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The Breakfast Buffet: Quentin Grimes, Kansas, Rutgers

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

Quentin Grimes is quietly playing the best basketball of his career
Grimes was supposed to be the next Deron Williams before he ever played a game as a freshman at Kansas. He had no grace period. He had no room to grow organically. Now after a year in Houston’s program after transferring, he’s flourishing and becoming an all-around basketball player. The 6-5 junior had 22 points and seven rebounds in Tuesday night’s win over Temple and is averaging 22.4 points and 7.8 rebounds over his last five games. In today’s culture, it is very rare for most college athletes to understand the concept of delayed gratification. Grimes is proving that sometimes the one thing most players need the most is the one thing that they refuse to embrace when they initially embark on their own individual mission — time.

Kansas is proving that it can “go over the top” of opponents
Bill Self is adjusting to his personnel. Kansas didn’t have the brute strength to overpower West Virginia when the two teams met on Tuesday in Lawrence, so Self put his team in position to drag the Mountaineers’ lumbering big men away from the basket. It worked. 16 of the Jayhawks’ 28 made field goals in the 79-65 win were from three-point range, with Christian Braun making six and Jalen Wilson making four. This hasn’t felt like a vintage Kansas team for the first month of the season because of its lack of size, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not going to be capable. The Jayhawks haven’t lost to anyone except Gonzaga. 

Rutgers becomes the hunted
That statement is not hyperbole. After years of being college basketball’s punching bag, Rutgers is now the one doing the punching. The Scarlet Knights are 6-0 entering today’s game at Ohio State and have emerged as a legitimate threat at the top of the Big Ten. Steve Pikiell hasn’t just made Rutgers respectable; he’s made them into a team that opponents now circle on their schedules. Keep an eye today on Myles Johnson, who should have a significant advantage inside against the Buckeyes. The 6-11 big man is averaging 9.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in his first two Big Ten games. 

On The Side

  • L.J. Cryer is the unsung presence on Baylor’s loaded perimeter. The 6-1 freshman is averaging 11.5 points in games this season where he logs 15 minutes or more. Remember the name.
  • Illinois is giving up an average of 61.2 points in five wins this season, but 84.7 points in its three losses. Brad Underwood’s squad can’t overlook a capable Penn State team this afternoon in State College.
  • Memphis is officially one of the biggest disappointments in college basketball. The Tigers fell to 5-4 overall and scored just 49 points at home in Monday night’s loss to Tulsa. Penny Hardaway’s squad hasn’t had a win of significance since it beat Saint Mary’s on Nov. 25th.
  • Boise State has the requisites to challenge San Diego State for the Mountain West Conference regular season title. The Broncos have yet to lose a game at full strength this season and will look to improve to 2-0 in league play tonight against New Mexico. Tip off is at 10 PM ET on CBS Sports Network.
  • UCF’s Brandon Mahan is emerging into one of college basketball’s breakout scorers. The 6-5 guard is averaging 22.5 points after four games and is shooting 25-39 during his last three tilts. Mahan only averaged 7.5 points last season. Johnny Dawkins’ squad is 3-1 with wins over Florida State, Auburn, and Cincinnati. 

Daily Specials

  • Xavier at Creighton
  • UCLA at Oregon
  • Rutgers at Ohio State
  • Villanova at Marquette
  • Northwestern at Indiana

Leftovers: