We’re back: 10 games New Jersey can look forward to in 2023-24
Welcome to Season 3 of Guarden State. Hop aboard!
Friends, you can prepare for something all you want. Eventually, the time comes, and you have to do the dang thing.
I’m a planner by nature. I make lists in my sleep. My Notes app is covered in long-term goals. I didn’t wait for October to lay out the local college basketball schedules – I started jotting down random games bit by bit as they trickled out online over the summer, brainstorming a schedule of my own. (Major hat-tip to the good folks at The D1 Docket.)
Here’s the rub: If you spend so much time planning, it better pay off. Can’t just spin your wheels and make cotton candy. The substance is what matters.
I may be talking about myself, but the same assessment applies to college basketball programs. The offseason is long in this sport, stretching from sometime in March (if you’re lucky, April) to a regular season that starts the day before Election Day.
The transfer portal churns, the coaching carousel spins, staffs scout their tails off, some lucky programs take offseason trips overseas, and before you know it, freshmen are on campus and full squads of guys are in the gym.
That’s plenty of time to lay out a plan for the new season. But only some teams will follow through. Others won’t be as fortunate.
So with that, welcome back to Guarden State. Thank you if you’re just hopping on the bus for the first time. I sincerely appreciate every subscriber I have.
If you’re not excited for the 2023-24 college basketball season quite yet, you should know that games begin 32 days from now. Approximately every single Division I team will play on Nov. 6, whether that’s against a lower-division opponent in search of an easy win and some good early vibes, or a more eye-catching matchup like Rutgers renewing its rivalry with Princeton.
I figured the best way to kick off this preseason would be to examine 10 New Jersey-based games I already have highlighted in bright green. These aren’t all Rutgers and Seton Hall games; if you’re new to these parts, know that I spend a fair amount of time on the state’s mid-majors. (Saint Peter’s, Fairleigh Dickinson and Princeton have made that coverage decision look extremely wise. I contend I just got lucky.)
Alright. Ten games New Jersey can look forward to, in roughly chronological order:
1. Rutgers vs. Princeton in Trenton, Nov. 6
From the broader historical perspective, there isn’t much for me to add here that I didn’t say back in August when the date was confirmed. (Shameless plug.) From a basketball perspective, we should see a fascinating opening night game featuring conflicting styles. We will see how the Tigers look in their post-Tosan era for the first time. We will get an initial idea of what lineup combinations Steve Pikiell might roll with this season. I imagine there will be more Rutgers fans and students in the building, but not by terribly much. Princeton basketball fever was at record highs when the Tigers last played, and it’s a reasonable trip from the campus to Trenton. You figure Rutgers will be favored, but this is a toss-up as far as I’m concerned.
2. Saint Peter’s at NJIT, Nov. 11
It’s NJIT’s home opener, meaning it’s the first time students and local fans can see new coach Grant Billmeier’s team in action. The Jersey native’s roster will be a mix of freshmen recruited late in the cycle, grad transfers and core returners like Adam Hess and Kjell de Graaf. And his first test is against a program now two seasons removed from a odds-defying tournament run, a reminder of the magic still whispering around North Jersey. This is a return game after the Peacocks beat NJIT at home in last year’s season opener, when then-freshman Corey Washington emerged and put up 18 points and eight boards.
3. Rutgers vs. Seton Hall vs. Princeton women’s basketball triad
Rutgers at Seton Hall, Nov. 15
Seton Hall at Princeton, Nov. 29
Rutgers at Princeton, Dec. 13
I immediately cheated and wrapped three into one. Sue me. Princeton may have a 5-17 record against Rutgers and a 7-12 mark against Seton Hall all-time, but the Tigers have been the best women’s team in the state in recent history, under Carla Berube and Courtney Banghart before her. Princeton beat both these programs on the road last year and now gets to host both at Jadwin Gym. Rutgers should be improved in coach Coquese Washington’s second season, though.
