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The Breakfast Buffet: Paolo Banchero against E.J. Liddell, Mike Woodson’s first big road game, Florida State/Purdue

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

Paolo Banchero against E.J. Liddell
The 6-10 Banchero is the potential number one pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and very much part of the vernacular of every college basketball fan in America, but it would be foolish to ignore what Liddell has done to start the season. The 6-7 junior has thrived shifting back to his natural position at power forward and is averaging 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 rebounds in Ohio State’s first six games while shooting 56 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from three-point range. This individual matchup should highlight Duke’s trip to Columbus tonight as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Mike Woodson’s first true road game as Indiana’s head coach
The Hoosiers’ 6-0 start has featured five mid-majors and a St. John’s team that should make the NCAA Tournament. The weight class gets raised tonight with a matchup against Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. Jim Boeheim doesn’t have a vintage edition of the Orange, but this is still Woodson’s first true road game as head coach of his alma mater. Keep an eye on Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis against the middle of Syracuse’s 2-3 zone. The All-American big man had a career-high 43 points on Saturday against Marshall and is averaging 20.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks.

Florida State/Purdue
Winning at Mackey Arena is never easy, but this year it feels like it’s going to be next to impossible. That doesn’t mean though, that this isn’t an interesting matchup. Every single game that Purdue plays for the rest of the season will be appointment television and Florida State always presents a formidable opponent. The Seminoles though, will be shorthanded as RayQuan Evans (personal), Tanor Ngom (knee), and Naheem McLeod (ankle) are all not expected to play. Leonard Hamilton will need standout performances from multiple players in order to beat a Purdue team that is well in position to grow into a number one seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

On The Side

  • The Big 5 no longer feels like a Philadelphia competition — it feels like a coronation for Villanova. Since the 2013-14 season, the Wildcats are 29-1 against Big 5 opponents with an average margin of victory of 19.4 points.
  • Ohio State’s Justice Sueing (abdominal) is still weeks away from returning to game action, Chris Holtmann said Monday on the College Hoops Today Podcast. The 6-7 forward has only appeared in two games this season, but averaged 10.7 points and 5.5 rebounds a year ago. Seth Towns (back) is expected to return in mid-to-late December, according to Holtmann.
  • West Virginia’s Taz Sherman is producing like an All-Big 12 first-team caliber player. The fifth-year senior is averaging 20.5 points, 3.5 assists, three rebounds, and 1.5 steals entering tonight’s game against Bellarmine. The Mountaineers are 5-1 overall.
  • Players at all levels of basketball should study film of Arkansas’ Jaylin Williams. The 6-10 big man is never a focal point in the Razorbacks’ offense, but impacts the game on nearly every possession without demanding shots. Williams has 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals in his last two games, but you can’t truly measure what he does in a box score. This is one of the better “Glue Guys” in college basketball.
  • How big is tonight’s game for Rutgers against Clemson at the RAC? Beyond massive. Following tonight’s tilt with the Tigers as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the Scarlet Knights will travel to Illinois on Friday then return home to play Purdue before visiting Seton Hall a week from Sunday. Steve Pikiell’s team is on a three-game losing streak and is 3-3 overall.

Daily Specials

  • Indiana at Syracuse
  • Florida State at Purdue
  • Northwestern at Wake Forest
  • Clemson at Rutgers
  • Duke at Ohio State

Leftovers