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The Breakfast Buffet: Evan Mobley, Saint Louis, a bounce back season for the Mountain West

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

Evan Mobley is making a strong case to be a first-team All-American
There are four players who are already essentially cemented on the first-team: Iowa’s Luka Garza, Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu, Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert, and Baylor’s Jared Butler. Mobley could be the fifth. USC’s star freshman has been the epicenter of the Trojans’ 18-3 start which has put the Trojans in position to be a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. In Mobley’s last three games, the 7-footer is averaging 19.7 points, nine rebounds, and 4.3 blocks while shooting 68.5 percent from the field. He’s averaging 16.8 points, nine rebounds, and 3.1 blocks on the season. The one common theme associated with the four players listed above? Winning. That’s also associated with Mobley. It should count for something. 

It’s time for Saint Louis to make a statement
If the Billikens are going to be what they’re capable of becoming — the best non power conference team in college basketball — they need to go on a run over the next few games. Saint Louis (11-3) has won four straight following back-to-back losses on the heels of a 30-day pause due to COVID-19, but the weight class for its opponents will be raised over the next few games. Travis Ford’s squad will play at Dayton tonight on Senior Night and then travel to VCU next week; the Rams are currently in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10. Remember: Saint Louis beat LSU and NC State before going on pause due to COVID-19 and was ranked in the AP Top 25. The Billikens have experience, depth, and bonafide star power with Jordan Goodwin, Javonte Perkins, and Hasahn French, but they’re going to have a hard time earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament if they don’t play well during the final stretch of the regular season.

The Mountain West has had a bounce back season
One year ago, the overwhelming vibe in college basketball was that the WCC had usurped the Mountain West as the top mid-major conference on the West Coast. A lot can change in 12 months. As of today, there are currently four teams from the Mountain West — San Diego State, Boise State, Utah State, and Colorado State — in contention for at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. Another team from this league — Nevada — could very well emerge as a bid stealer during the Mountain West Tournament in a few weeks in Las Vegas. The conference hasn’t been this good since the 2012-13 campaign where five teams from the league heard their name called on Selection Sunday. The amazing thing about the Mountain West’s resurgence? It occurred with two of the league’s best brands — UNLV and New Mexico — essentially being non-factors.

On The Side

  • 40 of the 50 starters on the Top 10 teams ranked in this week’s AP Top 25 were a part of their current programs last season. You want to win at the highest level in college basketball? Player retention is a big key.
  • Arkansas is 16-2 with Justin Smith in the lineup and 1-3 when he’s been out. Can you say X-Factor? A grad transfer from Indiana, Smith has found a home in Fayetteville. The 6-7 forward is currently averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. 
  • Duke has won back-to-back games by double figures for the first time all season. What does that exactly mean for the 9-8 Blue Devils? We’ll find out over the next few weeks. Duke will next play three straight home games — starting with Saturday’s tilt against Virginia — before finishing the regular season on the road at Georgia Tech and North Carolina. 
  • St. John’s freshman Posh Alexander has nine assists and ZERO turnovers in his last two games. That’s in 66 total minutes. And the Red Storm don’t exactly play slow.
  • Kudos to the Pac-12 for scheduling Monday’s game between USC and Oregon, who are clearly the two best teams in this conference. One of the best things about this game? It starts at 9 PM ET, which will provide an opportunity for more people across the country to see the league’s product.

Daily Specials

  • Vermont at UMBC
  • Saint Louis at Dayton
  • Old Dominion at UAB
  • Utah State at Boise State
  • CSU Bakersfield at UC Santa Barbara

Leftovers: