College Hoops Today

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The Breakfast Buffet: Cody Riley, Terrance Williams, GW at Maryland

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

Cody Riley will miss UCLA’s game on Friday against Villanova due to a sprained MCL
The Bruins’ starting center suffered the injury in Tuesday’s win over CSU Bakersfield and will be re-evaluated next week, according to a school spokesman. While UCLA is fortunate that Riley’s injury is just a sprain, the Bruins will miss his presence on the interior against Villanova. The Wildcats’ ability to consistently protect the front of the rim is their biggest question entering this season and that task will be significantly easier on Friday without Riley in the lineup. The 6-9 lefty is UCLA’s best scoring option in the paint and averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds.last season. Without Riley, look for Mick Cronin to rotate Myles Johnson, Kenneth Nwuba, and 6-6 sophomore Jaylen Clark at center.

Terrance Williams could be Michigan’s most important player
He’s definitely not the Wolverines’ best player or most intriguing long-term prospect, but things for Juwan Howard’s team appear to be seamless when Williams is on the floor. The 6-7 sophomore was incredibly impressive when I attended practice a few weeks ago in Ann Arbor and he didn’t disappoint in Wednesday’s season-opening win over Buffalo. Williams had 15 points and seven rebounds in the 88-76 victory all while serving as a tremendous ball mover and utility piece for Michigan. Monitor this kid closely over the next few months. He’s quickly letting people that there’s much more in the Wolverines’ program than just Hunter Dickinson and five-star freshmen Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate.

George Washington’s trip to Maryland
The game of the night in college basketball is in College Park as the Terps host their nearby neighbors from the Atlantic 10. It marks the second installment of five consecutive home games for Maryland to start the season. How good is Maryland? It all depends on the evolution of 6-8 junior Hakim Hart, who had just two points in the Terps’ win over Quinnipiac on Tuesday. If Hart can break out offensively tonight against George Washington tonight, it’ll be a positive sign that Maryland has a potential focal point on the wing to help replace the void that was left behind when Aaron Wiggins departed school early for the NBA.

On The Side

  • One important Big Ten storyline to monitor: Zach Edey started for Purdue in its opener on Tuesday against Bellarmine while Trevion Williams came off the bench. It’s abundantly clear that these two big men are going to spend minimal time on the court together during the upcoming season.
  • Duke’s Theo John has a chance to emerge into one of college basketball’s most critical role players. The transfer from Marquette came off the bench in Tuesday night’s win over Kentucky and finished with five points, two rebounds, and two blocks in 22 minutes. “Thank God we have him,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of John. The 6-9 veteran gives the Blue Devils a quality rim protector and another experienced big man to pair with Paolo Banchero and Mark Williams.
  • Is it possible to have a must win on the third day of the regular season? Yes, if you’re Mike Hopkins and Washington. The Huskies host Northern Arizona tonight in Seattle just two days after falling to Northern Illinois — who was picked 12th in the MAC Preseason Poll — at home. Washington was 5-21 last season.
  • A word to the wise: Don’t forget about Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers may no longer have Porter Moser as their coach, but they’ve still got four fifth-year seniors — Lucas Williamson, Aher Uguak, Tate Hall, and Keith Clemons — along with a plethora of other players who were a part of last year’s team that reached the Sweet 16. Loyola Chicago had 31 assists on 38 made field goals in its opener on Tuesday against Coppin State.
  • It’s not smart to read too much into St. John’s 58-point victory over Mississippi Valley State, but this nugget is significant: Posh Alexander was 4-5 from three-point range in the win. The Red Storm were 7-0 last season in games when Alexander made multiple three-point shots.

Daily Specials

  • George Washington at Maryland
  • Sacred Heart at Providence
  • UC Riverside at Arizona State
  • Kennesaw State at Creighton
  • Northern Arizona at Washington

Leftovers