College Hoops Today

Serving College Basketball 365 Days a Year

The Breakfast Buffet: Hunter Dickinson, David Duke, the year of the outlier

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

Hunter Dickinson is one of the best freshmen in the country
We are what we repeatedly do in life and Dickinson has repeatedly produced for Michigan. On Thursday at Maryland, he did it at an incredibly high level. The 7-1 big man went for 26 points and 11 rebounds in the Wolverines’ 11-point win, which saw him regularly assert himself in the paint. Through three Big Ten games, Dickinson is averaging 19.7 points and 11 rebounds. There’s not many better first-year players in the sport. 

David Duke is playing like an All-American
The 6-5 junior is doing everything for Providence. Duke became a national name to watch when the Friars beat TCU in Fort Worth in early December and has exploded like a volcano ever since. Over his last five games, he’s averaging 21.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. This is the second time in the last decade that Ed Cooley has had one of the best perimeter players in the sport; Providence’s Kris Dunn was a second-team All-American in 2016. 

This is the year of the outlier
With the exception of Villanova, the majority of other blue blood programs that have won multiple national titles are struggling. Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Michigan State have a combined overall record of 15-15. And Kansas? The Jayhawks have played very well to start the season, but it’s clear that this isn’t a vintage Kansas team in terms of overall talent. For programs like Gonzaga, Baylor, Iowa, Illinois, Creighton, Houston, Tennessee, Oregon, and others, the door has never been more open. The year of the outlier? In college basketball, it certainly feels like it.

On The Side

  • Baylor’s three reserve guards — Matthew Mayer, Adam Flagler, and L.J. Cryer — are all starting caliber players. All three will help the Bears win a game at some point in Big 12 play. Scott Drew’s team still has not played a game this season that’s been decided by single digits. Baylor is 8-0 and will travel to Iowa State on Saturday.
  • Seton Hall has won six of its last seven games, with the lone loss coming in overtime to Providence. The Pirates’ long-term potential is tangible. Expect Kevin Willard to have this team at the top of the Big East in February — again. 
  • Seth Towns has scored 11 points in back-to-back games for Ohio State. This is an amazing feat considering the injury problems that he’s dealt with the past dating back to his time at Harvard. If the Buckeyes can get consistent mileage out of the 6-7 Towns in reserve, it will completely change the landscape of their overall team depth.
  • Another thing to like about Tennessee? The Vols have two terrific freshmen in Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer, but neither player is facing insurmountable pressure. Not one first-year player is currently in this team’s starting lineup. 
  • Duquesne’s game at George Washington on Saturday will be its first game in exactly one month. The Dukes haven’t played since Dec. 2nd due to issues related to COVID-19. 

Daily Specials

  • Western Kentucky at Charlotte

Leftovers: