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
Emanuel Sharp is Houston’s X-Factor
The Cougars are 23-2 over the past two seasons when this guy scores in double figures and he again reiterated his importance in Saturday’s overtime win at Baylor. The 6-3 Sharp scored 18 points against the Bears, including several critical baskets during a key stretch in the second half. If Houston can continue to get Sharp to play near an all-conference caliber alongside both Jamal Shead and LJ Cryer, it’s going to be awfully tough to beat in the NCAA Tournament. Sharp averaged 19 points in a pair of wins this week against Baylor and Iowa State.The Cougars are seeking their second Final Four appearance in the last four seasons.
Justin Edwards could elevate Kentucky’s ceiling
Prior to the start of this season, Edwards was universally viewed as the Wildcats’ top pro prospect. He showed why on Saturday against Alabama. Despite having a relatively disappointing freshman year based on his initial expectations, the 6-8 Edwards looked every bit the part of his preseason hype in a 24-point win over the Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena. He scored 28 points and grabbed five rebounds in the victory while shooting a perfect 10-10 from the field. Why is this so significant? Kentucky has repeatedly showed signs of having one of the highest upsides in college basketball despite its shortcomings on defense. Until Saturday, that upside didn’t include the idea of Edwards being a major factor. If he can become a consistent threat for the Wildcats moving forward, there’s officially no ceiling in Lexington.
A court storm took away from Wake Forest’s best moment of the season
Saturday was supposed to be a coronation for the Demon Deacons. Instead, it was a black eye. Wake Forest’s 83-79 win over Duke was its second Quad 1 victory of the season and put Steve Forbes’ team in prime position to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time during his tenure. However, after the final buzzer, a court storm quickly became the main talking point of conversation after Blue Devils star Kyle Filipowski suffered an apparent knee injury after he collided with a fan who rushed the floor. This is an indictment on the Demon Deacons’ administration and the lack of security at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Preparation needs to be better. Forward thinking needs to be better. And most of all, security for the players needs to be better. Court storming has very few positives. On Saturday, it became a negative to Wake Forest’s program in what was supposed to be its most celebrated day of the 2023-24 season.
On The Side
- One big thing to remember regarding Arizona? The Wildcats’ two primary transfers — Caleb Love (North Carolina) and Keshad Johnson (San Diego State) — both played in the Final Four before opting to take their talents to Tucson.
- Virginia is now averaging 44.7 points in its three games. The Cavaliers have lost three of their last four outings and are trending back towards the bubble.
- St. John’s freshman Simeon Wilcher has scored 17 points in just 24 minutes in his last three games. Keep a close eye on this guy when the Red Storm face Creighton today at MSG. Tip off is at Noon ET on CBS.
- Indiana and Michigan — arguably the two biggest brands in the Big Ten — have a combined record of 22-32.
- Vermont has clinched at least a share of the America East regular season title for eighth consecutive season. That’s the second-longest streak in college basketball behind Gonzaga (11).
Daily Specials
- Creighton at St. John’s
- Florida Atlantic at Memphis
- Purdue at Michigan
- Ohio State at Michigan State
- Xavier at Marquette