| N.C. State vs. Rutgers | Nov. 14 | 1 p.m. ET (Knoxville, Tenn.), ESPN2 |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Game is first of the State Farm Tip-Off Classic -- and the first of the season. Pits two NCAA Tournament teams, including Elite Eight participant Rutgers, in an early-season matchup that will give us an idea of the accuracy of those preseason polls. |
Rutgers guards Tasha Pointer and Shawnetta Stewart, both coming off All Big East first-team seasons. Wolfpack's Summer Erb (13th in scoring in '99 with 21.5 average), the '98 ACC Player of the Year. All three are "best of the rest" preseason Naismith candidates. |
| Louisiana Tech at Tennessee | Nov. 14 | 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| The Lady Vols and the Lady Techsters have been two of the most dominant women's programs since the first NCAA Tournament was held in 1982, combining for eight titles. This rematch of the '98 NCAA title game also gives first glimpse of Tennessee in post-Chamique Holdsclaw era. |
Tennessee's Meek link: Junior Semeka Randall and teammate Tamika Catchings, tabbed by most experts as the preseason Player of the Year. Senior guard Tamicha Jackson, perhaps the country's quickest player, leads the campaign to get the Techsters back to the Final Four. |
| Tennessee at UCLA | Nov. 28 | 5 p.m. ET |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Tennessee's second game on the road in three days (the Lady Vols play at Stanford on Nov. 26). Also, the Lady Vols should be hungry for a win as Tennessee coach Pat Summitt opens the season needing just five wins to reach her 700th career victory. This could be No. 699 if Tennessee passes all its early-season tests. |
UT's Tamika Catchings and UCLA's Maylana Martin, arguably the nation's top forwards. Janae Hubbard, the Bruins' 6-4, 250-pound center, tough for anyone to handle in the paint. Highly touted UCLA freshman Nicole Kaczmarski, to see how the guard does against one of the nation's top defenses. Welcome to the Big Time, kid. |
| Louisiana State at Georgia | Dec. 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Not only is this an early matchup, but also the SEC opener for both teams. Georgia, which should challenge for the SEC title, is seeking its fourth trip to the Final Four in six seasons. LSU was a Sweet 16 team in '99. |
Georgia's junior twins, Kelly and Coco Miller, but also junior-college transfer Shala Crawford, a 6-4 forward who is supposed to give the Bulldogs an inside presence. Detrina White, who averaged 13.1 points last season for LSU. |
| Penn State vs. Connecticut | Dec. 5 | 1 p.m. ET (Orlando, Fla.), ESPN |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| In the first game of the Honda Elite 4 Classic in Orlando (UCLA plays La. Tech at 3 p.m. ET), the Lady Lions, who broke into the top 10 in at least one preseason poll, get an early test against the favored Huskies. Time to see what one of the best teams from the Big Ten has to offer, and how quickly UConn, one of the best teams in the country, is sorting things out. |
Penn State's Helen Darling, who ranked sixth in the country in assists (7.5 average) in '99, and Lisa Shepherd, who shot 45 percent from 3-point range. Also, to see how UConn's starting five is shaping up, particularly junior Svetlana Abrosimova, another Naismith and Player of the Year candidate, and Shea Ralph, the '99 Big East Tourney's Most Outstanding Player. |
| Notre Dame at Purdue | Dec. 8 | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Whether it's football or another collegiate sport, you've got a great rivalry on your hands any time the Boilermakers and the Irish match up. You've also got one of this season's up-and-coming programs going head-to-head with last year's best. |
Notre Dame's Ruth Riley, a 6-5 center who averaged 16.6 ppg and 8.4 rpg. Point guard Niele Ivey, whose health after a knee injury last season can determine how far Notre Dame goes this season. Purdue off-guard Katie Douglas, one of the nation's best. |
| UCLA at Connecticut | Dec. 23 | 2 p.m. ET |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Too much UConn, you say? Too much UCLA? Thou doth protest too much, especially when a stop in Storrs will get you yet another glimpse of two top five programs. The Huskies beat the Bruins 113-102 in Los Angeles last season. |
The Huskies on their homecourt, especially Sue Bird. The sophomore point guard, limited to only eight games last season due to injury, is said to be the key to an extended postseason stay for the Huskies in 2000. |
| Louisiana Tech at Connecticut | Jan. 2 | 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| If Y2K didn't wipe out TV, and if you're looking for something besides college bowl games, ring in the New Year with two of the games' top programs. |
Everybody, to see if that brief break brought on any rust, and to see exactly who has brought their game along with them in the new millennium. |
| Nebraska at UC Santa Barbara | Jan. 3 | 10 p.m. ET |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Nebraska is picked to finish third in the Big 12. UCSB returns all five starters and the team's top seven scorers from last year's 26-4 Big West Conference champions. Both teams were eliminated in the first round of last season's NCAA Tournament, but are expected to go further in 2000. |
