserves it or not. (And sometimes the Panthers do.) The Irish habitually stall out early in the NCAA tournament; Pitt has advanced past the Sweet 16 only once since 2004.

There is one main difference, however. Under Mike Brey, Notre Dame has been consistently Notre Dame. Under Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh has been consistently great.

That greatness hasn't always translated to single-elimination March success, but there's no denying what Dixon has built since he took over for Ben Howland in the spring of 2003. The Panthers have averaged 26.2 wins per season during his tenure, notched two Big East regular-season trophies and one conference tournament title and missed the NCAA tournament only once (in 2012, when they ranked No. 151 in adjusted defensive efficiency, only the second time Dixon's team finished outside the top 40 defensively). In those nine tournament appearances, the Panthers' average seed is No. 4.

Plus, it's not as though Dixon's teams don't deserve their hard-nosed reputation. They are almost always very good, and occasionally excellent, defensively. But they're really at their best -- and, yes, most consistent -- on the offensive glass. In 10 seasons, the Panthers have grabbed 40.2 percent of their available misses. They've ranked in the top five nationally in offensive rebounding rate in four of the past five seasons. It's not hard to figure out why Dixon's teams have earned a reputation for defense: They're slow and they don't shoot the ball well. Chalk it up to defensive intensity, right? Sometimes, maybe, but more often than not Pittsburgh excels on the offensive end because it outworks opponents for second chances on every possession.

This is going to be the case in the ACC from the opening tip in January. In 2012-13, only three ACC squads (Maryland, UNC and NC State) were among the nation's 100 best on the offensive boards, and only four (Virginia, Maryland, Georgia Tech and Miami) ranked higher than 120th in preventing opponents from grabbing second chances. The Panthers lost senior guard Tray Woodall to graduation and freshman center Steven Adams to the NBA draft, but return their typical panoply of high-motor frontcourt players and add No. 15-ranked freshman power forward Mike Young to the mix.

Whether Pittsburgh will be talented enough on both ends of the floor to win a conference title is an open question, but it will absolutely be the best rebounding team in the ACC. That should be more than sufficient to push for a top-five finish -- and maybe more.

Syracuse

Syracuse's greatest gift to the ACC might well be its putative and cabbie-trumpeted status as "New York's College Team." But let's be real: The addition on the court is just as big a get. The Orange are the fifth-winningest basketball program of all time. In 36 years under coach Jim Boeheim -- the second-winningest coach in college hoops history -- Syracuse has been staggeringly consistent: 34 20-win seasons, 29 NCAA tournament bids, 10 Big East titles and on down the line.

There's no reason to expect less in 2013-14. The Orange lost a significant talent load (Michael Carter-Williams, James Southerland, Brandon Triche) from their Final Four run in March, but, as is tradition, they will have plenty of talent to take their place. Boeheim has three top-100 players -- guard Tyler Ennis and forwards Tyler Roberson and B.J. Johnson -- arriving this fall. Ennis, the No. 5-ranked point in the 2013 class, is a lock to get big minutes, if not start. (Meanwhile, don't forget former Indiana signee Ron Patterson, a talented Indianapolis shooting guard who returned to prep school after failing to keep his grades up at IU last summer.) Returning senior C.J. Fair turned down the NBA draft in favor of another collegiate season of doing just about everything well. Sophomores Jerami Grant, Trevor Cooney and DaJuan Coleman -- the latter missed much of 2012-13 following knee surgery, and may be the brightest talent here -- will have big roles to play. Baye Keita is a horrifyingly long rim protector who blocked 8.2 percent of available shots last season. Rising sophomore Rakeem Christmas is even better (11.0 block rate).

That's what has made Syracuse so consistently good for nigh on 40 years: Even when the Orange are just OK offensively, Boeheim's strategic clarity, and his ability to recruit the right mix of players to play within it, have made Cuse a reliable defensive juggernaut.

Boeheim has been at this since 1976, three years before Dave Gavitt founded the original Big East. He has won 920 games since. The Orange may have a new conference logo patched onto those iconic uniforms, and Boeheim will have to search Yelp for a new Denny's for his pregame meals. But other than that, why would we expect anything to change?

