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The Breakfast Buffet: Xavier/Ohio State, St. John’s, St. Bonaventure’s big week

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

Xavier’s showdown with Ohio State
Of all the games that were scheduled for this year’s Gavitt Games, this one definitely has the most sizzle. These two programs haven’t met head-to-head since the Buckeyes beat the Musketeers in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. While this game is significant for both teams, it definitely feels like Xavier is in bigger need of a jolt. Travis Steele has still yet to lead the Musketeers to the NCAA Tournament since he was hired in 2018 and the natives are a bit restless. Xavier struggled with Niagara in its opener and then beat Kent State by 14 in its second game. The ability to display tangible progress would go a long way for Steele and this program. Expect the Cintas Center should be on fire for this in-state showdown.

St. John’s showed its potential in a road loss at Indiana
There are no such things as moral victories in sports, but it’s hard not to come away impressed with St. John’s after its two-point loss on Tuesday at Indiana. After an out of sync first half that saw starting guard Montez Mathis ejected for a questionable flagrant foul, the Red Storm battled back from a 12-point halftime deficit and nearly pulled out a victory. That’s not an easy thing to do without a starter in one of college basketball’s most hostile environments. Junior forward Julian Champagnie was sensational, finishing with 32 points on 22 shots to go with seven rebounds. He was also 6-12 from three-point range. St. John’s didn’t get the signature non-conference victory it was seeking when it went to Bloomington, but it did make one thing very clear: This team should be one of the better units in the Big East this season.

St. Bonaventure has to get mileage out of the Charleston Classic
The Bonnies’ next 96 hours may ultimately determine where they’re seeded on Selection Sunday. St. Bonaventure’s three games this weekend in Charleston represent a critical opportunity for Mark Schmidt’s team to play quality competition on a neutral court. This is something that’s getting harder and harder for teams from the Atlantic 10 to achieve. The Bonnies will play Boise State — one of the top teams in the Mountain West — in the first round of this tournament today and then will face either Clemson or Temple on Friday. West Virginia, Marquette, and Ole Miss are all on the other side of the bracket. St. Bonaventure returns five starters from last season’s team that lost to LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last March. Following this weekend, the Bonnies will only have two more non-conference games of significance: Dec. 11th against UConn in the Never Forget Classic at the Prudential Center and Dec. 17th against Virginia Tech in Charlotte.

On The Side

  • North Carolina is 11-2 over the past two seasons in games where Kerwin Walton scores in double figures. The 6-5 sophomore is averaging 10 points and scored 14 in Tuesday night’s road win at Charleston. This is a potential X-Factor to monitor in Chapel Hill.
  • Purdue’s three primary frontcourt players — Zach Edey, Trevion Williams, & Caleb Furst — are averaging a combined 39.7 points, 28.9 rebounds, & 4 blocks. Mason Gillis returns on Sunday from suspension.
  • Arizona State’s game tonight at San Diego State (10:30 PM ET, CBS Sports Network) is the start of a brutal six-game stretch. Following this evening’s tilt at Viejas Arena, the Sun Devils will play three games next week in the Battle 4 Atlantis and then return home to face upstart Washington State before heading to Oregon. Yikes!
  • The WCC is about much more than Gonzaga. BYU already owns wins over both Oregon and San Diego State while Santa Clara already owns wins over both Stanford and Nevada. Saint Mary’s, San Francisco, and Loyola Marymount all also boast postseason potential. Three NCAA Tournament bids for this conference in 2022 feels like a legitimate possibility.
  • Kim English is the early breakout star in the Atlantic 10. The first-year head coach has George Mason off to a 4-0 start, which was highlighted by Wednesday night’s upset win over Maryland in College Park.

Daily Specials

  • St. Bonaventure/Boise State (Charleston)
  • Ohio State at Xavier
  • Marquette/Ole Miss (Charleston)
  • Rutgers at DePaul
  • Arizona State at San Diego State

Leftovers