College Hoops Today

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The Breakfast Buffet: Jaime Jaquez, Baylor/Kansas, Tennessee/Kentucky

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

Jaime Jaquez is playing like a first-team All-American
There’s been multiple times in the past few weeks where Jaquez has literally dragged UCLA (22-4) to victory. That’s the sign of a player who understands that the hourglass on his college career is running out. Over his last four games, the 6-7 Jaquez is averaging 20.5 points and 12 rebounds while shooting an impressive 7-16 from three-point range. The Bruins will host Cal tonight at Pauley Pavilion.

Baylor/Kansas
There’s currently a three-way tie for first place place in the Big 12 with these two teams and Texas (20-6. With that said, there’s not many teams in the country that are playing better right now than Baylor (20-6) and Kansas (21-5). The Bears have won 10 of their last 11 games while the Jayhawks have won back-to-back Big 12 road games by double figures. That’s not an easy thing to do. Kansas was projected as a No. 1 seed in Friday’s BRACKET BREAKDOWN while Baylor was projected as a No. 2 seed. This should be a classic at Allen Fieldhouse.

Tennessee/Kentucky
I’ll make this real simple: This feels like a WIN and IN type situation for the Wildcats barring a massive collapse down the stretch. Kentucky (17-9) earned its second Quad 1 win of the season earlier in the week at Mississippi State and completing a regular season sweep over the Vols today at Rupp Arena would essentially ensure that the Wildcats will hear their names called on Selection Sunday. Kentucky out rebounded Tennessee (20-6) 43-23 when the two teams played in Knoxville in January.

On The Side

  • Gonzaga is 23-2 over the past two seasons in games where Julian Strawther scores 15 or more points.
  • Approximately six months before Jon Scheyer’s birth in 1987, Jim Boeheim coached in the national title game against Indiana. The two will go head-to-head today for the first time as Duke visits Syracuse.
  • Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell is just 9-42 from three-point range in his last five games. The Wildcats have lost three of their last four entering today’s home tilt against Iowa State.
  • Iowa’s Connor McCaffery has 25 assists and just four turnovers in his last three games. He had 13 assists and zero turnovers in Thursday night’s win over Ohio State.
  • Louisville and Cal are now both 20 games under .500, with identical 3-23 records.

Daily Specials

  • Illinois at Indiana
  • Seton Hall at UConn
  • Tennessee at Kentucky
  • Iowa State at Kansas State
  • Baylor at Kansas

Leftovers