Akron at Arkansas State

The Akron Zips are nothing like their football team. Basketball is king in Akron, and in their 12 years playing on the FBS level, they have had 20 or more wins in nine of those 12 years. The Zips are coming off a 24-win season and have a lot of promise, but question marks as well. They have a couple of good, experienced players returning, such as Xavier Castaneta and Ali Bamba. There will have to be a couple of players that turn their game up to a higher level, and newcomers will have to fill critical roles. Arkansas St. made huge gains last season. They went from finishing 4-14 in the Sunbelt the prior year to 11-7 last year. Arkansas St. should further improve as their top seven contributors all return this season. I like the Red Wolves experience, which matters on the road during a season opener. Make the play on Arkansas St.