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Actual regular-season college basketball games return a week from Monday. Huzzah! Opening night isn’t exactly loaded with thrillers, however, unless matchups like North Carolina vs. UNC Wilmington or Kansas vs. Omaha get your blood boiling.

Never fear. Many high-stakes, can’t-miss contests will arrive soon enough. And with that in mind, we come to the latest installment in our series of preseason questions posed to The Athletic’s panel of 17 experts. If you had to pick just one game to watch during the 2022-23 regular season, what would it be?

Here’s a sampling of our experts’ rationales:

Kentucky vs. Gonzaga (in Spokane, Wash.), Nov. 20

It’s the Drew Timme-Oscar Tshiebwe showdown in the first month of the season, and I give extra credit to Mark Few and John Calipari for making this an annual marquee matchup for the next six years. As my colleague Brendan Quinn has noted, Michigan-Wisconsin on Valentine’s Day is hilariously perfect scheduling, but come on. Everyone will be on their best behavior and an anticlimax is inevitable. — Brian Hamilton

Two absolutely loaded teams. I wish Kentucky was going to the Kennel to play the game, but it’s still going to be an absolute blast seeing Timme go against the reigning player of the year in Oscar Tshiebwe. — Sam Vecenie

It’s not the crazy Kennel (6,000 seats), but Spokane Arena holds twice as many people and it’ll be bonkers for that awesome early showdown of two preseason top-five teams. — Kyle Tucker

Baylor vs. Gonzaga (in Sioux Falls, S.D), Dec. 2

And not just because it’s a rematch of the 2021 national title game. If a No. 5 team can fly under the radar, I believe the Bears are. LJ Cryer, Adam Flagler, Everyday Jon, Flo Thamba and Keyonte George? Yikes. And look, here’s the reality: The Zags are really good. Again. National championship good. Again. But if they struggle against Baylor’s physicality as they did in the title game, that’s a possible tell of things to come. — Dana O’Neil

Pick your Gonzaga matchup: A tie between Gonzaga-Kentucky in Spokane and Gonzaga-Baylor at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls. Gonzaga also has neutrals against Tennessee and Michigan State, a road game at Texas and will play in the Phil Knight Legacy tourney, where it could potentially play Duke. Props to Mark Few for the way he schedules. —CJ Moore

Arkansas at Baylor (Big 12/ SEC Challenge), Jan. 28

This game is appointment television, as there will be more than six future NBA players on the floor at the same time. Not to mention, two of the best mastermind coaches will have to find ways to slow down the opposing team’s offense. Get your popcorn ready. — Tobias Bass

North Carolina at Indiana (ACC/Big Ten Challenge), Nov. 30

Let’s see how the Hoosiers handle the pressure of hosting a cold-blooded title favorite, in November, in front of an unforgettable Assembly Hall environment. Let’s see how we feel about them the morning of Dec. 1. — Eamonn Brennan

If the Hoosiers are at all what they’re supposed to be, that’ll be an awesome on-campus game and environment. — Hugh Kellenberger

North Carolina at Duke, Feb. 4

Besides being the first Carolina-Duke game of the Jon Scheyer era, the first matchup between these teams is always the traditional kickoff for the home stretch of the season. Usually the teams’ first meeting is mid-week, but this year it’s on a Saturday night during the open week between the NFL conference championship games and the Super Bowl, so all eyes will be on Cameron Indoor Stadium. — Seth Davis

Purdue at Indiana, Feb. 4

There’s no place like Assembly Hall when the Hoosiers are good. I think the Boilermakers will be right there with Indiana in the Big Ten race. Their rematch three weeks later at Mackey Arena will be just as awesome. — Scott Dochterman

Kentucky at Tennessee, Jan. 14

Thompson-Boling Arena is as raucous as any arena when the Wildcats are in town to play a good Volunteers team. These two should have (at least) two terrific battles this season. — Joe Rexrode

Cincinnati at Xavier, Dec. 10

The Crosstown Shootout. Wes Miller in his second season with the Bearcats against Sean Miller in his second stint with the Musketeers. Sean Miller went 3-2 in the local rivalry over his initial five years at Xavier, while Wes Miller is looking for his first Shootout victory. This should also be the most evenly-matched tilt between the two sides in a few years, and the first opportunity for Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena to host a capacity crowd for the game since December 2018. — Justin Williams

Michigan at Wisconsin, Feb. 14

No, this won’t be Round 2. But it will be exceedingly funny to watch both programs downplay what happened last year and do their damndest to act as if they like each other. On Valentine’s Day, no less. — Brendan Quinn

(Our complete panel of experts: Nicole Auerbach, Tobias Bass, Brian Bennett, Eamonn Brennan, Seth Davis, Scott Dochterman, Brian Hamilton, Hugh Kellenberger, Brendan Marks, Austin Meek, CJ Moore, Dana O’Neil, Brendan Quinn, Joe Rexrode, Kyle Tucker, Sam Vecenie and Justin Williams.)

Previous predictions:

Mid-major that can make a March run

Most entertaining player in the country

(Photo of Baylor’s Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Gonzaga’s Drew Timme from 2021 NCAA title game: Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)