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College Basketball: 6 best games to watch on 2016 opening weekend

By Chris Stone

Mar 18, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo looks on during the first half of the first round against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo looks on during the first half of the first round against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 18, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo looks on during the first half of the first round against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo looks on during the first half of the first round against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

Arizona vs. Michigan State, Friday 7:00pm ET

The second top-15 matchup is actually the appetizer for the Kansas-Indiana main course on Friday night. Arizona and Michigan State will tip-off at 7:00pm ET from Hawaii as the opening game of the Armed Forces Classic. The Spartans will arrive at the Stan Sheriff Center with one of Tom Izzo’s best ever recruiting classes in tow. Five-star recruit Miles Bridges figures to spend plenty of time at the power forward spot after injuries to a pair of Michigan State’s top frontcourt returnees and he should be able to take advantage of his athleticism against bigger college defenders.

Bridges will be in for a test on Friday, though, as Arizona will likely start a potential lottery pick across from him. Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen is the prototype for stretch fours in the modern NBA and he should be able to keep up with Bridges athletically. The bigger question might be how the Spartans are able to handle Markannen’s versatile offensive game on the other end of the floor.

Also looming over this matchup are questions about how Arizona will look without a number of players it expected to have coming into the season. Center Chance Comanche is likely to start for the Wildcats after missing their two exhibition games due to academic issues, but head coach Sean Miller will be without Allonzo Trier because of undisclosed eligibility concerns and Ray Smith who tore an ACL for a third time earlier this month.