2023 Gavitt Tipoff Games: 5 players to watch as Big Ten, Big East square off
The second week of the 2023-24 men's college basketball season is highlighted by the first conference challenge of the year, the Dave Gavitt Tipoff Games, honoring the Big East founder and basketball visionary.
This is the eighth year of the event, which will feature eight matchups between Big Ten and Big East squads.
First off, it's tremendous by both leagues that they've held the Gavitt Games since 2015 to bolster an early-season schedule in college basketball that needs better matchups to garner interest. It's unfortunate that the two conferences could not agree to extend their agreement past this season with the Big Ten expanding and trying to manage conference schedules as membership hits 18 schools, but I wouldn't close the door on anything going forward. The Big East is examining options to fill the void with another scheduling alignment with a conference in the future, sources tell FOX Sports.
That being said, let's get to this year's schedule and five players to watch in the Gavitt Games. We know what Purdue's Zach Edey and Marquette's Tyler Kolek are capable of, but we spun this in a different direction by picking players who could switch their team into a different gear if they have a strong season.
Gavitt Games Schedule - All games on FS1
Monday
6:30 p.m. ET - Michigan at St. John's (Madison Square Garden)
8:30 p.m. ET - Xavier at No. 3 Purdue
Tuesday
6 p.m. ET - Wisconsin at Providence
8 p.m. ET - No. 5 Marquette at No. 25 Illinois
10 p.m. ET - Iowa at No. 8 Creighton
Wednesday
8:30 p.m. ET - Georgetown at Rutgers
Friday
6:30 p.m. ET - Butler at No. 4 Michigan State
8:30 p.m. ET - Maryland at No. 22 Villanova
FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH …
Dug McDaniel, G, Michigan
The 5-foot-11 sophomore guard received high praise from his teammates and Michigan assistant coach Saddi Washington at Big Ten media day, and he was the player that many pegged in the preseason as being the linchpin to how the Wolverines ended up faring this season.
Through two games, it's clear that McDaniel is poised for a strong season and could very well be one of the best guards in the Big Ten. Now, consider the competition of UNC Asheville and Youngstown State, but McDaniel powered the Wolverines with 22 points and eight assists in the season opener. He followed that up with a 16-point, four-assist performance in a dominant win over the Penguins.
The big key for McDaniel in Monday's game against the Red Storm will be avoiding turnovers and perimeter shooting. St. John's will look to force giveaways, and it's on McDaniel to manage that pressure. Additionally, if the Johnnies play off him and give him perimeter shots, will we see the McDaniel that hit four triples in the season opener, or will it be the other way around when he shot 1-for-6 against Youngstown State? If Michigan pulls out a win Monday, it's because McDaniel rises to the occasion and is the best guard on the floor.
Purdue's duo of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer
Yes, I cheated here by including two players, but it's the truth. How Purdue's sophomore guards perform this season will determine if this team gets March redemption or not, so I'm including them both here because Tuesday presents the first big game of the season for Matt Painter's team. It comes against a Xavier team that is really inexperienced in the frontcourt with Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter out for the year, but does have veteran transfer guards in Dayvion McKnight and Quincy Olivari, who could present some issues for Smith and Loyer.
Smith has been phenomenal to start the season, tallying a combined 18 assists and just five turnovers in his first two games. He's also added a combined 23 points and 12 rebounds in the process, managing the game well in dominant wins over Samford and Morehead State. Loyer played over 27 minutes in the team's most recent game against Samford, but he only scored two points, going without a made field goal. Southern Illinois transfer Lance Jones fills a scoring void in the backcourt for Purdue, which should help alleviate some pressure off the sophomores, but I'm really interested to see if Sean Miller employs some pressure on the Purdue guards to force them into turnovers or to try and get them off-beat from the perimeter. As much as Edey dominates, Purdue needs to just be solid from beyond the arc to keep a defense honest and avoid giving the ball away.
First-year Friars head coach Kim English has an all-conference duo in forward Bryce Hopkins and guard Devin Carter, but it's Pierre who I'm zoning in on in the matchup with the Badgers, who suffered a loss to Tennessee on Friday night and will be angry in this one.
It's Pierre who is likely going to be counted on to play roughly 30 minutes as the lead ball handler for this Providence team this season. By many accounts, he's had a strong offseason and his speed can lead the Friars in transition. His main role is to keep Providence from turning it over and find ways to set up Hopkins, Carter, Davonte Gaines and others for success. I think Josh Oduro staying out of foul trouble is going to be a key for Providence all season, and he has a stiff test with Steven Crowl in Tuesday's matchup, but you go as far as your guard play takes you, and it's Pierre's time to show that he can be reliable on the big stage.
We know what the Golden Eagles' backcourt is going to do. Elite point guard Tyler Kolek, bucket-getter Kam Jones and lockdown defender Stevie Mitchell make up one of the best trios in the country. But the key for this Marquette team is replacing what they had at the power forward slot last year with Olivier-Maxence Prosper, the 6-8 forward who was one of the biggest risers during NBA Draft season and was picked No. 24 by the Dallas Mavericks.
Shaka Smart is calling on Joplin to fill the opening at the four spot. Through two games this season, the 6-8 forward has totaled 18 points. He knocked down three triples on Friday night in the win over Rider, something that the Golden Eagles will need in a raucous atmosphere in Champagne on Tuesday. Joplin could very well go up against impact Illini transfer Quincy Guerrier, who's coming off a 13-and-10 performance in the win over Oakland and was a key contributor in each of the last two seasons while with Oregon. If Joplin is in rhythm and adding that extra dimension to Marquette that Prosper added last year, Marquette really has no holes. The guard matchup between Kolek and superstar Terrence Shannon Jr. will be the marquee showdown, but it's Joplin who could prove to be key in this game.
A.J. Hoggard, G, Michigan State and Pierre Brooks II, F, Butler
Look, this is a familiar name, and it's not a surprise that Hoggard is important to what the Spartans end up doing. But the senior has been poor to start the season, shooting 4-for-18 from the field in the first two games and 0-for-5 from 3-point range. Tom Izzo needs a better week from the man who is supposed to be Tyson Walker's main sidekick. The Spartans take on Butler Friday night following the Champions Classic matchup with a Duke team that will be fired up coming off the loss to Arizona.
I'll be intrigued to see a Thad Matta-led Bulldogs team that is improved offensively on the perimeter. St. John's transfer Posh Alexander will lead Butler into this tall road task on Friday night.
This game also marks the return of Spartans transfer Pierre Brooks II to East Lansing after he played a limited role for MSU last year and elected to move on for a bigger spot on another team. In two games for the Bulldogs, Brooks has combined for 30 points and 10 rebounds. He, Alexander and UC Irvine transfer DJ Davis (26 points in two games) appear to be in sync out of the gates.
Michigan State will be favored in this game, but if Hoggard is still out of rhythm and not hitting shots, that could make this a tighter one than expected.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
