Thoughts from Last Night

Just watched one game last night, the Cincinnati-New Mexico slugfest.  It was an exciting ending for a game that was painful to watch at times.  Neither offense seemed to really be working in terms of creating good shots.  Alex Kirk helped spurred the Lobos on with his energy and he used what little athleticism he has to make a difference on the offensive glass, and on stopping Cincinnati’s final play.  Kendall Williams did a good job being aggressive in the last few minutes, knowing he needed to try and make something happen.  For the Bearcats, we saw a glimpse of what will happen when the jumpers aren’t falling – there didn’t seem to be a Plan B. Without scoring, the defense also seemed flat, not being able to pressure after scores.  I expect Mick Cronin to address this before the Big East opener against Pittsburgh next week.

Tonight’s Matchups

Missouri at UCLA

Frank Haith’s Missouri team has gotten off to another strong start this season, and passed their biggest test so far last week, a decisive win over Illinois.   This team starts on both ends with Phil Pressey, the best distributor in the country.  Whether it is keeping the offense moving, or getting into the defense and creating, Pressey has a great knack for drawing the defense and hitting his teammates in the perfect spot.  Scoring is an issue for Pressey, but this team doesn’t need him right now to score much, but unless he becomes consistent, defenses will make adjustments.  Pressey can also be a pest on the defensive end, just ask Brandon Paul, who had a tough time getting space against the much smaller Pressey.  Laurence Bowers has come back from last year’s knee injury to become a more versatile offensive threat, knocking down mid-range jumpers while also finishing strong around the basket.  Unfortunately, he just can’t defend at a high level.  The wing trio of Earnest Ross, Jabari Brown, and Keion Bell all provide the Tigers versatility and the ability to push the pace, though at least one of them will need to step up as a true perimeter threat for Missouri to go far.  Alex Oriakhi has made a nice adjustment to his new team, but more important, he gives the Tigers a defensive post presence they didn’t have last season.

UCLA has temporarily righted their sinking ship, but this team is not in good shape long-term.  Freshman Jordan Adams has been the only consistent offensive threat, hitting mid and long-range jumpers, and attacking the basket when openings are there.  Kyle Anderson has made the most of his situation, including becoming the only aggressive rebounder on the team.  On offense, he is still out of place, with his passing abilities not being used as well as they could.  Unfortunately, Shabazz Muhammad makes the offense unbalanced, needing space cleared out for him to try and do anything on the offensive end.  He has been successful in bringing smaller players into the post area, but there is nothing dynamic about his abilities.  He will look for his points first, and then worry whether it was a good or bad decision.  He also hasn’t showed anything other than some scoring ability.  Larry Drew II has done a decent job moving the ball, but even in a zone defense, his lack of defensive ability is obvious.  David Wear has been the most consistent player on both ends of the floor, playing aggressive, but not doing more than he is capable of.

Baylor at Gonzaga

At times, Baylor has looked like one of the best teams in the country, and at others, you would think this group of guys has never played together before.  Pierre Jackson has done a good job early this season showing more control, though his lapses have come at inopportune times, in close games or when Baylor is behind.  Cory Jefferson has emerged in his junior season as a true threat around the basket and in transition.  His length, combined with that of freshman Isaiah Austin, has made it difficult at times for opponents to get good shots off around the basket, though both have had lapses.   Austin has shown he can be an offensive threat in a variety of ways, including being a 7’1 player who can knock down the 3.  However, he is very frail and he doesn’t respond well when you get physical with him.  Fellow freshman Rico Gathers is the opposite, inviting contact, but just not having the real skill yet to do anything other than dunking and putting back offensive boards.  Brady Heslip has not been the consistent 3-point threat that Baylor needs to keep the defense stretched, but we know he is capable; he just needs to work harder to get good looks. 

Gonzaga has parlayed tough defense into a great 11-1 record to start the season, though Illinois did a good job exposing their weaknesses.  Elias Harris has finally started to put all the pieces together in his senior season, looking to attack the basket and hitting the boards hard on both ends of the floor.  He needs to get his perimeter stroke back, but he will likely be the Bulldogs’ most consistent threat.  Kelly Olynyk has done a good job using his wiry frame to find openings for his shot anywhere in the lane area.  He is an active defender, though he can be easy push around, especially around the basket.  The backcourt of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell, Jr. are both very good at hitting from the perimeter and getting out and scoring in transition, and along with David Stockton, they do a very good job pressuring the perimeter ballhandlers. 

Others to Watch

Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph’s vs. Iona –  St. Joe’s has played only 2 games since the beginning of December, and didn’t look good in either one, losses to Villanova and Fairfield.  Iona is going to look to push the pace with their array of guards, but Roberts is the one place where the Eagles have a clear advantage with size and explosiveness.  If the St. Joes’ guards can get the ball into him early and often, he should dominate this game.

Vincent Council, Providence vs. Brown –  Council makes his return tonight from a hamstring injury and it will be his first time with some real help in the backcourt, with Kris Dunn having started his career recently.  I wouldn’t expect a lot from Council tonight, but it will be interesting to see how the team re-adjusts with him back in, and where Dunn fits with him.

Gerron Johnson, Memphis vs. Oral Roberts – Johnson has been a great catalyst on both ends of the floor for the Tigers since becoming eligible.  He plays with high-energy at all times, though he needs to learn to control it better.  More importantly, he is a pest on the defensive end, and he makes it difficult for opposing teams to get into their offense quickly.  Oral Roberts has shown some good composure early on, so this should be a good test for Johnson’s abilities.

Follow me on Twitter - @NBADraftBlog – leave your comments below or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Yes it is Christmas Day, but there is college basketball today, so here we are with the Christmas NBA Draft Daily.  Yesterday was a day off, but we start with thoughts from the past weekend and lead to a preview of tonight's Arizona-San Diego State game.

I hope everyone has wonderful holiday season and thank you for all the time you spend coming to the site.  

Thoughts from the Weekend

-          Indiana went into the weekend with another impressive victory, with 4 scorers in double digits.  Cody Zeller had 24 points, including 12 of 13 from the free throw line.  I’m still looking for Zeller to play more physical on the defensive end.  Victor Oladipo continues to shine not only as a strong defender, but also a serious offensive threat, especially in transition.  Christian Watford is currently playing well, but his inconsistency has been an issue this year.  A strong Big 10 season will do a lot for him in teams’ eyes.

-          Baylor didn’t play particularly well and still took out BYU by double-digits.  Cory Jefferson’s athleticism makes it easy for him to make plays around the basket, and the aggressiveness he has shown this year makes him a decent threat every game.  Isaiah Austin is still awkward, but teams will fall in love with his perimeter shooting ability, though he isn’t hitting a great percentage (63% of his shots are jumpers and he is shooting only 38% of 2-point jumpers and 33% from 3.)  BYU’s Brandon Davies put up impressive numbers (23 points, 17 rebounds) but the fact that he didn’t use his strength advantage over Austin in the post was tough to watch.  Pierre Jackson wasn’t having a good shooting night, but he did a good job getting the ball to others in position to get easy baskets.

-          Santa Clara’s Marc Trasolini has rebounded well from missing last season due to injury, and he should be a major factor come West Coast Conference season.

-          Fran Dunphy taught a Master’s class in how to break down the 2-3 zone, but I was surprised by Jim Boeheim’s lack of adjustment once Temple was getting easy passes to the high post.  Extending the zone wasn’t working, so bring it back to the 3-point line and make Temple work the ball around the perimeter.  Khalif Wyatt played as tough a game as you will see from any player this season, and Anthony Lee took advantage of the young Orange bigs' refusal to box out.  CJ Fair showed toughness that teams will appreciate, and though he forced the same move over and over, he found ways to make it work.  Brandon Triche showed leadership, but the ball was taken out of his hands when the game was on the line.

