College Hoops Today

Serving College Basketball 365 Days a Year

Weekend Brunch: Jay Wright, Oregon, and why Remy Martin missed fans so badly

A new offseason means a new weekly column!

Check out below for the first installment of “Weekend Brunch”, a new project that will be published each and every Friday on all the latest happenings in the world of college basketball.

Buon Appetit!

A La Carte

Jay Wright headed for Hall-of-Fame, is head coach of USA Basketball next?
Don’t rule it out of the realm of possibility.

Already an assistant under Gregg Popovich for the USA National Team, Wright has all the requisites to take the baton from 72-year-old Popovich following the 2021 Tokyo Olympics that will begin later this summer in July and end in August.

Much like Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski who preceded Popovich, Wright has had multiple opportunities to be a head coach in the NBA, but ultimately didn’t want to leave his current post in college. Coaching USA Basketball in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris would allow Wright to satisfy his professional curiosity without leaving Villanova. 

The fit is a no brainer for both sides. 

Sean Ford — USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team Director — is a Villanova alum and has a long-standing relationship with Wright, whose temperament and demeanor should blend seamlessly with NBA players.

His official induction to the Hall-of-Fame next September won’t hurt either.

Oregon looks like the Pac-12’s top challenger to UCLA
The additions of both Quincy Guerrier (Syracuse) and De’Vion Harmon (Oklahoma) via the transfer portal have solidified two starting spots for the Ducks, who were 12-4 last season with Will Richardson in the lineup.

Under Dana Altman, Oregon has won at least a share of four of the last six Pac-12 regular season titles and should be in contention again next season.

With the 6-5 Richardson back to anchor the point guard spot as a junior, the Ducks have a seasoned veteran at the most important spot on the floor along with several key returning role players such as Eric Williams, Franck Kepnang, and 6-11 big man N’Faly Dante, who only appeared in six games last season due to a knee injury. Five-Star freshman Nate Bittle and JUCO transfer Rivaldo Soares also figure to be factors in Altman’s rotation.

Expect Altman to use the 6-7 Guerrier similar to the way that Oregon featured Eugene Omoruyi last season in an effort to expose mismatches on the baseline. Guerrier averaged 13.7 points and 8.4 rebounds last season on a Syracuse team that reached the Sweet 16 and lost to Houston. The 6-2 Harmon also averaged in double-figures last season at Oklahoma, tallying 12.9 points each time he took the floor and scored 20 or more points on three separate occasions.

Altman’s ability to effortlessly mix and match rosters should serve Oregon well in the ever changing landscape of immediate eligibility. The Ducks currently look like the Pac-12 second-best team behind UCLA.

Remy Martin missed the fans
There were several reasons why Martin opted to transfer to Kansas from Arizona State for his final season, but one primary factor was the chance to play at Phog Allen Fieldhouse.

“It’s such a historic venue,” Martin said. “I’m a player that feeds off the energy of the fans and I really missed that last season because of the pandemic. I’m looking forward to getting to know the fans at Kansas and playing in Phog Allen Fieldhouse.”

The 6-foot guard has been a bundle of energy during his college career and always seemed to thrive on playing in front of big crowds.

Martin averaged 19.1 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.95 rebounds over the last two seasons while earning All-Pac-12 first-team honors twice. 

With the addition of Martin and Iowa State transfer Jalen Coleman-Lands (14.3 points), Kansas is now ranked fourth in the ROTHSTEIN 45.

Assorted Pastries

  • Auburn’s four incoming perimeter transfers — K.D. Johnson (Georgia), Desi Sills (Arkansas), Zep Jasper (Charleston), and Wendell Green (Eastern Kentucky) — averaged a combined 52.4 points last season. If Bruce Pearl can sort out this team’s role allocation, the Tigers should enter next year as the team to beat in the SEC.
  • Michigan’s Brandon Johns is quietly in position to have a breakout senior season. The 6-8 forward averaged 10 points in four NCAA Tournament games last March when he stepped in as a starter for Isaiah Livers, who was injured.
  • VCU is not expected to return the back end of its home-and-home series with LSU next season, according to Rams AD Ed McLaughlin. LSU played at VCU during the 19-20 season. 
  • Andy Kennedy is getting quality programs to play UAB in Birmingham. West Virginia will visit Bartow Arena next season and South Carolina will do the same in 22-23. Both arrangements are part of home-and-home agreements.
  • Rick Pitino has landed three power conference transfers this spring at Iona: Tyson Jolly (SMU), Elijah Joiner (Tulsa), and Quinn Slazinski (Louisville).

Leftovers