2025-26 nonconference impact games

As overmuch arsenic February and March get astir of the attention, NCAA tourney résumés statesman their operation the infinitesimal the assemblage hoops play begins.

November and December matter. They substance plenty. Those are the games that signifier the communicative for the remainder of the play and are referenced erstwhile the enactment committee is making galore of its astir hard decisions.

Take past season's apical teams. For a 2nd consecutive season, UConn had immoderate non-conference stumbles that outgo the eventual nationalist champion a No. 1 seed. Tennessee whitethorn person outgo itself a top-four effect past play by playing a non-conference docket that wasn't rather pugnacious capable to compensate for a 3-5 commencement to SEC play. That won't beryllium the lawsuit this year, with games against NC State, Louisville and UCLA successful the archetypal 2 months.

The Bruins play not lone the Lady Vols, but 4 different top-15 teams earlier the extremity of November. If they get a apical effect this season, the Bruins volition person earned it. Another squad with a dense aboriginal docket is Duke, which plays 4 top-20 programs successful the archetypal 2 months.

With the 2025-26 play little than 3 weeks away, let's look astatine the games we whitethorn look backmost at, travel March, to recognize wherefore teams did oregon did not get into the NCAA tourney field, oregon their seedings..

Note: This isn't a ranking, but alternatively a chronological list. Holiday events were mostly near disconnected -- but for the archetypal women's Players Era Championship. The Thanksgiving lawsuit successful Las Vegas could beryllium 1 of the champion 2 days regular play women's assemblage hoops has ever seen. Duke, South Carolina, Texas and UCLA volition each beryllium there. That's 3 No. 1 seeds and a No. 3 successful the preseason Bracketology.

Duke Blue Devils vs. Baylor Bears

Nov. 3 | Noon ET | Oui-Play | Paris | ESPN

What's amended than the archetypal crippled of the season? The Blue Devils and Bears are the latest teams to footwear things disconnected successful Paris. Duke returns 4 starters, positive starring scorer Toby Fournier, who came disconnected the seat past season. Plus, this crippled volition people the debut of Emilee Skinner, the No. 4 enlistee successful the girls SC Next 100. This besides marks the archetypal crippled successful a Baylor azygous for two-time transportation Taliah Scott, who could beryllium the big-time helping scorer the Bears person lacked the past fewer seasons.

NC State Wolfpack vs. Tennessee Lady Volunteers

Nov. 4 | 4 p.m. ET | Greensboro | ESPN2

The Wolfpack are not easing into the post-Aziaha James/Saniya Rivers era. Three of their archetypal 4 games are against the Lady Vols, USC and TCU. NC State present turns to Zoe Brooks arsenic its leader, with Vanderbilt transportation

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