The nonconference portion of the men's college basketball season is a measuring stick of sorts. It's a test of new coaches at new programs. Of a team's cohesiveness after adding freshmen and transfers over the summer. Nonconference games offer us a data-backed look at a team's ceiling, and what it needs to improve before the year turns and conference play begins. They're looked at closely by the selection committee in March, to determine bubble teams' fates.
Beyond the NCAA tournament implications, nonconference games can simply be fun. They're an opportunity for in-state rivals to face off again. New rivalries can form.