Friday's Pregame Beat

FINALLY!! We have a real night of college hoops, as there is a full slate of games, including 13 ranked teams in action.

The only problem?

There may not be a relevant game that is competitive. For those readers with ESPN 360, there are seven games available tonight, including No. 1 Kansas.

Let's get to the schedule:

6:30 pm: Morehead State @ Kentucky: The Wildcats take the floor for the first time this season without John Wall, who will be suspended for the game after taking money from his AAU coach Brian Clifton. Don't sleep on Morehead State. They gave Louisville a game last year in the NCAA Tournament, and with four returning starters, including double double machine Kenneth Faried, the Golden Eagles are by no means a pushover.

7 pm: Florida Gulf Coast @ Michigan State: Raymar Morgan practiced yesterday, but his status for tonight's opener is up in the air. Both Korie Lucious and Delvon Roe will be playing for the Spartans.

7 pm: Farleigh Dickinson @ Villanova: So how old in Mouphtaou Yarou? Despite Jay Wright's assurances and Villanova's clearing him to play, there are still doubters out there. Let's hope this isn't the first game that is eventually erased from the record books.

8 pm: Hofstra @ Kansas: Kansas in the consensus No. 1 team in the country and will begin their season as home against Charles Jenkins and Hofstra. Jenkins, the reigning Haggarty Award winner (best player in the NYC metropolitan area, the first sophomore to win it since Chris Mullin), looks to help the Pride improve on a disappointing season in which Hofstra was left at home during March. Expect Tyshawn Taylor to have his hands full all night.

9 pm: Georgetown @ Tulane: The Hoyas are the only ranked team to open their season on the road, as they travel to New Orleans in part to give Greg Monroe a chance to play in his native Louisiana. Are the Hoyas going to live up to their top 25 ranking this season?

9 pm: Rider @ Mississippi State: Why is this game significant? Because troubled recruit Renardo Sidney, who cannot seem to find the correct paper work for the NCAA, will not be in uniform tonight. Rider is actually decent this year, with Ryan Thompson, the younger brother of Kings first rounder Jason, leading the way. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one curious to see how good Mississippi State will be this year.

Other notables:

• 7 pm: Cal St Northridge @ Purdue: CSN almost beat Memphis last year in the tournament.
  
• 7 pm: UNC Greensboro @ Duke: Duke will be short handed without Nolan Smith or Mason Plumlee.
• 7 pm: Arkansas Little-Rock @ Ole Miss
• 7 pm: Alabama A&M @ South Carolina
  
• 7:30 pm: William & Mary @ UConn
• 8 pm: Tennessee Tech @ Minnesota
• 8 pm: Presbyterian @ Clemson
• 8 pm: Charleston Southern @ Maryland
• 8 pm: Wofford @ Pitt
• 8 pm: Oral Roberts @ Wake Forest
  
• 8 pm: Loyola (MD) @ Kansas State
  
• 9 pm: Austin Peay @ Tennessee
• 9 pm: Jackson State @ Memphis
  
• 10 pm: Wright State @ Washington
• 11:30 pm: New Mexico State @ St. Mary's