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The Breakfast Buffet: Dan Hurley, the Big Ten doesn’t have a clear top challenger to Purdue, Missouri

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

Dan Hurley is the early favorite for National Coach of the Year
Purdue’s Matt Painter is another quality candidate for this award, but the way that the Huskies have performed thus far — winning their first 13 games all by double figures — gives Hurley a nod to the top. Another thing that’s not getting enough attention? After losing R.J. Cole at point guard — an All-Big East First-Team player a year ago — UConn has flourished offensively and become a brilliant passing team. The Huskies are averaging 19.3 assists on 29.5 made field goals. UConn also currently has seven Quad 1 and 2 wins — more than any other team in college basketball. That’s all a credit to Hurley.

The Big Ten doesn’t have a clear cut top challenger to Purdue
At least not yet. The Big Ten had nine teams — Purdue, Ohio State, Indiana, Maryland, Northwestern, Rutgers, Illinois, Penn State, and Wisconsin — ranked in the Top 50 of the NET on Friday, but none of those other teams other than the Boilers have displayed that they have the consistency needed to be a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. Is Purdue going to lose games in the Big Ten? Of course. No one this season is unbeatable, but while this league is on pace to again have quality representation in the NCAA Tournament, it doesn’t have many teams that have consistently looked the part of a powerhouse other than the Boilers. Only two teams from the Big Ten were ranked in the Top 15 of last week’s ROTHSTEIN 45. That was before Illinois lost by 22 at Missouri on Wednesday night.

Missouri can add to its momentum
The Tigers’ 22-point win over Illinois was their best moment yet under first-year head coach Dennis Gates, but there’s still more opportunities to move the needle in the near future. Missouri (11-1) will open SEC play on Wednesday night in Columbia against Kentucky and then will visit Arkansas on Jan. 4th. Those are two more chances for the Tigers to continue to inch towards the NCAA Tournament conversation. Missouri was one of the “First Four Out” in Friday’s BRACKET BREAKDOWN.

On The Side

  • Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis is shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range. He shot only 26.3 percent from long distance last season. The 6-10 Tubelis has already made six three-point shots this year after making only 10 during the 2021-22 season.
  • Illinois (8-4) is allowing an average of 73 points over its last four games. It only allowed an average of 60.5 points during the first eight games of the season.
  • St. John’s guard Posh Alexander is averaging just 5.7 points over his last three games and is shooting just 13 percent from three-point range on the season. The Red Storm can’t compete with the top tier teams in the Big East unless Alexander plays like an All-Big East player.
  • Steve Alford deserves credit for the job that he’s doing at Nevada. The Wolf Pack lost both Grant Sherfield (Oklahoma) and Desmond Cambridge (Arizona State) to the transfer portal, but have still gotten off to a 10-3 start. As of Friday, Nevada was one of six teams from the Mountain West that was ranked in the Top 59 of the NET.
  • One thing that I didn’t think I’d be writing on Dec. 24th? Duquesne and Fordham are a combined 22-4 and have the two best records in the Atlantic 10.

Leftovers