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The Breakfast Buffet: NC State hosts North Carolina, Stephon Castle, Wisconsin

Here’s today’s installment of “The Breakfast Buffet”, a daily column that can be found here every single morning getting you caught up to date on everything that’s happened from the day/night before and everything that’s going to happen in the next 24 hours.

Mangia!

Things To Sample

NC State hosts North Carolina
This is the night that Kevin Keatts has been waiting for. The Wolfpack have operated in the shadows to start the season, tallying an 11-3 mark through their first 14 games as most people in their geographic area are focused on Duke’s second season under Jon Scheyer and the Tar Heels’ resurgence under Hubert Davis. That will change if NC State can beat North Carolina tonight. This is an opportunity for Keatts and Wolfpack to gain national relevance for the first time this season. This game could also serve as a breakout opportunity for 6-6 freshman Dennis Parker Jr., who had 15 points and four rebounds in the Wolfpack’s win on Saturday over Virginia.

Stephon Castle is starting to emerge for UConn
The five-star freshman missed the majority of the first month of the season due to injury, but is now rounding into form. The 6-6 Castle is averaging 14 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in his last two games and was instrumental in UConn’s second-half comeback against Butler last Friday at Hinkle Fieldhouse. He’s also an efficient 11-16 from the field during that span. Built with the requisites to be a standout defender, Castle’s physical attributes and high basketball IQ give the Huskies another weapon in their quest to go to back-to-back Final Fours for the first time in program history. UConn will visit Xavier tonight at the Cintas Center.

Wisconsin looks like the second-best team in the Big Ten behind Purdue
Since getting blown out at Providence in mid-November, the Badgers have quietly won 10 of their last 11 games, with the only loss during that span coming at Arizona. Nine of those 10 wins have come by double figures. Wisconsin will take a four-game winning streak into tonight’s game against Ohio State in Columbus and as of today, appears to be the Big Ten’s most formidable team after Purdue. It also possesses incredible balance as six different players — AJ Storr, Steven Crowl, Tyler Wahl, John Blackwell, Chucky Hepburn, and Max Klesmit — are averaging between 7.2 points and 14.7 points.

On The Side

  • Oklahoma will play its first true road games of the season this week against TCU (tonight) and Kansas (Saturday).
  • Tennessee is averaging 81.1 points during its seven-game winning streak. The Vols also have assists on 64.2 percent of their made field goals this season. That’s the type of offense that can get this team to the Final Four. Rick Barnes’ team visits Mississippi State tonight in Starkvile.
  • Northwestern’s Boo Buie has 19 assists and zero turnovers in the Wildcats’ wins this season over Purdue and Michigan State.
  • St. John’s is 4-1 this season with UMass transfer RJ Luis (11.4 points, 5.4 rebounds) in the lineup. The lone defeat? A four-point loss at UConn. The Red Storm have won three straight games entering tonight’s matchup with Providence at MSG.
  • San Francisco’s Jonathan Mogbo is off-the-radar candidate for WCC Player of the Year. The 6-8 big man is averaging a double-double — 14.8 points and 10.6 rebounds — while tallying at least nine points and nine rebounds in nine of his last 11 games. Mogbo had 30 points and 18 rebounds in last Saturday’s win over Pacific.

Daily Specials

  • Tennessee at Mississippi State
  • North Carolina at NC State
  • UConn at Xavier
  • Wisconsin at Ohio State
  • Butler at Marquette

Leftovers