1. Vanderbilt hasn’t released Sheldon Jeter to his hometown Pitt Panthers yet. It may or may not come. Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings has never blocked a player from transferring to a specific school in the past. Jeter could be the first. Regardless of whether or not it’s fair to put a block on a player receiving a scholarship in his first year at a new school (blocking doesn’t prevent the player from transferring to a school, but does cloud the process with the NCAA), there is a right and wrong way to depart. Jeter tweeted “Due to some personal issues, I am leaving Vanderbilt University to be closer to my family.’’ According to a source with direct knowledge, he didn’t meet face-to-face with Stallings to tell him he was leaving. Jeter, a freshman forward from Beaver Falls, Pa., isn’t the first nor the last to mishandle a departure. There is a mature way to deal with leaving. Evan Gordon left Arizona State two weeks ago. He went in and told Herb Sendek he was out. The conversation didn’t last more than a few minutes. But at least there was one. Jeter averaged 5.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 17.5 minutes a game. He’ll probably end up at Pitt. He may be on scholarship by next season. Cooler heads may prevail here. But most of the time the reason there is animosity over an exit is the way in which it is handled.

2. Indiana coach Tom Crean said he’s already looking at how the Hoosiers will play next season without Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller, Jordan Hulls and Christian Watford. He said he still wants to push the tempo and fully expects this team to be offensively effective like last season when the Hoosiers were one of the nation’s best. He’s banking on Will Sheehey continuing to lead and show his work ethic to the young Hoosiers. Expect Yogi Ferrell to team up with Sheehey and newcomer Noah Vonleh as well as Troy Williams as some of the top producers. The player who may surprise more than any other could be Luke Fischer, a 6-9 forward who is considered the most efficient newcomer by the staff and Stanford Robinson, who will add to the depth on the perimeter. Crean said the speed of the game has to be high for the Hoosiers yet again. Look for Jeremy Hollowell and Hanner Mosquera-Perea to be one of the more intriguing early-season battles for Zeller time. The Hoosiers are still looking for one more nonconference game. The Hoosiers are in the 2K Classic in NYC with the likely matchup pitting Indiana against Boston College or Washington to ensure the Hoosiers and UConn are on opposite sides of the bracket. IU plays at Syracuse in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and Notre Dame in Indianapolis.

3. Arizona released its nonconference schedule Thursday and for what should be a top-10 ranked Wildcats team there are a number of challenges: at San Diego State (Nov. 14), hosting UNLV (Dec. 7) and New Mexico State (Dec. 11) and at Michigan (Dec. 14). But the headline event should end up being the NIT Season Tip-Off where Duke is the other primary host with Arizona. Alabama and Rutgers are also hosts. If the home teams hold serve, which doesn’t always happen in the only nonconference neutral-site tournament where you still have to earn a spot with two wins, then a potential Arizona-Duke matchup over Thanksgiving would be the top-10 game the NIT has desperately craved for years. Duke is also playing another high-profile Pac-12 team in New York when it plays UCLA in December.

Sheldon Jeter was promising last season. The Vanderbilt freshman averaged 17.5 minutes and 5.5 points per game for the Commodores in 2012-13, the kind of performance that positioned him as a fulcrum of Vanderbilt's arduous post-John Jenkins/Jeffrey Taylor/Festus Ezeli rebuilding effort. The future was bright.

The only problem? Jeter doesn't want to play at Vanderbilt anymore. On Friday, the Beaver Falls, Pa., native announced his intentions to transfer closer to home "due to personal issues." Bummer, but hey, it happens, right? Transfers are a part of the modern college game, unfortunately. Vanderbilt would have to wave farewell and hope other newcomers could take over Jeter's prospective role.

If only things were so simple. On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo reported, according to multiple sources, that coach Kevin Stallings was blocking Jeter's transfer to Pittsburgh, which is a 20-minute drive from Beaver Falls, Jeter's hometown. That leaves Jeter and his family to appeal Stallings' decision to Vanderbilt's athletics department brass. If that appeal fails, Jeter will be forced to either find another school or pay Pittsburgh tuition for a season before he can become eligible for a scholarship.

There are a few unknowns here. The first is whether Stallings prevented Jeter from transferring to schools other than Pittsburgh. Another is why Stallings would bother blocking Jeter's transfer to Pittsburgh in the first place. It is not unusual for coaches to stipulate that transfers not be allowed to play for conference opponents or local rivals, but Pitt and Vanderbilt share neither of those connections.

The most frequent off-the-record reason given for this sort of blockage is tampering by the destination program, but there is no evidence of that here. It may well be that Stallings is displeased that his star freshman wants to attend a school that showed interest in him but didn't have a scholarship to offer in 2012-13, especially after Jeter proved himself on Stallings' watch. For their part, the Commodores aren't offering any clarification. When reached by ESPN.com Tuesday afternoon, a Vanderbilt spokesman said only that Stallings "doesn't have any comment."

Whatever the reasons and scope of Stallings' decision, it should not be received well. St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli has never quite recovered from the hit his reputation rightfully took after he stuck little-used transfer Todd O'Brien in NCAA purgatory because, as O'Brien told Sports Illustrated in 2011, Martelli said O'Brien had "wronged him." Bo Ryan came under fire in 2012 for the Jarrod Uthoff transfer saga, in which Wisconsin's hugely restrictive "blocked" list was eventually whittled down thanks in no small part to widespread public outcry.

People get mad when they hear these stories, and for good reason. College basketball coaches are not only wildly compensated, but able to jump from job to job essentially at will, each new buyout clause superseded by the last. College players, meanwhile, must wait a year to play for a new school as a baseline, even if -- as is usually the case -- their request to transfer is granted and their desired school is approved. The fact that coaches have such tight control over the release and eventual destination of a player on a renewable but non-guaranteed one-year scholarship -- a player who can be run off at a moment's notice and still have to sit out a year -- reeks of the NCAA's antiquated patriarchy in its most odious form.

There may be a valid reason for Stallings' decision, at least by his own reckoning. Or maybe the coach just doesn't want to lose a key piece of his rebuilding effort. Maybe he feels betrayed -- "wronged," as Martelli famously put it.

Unfortunately, none of it matters. All we see from the outside is a college coach telling a player he can't go somewhere based on what amounts to a whim. It is the worst possible look.

1. Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall has always said he has a million-dollar job and it would take something special to take him from his current position. The Shockers dismantled Pitt on Thursday in the NCAA tournament, and Marshall should again become a hot commodity.

Marshall could do wonders with a shot to coach at a higher level. With Creighton leaving the Missouri Valley Conference, the Shockers could be the dominant program, and Marshall would be the anchor at Wichita State -- much like VCU's Shaka Smart, Butler's Brad Stevens, Gonzaga's Mark Few and Davidson's Bob McKillop. The only opening out there so far where Marshall could flourish is USC. He might not have the L.A. recruiting ties, but his style of play would thrive in the Pac-12. If not there, and nothing else pops up, then he'll be the one to chase in the Valley.

2. Butler athletic director Barry Collier confirmed that the Bulldogs' NCAA tournament unit from the win Thursday, and any going forward, would go to the Atlantic 10. (Conferences accumulate units based on their teams' performances in tournaments. The NCAA then sends funds over to the conferences depending on the number of units they garner.) The Bulldogs are dropping financial crumbs on their way out the door from one conference to another. Their previous NCAA tournament wins were left to the Horizon League. Creighton would have to do the same if the Bluejays were to advance, with their NCAA tournament units being kept by the Missouri Valley Conference. Butler and Creighton will be in the new Big East next season.

3. Kentucky cleared up its scholarship issue for 2013-14. As of now, the Wildcats don't have one with players who are promised scholarships for next season. If everyone returns and no one else arrives (see: Andrew Wiggins), then Kentucky is set at 13. There are six returning players on scholarship in Nerlens Noel, Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress, Ryan Harrow, Willie Cauley-Stein and Kyle Wiltjer. There are seven incoming freshmen -- five are signed in Andrew and Aaron Harrison, James Young, Marcus Lee and Derek Willis -- and two are committed in Julius Randle and Dakari Johnson.

The odds of Noel returning are slim, even with the torn ACL, freeing up at least one scholarship. There is always the chance someone else will transfer or decide to declare for the draft even with the prospects of making a team slim. This could actually work out for the Wildcats if the returning players accept roles and become mentors to the star-studded freshmen as rotation players in a year.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Wichita State junior Cleanthony Early is finally feeling well again.

Just in time to help push his team into the NCAA round of 32.

After a frustrating Missouri Valley Conference tournament in which he averaged only five points -- while vomiting, running a fever and battling lethargy -- the 6-foot-8 forward scored 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting on Thursday as the ninth-seeded Shockers beat No. 8 seed Pittsburgh 73-55.

In a defensive showdown in which points were at a grit-it-out premium, his bounce back was key.

“I encountered him by happenstance, just he and I in the elevator ... last night," Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. “I told him, ‘We need you to play well. You’re a very good player, and it’s hard for us to win when you don’t play well.’

“And he goes, 'I know. I got you.’ I think he felt bad about the way he played in Saint Louis, and this is a big stage and he showed what he’s capable of.”

Before the game, Marshall had joked that the first team to 55 points would probably prevail, and it certainly looked that way from the get-go. These teams, in many ways, were mirror images, boasting players who like to bruise on the boards, demoralize with defense, bully with lineups that go 10 deep.

Pittsburgh held the size advantage, but from the beginning, the Shockers seemed more aggressive, pushing their “Play Angry” motto as they dove for loose balls, scrapped for rebounds, forced turnover after turnover.

The Panthers led 21-19 with 3:34 left in the first half when Wichita State began to pull away, outscoring Pitt 7-0 (including a layup by Early) to take a 26-21 lead into halftime. Early & Co extended that run to 9-0 to begin the second half. And although Pitt closed to within four points on a 3-pointer by Durand Johnson with 17:24 left, it never got any closer.

Partially because that was the Panthers’ only 3-pointer (they were 1-for-17 for the game).

“Those guys are tough," said Pitt guard Tray Woodall, who finished 1-for-12 with two points. “They came straight from the beginning of the game and they were physical until the end of the game.”

So much so that the Shockers held Pitt to 35.2 percent shooting, and 5.9 percent on 3-pointers. They outrebounded the Panthers by five, scored 21 points off 15 turnovers -- and ended up leading by double figures for the final seven minutes despite shooting only 38.8 percent for the game themselves.

Malcolm Armstead (22 points) and Carl Hall (11) also finished in double figures for Wichita State.

But getting Early -- who scored 39 points against SIU in January, and who Marshall thought could be an X factor for his team -- back on offensive track was important.

“It means a lot," Early said of his -- and his team’s -- performance. “But we’re pleased not satisfied ... we want to keep going."

And if he can keep performing like this, they have a better shot.

"Yes," he said, “I’m feeling a whole lot better than I did.”

On "Bracket TV," Peter Keating identifies three underdogs that can win multiple games in the NCAA tournament.

NEW YORK -- There isn’t much time to reflect and contemplate the deep meaning of anything when you're a basketball coach.

There is always another opponent to beat, another recruit to woo.

And so as Jamie Dixon walked onto the Madison Square Garden floor for the last time as a member of the Big East Conference, he wasn’t teary-eyed or filled with nostalgia. He was worried about Syracuse.

And when it was over, when the Orange claimed the 62-59 victory to officially send the Panthers packing for the ACC, Dixon didn’t pause or take in the sights. He didn’t gaze into the darkness of the stands or even turn around. He walked over, shook Jim Boeheim's hand and kept going on to the next thing: the NCAA tournament.

"You don’t really have time to sit back, especially during it," Dixon said. "Maybe at some point afterwards."

At least as Pitt leaves Broadway for Tobacco Road, it can take comfort in the fact that it went out on its own terms: a typical bare-knuckle Big East brawl.

Brandon Triche and James Southerland both walked into the postgame interview room with ice bags on each knee; Dante Taylor got popped in the eye so badly during the game he was almost gushing blood onto his uniform; and there was one play where three guys lay sprawled underneath the hoop while Tray Woodall checked his eye for blood and Taylor held his knee.

At which point you had to wonder if ACC officials were watching in Greensboro, N.C., and wondering, "What have we gotten ourselves into?"

"I think that’s why this has been the best league and games like this typify that," Dixon said. "I’m really proud of how our guys kept battling. That shows something, too. In our league, teams get down and keep battling. That’s been pretty consistent throughout the league."

To that point, the Panthers came back from a 13-point halftime deficit and a 10-point second-half hole, with the ball and a chance to tie it with 28 seconds left.

Instead Michael Carter-Williams stepped in front of a pass from James Robinson, drove down the court and wisely held on to the ball, forcing the Panthers to foul him. The sophomore recently tabbed the most improved player in the conference showed the progression he has made this season.

The same guy who went 7-for-15 in this building against Temple in December drained the free throws, knocking down four in the final minute, to seal the victory.

"He’s worked hard at it," Boeheim said. "Sometimes you have to go through those bad experiences to be able to come back in this situation and be able to make them. And they were huge. I mean, I don’t think we win if he doesn’t go to the line and hit those free throws."

Pitt’s exodus doesn’t conjure up the same sort of sentiment that Syracuse’s will, whenever that comes. Still the Panthers have more than made their mark on the Big East.

Pitt advanced to the tournament title game in seven of the past 12 years and won the whole thing in both 2003 and 2008.

Dixon culled plenty of talent from New York, giving his team both local flavor and fan appreciation.

Mix in the Panthers’ style under him and his predecessor Ben Howland -- gritty, scrappy, occasionally ugly offensively and never apologetic -- and Pitt fit right in with the image of a league that once got so physical it went to six fouls.

"It’s sad we had to go out this way," Lamar Patterson said. "But I had fun playing in the Big East."

Fun, of course, is in the eye of the beholder, and for Pittsburgh Big East fun was always a basketball game that looked like a street fight.

NEW YORK -- A quick look at Syracuse's 62-59 win over Pittsburgh in the Big East tournament.

What it means: Syracuse is headed to the Big East semifinals, and one more tussle with archrival Georgetown. Pittsburgh, a member of the Big East since 1982, has played its final game as a member of the conference.

The No. 19-ranked Orange (25-8, 11-7) arrived in New York in a slump, losing four of five to end the regular season. But they've now won back-to-back games at Madison Square Garden, defeating Seton Hall by 12 on Wednesday, and then holding off Pittsburgh on Thursday.

The No. 17-ranked Panthers (24-8, 12-6) closed the regular season with four wins in a row, but exit this tournament after just one game.

The turning point: The game was tied at 14 midway through the first half, before Syracuse went on a pair of runs. The Orange scored 10 straight points -- with two 3-pointers by James Southerland, and two buckets by Brandon Triche -- to go ahead by a dozen at 27-15. Pittsburgh closed to within five, 32-27, on a pair of James Robinson free throws. But then Syracuse scored eight straight to end the half, capped off by a C.J. Fair 3-pointer at the buzzer (courtesy of a very friendly bounce). The Orange led 40-27 at intermission.

Pittsburgh closed to within four, 47-43, on a Tray Woodall 3-pointer with 8:39 remaining. But on Syracuse's very next possession, Michael Carter-Williams -- a 27.9 percent shooter from beyond the arc -- answered with a 3 of his own, making it 50-43. But Pitt wasn't finished. In fact, the Panthers had a chance to tie the game -- Talib Zanna scored a putback to make it 58-57 with 31 seconds left, and was fouled on the play. But Zanna missed the free throw, Carter-Williams got the rebound, and was fouled.

Carter-Williams sank both ends of the 1-and-1, but Pittsburgh, trailing 60-57, still had one more chance to tie the game. Then Carter-Williams stole a pass from Robinson, was fouled, sank both ends of another 1-and-1, and the Orange emerged victorious.

Star watch: Southerland is the early front-runner for tournament MVP. The 6-foot-8 senior swingman, a New York City native, scored a team-high 20 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from downtown. Southerland also scored 20, shooting 6-for-9 from deep, in the Orange's win over Seton Hall on Wednesday.

C.J. Fair had 13 points and seven rebounds for Syracuse, and Triche added 12 points. Carter-Williams had 11 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and made the key plays down the stretch.

Pittsburgh had four players in double figures, led by Lamar Patterson (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Woodall (12 points). Zanna and Robinson scored 10 points apiece.

Number crunch: Syracuse shot an astounding 12-for-19 from 3-point range (63.2 percent). Pittsburgh made half as many -- 6-for-19 (31.6 percent).

The Panthers dominated the Orange on the offensive glass 20-8. But they made just 11 of 19 free throws (57.9 percent).

What's next: Syracuse, the No. 5 seed, will play No. 1 seed Georgetown, Friday at 7 p.m. ET. The Hoyas won both regular-season meetings between the teams, including a 61-39 pasting of the Orange last Saturday in D.C.

Pittsburgh returns home to prepare for the NCAA tournament. Prior to Thursday's loss, the Panthers were projected as a No. 5 seed in the latest edition of ESPN.com's Bracketology (as was Syracuse).