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The Breakfast Buffet: Oklahoma aims to prove its legitimacy, Baylor/Duke, Alabama’s gauntlet continues

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

Oklahoma aims to prove its legitimacy against North Carolina
Are the Sooners a legitimate contender to finish in the top tier of the Big 12 this season? We’ll have a better idea after tonight’s game against the Tar Heels in Charlotte. Oklahoma is currently 10-0 and one of the biggest surprises in the sport, but it has yet to face an opponent like North Carolina. “They’re phenomenal,” Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser said of the the Tar Heels on this week’s edition of the College Hoops Today Podcast. “They’re old and they’re experienced. They’ve got guys like RJ Davis and Armando Bacot who played in the national title game two years ago. We’ve got to be physical. We’ve got to stop them in transition.” A win tonight would completely augment the Sooners’ national perception. Oklahoma and North Carolina are currently ranked ninth and 12th respectively in this week’s ROTHSTEIN 45.

Baylor/Duke
MSG will play host to this colossal showdown in the Blue Devils’ annual game at the World’s Most Famous Arena. The Bears are coming off a 24-point loss against Michigan State on Saturday in Detroit while Duke is searching for another marquee win to add to its resume. As of today, the Blue Devils’ best non-conference win is a neutral site triumph over Michigan State in the Champions Classic. Keep an eye on Baylor freshman Ja’Kobe Walter, who could explode on a stage like MSG. The 6-4 freshman hasn’t scored more than 15 points in any of his last five games. Walter averaged 19.2 points during the Bears’ first five games of the season.

Alabama’s gauntlet continues against Arizona
No team in college basketball has had a stretch like the Crimson Tide over the last week and a half. On Dec. 9th, Alabama lost a hard fought game against Purdue in Toronto and then on Saturday, it lost by three at Creighton. Things won’t get any easier tonight in Phoenix against Arizona, who is coming off its first loss of the season. How good is Nate Oats’ team? There’s no such thing as moral victories, but the Crimson Tide’s level of competitiveness against elite competition is encouraging. With that said, Alabama’s record would be much better than its current 6-4 mark if it could defend at a higher level. In five games this season against power conference opponents, the Crimson Tide are allowing an average of 89 points. Arizona enters tonight’s game in Phoenix averaging 92.9 points.

On The Side

  • UConn’s average margin of victory is 25.9 points entering tonight’s Big East opener at Seton Hall. Tip off is at 7 PM ET on CBS Sports Network.
  • Villanova is 5-5 against Creighton in Omaha since the reconfiguration of the Big East in 2013.
  • Tonight’s game between St. John’s and Xavier at Carnesecca Arena is the first ever head-to-head meeting between Rick Pitino and Sean Miller.
  • Utah currently has one junior, two seniors, and two fifth-year seniors in its starting lineup. The Utes are 8-2 entering tonight’s game against Bellarmine.
  • Pitt transfer Nate Santos has been a revelation for Dayton. The 6-7 forward made a total of 16 three-point shots during his first two years of college basketball — he’s already made 17 this season while shooting an impressive 54.8 percent from long distance. Santos is averaging 12.4 points and seven rebounds for the Flyers, who are 8-2 entering tonight’s game against Oakland.

Daily Specials

  • Baylor/Duke (MSG)
  • UConn at Seton Hall
  • North Carolina/Oklahoma (Charlotte)
  • Villanova at Creighton
  • Alabama/Arizona (Phoenix)

Leftovers