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The Breakfast Buffet: Gonzaga/Baylor, Eugene Omoruyi, Justin Lewis

Who’s hungry for college basketball?

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

Baylor/Gonzaga is a gift to college basketball
Thank you Scott Drew. Thank you Mark Few. And thank you to my wonderful bosses at CBS Sports who put this terrific game together later today in Indianapolis. So here’s the million dollar question: can the Bears’ stifling defense slow down the Bulldogs’ devastating offense that’s averaging 93 points each time it takes the floor? It will be fascinating to find out. Gonzaga put up 87 points in Wednesday night’s win over West Virginia in the Jimmy V Classic, with star freshman point guard Jalen Suggs only logging 26 minutes due to an ankle injury. Today’s game will also be another indicator as to just how much Baylor misses Freddie Gillespie’s interior defense. Baylor needs quality mileage out of both Flo Thamba and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua defensively in the paint to counter Gonzaga’s Drew Timme, who enters today’s tilt averaging 23.3 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Eugene Omoruyi will be one of the best players in the Pac-12
It’s only been two games, but we’ve seen enough from Omoruyi to know that he’s quickly going to make a name for himself on the West Coast. The Rutgers transfer has been sensational for Oregon out of the gate, averaging 24.5 points and eight rebounds through the Ducks’ first two contests. Smooth, nimble, and under control, the 6-6 forward has a strong face up game and is also a problem for opponents when he has his back to the basket. Expect Omoruyi to be a major factor in Oregon’s quest for another Pac-12 regular season title. The Ducks improved to 1-1 overall after Friday night’s 83-70 win over Seton Hall in Omaha.

Justin Lewis will be one of the best freshmen in the Big East
The 6-7 forward made a name for himself on Friday night thanks to his game-winning tip-in to beat Wisconsin, but Lewis cemented respect well before that final play. The Baltimore native was the Golden Eagles’ best player on the floor against the Badgers, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds while also making two-of-three shots from three-point range. Lewis will be one of the best freshmen in the Big East this season and should give Steve Wojciechowski another capable body up front to go along with veteran big man Theo John and fellow freshman Dawson Garcia.

On The Side

  • Iowa’s Connor McCaffery continues to have a PHD in ball security. Through three games, the 6-5 junior has 15 assists to just three turnovers and is averaging four points, five rebounds, and five assists. This is one of the elite utility players in the sport.
  • SMU’s game today at Dayton features the first major platform this season for Ponies’ point guard Kendric Davis. Through three games, Davis is averaging 21.3 points, 9.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 steals. “He has a chance to be one of the best point guards in the country this season,” SMU coach Tim Jankovich said of Davis.
  • Wofford transfer Keve Aluma has had a major hand in Virginia Tech’s 4-0 start. The 6-9 Aluma — who anchored Mike Young’s front court two years ago at the mid-major level — is currently averaging 17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 60.5 percent from the field. Aluma only averaged 6.9 points and 6.8 rebounds during his final year at Wofford. Never dismiss the value of a redshirt year.
  • Houston has out rebounded its first three opponents by 43. Can South Carolina compete with the Cougars on the glass later today at the Fertitta Center? Don’t show up for this one if you’re soft.
  • The cancellation of UConn’s game today with NC State at Mohegan Sun due to a positive COVID-19 test in the Wolfpack’s program opens the door for the Huskies to seek another quality non-conference opponent during the early portion of next week. UConn will open Big East play on Dec. 11th against St. John’s in Storrs.

Daily Specials

  • Gonzaga/Baylor (Indianapolis)
  • SMU at Dayton
  • Lipscomb at Arkansas
  • South Carolina at Houston
  • BYU at Utah State
Leftovers: