Warts and all

The complaining can finally end: College basketball's "real" opening day is here. Two marquee games at the Champions Classic — Kentucky vs. Michigan State (7 pm ET, ESPN) and Kansas vs. Duke (9:30 pm ET, ESPN) — will be enough to delight any hoops fan. And if you're one of the lucky ones in Indianapolis? Be sure to stop by The Tap and say hey to The Field of 68. We'll have a four-hour live show before that first tip.

Those two matchups essentially preview themselves, so we skipped written previews for them and let the videos in the "Listen Up" section serve as a table setter. We'll focus on what happened Monday night (it's been quite the start to the season), Kentucky's recruiting haul, and much more.

Let's get to it.

1. Horned Frogs in need a prince a shooter

No. 15 TCU didn't have its starting backcourt on Monday. And it showed in a 64-63 loss to Northwestern State that'll echo well into 2023.

The Horned Frogs (2-1) had already logged two sub-par performances this season, barely beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Lamar, both of whom regularly occupy the bottom rung of D-I. But without preseason Big 12 POY Mike Miles (out with a foot injury) and Damion Baugh (serving a six-game suspension; he'll return for a Nov. 30 game against Providence), sub-par turned into substandard, especially for a darkhorse Final Four contender that was favored by 21.5 points.

Their passing was ragged, and they often settled for contested field goals as the shot clock wound down. TCU missed 19 of 21 from beyond the arc and was just 35.6 percent overall, which is consistent with how it has shot all season.

(The guard it misses the most right now is Francisco Farabello, who led the team in 3-point shooting last season at 38 percent; he transferred to Creighton.)

Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that TCU lacked any offensive cohesiveness without Miles and Baugh, but it was surprising to see Northwestern State (2-2) match its physicality. That was the Horned Frogs' biggest strength last season, yet they were timid on the perimeter and unable to control the boards — their other differentiator.

TCU led the nation in offensive rebounding percentage last season. Any missed shots turned into opportunities. Through three games, the Frogs are still good (hovering around 36 percent, 59th overall), but not great. When the shots don't fall, they have to compensate in other areas. And that didn't happen Monday in a game that shouldn't have been close.

Expect TCU to drop from the Top 25 and (unless it logs a few impressive Big 12 wins), to drop from any serious consideration as a team that could make a run in March.

2. State of concern

Monday's slate turned out to be loaded with fascinating results beyond just TCU ... and I have a hunch we're going to see more of this throughout the month. A quick rundown:

Florida Atlantic 76, Florida 74: Colin Castleton went for 30 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, but the Owls (2-1) offset that with 13 three-pointers and a swarming defense that keyed a 30-6 run in the second half. They kept the other Gators off balance all night. It's the first time Florida (2-1) has ever lost to FAU.

Troy State 79, Florida State 72: The Noles are 0-3 and might enter December without a win. The good news? They play Louisville on Dec. 10. (Not good news for anyone watching that game for enjoyment.)

Charleston 92, Richmond 90 (OT): Perhaps the game of the night. The Spiders (2-1) trailed by 21, rallied and led by 3 with less than a minute less in regulation, but Charleston (2-1) did just enough in OT to hold court at home. Tyler Burton scored a career-high 38, the most by a Richmond player since 2013.

Maine 69, Boston College 63: The Black Bears (2-1) entered as 20.5-point underdogs, yet led nearly the entire game for their first win against a power conference team since 2011. For BC (2-1), it seems its close wins to start the season weren't just warm-ups but an indication of how it'll fare throughout the year.

Penn State 68, Butler 62: The Nittany Lions didn't surpass 90 points, but they're 3-0 and have a team that should be feisty in the Big Ten. Also, Jalen Pickett made a little history.

Hofstra 85, George Washington 80: James Bishop IV scored a D-I season-high 44 points (15-24 from the field, 5 of 12 from 3), but the Pride (3-0) hit 14 three-pointers of their own to stop GW (2-1).

Texas A&M-Commerce 73, Air Force 69 (OT): Don't shrug. The Lions not only won on the road, but it was their first-ever D-I win. Looked pretty good, too.

Villanova 60, Delaware State 50: A tale of two halves. The Wildcats (2-1) were a freezing 0-for-16 from deep in the first half and trailed a team that won two games ALL last season. They finally heated up thanks to an unlikely source: freshman guard Brendan Hausen, who scored seven points, five of which came in 41 seconds and gave Nova a lead it never relinquished. (Relying on Eric Dixon down the stretch — 17 points, 7 boards — also helped.)

Baylor 95, Northern Colorado 62: Congrats to Scott Drew on his 400th coaching win.

3. Kentucky reclaims the (recruiting) crown

After months of speculation, DJ Wagner made it official on Monday. He's headed to Kentucky next season.

The consensus top prospect in the class of 2023 chose the Wildcats over in-state rival Louisville, giving them their fourth 5-star recruit and the No. 1 overall class — the seventh (or eighth, depending on your scouting service rating) time in 15 years for coach John Calipari.

Wagner, a 6-3 guard who can play on or off the ball, isn't viewed as an overwhelming athlete (fellow '23 recruit Rob Dillingham is far quicker), but he's a bucket-getter and can score at all three levels. Some wonder how he and Dillingham will mesh (both are ball-dominant players), yet there's no question about the talent Wagner and the rest of the class provides.

Pairing them with 7-footer Aaron Bradshaw, 6-8 wing Justin Edwards and 6-3 shooting guard Reed Shepard will be a potent mix of talent at nearly every position. Small wonder it vaulted Kentucky ahead of Duke for the No. 1 overall class, Calipari's first since 2020 (but probably not his best ever).

“I couldn’t be more excited about this class,” Calipari said in a release from the school. “We have five talented and dynamic players who have the drive and commitment it takes to succeed at Kentucky. They all know this isn’t for everyone, and they have welcomed that challenge and want to be pushed not only by our coaching staff but by other really good players every day. Their potential to be great is there, now it is up to them to embrace this stage and come in every day ready to work. All five of these guys are winners. They’ve won at the highest levels and know how to impact winning in a number of ways. This is a group that the Big Blue Nation is going to want to cheer for.”

Penny Hardaway had Memphis atop the recruiting rankings, and new Duke coach Jon Scheyer claimed the top class for 2022. If there were any doubts about Calipari's diminished recruiting touch, those are gone. Right about now, nobody's feeling better. Just check this wink at the end.

Also in Monday's recruiting news:

• Washington State added 2023 prospect Rueben Chinyelu, a 6-10 big out of the NBA Africa Academy.

4. Has anyone seen Matt Bradley's jumper?

San Diego State's start to the season has mostly gone according to plan. The Aztecs are 2-0 and are playing their usual impressive defense (9th in KenPom), and new additions Darrion Trammell (19.5 ppg) and Jaedon LeDee (17 ppg, 5 rpg) have already made a significant impact.

But, as they prepare for a trip to Stanford (followed by the Maui Invitational next week), there is one thing still missing: Matt Bradley's offense.

The Mountain West preseason POY and SDSU's leading scorer a year ago hasn't hit a jump shot yet. He's 5 of 20 on 2s (all layups) and 0-3 from beyond the arc. He's still taking a healthy percentage of shots (only LeDee has a higher usage), but they're not falling.

“Right now, when I’m shooting the ball and I get in the air, I don’t want to miss so bad that I’m tense,” Bradley told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “It’s such a weird thing. I don’t know, I’m trying to figure it out. When I go in the air, I’m such a critic of myself right now that I’m thinking, ‘Don’t miss, don’t miss.’ I have to be more unconscious, and we have the team for me to do that. I really should just go out there and play and take the shots and live with them.”

The publication noted that after their win last week against BYU, Bradley stayed after to work on shooting. And SDSU coach Brian Dutcher doesn't sound worried. Opponents are paying so much attention to Bradley, it's giving LeDee, Trammell and others plenty of open looks.

An elite defense with offensive balance and a star who's yet to hit his stride? Sounds like a recipe for even more success.

5. Adama Sanogo shooting 3s might scare ... defenses?

UConn junior big Adama Sanogo could be classified as your prototypical big man. He's 6-9, 245 pounds, protects the rim (he ranked in the top 100 in block rate the past two seasons), rebounds (he grabs nearly 40 percent of the Huskies' defensive boards) and has a developing offensive game, mostly consisting of back-to-basket post moves and drop-steps.

Until now. Probably.

Sanogo's shooting stroke has noticeably improved over previous seasons, along with his confidence in it. He's only missed six shots all season — on 26 attempts — and was 2-of-3 from beyond the arc in UConn's win last week against Boston U. He'd never made a 3 until then and had only attempted one in two seasons.

Consider it part of his evolving game.

Sanogo isn't about to become a stretch-5, but if teams have to respect his stroke, it's an incredible offensive asset for Dan Hurley's squad. Maybe we'll see more when the Huskies (2-0) host Buffalo (7 pm, CB Sports Network), especially with Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson both still unlikely to play due to injury.

In the Year of the Big, any big who can stretch defenses automatically becomes more valuable than ever before.

This isn't for freshmen

Memphis (1-0) starts five seniors, including 26-year-old DeAndre Williams. Saint Louis (2-0) plays three seniors, a junior and a sophomore. The benches also are loaded with upperclassmen, making this a rare showcase of experience and talent. Don't forget the talent. New Tigers guard Kendric Davis may be the nation's best guard. Or is it Billikens guard Yuri Collins, who leads the nation with an assist rate of 55, dishing 27 dimes in his first two games? Whatever your preferred storyline, it's an incredible bit of counterprogramming (9 pm ET on CBS Sports Network) to Kansas-Duke.

Other games to monitor (all times ET):

• San Diego State (2-0) at Stanford (1-1), 9 pm (Pac-12 Network)

• Marquette (2-0) at Purdue (2-0), 8:30 pm (FS1)

• Vanderbilt (0-2) at Temple (1-1), 7 pm (ESPN+)

• Washington State (1-1) at Prairie View A&M (2-0), 7 pm (ESPN+)*

*Special note: This is the final game in the Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series, which is tied 2-2.

This. Is. Sparty.

Michigan State doesn't do moral victories. But their loss on Friday night to Gonzaga was a promising sight for any Spartans fans, especially heading into tonight's game against Kentucky.

So what do two Michigan State fans think of their squad now? Greg Waddell and Carter Elliott from UnScripted, a Michigan State podcast (subscribe here), aren't at a loss for words but aren't exactly brimming with confidence.

BONUS VIDEO!

You were probably expecting a debate between Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster, right? Well, we aim to please.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 AFTER DARK on YouTube here and click here subscribe to the AFTER DARK podcast.

Links as your mind struggles to cope with the idea that Earth's population doubled to 8 billion people since 1974.

• Three Virginia football players were shot and killed late Sunday by a former UVA football player. Among other things, Monday's basketball game between the Cavs and Northern Iowa was canceled.

• Darius McGhee with a highlight reel 4-point play.

• A terrific story on Emoni Bates, and what's ahead for him after his big game vs. Michigan. ($)

• Georgetown guard Jay Heath finally got his waiver to play for the 2022-23 season.

• Can you pass the fake opponent quiz?

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