-          Ben McLemore makes his mark known with some spectacular plays, and his ability to score in a variety of ways makes him a top prospect.  However, take away 3 easy scores on baseline out of bounds plays that Ohio State fell asleep on each time, and it wasn’t really a great night for McLemore.  His shot selection is erratic, and for every spectacular finish there is one he misses because he looks to make it spectacular when there is no need. 

-          Ohio State did a good job taking Jeff Withey out of his game once they started getting physical with him.  The best way to take a shot-blocker out of the game is to go right at them with your body and not let them extend for a block.  However, the threat of him helping from the weakside prevented Ohio State from attacking the basket from the perimeter.  Aaron Craft’s lack of offense also didn’t make it any easier for the Buckeyes to create space for their scorers.

-          Phil Pressey had one of the most impressive days someone who shot 3-19 from the floor could possibly have.  He continued to attack the Illinois defense, opening up the floor for Laurence Bowers, who has become a legitimate offensive threat anywhere on the floor, and Alex Oriakhi, whose experience with playmaking guards has helped him know instinctively where he should be looking for the ball.  Pressey also did an excellent job disrupting Brandon Paul’s rhythm in the 2^nd half.

-          Nate Wolters knows how to make plays, doesn’t matter where he is.  New Mexico is a tough place to play, but Wolters did a great job sticking to his game and looking to attack the Lobos defense.  Perimeter shooting is still an issue, but there aren’t many who have been able to stop him from getting into the lane.

-          Florida’s Patric Young is a physical mismatch for almost any other forward in the country, and the Gators’ guards did a good job getting him touches against Kansas State.  While his offense has improved, his defense hasn’t, and it leads him to pick up some unnecessary fouls which take him out of the game.  The more physical Kansas State guards, Rodney McGruder and Will Spradling, did a great job against the timid Florida trio of Kenny Boynton, Scotty Wilbekin, and Mike Rosario.  This Florida team is not going to have a deep March run if Wilbekin is their point guard. 

-          Another game, another overmatched frontline Anthony Bennett takes advantage of.  Enjoy it while you can, because the more physical Mountain West schedule won’t let him take advantage like he does.  Khem Birch did a great job running the floor, and is a beast in transition, but UNLV will need to keep the pace up, because he looks completely lost in the halfcourt game.

-          Kevin Dillard played through physical issues and outplayed Isaiah Canaan on both ends of the floor, leading Dayton to a nice win over potential NCAA team, Murray State.  Dillard executed the gameplan, made the right decision and played some tough defense down the stretch.  Impressive effort.

-          Reggie Johnson was out with a thumb injury, and Arizona took advantage, outrebounding Miami 44-19, and allowing the Wildcats’ guards to attack the basket.  The young Arizona bigs haven’t impressed me yet, so they better mature quickly if Arizona hopes to make a deep tournament run.    Miami’s Kenny Kadji picked up some slack on offense, and he did a good job scoring in the lane.  However, once Johnson comes back, expect Kadji to sit back and try to shoot a lot more jumpers.

Tonight’s Matchup

Arizona vs. San Diego State

Sean Miller’s Arizona squad hasn’t exactly been impressive on their way to 11 wins to open the season, but they find ways to get the job done, especially on the defensive end.  Solomon Hill does a bit of everything for the Wildcats, but it is his ability to guard multiple positions which makes him most valuable to the team.  Mark Lyons hasn’t exactly been the point guard Miller wanted, but he does score in bunches, and when the game is on the line, he wants the ball.  Nick Johnson is a fantastic athlete, and his ability to run the floor in transition allows Arizona to get some easy baskets.  Kevin Parrom is tough and he makes the most of his minutes on the floor, hitting open shots and playing tough defense.  The freshman big men – Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley, and Grant Jerrett – haven’t impressed me and are still a long way to becoming legitimate prospects, but just having a post presence makes Arizona a tougher team.

