College Hoops Today

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The Breakfast Buffet: UConn/Gonzaga, KJ Simpson, New Mexico

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

UConn/Gonzaga
The game of the night in college basketball is in Seattle as the Huskies and Bulldogs square off in a matchup of two of the sport’s best brands. UConn has been as impressive as any team in college basketball throughout the first month of the season, but hasn’t been close to 100 percent because of various injuries. Gonzaga meanwhile, is much more balanced than last season’s team that lost to the Huskies in the Elite Eight and currently has five different players — Graham Ike, Anton Watson, Nolan Hickman, Ryan Nembhard, and Braden Huff — averaging in double figures. Keep an eye on UConn sophomore Donovan Clingan (13.2 points, six rebounds, 2.1 blocks) in this game. The 7-3 sophomore should have a major impact on both sides of the floor and is primed for a breakout performance.

KJ Simpson is playing at an elite level
Colorado’s 27-point win over Miami on Sunday at the Barclays Center put the Buffaloes back on the national radar. It also introduced the nation to Simpson, who’s currently playing as well as any guard in the Pac-12. The 6-2 junior enters tonight’s game against Northern Colorado averaging career-highs in points (19.4), assists (4.4), steals (1.7), field-goal percentage (55.8), and three-point field goal percentage (47.1). Tad Boyle’s team is 7-2 and will play its next four games in Boulder.

New Mexico looks to maintain momentum against New Mexico State
A pair of injuries to two starters — Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr. — haven’t derailed the Lobos’ product. That tells you all that you need to know about the capabilities of this team. Richard Pitino’s squad enters tonight’s game against in-state rival New Mexico State (9 PM ET, CBS Sports Network) at 9-1 and brimming with confidence. New Mexico didn’t have House at the start of the year and it doesn’t have Mashburn now, but it still has enough to be in the conversation among the best non-power conference teams in the sport. Sophomore Donovan Dent (17.6 points, 6.7 assists) and freshmen JT Toppin (12.7 points, seven rebounds) and Tru Washington (11.6 points, five rebounds) headline a young nucleus that makes the Lobos a prime contender for a Mountain West regular season title.

On The Side

  • Baylor’s top five scorers — Ja’Kobe Walter, RayJ Dennis, Langston Love, Jalen Bridges, and Jayden Nunn — are all shooting 38 percent or better from three-point range.
  • Northwestern’s loss on Wednesday night to Chicago State is the type of defeat that follows you around all the way to Selection Sunday.
  • BYU’s Jaxson Robinson is starting to separate himself as college basketball’s best sixth man. The 6-7 senior is currently averaging 18 points for the 9-1 Cougars while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range.
  • Daniss Jenkins leads St. John’s with 110 field goal attempts. No other player on the Red Storm has taken more than 97 shots this season.
  • As of Thursday, five teams from the Mountain West — Colorado State, San Diego State, New Mexico, Utah State, and Nevada — were ranked in the Top 48 of the NET.

Daily Specials

  • Northern Colorado at Colorado
  • New Mexico at New Mexico State
  • Gonzaga/UConn (Seattle)

Leftovers