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The Breakfast Buffet: Ben Mathurin, Alfonso Plummer, Illinois/Iowa

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

Arizona has a star in Ben Mathurin
How many guards in college basketball would I take over Mathurin? Definitely not many. Arizona’s 6-6 sophomore is blossoming in front of our very eyes and could eventually emerge as a bonafide Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate. The biggest thing that impresses me about Mathurin beyond his length, athleticism, and shot making ability? He’s playing his best against the best competition. In his three games this season against power conference programs — Wichita State, Michigan, and Oregon State — Mathurin is averaging 23.3 points and eight rebounds. This guy isn’t padding his stats and getting bloated against meager competition. Arizona is 7-0 in its first season under Tommy Lloyd.

Alfonso Plummer is playing like an All-Big Ten player
Brad Underwood took some heat during the preseason when he said that Plummer — a transfer from Utah — was the best shooter that he ever coached. With full respect to Phil Forte — a great shooter who Underwood coached during his one year at Oklahoma State — that statement has not been hyperbole. The 6-1 Plummer has been awesome for Illinois out of the gate — especially during this team’s current four-game winning streak — where he’s averaging 24 points while shooting a ridiculous 48.7 percent from three-point range. Plummer has made 19 three-point shots during this span. There’s no way that Illinois (6-2) would in a solid place without this crafty lefty, who has been critical as this team has battled to get healthy on the perimeter.

Illinois/Iowa
Many people felt that the Hawkeyes would take a step back in the Big Ten this season following the losses of Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp to the NBA, but this team’s performance last week sent a message that Iowa has no plans to take a sabbatical. The Hawkeyes won at Virginia last Monday and then took Purdue to the wire at Mackey Arena last Friday without Keegan Murray (24.7 points) — the nation’s second-leading scorer — who was out due to an ankle injury. Tonight’s home game against Illinois presents another major opportunity to move the needle. Iowa did a tremendous job containing Purdue’s interior tandem of Zach Edey and Trevion Williams (19 points) and will need to do the same tonight against Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn, who is averaging 24 points and 10.6 rebounds.

On The Side

  • How good is Iowa State defensively? The Cyclones have held their four power conference opponents this season — Xavier, Memphis, Oregon State, and Creighton — to an average of just 59.3 points.
  • Northwestern can be a middle of the pack team in the Big Ten with a healthy Chase Audige. The 6-4 guard made his season debut in Sunday’s win at Maryland and finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Audige missed the first seven games of the year due to a hip injury.
  • Indiana transfer Al Durham (14.6 points, 3.7 assists, 2.4 rebounds) has had a major hand in Providence’s 8-1 start, but his ball security needs to improve. Durham has 16 turnovers in his last three games as the Friars’ primary point guard — Jared Bynum — has been out with a foot injury.
  • A pair of transfers — Jamal Mashburn Jr. (Minnesota) and Jaelen House (Arizona State) — have been the foundation for Richard Pitino’s first season at New Mexico. Mashburn — who played one year for Pitino at Minnesota — is currently leading the Lobos in scoring (20.4) while House is right behind him, averaging 18.4 points, 4.6 assists, three rebounds, and two steals. New Mexico hosts in-state rival New Mexico State tonight in Albuquerque.
  • San Francisco (9-0) is the only undefeated team remaining in the WCC. The Dons still have five non-conference games remaining before league play begins in January, which will start with back-to-back road games at Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga. Yikes!

Daily Specials

  • Texas Southern at Florida
  • Illinois at Iowa
  • New Mexico State at New Mexico

Leftovers