San Diego State has bounced back after their opening loss to Syracuse, but it’s not a team I would take seriously in the long run.  Chase Tapely is fantastic as both a scorer and playmaker, but his work often gets overshadowed by the poor decisions of the other Aztecs.  Jamaal Franklin is tough and athletic, and he can score in a variety of ways, but his shot selection is just poor.  He rebounds very well for his size and he plays with an edge which makes the other team back off from him.  Xavier Thames is good for hitting the open jumper, but his poor decision-making can put the Aztecs in bad situations.  The team has no real interior threat, and I would expect the Wildcats to the take advantage of that right away.  Tapely and Thames will need to pressure the Arizona guards and look to force mistakes, which Lyons can be prone to do.  I expect Hill to guard Franklin, and if Hill does a good job, don’t be surprised by Franklin picking up an ill-timed frustration technical foul.

Follow me on Twitter - @NBADraftBlog – leave your comments below or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thoughts from Last Night

-          Seth Curry and Mason Plumlee showed that they are not going to let this Duke team lose its focus, no matter who the opponent.  The 3 seniors (Curry, Plumlee, and Ryan Kelly) were a combined 18-22 from the field for 45 points.  The young guards Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon continue to grow comfortable in their roles and should be stars in their own right by March.

-          As good as Sean Kilpatrick and Cashmere Wright have been, the Xavier defense got to them last night, forcing them both into some very poor shots.  As Big East play starts, there will be more teams looking to extend their defense out against the Bearcats and Kilpatrick and Wright need to make sure to make better decisions.

-          North Carolina needs someone to step up as a leader, and they better do it quickly, to get this team back on track.  Dexter Strickland and Reggie Bullock, here is your chance to make a major mark on the UNC program.

-          Marshall Henderson showed that he can be a lot more than a 3-point gunner for Ole Miss.  Henderson took the jumpers if they were there, but he made good decisions in looking to attack if he was given space, and playing solid defense on the other end of the court.

-          Looks like Steven Adams can play well against a MEAC school…I guess that’s a start.

-          Chane Behanan and Wayne Blackshear need to have more nights like they did last night.  The more attention Russ Smith brings upon him, the more he will need the other offensive options to step up.  It also helps when Peyton Siva is in control for long stretches.

-          I had Kendall Williams on the Players to Watch list last night, and he came through big time.  The offense wasn’t running at its best, but Williams was able to take advantage when he saw space, and he did an excellent job drawing fouls against New Mexico State’s frontcourt.

Tonight’s Matchups

Lehigh at North Texas

The hype surrounding this matchup will be between CJ McCollum and Tony Mitchell, but these are two very good teams, even if North Texas isn’t really playing like it early on this year.  McCollum may be the most complete guard in college basketball right now.  He can score in a variety of ways (24.9 ppg, 50.9 FG%, 82.8 FT%, 51.9 3FG), and more importantly, can create his offense.  He sees the court well, makes generally good decisions, and is a solid defensive presence.  The presence of Mackey McKnight allows McCollum to play off the ball and look for openings in the defense.  Gabe Knutson plays much stronger than his size and is very good around the basket, but he also has the ability to step out and hit mid-range jumpers consistently.  More important, he is a very good interior defensive presence.  Holden Greiner is another big who is very good at stepping away from the basket and knocking down jumpers.  Knutson and Greiner will need to be very careful against the athletic Mean Green, who will look to draw easy fouls against them.

Tony Mitchell is one of the most athletic players in the NCAA, and a breakout year was expected this year.  When he is within 8 feet of the basket, he can be near unstoppable, using his athleticism and strength to get to the rim and finish through contact.  His biggest problem is that he will spend too much time away from the lane area and shoot many ill-advised jumpers.  It gets worse when he hits one, because then he will just keep shooting from the perimeter instead of attacking the basket.  He is a solid rebounder and decent defender, but he isn’t as aggressive in these areas as he should be.  The rest of the Mean Green offense centers around the guard play. Alzee Williams, Chris Jones, Roger Franklin, and Jordan Williams hoist up a lot of shots, though they aren’t very good at it.  Jones needs to do a better job running the offense and getting the ball to teammates in position where they have good looks.  The team defense has been very good at times, but the Mean Green doesn’t adjust well to the opposition, meaning they play the same no matter who the opponent is, and they just aren’t good enough to do that. 

Others to Watch

Trey Burke, Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan – Burke has been magnificent controlling the Wolverines’ offense this season, but he can’t look past a very stingy Eastern Michigan defense.  Burke will need to show patience in breaking down the defense and he will need to make sure Michigan is out and running in transition every time they have a good opportunity.

Ramon Galloway and Tyreek Duren, La Salle vs. Iona – The backcourt duo of Galloway and Duren has been very good early on this season, but Iona, led by Momo Jones, is going to look to pressure and speed up the pace, and it will be up to these two to keep the Explorers under control.  I’m not sure they do it.

Velton Jones, Robert Morris at Arkansas – Similar situation to the La Salle guards discussed above.  Arkansas is going to try and force the pace early, especially on the defensive end.  Jones’ ability to limit the mistakes will determine if the Colonials stay in this game or fall behind very quickly/

Follow me on Twitter - @NBADraftBlog – leave your comments below or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thoughts from Last Night

-          Jeff Withey has a fantastic night, though to be fair, he was being covered by a lot of 6’6 and 6’7 players.  As impressive was Travis Releford who continues to play some of the best perimeter defense in the country right now. 

-          Winthrop forced DeShaun Thomas into a lot of bad and rushed shots, but Thomas stepped up late in a close game.  His ability to score from anywhere should keep defenses off-balance, but he still needs to make better decisions based on who is playing him and what the rest of the defense is doing.

-          The North Carolina State offense was at its best last night, shooting 56% from the field, and doing a great job pushing the pace against a Stanford team that doesn’t have a lot of talent on its bench.  Lorenzo Brown continues to show he is more of a scorer than a point guard, but he does have a good feel for his teammates and where they need to get the ball.  Richard Howell continues to be one of the most effective players in the country around the basket.  For Stanford, Dwight Powell has continued to show his aggressive side of late, and the results have been a much more dangerous scorer. He did a good job pulling the defense out with some mid-range jumpers and then looked to attack.

-          Kris Dunn made his debut last night with 13 assists in 27 minutes, though his shot selection leaves a lot to be desired right now.  Once Vincent Council is back, the Friars will scare some teams, though it will be interesting to see how the Council/Dunn dynamic works.

-          The most impressive part of Miami’s win over UCF last night was definitely the perimeter defense of Shane Larkin and Durand Scott which forced Isaiah Sykes into some bad decisions, including getting Keith Clanton the ball in some very bad spots.  I’m still not sold on this Miami team in the long-run though because they are only really about 6 players deep.

Tonight’s Matchups

Xavier vs. Cincinnati

Chris Mack’s young Xavier squad has had some tough moments early on this season, but have had as many, or more, very good moments.  Freshman Semaj Christon has found his role in the Musketeers’ offense quickly and has brought some excitement with his aggressive, slashing style.  Backcourt mate Dee Davis handles the ball well, can hit down the long-range jumper, and is a tough defender.  Jeff Robinson and Travis Taylor use their athleticism well around the basket, while Justin Martin has the ability to stretch the defense or attack the basket.  Mack’s squad will look to pressure the ball on the perimeter, so the frontcourt players will need to be quick to rotate in help situations.

Mick Cronin has his Bearcats running on all cylinders on both ends of the court.  The backcourt of Cashmere Wright and Sean Kilpatrick is among the best in the country.  Wright keeps the offense moving, and while not as much of a playmaker as most point guards, he gets the team set, gets them out in transition, and is a capable scorer in his own right.  Kilpatrick made his name as a perimeter shooter, but he has been attacking the basket more with defenses coming out far on him, with good results.  JaQuon Parker and Titus Rubles are athletic slashers who are at their best in the open court.  Cheikh Mbodj and David Nyarsuk are both good at protecting the basket, which allows the perimeter defenders to extend out and pressure the ball.  Justin Jackson is another strong defender and skill-wise may be the team’s best rebounder.

We all remember the brawl from last year’s game, so no need to rehash it, but since that game, the Bearcats have been one of the best teams in the country.

North Carolina at Texas

Roy Williams’ Tar Heel are led by sophomore forward James Michael McAdoo, and a trio of upper-class   guards in Dexter Strickland, Reggie Bullock, and Leslie McDonald.  McAdoo is skilled and moves well for his size.  When he gets the ball on the block, it is tough to stop him one-on-one, but McAdoo had a tendency to make it harder on himself by spending too much time on the perimeter, and even going to his face-up move out of the post a little too often.  Bullock is a solid perimeter threat, and his size allows him to get good looks and shoot over the defense.  Strickland is more comfortable running the offense than he is playing off the ball, but is capable of getting into the lane and finishing.  McDonald provides a versatile wing scoring option who is also capable of defending multiple positions.  Sophomore PJ Hairston has been erratic on both ends of the floor, but he is capable of some spectacular plays, especially in transition.  Freshman point guard Marcus Paige is still making adjustments to the college level, and making the mistakes that go with that adjustment, but he will be a good one for the Heels. 

The loss of Myck Kabongo, who is sitting out during an NCAA investigation, has made it difficult for the rest of the young Longhorns’ team to make the progress they would have with their leader.  Sophomores Sheldon McClellan and Julien Lewis are both capable scorers, but without Kabongo, they are struggling to get good looks.  Freshman point guard Javan Felix continues to improve, and this experience will be great for him down the line, but he still has control issues (a common theme with his Texas team).  Sophomore forward Jonathan Holmes is strong and athletic and he has done a good job attacking the glass on both ends of the floor.  Freshman big man Cameron Ridley is playing his way into better shape, and when he gets there, combined with his strength and skill, he has the potential to be one of the best big men in college basketball.

Others to Watch

Mason Plumlee, Duke vs. Cornell – Plumlee has been spectacular in the early part of the season, and he should be at his best against a young, undersized Cornell team.  With the Big Red expected to double and triple-team him when he gets the ball, it will give us an opportunity to see how well Plumlee has progressed in this area. 

Kendall Williams, New Mexico vs. New Mexico State – Williams is coming off a good performance against New Mexico State on Saturday, scoring 15 points, grabbing 8 boards and dishing out 7 assists, with no turnovers.  He is going to see the Aggies again tonight, who were successful forcing him into difficult shots, but he made up for it in other ways.  Look for another solid all-around game.

Anthony Bennett, UNLV vs. Northern Iowa – UTEP showed that being physical with the bruising Bennett forces him out of his game and makes him force bad shots.  Expect a strong UNI team led by Jake Koch to do the same. Let’s see if he adjusts this time around.

Jackie Carmichael, Illinois State at Dayton – Carmichael has scored 54 points on 55% shooting the last 2 games, but Archie Miller should have a solid plan to keep him from getting the ball close to the basket.  Wyoming did a good job forcing Carmichael to catch the ball 10 feet and out, and I expect the Dayton forwards to play physical and do the same.

Follow me on Twitter - @NBADraftBlog – leave your comments below or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thoughts from Last Night

-          Congratulations to Jim Boeheim on his 900^th win, though it was much closer than he would have liked.  James Southerland picked up the slack with some timely perimeter shooting, and Michael Carter-Williams did a good job hitting his free throws to seal the game down the stretch.  Carter-Williams piled up some more big assist numbers (10), though the decision making and turnovers leave a lot to be desired.   

-          UNLV had a tough time during their trip to El Paso, and UTEP did a great job playing physical, which really threw Anthony Bennett off his game.  Bennett is tough and skilled, but he isn’t used to being the one pushed around, and I expect many more teams to adopt this philosophy against UNLV going forward.  Khem Birch made his debut, and did a very good job running the floor and being active, though his lack of great skills is evident.  The guards, especially Anthony Marshall and Justin Hawkins, were both impressive guarding on and off the ball, though Bennett’s lack of defensive ability is going to put more pressure on the guards and wings as the year goes on.

Tonight’s Matchups

Stanford at North Carolina State

Johnny Dawkin’s Cardinal squad comes in winners of 3 straight.  Aaron Bright is back from an ankle injury and is paired in the backcourt with sophomore Chasson Randle, giving the Cardinal a pair of guards capable of breaking down defenses.   Neither has been able to find the perimeter shooting stroke that helped carry Stanford to the NIT title, but they have been getting more help for their interior players, especially junior forward Dwight Powell.  Powell, a long, athletic forward, has done a very good job so far this season being aggressive when he gets the ball in the lane area.   Bright and Randle will need to be aggressive to keep the Wolfpack defense shifting and getting Powell room to operate around the rim.

North Carolina State has great balance and can 8 or 9 deep, yet they have yet to find a real offensive rhythm against any other high-major opponent.  Senior Richard Howell has been one of the most consistent, and effective, Wolfpack players early on this season.  He does a great job using his body to clear space around the basket and he goes strong whenever he gets the ball.  Juniors Lorenzo Brown and CJ Leslie have been very inconsistent so far this season.  Brown has had difficulties with the lack of real structure in the offense, and it has left him in some tough situations with the ball.  At his best, he uses his size well to see over the defense and uses his body to get into the lane, either to finish or distribute.  Leslie is incredibly athletic, and at times, he can be very explosive.  He is at his best in the open court or if given time to operate in the post.  Freshmen TJ Warren and Rodney Purvis, as well as junior Scott Wood, give some versatility to the offense.  Warren has found the adjustment to college game easier than Purvis and has done a good job creating his own opportunities.  Freshman point guard Tyler Lewis should be used well in this game, as the Stanford guard combo will look to pressure the ball and Lewis gives the team another good ballhandler, as well as defender.

Miami (FL) at Central Florida

The Hurricanes have been playing much better since Durand Scott returned to the team.  Scott sets the pace for the Hurricanes’ offense, even if he is playing off the ball and Shane Larkin is running the point.  Scott is very good at using his strong body to attack the basket and he has the vision to find open teammates when the help rotates over.  Larkin is not as good a decision-maker, but he has good speed and has been a solid perimeter option, especially off of Scott’s penetration or a kick-out by big man Reggie Johnson.  Johnson is a huge physical presence in the paint, coming in close to 300 pounds, but he moves very well for his size, and he is capable of playing long stretches of minutes.  Kenny Kadji has never really found a comfortable role on offense, preferring to play on the perimeter and shoot jumpers, but he does a good job pairing with Johnson to protect the basket area.

Johnson and Kadji will need to be at their defensive best tonight or Central Florida’s Keith Clanton will make them pay.  Clanton has become a versatile post player, able to play with his back to the basket or face-up and attack.  He is a strong rebounder, especially on the offensive end, and he runs the court well.  He feeds well of the penetration of Isaiah Sykes, a big guard in the mold of Scott, who does a good job drawing the defense and finding open teammates, or using his body to get good shots around the basket.  He needs to really work on his shooting, and he can be a liability at the free throw line.  Tristan Spurlock and Kasey Wilson provide some wings with very good size and the ability to hit from the perimeter or attack the basket.

Others to Watch

Jeff Withey and Elijah Johnson, Kansas vs. Richmond – A very good Richmond team comes to Kansas and the seniors will need to set the tone for the Jayhawks on both ends of the floor.  Richmond is not big, but efficient and likes to pressure the ball, but Johnson should be able to find Withey with deep position, if they stay out of a zone. 

James Ennis, Long Beach State at UCLA – Long Beach State has struggled to score this season, but they should find plenty of opportunities against a UCLA team that is short-handed and defensively lazy.  Ennis should be able to find some good opportunities along the baseline against the UCLA zone, though it is reliant on his guards being able to get into the middle of it.

Allen Crabbe, California vs. UC Santa Barbara – The Golden Bears are coming off of 3 straight losses, and Crabbe has shot just 18-49 over that same stretch, including a surreal 6-26 against Creighton in the last game.  UCSB is young and hasn’t been very good stopping perimeter shooters. Crabbe should have a huge night to get back on track.

Follow me on Twitter - @NBADraftBlog – leave your comments below or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.