Photo: Kevin Rivoli/AP

Thoughts From Last Night

-          Congrats to Jim Boeheim on win number 903, and moving to #2 on the all-time wins list.  Brandon Triche took advantage of a lackluster Rutgers squad with timely perimeter shooting and great anticipation at the top of the zone defense leading to turnovers and easy baskets.

-          Neither Doug McDermott nor Jackie Carmichael had outstanding games in the Creighton-Illinois State matchup, but both showed a lot of the skills that will make them NBA players one day.  McDermott has an incredible understanding of the game, and he knows how to best work every situation to his advantage.  Carmichael is similar in a lot of ways, knowing how to exploit matchups to his benefit, but last night the shots just weren’t falling.

-          Ryan Kelly provided a lift to a Duke team that was struggling with an aggressive Davidson squad.  Kelly used his size and shooting ability well to get good looks at the basket, and he did an excellent job as a weak-side help defender against the Davidson cutters.

-          Russ Smith blitzed an undermanned Providence team that often likes to play at a quick pace.  Yes, Providence’s defense is poor, but Smith and Peyton Siva did a great job exploiting the holes and making it count.

-          Ryan Harrow looked the most comfortable he has all year as the Kentucky point guard, finding holes in the Eastern Michigan zone, hitting the open shot when he had it, and playing tough on-ball defense. 

-          Colton Iverson continued his strong post play and helped will Colorado State to a tough win against a physical UTEP team. 

Tonight’s Matchups

Colorado at Arizona

Colorado has bounced back with 3 straight wins after their complete dismantling against Kansas.  The team is led by the backcourt duo of Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker.  While neither is a true point guard, Dinwiddie does a decent job using his size (6’5) to see over the defense and to hit cutters or perimeter shooters off of penetration.  Until the Kansas game, Dinwiddie had been doing a great job getting to the free throw line, but he is capable of also hitting the spot-up 3.  Booker is also a decent perimeter shooter, but he prefers to slash to the basket for short jumpers and floaters, and get out in transition.  Andre Roberson has yet to really develop on the offensive end, but he is a tremendous rebounder and is efficient around the basket.  Roberson’s athleticism should allow him great opportunities against Arizona’s big, but young, frontcourt.  Freshman big man Josh Scott continues to impress, and will become a major force in the paint once he develops more fluid footwork and strength on both ends of the floor.

Arizona was last seen on Christmas night eking out a one-point win over San Diego State to get to 12-0 on the season.  Mark Lyons continues to give the Wildcats scoring from the point guard position, if little else, and he certainly gives the young team leadership in key spots.  Solomon Hill has been up and down early in the season, but his ability to score from a variety of spots on the floor, as well as guard multiple positions, allows Coach Sean Miller some flexibility in his lineups.  Nick Johnson has shown some improvement in his sophomore year, and you can see where he is starting to combine skill with his athleticism.  He is an excellent finisher in transition, though he needs to become a more consistent threat in the half-court offense.  The 3 freshman big men – Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley, and Grant Jerrett – will have their hands full with Roberson and Scott tonight, and Arizona will need to keep Dinwiddie and Booker out of the lane to avoid big man foul trouble early.  Jerrett has shown to be the most versatile early on, but Ashley’s athleticism should afford him more opportunities during the Pac-12 season.

California at UCLA

At 8-4, California has been less than impressive early on this season, and it starts with the inconsistent play of Justin Cobbs and Allen Crabbe.  Cobbs has done a good job getting past his man and hitting the mid-range jumper of taking it to the basket, but his decision making has ranged from bad to awful.  He has played some solid defense this season, though he can have some bad lapses.  Crabbe has been forcing his jumper, though he has seemed to get his touch back the last few games.  He should find plenty of open spots against UCLA’s zone tonight, and if they go man, there isn’t anyone on the team who can defend him, so he needs to take it to the basket.  The frontcourt of David Kravish and Richard Solomon, along with Robert Thurman, will need to do a much better job on the defensive glass against a UCLA team that will look to crash the boards at most opportunities. 

