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The Breakfast Buffet: Gonzaga has a big week, Kam Jones, Tennessee

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

Gonzaga’s big week
This is what the Bulldogs have been waiting for. Two games and two Quad 1 opportunities in the next three days will ultimately determine if Gonzaga will be able to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, starting with tonight’s game against San Francisco at the Chase Center. A showdown with Saint Mary’s also looms on Saturday in Moraga. Mark Few’s team is currently 3-6 against Quad 1 and 2 opponents. A pair of wins over the next few days would essentially cement Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have not missed March Madness since 1998.

Kam Jones is exploding like a volcano
This guy doesn’t normally get the same amount of attention as Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro when people talk about Marquette, but that may soon change. The 6-5 Jones is averaging 28.3 points in his last three games and has been a completely different player since the Golden Eagles were blown out at UConn on Feb. 17th. Jones has also been incredibly efficient during this recent stretch, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three-point range in his last three outings.

Tennessee has an inside track to be a number one seed
The Vols have never been one of the top four seeds on Selection Sunday, but that could change in the next few weeks. Rick Barnes’ squad picked up its sixth Quad 1 win of the season on Wednesday night against Auburn and its final three regular season games are also Quad 1 opportunities. Tennessee will visit Alabama on Saturday and then play at South Carolina before hosting Kentucky prior to the SEC Tournament. Everything is aligned for the Vols to climb between now and Selection Sunday.

On The Side

  • Kansas has never entered the NCAA Tournament with 10 or more losses under Bill Self. The Jayhawks already have seven and still have to play road games at both Baylor and Houston before the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
  • Two wins in Villanova’s final three regular season games should put the Wildcats on the right side of the bubble. Kyle Neptune’s squad will play back-to-back road games at Providence and Seton Hall before finishing the regular season on March 9th at home against Creighton. All three games are Quad 1 opportunities. As of Wednesday, Villanova was ranked 34th in the NET.
  • Wisconsin is 6-10 in February during the last two seasons.
  • Boise State’s Tyson Degenhart is averaging 21.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in his last seven games and is quietly emerging into a star. Remember this guy’s name if you plan on filling out a bracket on Selection Sunday.
  • Syracuse already has more wins in its first season under Adrian Autry — 19 — than it’s had in each of the past four seasons.

Daily Specials

  • Nebraska at Ohio State
  • Stanford at Utah
  • USC at Washington State
  • Saint Mary’s at Pepperdine
  • Gonzaga at San Francisco

Leftovers