Tip-Off Marathon Opponents

3 months remain! Wait, this isn't the countdown.

Starting last night at 8:00 PM Pacific Time, ESPN began announcing the schedule for the annual Tip-Off Marathon. I say "began" because it is still being announced, one game at a time, every two hours, exactly three months in advance of each game's scheduled tip-off.

The WCC will be represented by three teams. Once again Gonzaga will help kick off the event. The Zags face Colorado State in game two of an ESPNU doubleheader. BYU will get in on the action as the follow up to the Zags' game, but the Cougars will be on the more prestigious ESPN2. Following those two games will be a two hour WCC void. As if to make the hours between 10:00 pm and 12:00 am even more excruciating for WCC fans, ESPN has decided to place the Wichita State Shockers in that time slot. Once the Shockers are done playing, Saint Mary's will host Akron at midnight. The Gaels have played an early morning game in four of the previous five Tip-Off Marathons.

Here's a quick look Colorado State, Stanford and Akron.



Colorado State Rams at Gonzaga Bulldogs
McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, WA.
6:00 PM Pacific Time, November 11th.
TV: ESPNU

2012-13 Record: 26-9 (11-5, 2nd MWC).
Postseason: 8 Seed NCAA Tournament, eliminated in Round of 32 by Louisville.

Colorado State was an entertaining team to watch last season. Despite ranking 265th in the nation in terms of effective height (per KenPom) the Rams had a knack for pulling down rebounds. The Rams ranked fourth in rebounds per game with 37.1 but when adjusting for their speed of play they ranked 1st in the nation by grabbing 61.1% of available rebounds.

Don't expect that rebounding prowess to roll over into this season. The Rams have lost to graduation the players on the team that ranked first, second and fourth in rebounds per game. More over, the Rams have lost to graduation their entire starting line up from last season. A lot of key players may be departing but the Rams do return one really key piece; last week head coach Larry Eustachy signed an extension keeping him at the school through 2017-18.

Brigham Young Cougars at Stanford Cardinal
Maples Pavilion, Palo Alto, CA.
8:00 PM Pacific Time, November 11th.
TV: ESPN2.

2012-13 Record: 19-15 (9-9, T-6 Pac-12).
Postseason: NIT, eliminated in second round by Alabama.

Stanford's roster is nearly the opposite of Colorado State's. Last year's Cardinal roster had eight upperclassmen, only one of whom has been lost to graduation. Stanford also looks to be one of the nation's tallest teams for another year. Last season they ranked 23rd in effective height. Unfortunately for the Cardinal, that doesn't really mean too much because these players haven't been very effective. Only in the Pac-12 of two years ago would a 26 win team still be a pretty bad team. Aside from that season, the Cardinal have failed to win more than 20 games under head coach Johnny Dawkins. They've also never made the NCAA Tournament under Dawkins and have only made the NIT twice.

While Stanford might not be as good as the school's brand would make casual fans believe, this is still a big game for BYU. A road game in prime time against a power conference program provides the Cougars with a chance to prove, immediately, they are a team that is better than last year's NIT Semifinalists. That's extremely important because last year's Cougars were plagued with an inability to beat good teams and win road games.

Akron Zips at Saint Mary's Gaels
McKeon Pavilion, Moraga, CA.
12:00 AM Pacific Time, November 12th.
TV: ESPN2.

2012-13 Record: 26-7 (14-2, 1st MAC).
Postseason: 12 Seed NCAA Tournament, eliminated in Round of 64 by VCU.

The Zips and Gaels find themselves in similar positions heading into this season, leaderless. Zeke Marshall, one of the best centers in the country last year, and Matthew Dellavedova, one of the best point guards in the country last year, are both gone, leaving the Zips and Gaels wondering who will step up. Marshall was fifth in the country last season in effective field goal percentage. For a comparison WCC fans will understand: Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk ranked 10th last season. Not only was Marshall effective at scoring, he was effective at keeping opponents from scoring. He ranked 6th nationally in block percentage, Kentucky's much-hyped Nerlens Noel ranked 10th.

Without a rim protector to get in their way, the Gaels might be able to discover their new leader in their first game of the season. Brad Waldow should have an easy time pushing around Marshall's expected replacement, the less experienced (11.2 MPG last year) and less expansive (20 pounds lighter than Waldow) Pat Forsythe.