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The Breakfast Buffet: Baylor/Oklahoma State, Michigan’s Defense, Moses Wright

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’s trip to Oklahoma State
The Bears have answered every challenge that’s been thrown their way so far this season, but today’s game in Stillwater could be tricky. Despite coming off a pause due to COVID-19, Oklahoma State has proven on multiple occasions that it’s more than capable. The Cowboys have already beaten Kansas and won road games at Texas Tech, Marquette, and Wichita State. Their overall perception can reach another tier today by handing Baylor its first loss of the season. Tip off is at 2 PM ET on CBS. 

Michigan’s front court length is staggering
These Wolverines have no interest in playing small ball. Michigan doesn’t primarily play a zone defense, but its collective length up front with Franz Wagner, Isaiah Livers, and Hunter Dickinson resembles the type of wingspan that’s been synonymous with some of Jim Boeheim’s great defensive teams at Syracuse. Those three players all stand between 6-7 and 7-1, which has created incredible difficulty for opponents to generate offense. The Wolverines held Purdue to just 53 points in Friday night’s 17-point win at Mackey Arena. 

Moses Wright could be the best big man in the ACC
If Wright played for Duke or North Carolina, he’d regularly be talked about as a candidate to be an All-American. The 6-9 senior has flourished since Georgia Tech opted to go to a smaller lineup, with Wright cemented as the Yellow Jackets’ lone post presence. He’s currently averaging 17.4 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 55.5 percent from the field. Josh Pastner’s team will look for its sixth straight win today at Virginia.

On The Side

  • The light is starting to go on for Oklahoma’s De’Vion Harmon. A former top-50 recruit, the 6-2 sophomore is averaging 19 points and five rebounds during his last five games while shooting 55 percent from the field and 55 percent from three-point range during that span. The Sooners host Kansas today in Norman.
  • Two desperate teams will play tonight at Rupp Arena when LSU visits Kentucky. The Wildcats have lost three straight and are about to enter their toughest stretch of the season while the Tigers will be playing for the first time since being embarrassed earlier in the week against Alabama. The loser of this game is going to have one awful Sunday.
  • Pitt (8-2) has a golden opportunity to continue its momentum over the next few weeks. The Panthers play at Wake Forest tonight and then return home for three straight home games against North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech. 
  • Colorado State’s win at Utah State on Thursday night means that the Mountain West Conference now has four teams that are in play for at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. In addition to the Rams and Aggies, Boise State and San Diego State are also very much in the discussion to hear their names called on Selection Sunday. If this league ever gets either UNLV or New Mexico back up and running, watch out.
  • Looking for a feel good mid-major story? Belmont is 15-1 and 9-0 in OVC play despite losing Adam Kunkel — its leading scorer from last season — as a transfer in the latter part of July. Kunkel is now at Xavier.

Daily Specials

  • Kansas at Oklahoma
  • Baylor at Oklahoma State
  • Providence at Villanova
  • Ohio State at Wisconsin
  • Missouri at Tennessee

Leftovers: