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The Breakfast Buffet: Marcus Carr, Oregon, Big Men are not extinct

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

Marcus Carr is playing like one of the best point guards in the country
It feels like Carr is creating separation between himself and others at his position in almost every game he plays. Through eight tilts this season, he’s third in the Big Ten in scoring (23.9), first in assists (6.0), and also averages 3.9 rebounds. Most players make their biggest jump from their freshman to sophomore seasons; Carr is taking a massive leap as he transitions from being a sophomore to being a junior. “He wanted to take his game to another level,” Minnesota coach Richard Pitino said of Carr on Tuesday. “He wants to be among the next tier.” Carr only averaged 15.4 points last season as a sophomore. Minnesota is 7-1 and opens Big Ten play at home on Friday against Iowa. 

Oregon is ready to downshift
N’Faly Dante’s season-ending ACL injury may take away the Ducks’ biggest interior player, but it also allows Dana Altman to coach the way that he’s always been comfortable coaching. When Oregon went to the Final Four in 2017, it used Dillon Brooks as an undersized power forward. When it went to the Sweet 16 two years later in 2019, it used Louis King in the same fashion. Expect a similar trend to continue moving forward this season. Altman will likely now split time at center between Chandler Lawson and Rutgers transfer Eugene Omoruyi who could be lethal as a small ball five-man. LJ Figueroa and Duquesne transfer Eric Williams could then be in position for pockets of time at the power forward spot. This program has always been at its best when it’s played small. We’ll see if that continues now without Dante. Oregon next hosts UCLA on Wednesday in Eugene.

Big Men are not extinct
Remember when people said that traditional big men were a thing of the past? Me neither. It may not be the mid 1990’s, but that doesn’t mean that true back-to-basket scorers don’t exist. Below is a quick list — in no particular order — of some traditional, burly big men who are flourishing in college basketball:

  • Tre Mitchell, UMass (22.5 points, 6.8 rebounds)
  • Derek Culver, West Virginia (14.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.3 blocks)
  • Nate Watson, Providence (19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds)
  • Myles Johnson, Rutgers (8.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks)
  • Luka Garza, Iowa (29.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks)
  • Trevion Williams, Purdue (13.8 points, 9.8 rebounds)
  • Zach Edey, Purdue (11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds)
  • Kofi Cockburn, Illinois (16.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks)
  • Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana (21 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks)
  • Hunter Dickinson, Michigan (15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks)
  • Micah Potter, Wisconsin (13.9 points, 6.7 rebounds)
  • Evan Mobley, USC (17.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks)
  • Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky (17.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.6 blocks)
  • Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova (16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds)

On The Side

  • West Virginia is 0-8 at Phog Allen Fieldhouse since joining the Big 12. Will the Mountaineers end the streak tonight against Kansas? If there’s ever a year, this would be it. 
  • Houston’s Caleb Mills and Marcus Sasser were expected to return to practice on Monday and play in tonight’s American Athletic Conference opener against Temple, according to Kelvin Sampson. Neither has played since Nov. 29th due to injuries and COVID-19. Both players are averaging in double-figures. Mills was the American Athletic Conference’s Preseason Player of the Year.
  • Saint Mary’s is 8-1 through its first nine games and didn’t return a double-figure scorer. The Gaels will get their toughest so far this season when they face San Diego State tonight in San Luis Obispo. Tip off is at 9 PM ET on CBS Sports Network. Randy Bennett has won 20 or more games in each of the past 13 seasons.
  • Texas Tech needs to get Mac McClung back on track offensively. The Georgetown transfer was a combined 8-27 from field in the Red Raiders’ two losses to Kansas and Houston. McClung is also just 10-44 from the field in his last four games. Texas Tech visits Oklahoma tonight in Norman. 
  • Cincinnati begins conference play today at UCF in unfamiliar territory. The Bearcats are 2-4 through their first six games and are coming off a 15-point loss on Saturday at Georgia. The Knights are playing in their first tilt since upsetting Florida State over the weekend in Tallahassee.

Daily Specials

  • Texas Tech at Oklahoma
  • Purdue at Iowa
  • West Virginia at Kansas
  • North Carolina at NC State
  • San Diego State/Saint Mary’s (San Luis Obispo)

Leftovers: