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/Houston
The Bears have been in and out of the infirmary all season and took another blow when they lost big man Josh Ojianwuna (7.4 points, 6.4 rebounds) to a season-ending knee injury in Saturday’s win over UCF. The weight class will be severely raised tonight at the Fertitta Center. Consistent injuries derailed Baylor from reaching its preseason potential, but there’s still plenty of opportunities for this team to prove that it’s still capable of competing with the top teams in the Big 12. Scott Drew needs veteran big man Norchad Omier (15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds) to hold his own on the boards against the Cougars’ relentlessness. The Bears have yet to win a road game this season against an opponent that was ranked in the AP Top 25.
UCLA is the hottest team that nobody’s talking about
Can a blue blood be forgotten? It certainly feels like it. After four straight losses to start 2025, the Bruins have responded with seven straight wins and will take an 18-6 record into Tuesday night’s game at Illinois. For some reason, this program is rarely mentioned nationally, but it should be. Thanks to the development of sophomore big man Aday Mara and improved all-around guard play, UCLA has again re-established itself as a force in its first season in the Big Ten. The big difference between this squad and others that Mick Cronin has had in the past? This team doesn’t have a high usage guy like Jaime Jaquez or Johnny Juzang. It will be interesting to see how the Bruins’ balance fares this week on the road at both Illinois and Indiana.
Brice Williams is dragging Nebraska back to the NCAA Tournament
Other than Wisconsin’s John Tonje (18.6 points), this guy looks like the best wing in the Big Ten. In Sunday’s win over Ohio State, the 6-7 Williams had 24 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists as the Huskers beat the Buckeyes 79-71 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Williams is averaging 25.5 points and 6.8 rebounds during Nebraska’s current four-game winning streak. Fred Hoiberg’s squad is now 16-8 and has an inside track to be a part of March Madness for the second consecutive season.
On The Side
- Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn is averaging 22.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in his last six games. Remember: Braden Smith isn’t the only All-American on the Boilers’ roster.
- Five of Florida’s top six scorers — Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, and Denzel Aberdeen — were in the Gators’ program last season. Retention matters.
- UConn’s Alex Karaban is just 9-41 from the field and 2-21 from three-point range in his last four games. The Huskies can’t come close to reaching peak form until this guy gets out of this current funk.
- New Mexico’s Nelly Junior Joseph is averaging 15.8 points and 14.6 rebounds during the Lobos’ current six-game winning streak.
- Barring something unforeseen, Syracuse will miss the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. That hasn’t happened to the Orange in over 50 years.
Daily Specials
- North Carolina at Clemson
- Baylor at Houston
- Fresno State at Nevada
