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The Breakfast Buffet: Oso Ighodaro/Zach Edey, Battle 4 Atlantis, Gonzaga/UCLA

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

Oso Ighodaro matches up with Zach Edey
The finals of arguably the greatest Maui Invitational that we’ve seen in the last two decades will be highlighted by this head-to-head matchup at center. While Edey — the reigning National Player of the Year — has been dominant as expected for Purdue, Oghodaro hasn’t been far behind for Marquette. In two games in Hawaii, the 6-11 Ighodaro is averaging 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds all while causing all sorts of problems for opponents thanks to his versatility and ability to face the basket. This could be an issue for the 7-2 Edey, who is averaging 25.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in three games this season against power conference opponents. Whoever wins this game tonight in Honolulu will likely be No. 1 in Monday’s AP Top 25.

The Battle 4 Atlantis
This field isn’t quite as good as what we’ve seen the past few days in the Maui Invitational, but it’s still very good. Six teams in this week’s ROTHSTEIN 45 — North Carolina, Texas Tech, Villanova, Arkansas, Memphis, and Michigan — will play in this week’s Battle 4 Atlantis, which begins today in the Bahamas. The opening day of the event features several quality matchups, headlined by Villanova/Texas Tech and Memphis/Michigan. North Carolina will open the Battle 4 Atlantis at Noon ET against Northern Iowa and Arkansas will play Stanford tonight in the other two first round matchups.

Gonzaga and UCLA meet again
For the fourth time in the past four seasons, these two blue blood programs will meet head-to-head. Some of their last few meetings have been incredibly memorable. Jalen Suggs’ half-court buzzer beater in the 2021 Final Four propelled the Bulldogs past the Bruins in what was one of the greatest games in the history of the NCAA Tournament. Julian Strawther had a similar moment for Gonzaga last season in the Sweet 16 last season in Las Vegas. Mark Few’s squad also beat UCLA during the regular season in 2021-22. The Bruins have lost three straight to the Bulldogs and despite their youth, have been incredibly impressive this week in Hawaii. Are they mature enough to beat a seasoned team like Gonzaga? Guard play will be a major factor. UCLA’s combination of Dylan Andrews and freshman Sebastian Mack — who has been a breakout star over the past 48 hours — will be critical for Mick Cronin’s squad in this game. The 6-3 Mack is averaging 20.5 points for the Bruins in two games during the Maui Invitational.

On The Side

  • 16 of Samson Johnson’s 18 made field goals this season have been dunks. The 6-10 junior is shooting 75 percent from the field during UConn’s first five games.
  • The sleeper game of the day in college basketball is tonight’s matchup between Florida (3-1) and Pitt (4-0) in the Preseason NIT at the Barclays Center. Both teams are on the verge of becoming a factor nationally and another quality win would put either in that direction. The winner of this game will play the winner/loser of Baylor/Oregon State on Friday.
  • I’ve yet to see a player this season that’s tougher than Providence’s Devin Carter. There’s no 50/50 plays when Carter is on the floor — they’re 90/10 in his favor. The 6-3 guard is averaging 17 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.4 blocks for the Friars, who are 4-1 in their first season under Kim English.
  • Wisconsin has a gem in freshman John Blackwell. The 6-4 guard is mature beyond his years and can really score. Through five games, Blackwell is averaging 10.2 points while shooting a blistering 60 percent from three-point range.
  • Santa Clara will take a 5-0 record into this weekend’s Emerald Coast Classic. The Broncos — who have already won at Stanford — will open the event with Oregon on Friday and then play the winner/loser of Alabama/Ohio State on Saturday. All games from the Emerald Coast Classic can be seen on CBS Sports Network.

Daily Specials

  • Texas Tech/Villanova (Battle 4 Atlantis)
  • Memphis/Michigan (Battle 4 Atlantis)
  • Kansas/Tennessee (Maui Invitational)
  • Marquette/Purdue (Maui Invitational)
  • Gonzaga/UCLA (Maui Invitational)

Leftovers