College basketball gets its first real feel-out day of the fall Saturday, when six exhibition games give fans an early peek at teams sorting through rotations, newcomers and roles before November arrives.
The slate is spread across the afternoon and evening and includes several familiar Division I names, with Wisconsin, Florida State, Mississippi State and Boise State all in action. The results won’t count in the standings, but the tape still matters. Coaches are looking for chemistry, answers and maybe a little clarity.
One of the day’s most interesting tests comes in Pensacola, where Mississippi State and Florida State meet at the Pensacola Bay Center. Florida State coach Luke Loucks has already stressed the value of these early games for building chemistry and finding out where his team’s strengths really are.
Mississippi State, meanwhile, is trying to figure out how its offensive pieces fit together. A neutral-site game against an ACC opponent should tell both staffs plenty, even if nothing goes into the record books.
Wisconsin also has plenty to sort out when it opens exhibition play against UW-Parkside in the annual Garding Against Cancer game at the Kohl Center. Greg Gard’s backcourt looks different, so this is a useful first look at how the Badgers want to organize things around returning center Nolan Winter, who averaged 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds last season. The biggest question is how fast the new perimeter pieces settle in.
Boise State enters a new phase as it starts against Idaho at Idaho Central Arena in downtown Boise. The Broncos are getting ready for life in the Pac-12, which makes these preseason reps especially valuable as the program defines itself.
Boise State beat Idaho by six points in last year’s exhibition meeting, a reminder that these games can still feel competitive even without official stakes. The Broncos also have an exhibition against Washington on October 17 before opening the regular season against West Coast Baptist on November 4.
Utah State is another team with a fresh storyline, beginning its exhibition schedule against Denver as Ben Jacobson takes over in Logan. The former Northern Iowa coach steps into a program with expectations attached, and Saturday offers the first chance to see how he starts building that identity with a roster that includes several newcomers. Utah State also has preseason games coming against Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara before its regular-season opener against Idaho State on November 2.
UC Irvine takes a different route, heading north of the border for an exhibition against Université du Québec à Montréal, or UQAM. Russell Turner’s group is coming off another strong season that included a Big West regular-season title and a postseason appearance, and the Anteaters are once again positioned as one of the league’s most reliable programs. This one should help reveal where the offense and defense stand before UC Irvine returns home and opens the regular season against Chapman on November 3.
Hampton rounds out the schedule with a home exhibition against Virginia Union at the Convocation Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Pirates are coming off a 13-17 season and a 7-11 mark in CAA play, and they need more consistent offense if they want to move forward. Etienne Strothers, who averaged 6.2 points last season, is one of the returning players worth tracking as Hampton looks to settle on its responsibilities and rotation.
For fans, the biggest thing to watch is how minutes are divided and which newcomers get real run. Exhibition basketball is about experimentation first and winning second, but these games still offer a clean first read on who’s ready and which teams need more time.
In Other News...
LSU May Catch A Huge Break In This SEC Matchup
Mississippi States 4-1 start has been built on a wave of young contributors, with freshmen and sophomores showing up all over the field as the Bulldogs keep sorting out who can handle bigger roles. Quarterback Kamarios Taylor has been right at the center of it, throwing for 1,450 yards and 17 touchdowns while helping energize an offense that has leaned on growth as much as experience.
Now the timing gets tricky with LSU coming to Starkville, because Taylors status is one of the biggest factors in how that matchup looks. Jeff Lebby has kept the conversation focused on competition and development across the roster, but the Bulldogs next step will depend heavily on how their young core holds up if a key piece is limited when the SEC spotlight gets brighter. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Heads To LSU With One Huge Question Still Hanging
Mississippi States quarterback situation is suddenly a major subplot as the Bulldogs prepare for a trip to No. 22 LSU. Kamario Taylors exit from the Alabama game on Oct. 3 in a walking boot left the offense with more questions than answers, and the program has not offered any real clarity on what comes next.
With Saturdays game looming, Taylors availability remains up in the air, and the lack of a defined timeline only adds to the uncertainty around an already difficult road test. For Mississippi State, the difference between having its quarterback and having to reshuffle on the fly could shape the entire game plan in Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Brings One Major Strength But Mississippi State Can Still Exploit Plenty
LSU enters this matchup with the kind of run defense that can change a game plan before it starts, giving up just 74.5 rushing yards per game and standing first in the SEC and fifth nationally in that category. The Tigers have also gotten impact plays from safety Tamarcus Cooley, who leads the team with two interceptions, and linebacker TJ Dottery, who has forced two fumbles and piled up 40 tackles, so Mississippi State will have to be sharp about every down it can turn into a true test of patience.
There is still room for the Bulldogs to make this interesting through the air, because LSUs secondary has been more vulnerable than its front and quarterback Sam Leavitt has already shown both upside and risk with 1,496 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Missed opportunities could matter even more for LSU if it is short on one of its bigger receiving options, and Mississippi State can at least keep this from becoming a simple strength-on-strength fight by forcing the Tigers to win in the part of the field where they have been less dominant. [Read more 🡒]