2022 Gavitt Games Announced: Ew.

As usual, we go to the worst:

Be sure to buy your 2022 Gavitt Games—THIS. IS. DECEMBER.—t-shirt at shamelessgrifter.com, everyone.

Anywho, writers, instead of just reacting to your team’s game, I’d love a maximum five-word response to each individual game first. (You can expound upon the rest below.)

Villanova Wildcats at Michigan State Spartans

MNW: TV gold. Izzo non-conference loss.

misdreavus79: New coach vs Old Coach

BoilerUp89: Izzo isn’t ready to retire

Kind of...: Sparty longs for ‘Nova success

Buffkomodo: Stale coach vs new one.

Indiana Hoosiers at Xavier Musketeers

MNW: “TJD” five words?

misdreavus79: Does Xavier suck still? No?

BoilerUp89: It’s Miller Time

Kind of...: Eat shit J.P. Macura:

Buffkomodo: Planning on attending.

Iowa Hawkeyes at Seton Hall Pirates

MNW: Only one can peacock—Fran.

misdreavus79: Who’s the Seton Hall Coach?

BoilerUp89: I don’t think I will

Kind of...: One coach has made Sweet 16

Buffkomodo: Where is Seton Hall? Iowa?

Marquette Golden Eagles at Purdue Boilermakers

MNW: Ring out a-hoya.

misdreavus79: Someone’s gonna get murdered badly.

BoilerUp89: Could go either way

Kind of...: What the hell happened, Purdue?

Buffkomodo: Bald vs great hair.

Butler Bulldogs at Penn State Nittany Lions

MNW: Dogs vs. Cats, Part 1.

misdreavus79: We’re not playing DePaul! Yay!

BoilerUp89: It doesn’t Matta, PSU wins

Kind of...: Who will replace Harrar’s bulk?

Buffkomodo: Oooph.

Northwestern Wildcats at Georgetown Hoyas

MNW: This one’s even less interesting.

misdreavus79: Dogs vs. Cats, Part 2.

BoilerUp89: Why would anyone watch this?

Kind of...: Two coaches playing out string

Buffkomodo: I forgot Georgetown played basketball.

Nebraska Cornhuskers at St. John’s Red Storm

MNW: Scraping bottom of the barrel.

misdreavus79: That’s a lot of Red!

BoilerUp89: St. John’s by 50

Kind of...: City red defeats country red.

Buffkomodo: 3 PM tip.

DePaul Blue Demons at Minnesota Gophers

MNW: I spoke too soon. Jesus.

misdreavus79: Someone has to suck, so...

BoilerUp89: Gophers Arena is demons’ home

Kind of...: Is loser relegated?

Buffkomodo: 1 PM tip.

Best game of the bunch?

MNW: Well the easy money is Villanova-Michigan State, clearly there to redeem the rest of this slate, but I’ll be intrigued to see Iowa, post-Keegan Murray, meet the Shaheen Holloway-era Pirates. The calling card of both Kevin Willard’s final club and the Cinderella Peacocks was a tough defense, and we’ll see how that holds up against Jordan Bohannon’s 8th year of—wait, what’s that?

misdreavus79: Most of these matchups look pretty even, based on what each team is bringing in for 2022-23. Yes, Michigan State/Villanova is the sexiest of the bunch, but I’m not so sure they’ll actually be the best game when it’s all said and done. It’s going to be one of the middle ones that will sneak up on you and go to three overtimes or some crazy stuff like that. I’m going to go with Marquette at Purdue, because why not?

BoilerUp89: The one I’m most likely going to - IU at Xavier. Both teams are getting a little more press than I think they should be for next year, but this should still be a matchup of top 25 teams in the first big game of Miller’s second go around at Xavier.

Kind of...: I’ll take IU/Xavier too. I’m seeing some early “Indiana is B1G favorite talk,” so this will either be a chance for them to serve notice. Or for everybody else to have a good laugh.

Buffkomodo: The Cintas center will be hopping. I plan on attending the best game of the Gavitt games when Indiana takes on the disgraced, cheating Sean Miller and the Musketeers. I’m prepared for bitter disappointment, but excited none-the-less.

Worst game of the bunch?

MNW: Nebraska at St. John’s will be watched by TENS of people, but at least you’re mixing the Red Storm—in 2021-22 the fastest team in the country—with a team in Nebraska that plays fast and with an ambivalent approach to “defense”.

No, it’s the two lame-ducks of Northwestern and Georgetown here, and it’s not particularly close. The ‘Cats have now lost both Pete Nance and developing four-star Casey Simmons to transfers (the former going to UNC), meaning they’re going to roll out a starting lineup, probably, of Chase Audige, Boo Buie, Julian Roper, Robbie Beran, and Matt Nicholson. Don’t worry, though, there are a couple freshmen and sophomores coming off the bench, along with a transfer forward who averaged 8 points a game at UTEP last year.

Meanwhile Georgetown under Patrick Ewing has mostly just run around aimlessly, so it’s a perfect matchup for peak indifference. CATCH IT ON FS2!

misdreavus79: If Northwestern can’t beat Georgetown, just leave Chris Collins in DC.

BoilerUp89: Who did Chris Collins bribe to make sure he got two P6 wins this season?

Kind of...: No point being contrarian: NW/G’town. A has-been against a never-was.

Buffkomodo: Northwestern/Georgetown. At least St. John’s is a good team and saves that game. Minnesota might be okay, and okay is way better than Georgetown or Northwestern.

Who wins the Gavitt Games?

MNW: Feels to me like the Big Ten might wind up relying on the back end of its rotation here, and that’s never a good idea—if Penn State and Minnesota can get it done, maybe the conference salvages a tie: but I’d lean Big East, 5-3.

misdreavus79: Man, a lot of Big East teams are breaking in new coaches, huh? They’re probably still going to take it, 5-3 is my vote as well.

BoilerUp89: Yeah they are breaking in new coaches, but they are pretty good new coaches. 4-4 split

Kind of...: Anybody who doesn’t watch? B1G 5-3.

Buffkomodo: Tie! 4-4. Everyone has fun except Tom Izzo.