College basketball’s regular season may get off to a rather slow start (just two men’s games between high-major opponents are set for the first day of the season), but some of the sport’s highest-profile teams faced off in charity exhibition games over the weekend to give fans a taste of what they might see this season.
The games are a major breath of fresh air: NCAA rules allow Division I teams to play “secret scrimmages” against other D-I teams that can’t be televised or attended by fans as well as publicized exhibitions against non-D-I teams. But the rules provide a carve-out for games put on to raise money for charity, and many big programs took advantage and played marquee games.
I attended the Kansas vs. Illinois game in Champaign, Ill., that raised money for Maui’s recovery from the wildfires that swept the island in August, and the atmosphere rivaled that of a regular-season game. The vibes were similar in the Purdue vs. Arkansas and Michigan State vs. Tennessee clashes that also headlined the weekend: Teams played to win, fans turned out in full force and coaches got to learn about their squads. These games aren’t worth overreacting to, but there’s plenty to learn from them with the season just a week away. Here are some notes from the best exhibition action of the weekend.
