Game 1: UNC Asheville at Michigan Preview

Writing the first game recap of the season feels like drinking from a firehose. You have 40 minutes of live basketball to devour every second of after an offseason with nothing. On the other hand, writing the first game preview of the season feels more like a desert search for water.

Michigan hosts UNC Asheville tonight (8:30 p.m., BTN) in a tricky early-season opening test. The Bulldogs made the NCAA Tournament last year and are picked to win the Big South again this season. They also have one of the best mid-major players in the country in 6-foot-11 do-it-all big man Drew Pember, who averaged 20.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game last season.

It’s tough to get an early read on this UNC Asheville team despite an impressive amount of roster continuity. The Bulldogs didn’t play any public preseason games, which makes previewing Mike Morrell’s team, or scouting them, a difficult task. They return seven of their top nine players from last season, including Pember, but a vital change on the wing leaves some uncertainty.