Looking ahead is a curse for players, but an impossibility to avoid for basketball fans.

In Portland eight teams will gather to play an early season basketball tournament. It's not win or go home like March, but for most the teams it will be the best preparation and first test of the season. These aren't the same conference teams they're used to playing. These are the best of the best teams from all around.

"This is playing the who's who in college basketball," Coach Bob Huggins said about the Phil Knight Legacy field. Huggins has seen a thing or two. He'd know.

There's Duke and Gonzaga, there's Purdue and Xavier, and between them, teams ready to upset the big boys and make a name for themselves.

But those big name teams, the ones that make this must-watch viewing and gets the dollars from ESPN and cable networks, they've also got big guys. The big guys in college basketball.

And those big guys going up against each other is exactly what I'm looking forward to.