College Hoops Today

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The Breakfast Buffet: Kadary Richmond, the Big 12, Nolan Hickman

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

Kadary Richmond is playing like one of the best players in the Big East
Seton Hall may be only 7-6 after 13 games, but the Pirates are more than capable of beating anyone on their schedule. A big reason for that is Richmond. The 6-6 junior is starting to unlock some of the potential that he’s flashed in spurts over the past few seasons. In Seton Hall’s last two games — which were a pair of losses by a combined seven points — Richmond has averaged 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and five assists. This is the player that many thought the Pirates would have on a regular basis when he initially transferred from Syracuse after just one season. Seton Hall resumes league play tonight in Milwaukee against Marquette (9-4).

The Big 12 again looks like the best conference in college basketball
We’ve heard that tune before, but when you dissect the numbers, this year’s Big 12 is exceptionally impressive. As of Monday, the Big 12 had eight teams ranked in the Top 50 of the NET. The entire league was ranked in the Top 60 of the NET. What does all of that mean? As of today, every single conference win during Big 12 play would be either a Quad 1 or 2 victory and every single conference road win would be a Quad 1 victory. That’s a good formula for this league to have quality volume in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Nine of the 10 teams in the Big 12 currently have nine or more wins.

Nolan Hickman is emerging for Gonzaga
He’s not Jalen Suggs or Andrew Nembhard, but Hickman is evolving into a pretty solid option at point guard for the Bulldogs. “He’s different than those other two guys,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few told College Hoops Today last week regarding Hickman. “Jalen (Suggs) was a lottery pick and Andrew Nembhard is producing right now in the NBA. Nolan (Hickman) is different. He’s a little more combo guard than pure point.” Hickman’s ball security has been evident over Gonzaga’s past few games. The 6-2 sophomore hasn’t had a turnover in his last three tilts and has handed out 11 assists during that span. He’s averaging 8.3 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.5 rebounds. The Bulldogs — who have won five straight games — will next host Eastern Oregon on Wednesday in Spokane.

On The Side

  • Chris Jans said Monday on the College Hoops Today Podcast that both Dashawn Davis (9.2 points) and KeShawn Murphy (3.6 points) have a chance to emerge as consistent scorers for Mississippi State (11-1) during SEC play. Only one player on the Bulldogs’ roster — Tolu Smith (15.6 points) — is currently averaging double figures. Mississippi State will open SEC play on Wednesday in Starkville against Alabama (10-2).
  • Virginia (8-2) is only averaging 60.5 points in its last four games. The Cavaliers averaged 76.7 points in their first six games of the season.
  • Providence’s Jared Bynum has quietly had a sluggish start to the season despite a recent 16-point game against Marquette. The 5-10 guard averaged 12.2 points and shot 41.3 percent from three-point range during last season’s run to the Sweet 16, but has really struggled out of the gate for the Friars. Through 13 games, Bynum is averaging just 8.9 points while shooting just 20.4 percent from long distance.
  • New Mexico (12-0) is ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
  • One thing that I didn’t expect to write on Dec. 27th? Georgia currently has more wins (nine) than Kentucky, Florida, and Texas A&M. Kudos to Mike White for doing yeoman’s work during his first season in Athens.

Daily Specials

  • Northwestern State at Texas A&M
  • Jacksonville at Notre Dame
  • Texas A&M-Commerce at Texas
  • Seton Hall at Marquette
  • South Carolina State at Texas Tech

Leftovers