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The Breakfast Buffet: Andrew Nembhard took Gonzaga from very good to great

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

Andrew Nembhard took Gonzaga from very good to great
This is the guy who changed the Bulldogs’ potential ceiling. Gonzaga’s initial plan was to redshirt Nembhard and have him take over at point guard when Jalen Suggs left after this season. Plans changed when the NCAA passed a blanket waiver for all transfers to play immediately without a year in residence. The addition of Nembhard to the Bulldogs’ starting lineup has given Gonzaga another floor general who can move the ball and make quality decisions. In four NCAA Tournament games, Nembhard has a combined 19 assists to just four turnovers.

Tyger Campbell is the key for UCLA
How have the Bruins controlled the tempo so well in the NCAA Tournament? This guy. Campbell isn’t flashy, but he’s extremely effective at controlling a game from start to finish. His ball security is also elite. Campbell is only averaging one turnover every 26 minutes in five NCAA Tournament games. UCLA is 12-2 this season in games where Campbell scores in double figures.  

Memphis is having a mass exodus
The Tigers won the Postseason NIT on Sunday and looked every bit the part of a team that could have advanced in the NCAA Tournament. With a large nucleus of underclassmen expected to return, Memphis was pegged to be a Top-25 to start next season. Then three different members of the Tigers’ program — Boogie Ellis, Damion Baugh, and DJ Jeffries — all announced their intentions to transfer on Wednesday. The trio combined for 41 points and 19 rebounds in Sunday’s victory over Mississippi State and all three logged double figure minutes. College basketball — where the unexpected becomes the ordinary.  

Standalone games should continue for the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament
This is something that I’ve felt needed to happen in college basketball for a very long time. Part of the reason why the NBA Playoffs are so successful is because ESPN and TNT do a tremendous job of showcasing the sport in standalone windows. Having the greatest players in the world also helps. Nevertheless, the standalone windows this past weekend in the Sweet 16 elevated the NCAA Tournament’s entire platform. Here’s hoping it continues moving forward and also happens more frequently during the regular season when there are often several games being played against each other at once. 

A notification date would be beneficial to the transfer portal
Immediate eligibility is now part of college sports moving forward and there’s no turning back. One thing that would truly benefit this process? A notification date that would put a deadline on when players had to notify their respective programs if they planned to return for the following season. There’s already well over 1,000 players in the transfer portal and we’re only one day away from April. A notification date would help add a sense of stability to this new wave of college recruiting.

Leftovers: