Yes, it's early in the college basketball season, but when it comes to Selection Sunday, games in November can weigh just as heavily on seeding as games during Championship Week.
With that in mind, I'm taking a look through the ESPN.com/ESPN The Magazine Top 25 preseason rankings to see which games on their schedules could have the biggest bracket impact. The bolded battles are the clashes I see as the biggest of the season.
1. North Carolina Tar Heels
Nov. 13 -- vs. Michigan State (Carrier Classic)
Dec. 3 -- @ Kentucky
Mar. 3 -- @ Duke
It's hard to argue with the historical significance of the Carrier Classic, but UNC's trip to Kentucky is a legitimate national championship preview. It features the nation's two winningest programs and the most talented rosters of 2011-12.
2. Kentucky Wildcats
To see the rest of Joe Lunardi's key bracket games for the Top 25 teams, you must be an ESPN Insider.
Joe Lunardi | email
Senior Writer, ESPN.com- Resident college basketball bracketologist for ESPN
- Contributor to SportsCenter, ESPN Insider
- Published first public bracket in 1995
ABOUT THIS BLOG
College Basketball Experts
Fran Fraschilla is an analyst for ESPN and was previously the head coach at New Mexico, St. John's and Manhattan.
Joe Lunardi is the resident bracketologist for ESPN.
Seth Greenberg is an analyst for ESPN and was previously the head coach at Virginia Tech, South Florida and Long Beach State.
