College Hoops Today

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The Breakfast Buffet: UCLA is overachieving, Adam Miller/Andre Curbelo, Michigan has different ways to skin a cat

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

UCLA is overachieving
How many teams could lose their best returning player and second-best post player and still be in the mix for a conference regular season title? That’s what is currently happening at UCLA. The Bruins lost Chris Smith in December to a season-ending ACL injury and have been without Jalen Hill for weeks due to personal reasons. It hasn’t inhibited their growth. UCLA improved to 17-5 on Thursday night with a convincing win at Utah and is now in sole possession of first place in the Pac-12. This team may not have the requisites to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament in its second season under Mick Cronin, but a foundation of grittiness and not giving an inch under any circumstances has been put in place in Westwood. 

Adam Miller and Andre Curbelo control Illinois’ long-term ceiling
The Illini have the best inside-outside combination in the sport in Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn, but two of their freshmen ultimately may dictate how far they can go in the NCAA Tournament. The timely shooting of Miller combined with the speed and burst of Curbelo give this team an entirely different dimension. Illinois is 9-1 in games this season where Miller scores in double-figures while the velocity that Curbelo provides allows him to have a great impact on a game by not demanding shots. Miller had 18 in Thursday night’s win over Nebraska while Curbelo finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. 

Michigan has different ways to skin a cat
Juwan Howard’s team scored 92 points in last Sunday’s win at Ohio State. Last night against Iowa, the Wolverines neutralized one of the best offenses in the country by holding the Hawkeyes to 57 points in a 22-point victory. Iowa came into the game averaging 86.4 points. Regardless of the style that it faces, Michigan is prepared to adapt. This team is built for March and wholeheartedly deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as both Gonzaga and Baylor. 

On The Side

  • Virginia has given up 60 or more points in three straight games that were decided in regulation for the first time since the 16-17 season.
  • One thing not getting enough attention? Barring something unforeseen, Rutgers is set to hear its name called on Selection Sunday for the first time since 1991. The Scarlet Knights were in position to make the NCAA Tournament last season prior to the event being cancelled due to COVID-19. After three full decades, the waiting for this program is finally over. 
  • It’s time to officially start wondering just how many Big East teams will reach the NCAA Tournament. Two of this league’s bubble teams — Seton Hall and St. John’s — lost back-to-back games in the last week. Less than five Big East teams in the bracket next month is a very legitimate possibility. 
  • The Pac-12 has five programs — USC, Oregon, UCLA, Colorado, and Stanford — in the mix for bids to the NCAA Tournament. All five were playing at the same time on Thursday night. It’s hard to gain more national attention when your best commodities are competing with one another. 
  • Nobody will feel more pressure over the next few weeks than mid-major head coaches in one-bid leagues who are heavy favorites in their conference tournaments. One bad half could end a dream season. This is March. 

Daily Specials

  • Purdue at Penn State
  • Richmond at Saint Louis
  • Nevada at Utah State
  • Southern Illinois at Loyola Chicago
  • UC Santa Barbara at UC Riverside

Leftovers: