College Hoops Today

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The Breakfast Buffet: UConn/Villanova, Scottie Barnes embracing his role, Duke getting into position

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

UConn’s trip to Villanova
Everyone who works at the Big East office should be drinking mimosas this morning to celebrate this mega matchup. The new rendition of the Big East has done fine since realignment, but adding UConn adds a different layer of buzz. Today is a perfect example. The Huskies’ trip to Villanova represents one of the top four or five games in all of college basketball today and is a tremendous throwback to when the two programs used to compete in the old Big East. It also represents a tremendous platform for UConn’s James Bouknight. The 6-5 guard had 18 points on 13 shots against Providence on Tuesday night in his first game from an elbow injury. A legitimate All-American candidate, Bouknight will get an opportunity today to showcase his talent today against the Big East’s flagship program in Villanova.

Scottie Barnes is embracing his role for Florida State
Not many future lottery picks would buy into this, but Barnes has. Since returning a few weeks ago from an ankle injury, Leonard Hamilton has opted to bring Barnes off the bench as a reserve. It’s paying off. The 6-9 freshman hit a game-tying layup at the end of regulation last Saturday against Wake Forest and then had seven points, six assists, and no turnovers in Monday night’s 21-point victory over Virginia. Barnes is engaged on the sidelines when he’s not in the game and is visibly excited when his other teammates have success. He’s not complaining about his current situation — he’s embracing it. Another thing to remember: Florida State has had two of its reserves in the past two years — Mfiondu Kabengele and Patrick Williams — drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft. 

Duke is inching back to being in position
For the first time all season, Duke (9-8) has won back-to-back games by double figures. What does that mean? We’ll find out later tonight at Cameron Indoor Stadium when the Blue Devils host Virginia. This is the first of three straight home games for Mike Krzyzewski’s squad. Keep an eye on Duke freshman Mark Williams, a 7-foot big man who will have to match up with Cavaliers’ veteran Jay Huff in the pivot. Williams is averaging 11 points and six rebounds over his last two games. 

On The Side

  • Iowa’s defense is improving. After giving up 89 points in a home loss to Ohio State on Feb. 4th, the Hawkeyes have held their last four opponents to 70 points or less. 
  • USC freshman Evan Mobley is a potential first-team All-American, but don’t forget about his older brother Isaiah. The Trojans’ other baseline threat has also had a major hand in this team’s 18-3 start. Isaiah Mobley — a 6-10 sophomore — is averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds over his last three games. 
  • Need more proof that this is the year of the outlier in college basketball? The four teams that were a part of November’s Champions Classic — Duke, Michigan State, Kentucky, and Kansas — currently have a combined overall record of 42-37. 
  • Wichita State interim coach Isaac Brown has put the Shockers in position to do something that they’ve never done — win the American Athletic Conference regular season title. If Wichita State (13-4) wins its final three games, it will win the conference for the first time since it joined the league prior to the 17-18 season. 
  • Stan Johnson has Loyola Marymount (11-6) in third place in the WCC in his first year as a head coach. The Lions can make a major statement today at home against BYU. Tip off is at 3 PM ET on CBS Sports Network. 

Daily Specials

  • UConn at Villanova
  • Texas Tech at Kansas
  • West Virginia at Texas
  • Illinois at Minnesota
  • Virginia at Duke

Leftovers: