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The Breakfast Buffet: Rob Dillingham, Big East play begins, Virginia/Memphis

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

Rob Dillingham deserves more attention
A word to the wise: Don’t take what this guy is doing for granted. DJ Wagner had the early buzz surrounding Kentucky’s freshman class before America fell in love with Reed Sheppard. Aaron Bradshaw then captivated anyone who watched the Wildcats when he joined the lineup about a week and a half ago with his size, skill level, and physicality. And Dillingham? The least heralded newcomer on Kentucky’s roster is scoring (14.4 points), rebounding (4.4 boards), sharing the ball (4.5 assists), and defending (1.5 steals). He’s also shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 46.5 percent from three-point range entering Thursday’s game against in-state rival Louisville. Dillingham has also possessed elite ball security as he’s tallied 45 assists to just 17 turnovers. I’ll say it again: Don’t take what this is guy is doing for granted.

Big East play begins
As of Monday, this conference had eight of its 11 teams ranked in the Top 71 of the NET. That means that the majority of road games in this league will present Quad 1 opportunities. Big East play begins tonight as Georgetown travels to Butler and Providence hosts Marquette. The Bulldogs are 9-2 in their second season under Thad Matta and have been the conference’s biggest surprise during the first month of the season. Marquette — who won both the Big East regular season and tournament titles a year ago — enters tonight’s game in Rhode Island on a three-game winning streak. The Golden Eagles were 7-3 in Big East road games a year ago.

Virginia/Memphis
Ever had a root canal without the novacane? That’s what it’s like playing the Cavaliers. Virginia enters tonight’s game against Memphis at FedEx Forum ranked 361st out of 362 Division 1 teams in adjusted tempo according to the analytics website KenPom.com. Conversely, the Tigers are ranked 19th. Memphis is 5-2 against power conference opponents this season, but the Cavaliers’ style will take the Tigers to depths of frustration that they’ve yet to experience. Keep an eye on the point guard matchup between Memphis’ Jahvon Quinerly (13.7 points, 4.9 assists) and Virginia’s Reece Beekman (12.5 points, 5.7 assists), who’s one of the best defenders in the sport.

On The Side

  • Kansas has assisted on 73.5 percent of its made field goals this season.
  • Providence will play its first three Big East games at home.
  • Considering that he’s only 6-6, Juwan Gary’s 18-rebound performance for Nebraska in Sunday’s win at Kansas State may have been the best individual performance that I’ve seen on the glass this season. 11 of those 18 rebounds were on the offensive end of the floor.
  • USC’s Isaiah Collier has 41 assists to 44 turnovers. The Trojans are 5-5 entering tonight’s game at Alabama State.
  • Oregon’s N’Faly Dante (hamstring) will be re-evaluated this week, a source told College Hoops Today. The 6-11 big man has not played since his 16-point, 21-rebound performance on Nov. 6th against Georgia in Las Vegas.

Daily Specials

  • Georgetown at Butler
  • Virginia at Memphis
  • USC at Alabama State
  • Florida/Michigan (Charlotte)
  • Marquette at Providence

Leftovers