NCAA Basketball Season Set for Monday Openers

Northern Kentucky opens its season against UTEP in Sioux Falls, with guard Eric Acker coming off a 24-point exhibition and the Norse looking to improve defensive consistency and get production inside. No. 11 Louisville begins its season at home against Chattanooga after winning both exhibitions; the Cardinals have multiple scoring options, including transfer Flory Bidunga, but are still building cohesion around a largely new roster. Murray State’s men’s and women’s teams enter the season with high expectations after both were picked to finish first in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason rankings. St. John’s is projected as a No. 4 seed in ESPN’s latest bracketology, though the eligibility status of Babacar Sane and Keyshawn Hall remains unresolved.