Monday's Pregame Beat

College basketball is here!!! Get excited.

We have four games on tap tonight, all involving teams with NCAA Tournament aspirations playing their openers in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

7 pm: Florida International @ UNC: Talk about a great story line to kick off the season. The defending national champs take on Florida International, who just so happened to add Isiah Thomas as their head coach in the off-season. This game almost didn't happen as FIU was upset with the Gazelle Group, who organizes the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament, along with a number of other pre-season tourneys, for a late schedule change. This will be the first chance for us to see how well UNC's young guys can handle the Roy Williams system. Will Larry Drew be an effective replacement for Ty Lawson? How good is Ed Davis? We find out tonight. Of note: Isiah Thomas will be coaching after his mom suffered a heart attack over the weekend.

7 pm: Alcorn State @ Ohio State: The Buckeyes will be without Dallas Lauderdale as he is still recovering from a broken bone in his hand. Interesting to see how the Evan Turner as a point guard experiment will turn out.

9 pm: Albany @ Syracuse: The Orange stumbled in their exhibition game against Le Moyne, but Syracuse should be alright this season. Be sure to keep an eye on Wesley Johnson, the talented transfer from Iowa State. He had 34 in the loss.

11 pm: Murray State @ Cal: Jerome Randle and company have Pac 10 title aspirations, and despite being picked below Washington in most rankings, the Bears are actually the pre-season pick to win the Pac 10. Cal plays an uptempo, spread floor style and will put up a lot of points. Randle is one of the most exciting players in the country to watch. Be sure to tune in if you get the FOXSports package.