College basketball’s opening night is an expansive, breathtaking peek into just how big the sport has become. There are more than 360 teams across Division I and most of them were in action Monday night.
And most of the games stunk.
While the NCAA women’s season kicked off with a pair of top 25 matchups, Monday’s men’s games were mostly littered with easy wins over outmatched opponents. Teams from Power 6 Conferences picked on mid-majors. Mid-majors picked on low-majors. And low-majors, in an effort to build some early momentum, invited some schools you probably may have never heard of to their home gymnasiums.
Thus, a challenge was born. This quiz is simple. All you have to do is tell me whether or not I’m naming a sub-Division I college basketball team that played a buy game on opening night or a contemporary Christian rock artist, as categorized by Wikipedia.
1) Saint Mary-Of-The-Woods
2) Silverline
3) Immaculata
4) Covenant
5) William Carey
6) Royal Tailor
7) Disciple
8) Blue Mountain
9) Emery
10) Whitecross
11) Dartmouth
Scroll on for answers and revelations.
1
Saint Mary-Of-The-Woods
Saint Mary-Of-The-Woods College is a NAIA program in Terre Haute, Indiana who lost to neighboring Indiana State 90-60. Its nickname is the Pomeroys, which is clearly a cheap ploy to curry favor with one of the leaders of the hardwood analytic rankings movement.
2
Silverline
This contemporary Christian act hailed from the land of Paul Bunyan but broke up in 2015 after three No. 1 singles on the US Christian Rock charts.
3
Immaculata
Immaculata is a private, Division III college in southeastern Pennsylvania. The Mighty Macs couldn’t hold on to an early lead and lost to Rider 113-67.
4
Covenant
The Covenant College Fighting Scots call Lookout Mountain, Georgia home. The Division III program lost to Chattanooga 89-44 on Monday night.
5
William Carey
William Carey University is a Baptist, NAIA school in Hattiesburg whose school of music because the first all-Steinway program in the state of Mississippi. These fancy pianos were unable to prevent a 64-42 loss to neighboring Southern Miss.
6
Royal Tailor
Royal Tailor was founded at Indiana Bible College (a quick search suggests they have no varsity sports programs) by Tauren Wells (shown above) and two others. They were twice nominated for Grammy Awards.
7
Disciple
Disciple’s been around since ’92, brah. Where you been? 13 albums deep and still rolling.
8
Blue Mountain
Not the raunchy Spike sitcom about the football team, the NAIA program that lost to North Alabama by 33.
9
Emery
Unlike the Division III school Emory, Emery was founded in Rock Hill, South Carolina. They’ve released nine albums since 2004.
10
Whitecross
Whitecross has been around since 1985. Wikipedia assures me their early albums sound a lot like Ratt.
11
Dartmouth
While “dart mouth” is the colloquialism for the whale that swallowed Jonah, “Dartmouth” is an actual school that exists and not just a failed James Bond villain name. The Big Green lost to No. 2 Duke by 38 on opening night.
