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The Breakfast Buffet: UConn travels to Philadelphia to face Villanova, Rylan Griffen, Texas

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

UConn travels to Philadelphia to face Villanova
The Huskies swept the Wildcats last season and have every intention of doing the same thing in 2024. Despite winning a national title a year ago in convincing fashion, UConn did not win the Big East regular season or tournament title and that’s something at the forefront of Dan Hurley’s mind on a daily basis. Villanova is extremely capable, as evidenced by its wins earlier this season over North Carolina, Memphis, and Creighton. Kyle Neptune’s squad is 11-6 and in the middle of a brutal stretch. After today’s game against the Huskies, Villanova will play back-to-back road games at St. John’s and Butler before returning home to face Marquette.

Rylan Griffen is emerging for Alabama
People from the periphery will focus on Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht (18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds) when the Crimson Tide visit the Vols later today in Knoxville, but it would be foolish to ignore Griffen. The 6-6 sophomore is starting to become a major offensive threat for Alabama, who has quietly won six straight games. Blessed with gifts from God physically, Griffen has always looked the part, but now his basketball skills are catching up to the rest of his body. He’s averaging 14.8 points in his last four games and was an impressive 5-7 from three-point range earlier this week in a win against Missouri.

Texas needs a win
Is today’s tilt against Baylor the biggest game that Rodney Terry has coached since earning the permanent position in Austin? It certainly feels like it. The Longhorns are 0-2 in Big 12 games this season at home and desperately need a victory to maintain pace with the rest of the conference. After Texas trades blows with Baylor today, it will play back-to-back road games at BYU and Oklahoma before returning home to face Houston. Those three games precede a trip to Fort Worth to play TCU. Yikes!

On The Side

  • Not a single player in Auburn’s 10-man rotation is averaging more than 23.5 minutes. Bruce Pearl’s ability to keep his team fresh may ultimately give the Tigers a higher ceiling during March Madness.
  • How many perimeters in college basketball are better than New Mexico’s troika of Jaelen House, Donovan Dent, and Jamal Mashburn Jr.? There aren’t many. The 15-3 Lobos averaged 93.5 points in a pair of wins last week over San Diego State and Utah State. Richard Pitino’s team travels to Air Force later today. Tip off is at 4 PM ET on CBS Sports Network.
  • UCLA can’t be competitive today against Arizona in Tucson unless it starts getting more out of Dylan Andrews. The sophomore point guard is a combined 2-14 from the field in his last two games and is shooting just 24 percent from the field during Pac-12 play. The Bruins are on a two-game winning streak.
  • Dayton’s Daron Holmes II is firmly in the All-American conversation. The 6-10 junior is averaging 25 points and 9.2 rebounds in his last five games for the 14-3 Flyers, who will take an 11-game winning streak into today’s game against Rhode Island.
  • The sleeper game of the day in college basketball is in the WCC as San Francisco hosts Saint Mary’s. Both teams are 4-0 in league play. Tip off is at 10 PM ET on CBS Sports Network.

Daily Specials

  • Marquette at St. John’s
  • Purdue at Iowa
  • Alabama at Tennessee
  • UConn at Villanova
  • Ole Miss at Auburn

Leftovers