4. Fairleigh Dickinson at NJIT, Dec. 2
Back in Newark, Billmeier faces another first-year head coach in Jack Castleberry, who was promoted to take over for tournament hero Tobin Anderson. What do we expect from FDU after shocking Purdue? Unlike last year’s version of Saint Peter’s, many of the key pieces from FDU’s tournament team return, like Ansley Almonor, Joe Munden, Sean Moore and Brayden Reynolds. In last year’s matchup at FDU, the Knights won on Moore’s tip-in at the buzzer, but NJIT fans felt it was offensive goaltending.
5. Rutgers at Seton Hall, Dec. 9
Does it need any explanation? The Garden State Hardwood Classic moves from Sunday nights back to Saturday, where it won’t have to compete with the NFL for TV eyeballs. That’s good. What’s better is Rutgers’ motivation as it tries to break a two-year losing streak. Seton Hall went into the RAC and won a dogfight last year. We’re going to see scrappiness levels not previously thought possible.
6. Rider at Monmouth, Dec. 16
Speaking of emotionally charged rivalries, these former MAAC counterparts played in Lawrenceville last November, a nonconference game in Monmouth’s first year in the CAA. Monmouth was a very young team last year and had trouble on road trips to Rider and Princeton, but Hawks coach King Rice was particularly upset at Rider after he said fans talked smack about his family, leading to at least one known ejection. This time, Monmouth has home-court advantage, not to mention the advantage of a year’s worth of experience for talented young pieces like Jack Collins.
7. UConn at Seton Hall, Dec. 20
UConn came into the Prudential Center last January without Dan Hurley and associate head coach Kimani Young due to COVID-19. UConn still led by as many as 15, including 14 at halftime, before Kadary Richmond and KC Ndefo powered a memorable comeback for Hall to beat the eventual national champions 67-66. This year, their meeting in Newark is both programs’ Big East opener. Talk about a measuring stick game for the Pirates.
8. Purdue at Rutgers, Jan. 28
It’s the Boilermakers’ first trip to Piscataway since that game. I know you know the one without even clicking the link. Good, don’t give Elon any more page views than he already has. Rutgers pulled off another unexpected upset of No. 1 Purdue on the road last January before a five-point loss to them in the Big Ten Tournament. In fact, the Scarlet Knights have won five of the last seven meetings with the Boilers. Zach Edey, for what it’s worth, shot “only” 57.1% (career average: 61.9%) in two games against Rutgers and was held below his season scoring and rebounding averages, too. Cliff Omoruyi is back and Rutgers only added size in the frontcourt. Just saying.
9. Yale at Princeton, Feb. 17
They’ll also play Feb. 2 in New Haven, but this is the big one for our purposes. Jadwin is where Yale marched in without its leading scorer and pulled off a 19-point comeback to leave Princeton in a state of shock. Jadwin is where Yale entered as the No. 1 Ivy seed and fell to Princeton in the tournament title game. The thing is, guys? Yale brings back basically that whole roster. The Bulldogs have the potential to be especially good. Like, sneak up on Gonzaga in November, earn some AP Poll votes good.
10. Saint Peter’s at Rider, March 7
We can’t know in October which games will truly be must-see in March. It depends on how teams’ seasons go, of course. But I have a good feeling Rider’s regular-season finale against an in-state rival will be an interesting game no matter the stakes. No more Dwight Murray Jr. for Rider, but the MAAC is inherently more winnable due to Iona’s Pitino-related exodus and the Broncs return three starters after finishing second last year.
………
Thanks again for reading. I hope you’re ready to see this newsletter taken to new heights. That’s the plan, anyway.
Here’s what’s cooking:
Monday, Oct. 9: A Rutgers season preview
Thursday, Oct. 12: A feature story I’m putting together and eager to share
From there, we’re looking at preseason preview content each Monday and Thursday until the start of the season. You also may have seen me hint over the summer that I’ll be taking Guarden State to three days a week for the first time. That will begin in November, when there are games aplenty. More details will be revealed when the time arrives.