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The Breakfast Buffet: M.J. Walker, Iowa, Kansas/Baylor

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

M.J. Walker is quietly emerging as Florida State’s go-to guy
For three years, Walker waited his turn and operated in the shadows. Now he’s stepping into the limelight. Florida State’s senior shooting guard averaged 20 points last week in back-to-back wins over NC State and North Carolina while shooting a combined 12-18 from the field and 7-9 from three-point range. Walker doesn’t have the long-term potential of Scottie Barnes or others players who preceded him in Tallahassee like Devin Vassell or Patrick Williams, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not capable of being this team’s go-to scorer. The Seminoles will aim for their third straight victory tonight at Louisville. 

Iowa should not be taken for granted
The Hawkeyes again proved on Sunday that they’re a breathtaking offensive team, scoring 96 points en route to a 23-point win over Northwestern in Evanston. It was the eighth time this season that Iowa scored 90 or more points. Remember: Fran McCaffery’s team is one defensive stop against Minnesota away from being 13-1 with its only loss coming against Gonzaga. Iowa may not yet be in the same class as the Bulldogs or even Baylor, but it’s proven that it safely holds residence in the tier that’s one notch below.

Kansas goes to Baylor in an unfamiliar position
The Jayhawks have won at least a share of 15 of the last 16 Big 12 regular season titles, but no one is expecting Bill Self’s squad to be the conference’s best team this season. That’s because of Baylor. The Bears moved to 12-0 after Saturday’s win at Texas Tech and are the clear favorite in a league that has the potential to have seven teams in the NCAA Tournament if Oklahoma State winds up being eligible for the bracket. Kansas will enter tonight’s game in Waco as an obvious underdog, but one that’s also capable of winning the game. The dynamic has shifted at the top of the Big 12. 

On The Side

  • Today’s game between UConn and St. John’s is critical for the overall perception of the Red Storm’s program. The Huskies have sprinted to a 7-1 record in their first season back in the Big East while St. John’s enters today’s tilt at 7-7. UConn has also secured commitments from several top-100 prospects in the Tri-state area under Dan Hurley. An important 40 minutes lies ahead for Mike Anderson’s squad. 
  • Rutgers needs to get Ron Harper Jr. back on track. Since a late December loss at Ohio State, the Scarlet Knights’ star forward has really struggled offensively. In his last four games, the 6-6 Harper is averaging just 10.3 points while shooting 33 percent from the field and 24 percent from three-point range. Steve Pikiell’s squad has lost five straight. 
  • If Sharife Cooper returns to Auburn next season and the rest of the team’s ancillary pieces remain in place, the Tigers could be a top-five team to start next year with the addition of five-star big man Jabari Smith. 
  • Five of USC’s top seven scorers — Tahj Eaddy (Santa Clara), Drew Peterson (Rice), Isaiah White (Utah Valley), Chevez Goodwin (Wofford), and Noah Baumann (San Jose State) — are transfers. Are the Trojans’ offering a glimpse of what the majority of power conference rosters will look like in the future?
  • Kudos to South Carolina assistant Bruce Shingler, who did yeoman’s work on Saturday night as the Gamecocks’ acting head coach against LSU. If this team gets Frank Martin back healthy after he dealt with COVID-19 for a second time and can maintain some continuity, it will be right in the mix for an NCAA Tournament berth in March.  

Daily Specials

  • St. John’s at UConn
  • Florida State at Louisville
  • St. Joe’s at La Salle
  • Kansas at Baylor
  • New Mexico at UNLV

Leftovers: