College basketball season is a mere 10 days old, and football has captured the minds and hearts of Northwestern sports fans, but already, the biggest day of the non-conference hoops season has arrived for Chris Collins and Northwestern. The Wildcats (3-0) are in Kansas City for the semifinals of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic, where they'll take on preseason No. 1 North Carolina (3-1).
Monday night is so momentous for Northwestern for a few reasons. First, it'll be one of only a few nights of basketball excitement until conference play begins in January. But second, and more important, it's a massive opportunity for the Wildcats.