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The Breakfast Buffet: North Carolina’s first true road game, Brice Sensabaugh, Damion Baugh returns for TCU

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

North Carolina first true road game
Last week, we finally got to see the Tar Heels against power conference competition. Tonight, we finally get to see them (5-2) against power conference competition on the road. North Carolina will visit Indiana (6-0) this evening as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in what should be a formidable task for the Tar Heels. North Carolina enters the matchup with the Hoosiers with just 84 assists to 84 turnovers as a team through its first seven games. This is the first of two road games this week for the Tar Heels, who will also open up ACC play on Sunday at Virginia Tech.

Brice Sensabaugh takes center stage for Ohio State
Not familiar with Sensabaugh’s game? I’ll give you a pass because Thanksgiving was last week and tryptophan is a tough thing to overcome! The Buckeyes’ 6-6 freshman had three games in double figures during last week’s Maui Invitational, but could really become a national name with a strong showing against Duke (6-2) tonight at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Sensabaugh enters the matchup as the Buckeyes’ leading scorer, averaging 15.8 points along with four rebounds while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range. For Ohio State (5-1) to be one of the best teams in the Big Ten this season, it needs Sensabaugh to consistently perform like one of the best freshmen in the conference.

Damion Baugh returns for TCU
This is the equivalent of the Horned Frogs adding an All-Big 12 player. The 6-4 Baugh — who missed the first six games of this season due to an NCAA suspension after he signed with a non-certified agent during last spring’s NBA Draft process — will make his season debut tonight against Providence in Fort Worth as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle. Well embedded moles in Fort Worth believe that Baugh is the best all-around player in TCU’s program. He averaged 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists last season.

On The Side

  • Ole Miss transfer Jarkel Joiner has found a home at NC State. The 6-1 guard is averaging 16.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while forming a potent perimeter troika with Terquavion Smith and Casey Morsell. The Wolfpack are quietly off to a 7-1 start.
  • All seven of Mississippi State’s opponents have scored 55 points or less. The Bulldogs are 7-0 in their first season under Chris Jans.
  • Texas Tech’s Daniel Batcho might be the most improved big man in all of college basketball. After averaging just 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds last season, the 6-11 big man is averaging 12.5 points and 7.3 rebounds entering tonight’s game against Georgetown in Lubbock.
  • Tonight’s game between La Salle and Temple is the first head-to-head meeting between Fran Dunphy and Aaron McKie, who served as Dunphy’s assistant with the Owls prior to becoming the program’s head coach in 2019. Dunphy was Temple’s head coach from 2006-19 and led the Owls to eight NCAA Tournament appearances during that span.
  • The best matchup tonight in college basketball that nobody’s talking about? New Mexico’s trip to Saint Mary’s. The Lobos are 5-0 in their second season under Richard Pitino and have one of the sport’s best backcourts in Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr., who are each averaging 17 points entering tonight’s tilt in Moraga.

Daily Specials

  • Purdue at Florida State (ACC/Big Ten Challenge)
  • Ohio State at Duke (ACC/Big Ten Challenge)
  • Providence at TCU (Big East-Big 12 Battle)
  • North Carolina at Indiana (ACC/Big Ten Challenge)
  • Michigan State at Notre Dame (ACC/Big Ten Challenge)

Leftovers