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The Breakfast Buffet: Alabama, Quincy Olivari, Providence has a golden opportunity

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

Alabama feels a bit under appreciated
It’s not an oversight, it’s an insult. Despite being in sole possession of first place in the SEC entering tonight’s game at Auburn, the Crimson Tide feel like somewhat of an afterthought in this conference behind Tennessee, Kentucky, and South Carolina. When you dissect things, that clearly shouldn’t be the case. Alabama was 6-5 in late-December after an arduous non-league slate, but has since won 10 of its last 11 games with the only defeat coming against Tennessee in Knoxville. The average margin of victory for Nate Oats’ squad during those 10 games? 21.1 points. This team may not have the same star power as it did last year with Brandon Miller or in 2021 with Herb Jones, but it’s still good enough to earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. A word to the wise: Keep an eye on Mark Sears (20.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.7 steals) — college basketball’s least celebrated elite guard — who’s quietly have a season to remember.

Quincy Olivari is in “video game mode”
We’ll find out tonight at the Cintas Center if that’s bad news for Villanova, who visits Xavier this evening in a battle of 12-10 teams who are both trying to play their way into the NCAA Tournament. A graduate transfer from Rice, the 6-3 Olivari is playing the best basketball of his career and is fresh off a 43-point performance in Saturday’s win at DePaul. He’s averaging 33 points in his last two games and a career-high 19.1 points on the entire season along with 5.1 rebounds. Olivari is also shooting a career-high 44.3 percent from the field and a career-high 45.4 percent from three-point range. The Musketeers need this guy to continue to play like one of the best players in the Big East if they’re going to remain in the hunt for an at-large berth.

Providence has a golden opportunity against Creighton
Quad 1 opportunities on your home floor are a rare thing in college basketball, but that’s what the Friars have tonight at Amica Mutual Pavilion against the Bluejays. Kim English’s squad is 14-8 and has remained in the hunt for an at-large bid after losing Bryce Hopkins (15.5 points, 8.6 rebounds) to a season-ending knee injury. Providence will likely only have one more Quad 1 opportunity at home this season when it hosts UConn in its regular season finale on March 9th. This is quietly a big week for Creighton, who lost on Friday at home against Butler and will travel to the Cintas Center on Saturday to play Xavier.

On The Side

  • Kansas State is now 11-0 in overtime games under Jerome Tang.
  • Virginia has found offense off the bench in fifth-year senior Jacob Groves, who’s averaging 14 points in his last four games. The Cavaliers have quietly won seven straight games.
  • How did UCLA get back to .500? Dylan Andrews’ resurgence had a lot to do with it. After struggling for the majority of January, the 6-2 sophomore is averaging 19.7 points and 4.7 assists during the Bruins’ current three-game winning streak. Mick Cronin’s team will next visit Stanford tonight in Palo Alto.
  • Gonzaga is currently shooting just 33 percent from three-point range as a team. That’s the lowest of the Mark Few era. The Bulldogs will host Portland tonight in Spokane. Tip off is at 8 PM ET on CBS Sports Network.
  • 19 of Indiana State’s 20 wins this season have been by six points or more. 12 have been by double figures. Think Josh Schertz can coach a little? Remember the name.

Daily Specials

  • Wisconsin at Michigan
  • Alabama at Auburn
  • Villanova at Xavier
  • Creighton at Providence
  • Nebraska at Northwestern

Leftovers