House of College Hoops - Weekly Digest, Week of November 7

HOUSE OF COLLEGE HOOPS WEEKLY DIGEST

Week of November 7, 2022

Writer's Note: College Hoops Digest, originally founded in 2013, was born on the principle of finding & telling the "real story" of college basketball. Now, in the era of House of College Hoops, we remain dedicated to this one basic grounding principle. Each week, I'll be honoring our former namesake with our "Weekly Digest" of the biggest storylines to watch throughout the season.

Week One is upon us! There's a palpable buzz across Twitter, in the venues, and on video, and I'm ecstatic we're in for another (hopefully seamless) year of college hoops.

As we dive straight into the first week, let's take a look at some of the top stories in our first-ever Weekly Digest.

Gonzaga will be tested early

I'll admit - it's not the biggest week for high-profile games. But with all eyes on Gonzaga and their quest to finally bring a national championship to Spokane, it begs the question of how they'll come out of the gates. And luckily, we should get some answers in Week 1 about what we can expect for the 'Zags.

Gonzaga and Michigan State will square off in the 2022 Peraton Armed Forces Classic at 6:30pm on Friday aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in San Diego. It'll be the sixth time a game has been played on a ship of this nature - the last coming in November 2012, where Syracuse beat San Diego State 62-49 in front of President Barack Obama and more than 5,000 others.

The USS Midway docked in San Diego for the 2012 Carrier Classic. PIC: Obama White House Archives

This will be a pivotal time for both the 'Zags and the Spartans. While second-ranked Gonzaga's expectations are high, the jury is out on Michigan State; this game kicks off four-straight against ranked opponents for Sparty. Will Gonzaga be able to gel around Drew Timme? What other contributors will emerge? How does Tom Izzo's group stack up in the grand scheme of things? We'll learn a lot about these two programs on Friday night.0

Shaheen Holloway, Pat Chambers, Steve Lavin, and 47 others start new challenges as head coaches

The coaching carousel was hot and heavy this summer, with 50 programs electing to make a change at head coach. Among them are three high-profile names that get chances at programs that all have unique expectations.

For one, Shaheen Holloway became an overnight celebrity during March Madness as he led #15 Saint Peter's to an Elite 8. In his fourth year, Holloway was thrust into the public eye, and emerged as the preferred option of perennial Big East contender Seton Hall, who saw Kevin Willard depart to Maryland. Now, it's up to Sha to prove he's there to stay - and with a re-vamped roster, he has an opportunity of a lifetime to garner national success.

Shaheen Holloway looks to continue the winning at Seton Hall. PIC: Seton Hall Athletics

Other more tenured coaches have new-found opportunities at new programs. For one, veteran head coach Pat Chambers has landed at Florida Gulf Coast for the upcoming yeawr. Chambers had a tough task of bringing Penn State to compete in a loaded Big Ten conference; although he held his own (148-150), he was fired in 2020 due to an investigation into misconduct. After working as Ashley Howard's #2 at La Salle last year, Chambers looks to get back on the national scene after a few years out of the spotlight. On the opposite coast, Steve Lavin returns to Cali at the helm of the San Diego Toreros program. Lavin coached at UCLA from 1996 to 2003, then coached at St. John's from 2010-15. Lavin's last losing season was his last at UCLA (in 2003), racking up nine 20-win seasons - it's hard to believe he won't be an asset at USD.

Other more senior coaches have new-found opportunities at new programs. For one, veteran head coach Pat Chambers has landed at Florida Gulf Coast for the upcoming year. Chambers had a tough task of bringing Penn State to compete in a loaded Big Ten conference; although he held his own (148-150), he was fired in 2020 due to an investigation into misconduct. After working as Ashley Howard's #2 at La Salle last year, Chambers looks to get back on the national scene after a few years out of the spotlight. On the opposite coast, Steve Lavin returns to Cali at the helm of the San Diego Toreros program. Lavin coached at UCLA from 1996 to 2003, then coached at St. John's from 2010-15. Lavin's last losing season was his last at UCLA (in 2003), racking up nine 20-win seasons - it's hard to believe he won't be an asset at USD.

Louisville recovers after doing major sanctions

There's no secret that it's been a trying past few years for Louisville, both as an institution and as a program. It started with the 2015 sex scandal, implicating Rick Pitino and other high-profile members of the Louisville landscape. The FBI was heavily involved in the 2017-18 corruption scandal, which led to Pitino losing his job. Last week, an independent review led to Louisville escaping without major ongoing consequences, including sparing both Pitino & former head coach Chris Mack from any major suspensions. Now, it's on the Cardinals current staff, including former Kentucky & NY Knicks assistant Kenny Payne, to rebuild the culture and restore Louisville to its once-winning ways. The Cards take on Bellarmine to open their season on Wednesday night.

Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) reorganizes

One of the nation's most-rapidly-expanding conferences got bigger this offseason, with the addition of Stony Brook, Hampton, Monmouth, and North Carolina A&T to the basketball circuit. We had the chance to catch up with Towson's head coach Pat Skerry; in his eyes, the strength in numbers & more schools in the mix is good, but they'll miss the guarantee of playing each team twice. One thing is for sure, he says: this is a test of the theory that schools will double-down on investing in men's basketball, and I'm sure we'll see the CAA take the same bet on its member institutions this season.