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The Breakfast Buffet: Mac McClung, Duke, Georgia Tech/Louisville

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

Mac McClung is taking his game to a different level
After being known as a volume scorer at Georgetown, McClung has become an efficient offensive player at Texas Tech. Over his last seven games, the 6-2 junior is averaging 21.9 points while shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 43.1 percent from three-point range. Those are incredible numbers for a guy who shot 39.4 percent from a field a year ago when he was with the Hoyas. Another thing to love about McClung? No player in the sport is tougher in between the ears. Armed with an unwavering sense of belief, McClung missed a game-winning shot in the final seconds last Monday at West Virginia, but rallied himself to spur a comeback victory on Saturday at LSU. In fact, it was McClung’s deflection which allowed Terrance Shannon Jr. to get a decisive layup against the Tigers in the final seconds of the game. Texas Tech will look to continue its momentum tonight in Lubbock against Oklahoma.

Duke could be about to go on a run
Don’t rule out the Blue Devils just yet. Duke still has plenty of work ahead in order to be an NCAA Tournament team, but it should be able to build some momentum over the next few weeks. None of the Blue Devils’ next five opponents — Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame, NC State, and Wake Forest — were ranked in last week’s AP Top 25 and out of that group, only the Tar Heels look like they have a legitimate chance of hearing their name called on Selection Sunday. Duke improved to 7-5 after Saturday’s 26-point win over Clemson and has made the NCAA Tournament under Mike Krzyzewski every single year since the 1983-84 season. The Blue Devils did not qualify for the bracket during the 1994-95 season when Krzyzewski was out with a back injury.

Georgia Tech-Louisville features a terrific perimeter battle
Arguably the top two backcourts in the ACC do battle today in a standalone afternoon game at the KFC Yum Center. The Cards’ perimeter tandem consists of a potential All-American in Carlik Jones and a likely first-round pick in David Johnson while the Yellow Jackets’ combo of Jose Alvarado and Michael Devoe is as underrated of a backcourt as there is in the sport. The duo combined for 40 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in Saturday’s win Florida State. Both of these teams look like they’re capable of earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament and advancing once they get into the field. 

On The Side

  • 1997 was the last time that Michigan State didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament under Tom Izzo. That streak is officially in major jeopardy. The Spartans fell to 8-6 after Sunday’s loss at Ohio State and still have to play both Michigan and Iowa twice before the end of the regular season.
  • Mike Young is one of the top offensive minds in college basketball, but what he’s currently doing defensively shouldn’t be forgotten. Virginia Tech is allowing an average of 51 points during its last two games. The Hokies have won five of their last six.
  • Houston’s Justin Gorham has tallied double figure rebounds in eight straight games. He only had a total of seven games with double figure rebounds in his previous two seasons. When you sign up to play for Kelvin Sampson, you learn how to get the ball off the glass.
  • St. Bonaventure’s greatest asset may be its overall balance. The Bonnies currently have all five starters averaging in double figures, with no player averaging better than 15.7 points. Mark Schmidt’s squad is 9-1 through its first 10 games. 
  • Western Kentucky beat Marshall twice, but was ranked 13 spots lower in the NET on Sunday. The Hilltoppers have also won at Alabama and lost to West Virginia by six on a neutral court. Be careful on how much you rely on this particular metric when trying to forecast the NCAA Tournament. 

Daily Specials

  • Georgia Tech at Louisville
  • Illinois State at Drake
  • Duke at Miami
  • UCF at Memphis
  • Oklahoma at Texas Tech

Leftovers: