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The Breakfast Buffet: Nate Oats, Utah State, Sharife Cooper

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

Nate Oats is emerging as a National Coach of the Year candidate
Alabama was 4-3 on Dec. 19th after losing at home to Western Kentucky and seemed destined for a middle of the pack finish in the SEC. Instead, it’s won eight straight games by an average of 17.8 points, including Tuesday night’s 105-75 rout of LSU in Baton Rouge. How did Oats orchestrate such an impressive turnaround in a single month? “It started by holding guys more accountable,” Oats said last week. Something else that had a big thing to do with it? Defense. One year after allowing an average of over 80 points in SEC play, the Crimson Tide are now competing defensively. During its eight-game winning streak, Alabama is only surrendering an average of 69.5 points. That’s a credit to Oats, who is quickly picking up steam in the National Coach of the Year race with guys like Gonzaga’s Mark Few and Baylor’s Scott Drew. 

Utah State is doing things it shouldn’t be doing
This isn’t San Diego State, New Mexico, or UNLV, but to Craig Smith, it doesn’t seem to matter. Utah State won its 11th straight game and improved to 12-3 overall on Tuesday night, beating Colorado State in the first of a two-game series in Logan. Can this program really be in position to earn an NCAA Tournament berth for a third consecutive season? Things are certainly headed in that direction. Since joining the Mountain West in 2013, the Aggies have had three different head coaches, but have only heard their name called on Selection Sunday with Smith at the helm. The 48-year old coach is a combined 66-18 in three years at Utah State with a 36-9 record in conference play. 

Sharife Cooper has quickly become appointment television
Auburn (8-6) isn’t eligible for the postseason in a few months because of a self-imposed ban, but the Tigers are still a squad that needs to be sampled each time they play because of Cooper. The 6-1 freshman has completely changed the landscape of Auburn’s team and the SEC, averaging 21.7 points, 9.7 assists, four rebounds, and two steals in his first three games since being ruled eligible by the NCAA. Prior to his arrival, the rest of the Tigers’ supporting cast looked feisty, but at times pedestrian. Those same pieces now look capable because of Cooper. Seasoned, skilled, and gifted beyond his years, Cooper makes plays that others can’t and sees things that don’t appear to be visible. This kid looks like the craftiest point guard that college basketball has had since Kyrie Irving’s brief tenure at Duke during the 10-11 season. Cooper and Auburn will look to continue their momentum tonight on the road at Arkansas (10-4).

On The Side

  • It is time to start talking about Pitt’s Justin Champagnie as a legitimate ACC Player of the Year candidate. I wrote yesterday about how he could become a national name if he performed well Tuesday night against Duke and the 6-6 forward answered the bell. Champagnie had 31 points and 14 rebounds in Panthers’ win over the Blue Devils and was clearly the best player on the floor. Jeff Capel’s squad is now 8-2 and trending upward.
  • Can we all do ourselves a favor and not act like Kentucky has added a messiah the next time it lands a transfer from a lower level school? It happened a few years ago when the Wildcats added Nate Sestina from Bucknell and it also happened last spring when Olivier Sarr opted to head to Lexington after starting his career at Wake Forest. Remember: The Demon Deacons finished at the bottom of the ACC with Sarr in the lineup and Danny Manning subsequently lost his job soon thereafter. The 7-footer is averaging 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds this season for Kentucky.
  • Tulsa can put itself in position to potentially be in position to make the NCAA Tournament in March if it can win on the road tonight at Houston. The Golden Hurricane have already handed the Cougars their lone loss of the season and earning a season sweep over Kelvin Sampson’s squad would be a monumental achievement. Tulsa has won seven of its last eight games and is 8-4.
  • St. Bonaventure is currently tied for first place in the Atlantic 10, but may not get another crack at a team that is contention for an NCAA Tournament bid after this week. The Bonnies host VCU tonight in Olean and then are supposed to play at Saint Louis on Saturday, but the Billikens have been on a lengthy pause due to COVID-19. This is life in a non power conference.
  • The NCAA officially announced its schedule for the 2021 NCAA Tournament on Tuesday and the idea to schedule standalone games during the Sweet 16 is pure genius. College basketball needs more of its games isolated and not competing with one another to fully maximize its product. This scheduling model does just that. 

Daily Specials

  • Clemson at Georgia Tech
  • Tulsa at Houston
  • Northwestern at Wisconsin
  • Providence at Creighton
  • Auburn at Arkansas

Leftovers: