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The Breakfast Buffet: Kansas needs more out of its transfers, Duke, Coleman Hawkins

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

Kansas needs more out of its transfers
Let’s make this real simple: Other than Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State), the Jayhawks have gotten minimal from any of their newcomers from the transfer portal. Kansas’ other primary additions — AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Rylan Griffen (Alabama), and David Coit (Northern Illinois) — are combining to average just 20.9 points. All three were double figure scorers last season. Meanwhile, Mississippi State transfer Shakeel Moore has only appeared in four games due a lingering foot issue. With Mayo, Hunter Dickinson (15.5 points, 10.3 rebounds), KJ Adams (9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds), and Dajuan Harris (10.3 points, 5.6 assists), Self has four reliable players, but he needs more if the Jayhawks are again going to compete for a Big 12 regular season title. Kansas opens league play today in Lawrence against West Virginia.

Duke is in position to keep stacking wins for a while
The Blue Devils’ ACC home opener today against Virginia Tech is the start of several games over the next few weeks at Cameron Indoor Stadium. After today’s game against the Hokies, Duke will visit upstart SMU on Saturday before returning home to play three straight home games in Durham. Jon Scheyer’s team will only play one true road game before it visits Boston College — one of the weaker teams in the ACC — on Jan. 18th. The Blue Devils enter today’s game at 10-2 and on a six-game winning streak.

Coleman Hawkins answered the bell for Kansas State
The Wildcats’ 6-5 record during non-conference play was a major disappointment, but Hawkins changed the vibe around this program in its Big 12 opener on Monday against Cincinnati. Operating with the focus of a surgeon, the 6-10 forward was all over the floor against the Bearcats and finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, and three assists in a 70-67 win. It was unequivocally the best victory of the season for Kansas State. Hawkins — who played the first four years of his college career at Illinois — has been under intense scrutiny during the Wildcats’ early season struggles because of the large NIL deal he reportedly signed during the offseason, but Monday’s performance casts him in a different light. If he continues to produce like he did against Cincinnati then Kansas State’s ceiling moving forward will instantly reach a different level.

On The Side

  • Maryland’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie has 20 assists and two turnovers in his last two games. Remember The Name.
  • BYU’s Egor Demin (leg) and Richie Saunders (concussion) will be available for today’s Big 12 opener against Arizona State “barring any setbacks”, Kevin Young said on this week’s edition of the College Hoops Today Podcast. The 6-9 Demin has not played since Dec. 3rd and averages 13.3 points and 5.8 assists. Saunders missed the Cougars’ last game and averages 12.3 points.
  • Things you never thought you’d write: Kadary Richmond (10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists) has been arguably St. John’s fourth-best player this season behind RJ Luis (16.9 points, 6.0 rebounds), Zuby Ejiofor (14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds), and Deivon Smith (10.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.9 steals) entering today’s game against Creighton in Omaha.
  • Tommy Lloyd told reporters following Arizona’s win over TCU on Monday night that Motiejus Krivas is done for the year with a leg injury. The 7-2 sophomore averaged 7.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in eight games this year prior to injury and was expected be a breakout player at center.
  • 12 of the Atlantic 10’s 15 teams will play today at the same time in six different games. How in the world does that help market a conference that’s struggling to regain national relevancy?

Daily Specials

  • West Virginia at Kansas
  • Utah at Baylor
  • St. John’s at Creighton
  • Arizona State at BYU
  • Marquette at Providence

Leftovers