UCSB's Erin Buescher, a 6-3 guard who posted a double-double more times than not last season (16 in 30 games). Nebraska senior guard Nicole Kubik, the Women's Basketball News Service defensive player of the nation in '99 after making a school-record 136 steals as a junior. |
| Connecticut at Tennessee | Jan. 8 | 4 p.m. ET, CBS |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| The Huskies, ranked above Tennessee in nearly every preseason poll, host the six-time national champion Lady Vols in the first game of the home-and-home series. They play again a month later. This was a great rivalry long before Tennessee snapped UConn's 54-game home winning streak in January 1999. |
Connecticut junior Svetlana Abrosimova and Tennessee junior Tamika Catchings -- both 6-1 forwards -- will go head to head for the first time sans Chamique Holdsclaw. Both are Naismith Award and Player of the Year candidates. And oh yeah, their supporting casts are incredible as well. |
| Clemson at Duke | Jan. 16 | 1 p.m. ET, ESPN2 |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Game not only features last season's NCAA runner-up Blue Devils, but also pits the 1998-99 regular-season ACC champ (Duke) against the ACC Tournament champ (Clemson). Folks are saying it's a down year for Clemson. |
Peppi Browne, Lauren Rice and Georgia Schweitzer, key players in the Blue Devils' run to San Jose last March. Clemson's Erin Batth, to see how well she can fill in for the sorely-missed Itoro Umoh and Amy Geren. |
| Tennessee at Georgia | Jan. 17 | 1 p.m. ET, ESPN2 |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Believe us, we didn't want to include another Tennessee game. But when Georgia's non-conference schedule includes teams like Alcorn State, Georgia Southern and East Tennessee State, we had no choice. |
Junior twins Kelly and Coco Miller, who each averaged 18 points in '99, leading the Bulldogs to the Final Four. Tennessee's defense, to see how it deals with the speedy 5-10 twins from Rochester, Minn. |
| Rutgers at Connecticut | Jan. 17 | 3 p.m. ET (Hartford Civic Center), ESPN |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| UConn has edged Big East rival Rutgers twice when it mattered. First, by one point, 56-55 in New Brunswick, during last season's regular-season matchup. The Huskies also edged Rutgers 145 points to 132 as the Big East favorite in the preseason coaches poll. |
UConn guards Sue Bird, Shea Ralph and Keirsten Walters, who will battle another one of the country's best backcourts. Shawnetta Stewart, Rutgers' leading scorer and rebounder in '99, and Tasha Pointer, who ranked ninth in the country last season averaging 6.8 apg. |
| Illinois at Purdue | Jan. 20 | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Purdue, led by first-year, 33-year-old coach Kristy Curry (the Boilermakers' fourth coach in as many years) will get a lot of tests this season, including a Dec. 2 matchup with Tennessee, but the defending national champions get another one here. Illinois was ranked in the top 15 of most preseason polls. |
Junior Katie Douglas, who averaged 14.1 points and 6.2 rebounds last season. Illinois' "best of the rest" Naismith Award candidates Susan Blauser (who averaged 17.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg in '99) and Tauja Catchings (15.4 ppg, 8.8 prg; yes, she Tamika's older sister). |
| North Carolina at Iowa State | Jan. 23 | Noon ET, ESPN2 |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Doubleheader (UCLA plays La. Tech at 3 p.m. ET in the opener) features the best from the Big 12 and the ACC. Iowa State has lofty expectations after Elite Eight appearance in '99. Like the Cyclones, UNC was picked as its conference favorite in a preseason ACC coaches poll. |
Iowa State senior guard Stacy Frese, who ranked third in the nation in 3-point shooting (46.1 percent) and averaged 17.2 ppg last season. Guard Nikki Teasley (15.4 ppg), UNC's Naismith Award and first-team All-America candidate, and forward LaQuanda Barksdale (13.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg). |
| Tennessee at Connecticut | Feb. 2 | 7 p.m. ET, ESPN |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Jan. 8 loser can fight for redemption. Also, the matchup marks the first-ever prime time regular-season women's basketball game televised on ESPN. |
Say it with us: Svetlana Abrosimova. Tamika Catchings. Svetlana Abrosimova. Tamika Catchings. Well done and 'nuff said. |
| North Carolina at NC State | Feb. 3 | 7 p.m. ET |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| The top two teams from the ACC battle it out in in a game that could impact the conference race with just two weeks left in the regular season. UNC was the ACC Tournament runner-up in '99. |
NC State's Summer Erb, a 6-6 center who averaged 21.9 points as a junior and will probably have her second straight ACC Player of the Year honor just about wrapped up. |
| Kansas at Iowa State | Feb. 16 | 7 p.m. ET |
| WHY TO WATCH |
WHO TO WATCH |
| Teams are picked to finish 1-2 in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll, and after playing just two weeks earlier, this could decide the conference champion. The Cyclones are the Big 12 favorite, edging Kansas 121 points to 102. |
All-America candidate Lynn Pride, who led Kansas last season in points (17.2 average), rebounds (7.2) and steals (2.7). Iowa State's Stacy Frese, to see how well she's shooting from beyond the arc heading into tournament action. |
