Beginning at midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 17, college basketball fans will have the potential of watching 24 consecutive hours of live games. For the second year, ESPN has put together the marathon as a way to "tip-off" the college hoops season.
Monday, October 19, 2009
November 17 Hoops Marathon
Beginning at midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 17, college basketball fans will have the potential of watching 24 consecutive hours of live games. For the second year, ESPN has put together the marathon as a way to "tip-off" the college hoops season.
I remember watching this last year and how incredibly exciting it was to see so many games on all day, especially after
going a whole summer without college basketball. I think this is a brilliant idea, and I'm sure it gets great ratings which is why it's back for a second season. Hopefully, the marathon is here to stay and can become a great tradition to start every college basketball season from here to eternity.
There are a few Big Ten and Big 12 teams participating in the marathon.
Gonzaga at Michigan State @ 8 p.m. (ESPN)
This matchup is very intriguing and deserves this prime time slot as there will be playmakers galore. Both teams have a solid history of dominating their respective leagues. MSU is the favorite in the Big Ten, and the squad is hungry to get back to the national title game behind Kalin Lucas (right), Raymar Morgan and company. The Zags, as always, are a lock to be extremely competitive in the WCC. Matt Bouldin returns as a senior veteran, and speedy sophomore Demetri Goodson should be much improved in his second season. Both squads also play some down and dirty defense, so it will be interesting to see what type of pace this game is played at.
Northern Illinois at Illinois @ 8 p.m. (ESPN360)
This intra-state battle looks pretty one-sided to me. I'd pick the Illini to cruise past the Huskies if the game was in Dekalb. Being in Champaign there is no chance for an upset in this one. Plus, Illinois is just too strong this year behind leader Demetri McCamey.
Duquense at Iowa @ 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
I don't know much about the Dukes, other than some analysts have picked them to challenge in the A-10, but I do know about the Hawkeyes. This should be a good test for a young team that only has one senior in Devan Bawinkel, but an emerging star in sophomore Iowa City-native Matt Gatens (left). Iowa should have a better grasp on coach Todd Lickliter's three-point heavy system than it did a year ago. Look for a Iowa to play well at home in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where it hasn't lost much in the last few seasons.
Memphis vs Kansas in St. Louis @ 10 p.m. (ESPN)
This game is the headliner, and for obvious reasons. With all the drama going on with these two teams beginning in the offseason, it should by very interesting to see how they handle it all as they play in a neutral court setting. Memphis has a new coach in young Josh Pastner. Will he be able to handle the pressures and responsibilities of being the top-dog for the first time in his career? The Jayhawks are the preseason No. 1 team in nearly every major poll. Can they live up to the hype and produce a second national championship in three years? We certainly won't know the answers to these questions after this game, but it should give us a good place to start.
Andy Katz lists the complete lineup of the marathon on his college basketball blog. All games will be aired live on and also can be seen on ESPN360 as well.
Make sure to take a couple five-hour energies at midnight and strap yourself down to your recliner. It's going to be a great season!
Photos from Sports Illustrated and Quad City Times.
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