UCLA has started to find success since they have gone to a zone defense and push the ball all game offense.  Jordan Adams continues to be the most consistent offensive threat, though he isn’t getting the same quality looks he did early on in the season.  Travis Wear has done a strong job on both ends of the floor, and along with his brother David Wear, provide the team with a duo who will do the dirty work for a team of prima donnas.  Larry Drew II has done a good job making the right decisions with the ball early on this season, and he is just one of the players who the zone defense helps covers up their defensive deficiencies.  Shabazz Muhammad is a scorer, there is no denying it, but that’s really all he offers.  His shot selection is still poor, he doesn’t see the floor well, and he is a below-average defender.  I am starting to feel for Kyle Anderson who skills are just not being used with this team at all, though it doesn’t help that he can’t hit an open jumper.

Others to Watch

Trey Burke, Michigan at Northwestern– Northwestern is not near the top of the Big 10, but they do play good defense and are very good at slowing the tempo of the game.  This is the type of game where Burke can show his maturity as a point guard, adjusting to the pace, and pushing the tempo at the right times.  His ability to get into the lane will be key in breaking down a tight Wildcats’ defense.

Shane Gibson, Sacred Heart vs. Long Island – Gibson has seen his production drop early this season as defenses send 2 or 3 guys at him to stop him from getting to the basket.  This shouldn’t be an issue against a LIU team has had trouble stopping almost anyone.  Gibson could be in for a career night in a fast-paced game. 

Tony Mitchell, North Texas vs. Troy – It’s a new year and here’s hoping that Mitchell gets on track somehow.  I understand he commands a lot of attention from the opposition, but at times it doesn’t even seem like he’s trying.  NBA teams have noticed, but there is still time to turn things around.

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First NBA Draft Daily of the New Year, so we will start it fresh.  Thoughts from Last Night will start tomorrow, and we will kick it off with some previews and players to watch.  Make sure to check back each day for the Draft Daily, plus tomorrow is the kickoff of the full scouting reports.

Tonight’s Matchups

Davidson vs. Duke

Duke is still #1 in the country, but is coming off a tough victory at home over an overmatched Santa Clara squad.  As discussed before, this team relies on their 3 senior leaders to keep them on the winning path.  Mason Plumlee has arguably been both the best and the most improved player in the country through the first 6 weeks.  No longer a screen-setter and rebounder, Plumlee has become a viable offensive weapon and a decent post defender.  Ryan Kelly has also improved some on the defensive end, and at times, he has become more aggressive on the offensive end, not settling for the long jumper and looking to get to the basket.  Seth Curry came into the season as a perimeter shooter, but he is starting to show flashes of a complete offensive game that his brother showed in college.  He wants the ball down the stretch in tight games and his confidence has helped the team through tough stretches of games so far.  Freshman Rasheed Sulaimon is a very good knock-down perimeter shooter, but his athleticism helps give the Blue Devils a different look on the court, and forces the defense to make a decision.  Sophomore point guard Quinn Cook has had his ups and downs, especially on the defensive end, but he is slowly becoming more comfortable in keeping the team on track and pushing the ball when the team needs a lift.

While Davidson’s 7-5 record is mostly a result of a tough early schedule, the Wildcats are not a team for Duke to take lightly.  Bob McKillop likes to keep his team moving by going 9 or 10 deep in his rotation, which allows him to pressure the ball on defense and maintain a lot of movement on offense.  Junior forward De’Mon Brooks likes to attack the basket and plays much bigger than his 6’7 frame.  Jake Cohen is a physical post player who will give Plumlee a lot of trouble with his strength.  Movement on the offensive end helps create opportunities for shooters Chris Czerapowicz and Tyler Kalinoski.  JP Kuhlman and Nik Cochran are both capable of running the offense and are both strong on-ball defenders.

Creighton at Illinois State

 Greg McDermott’s Bluejays have been rolling along with a 12-1 record, and all 12 wins have been by 10 or more points.  Doug McDermott has been one of the top 2 or 3 players in the country, and easily the biggest offensive threat in the NCAA.  He can score from anywhere on the court – high post, low post, NBA-range 3’s.  While he isn’t a strong defender, he works hard and is good at attacking the glass.  A lot of McDermott’s opportunities come from Grant Gibbs getting him the ball at the right spot at the right time.  Gibbs isn’t flashy, but he protects the ball as well as anyone in the country, and his size allows him to see over the defense.  Gregory Echinique is efficient in the post, and he has turned into one of the top screeners in the country, allowing his teammates to get great looks at the basket. 

Dan Muller’s Redbirds have been a very good defensive team for most of the season so far, but the offense will need some more contributors to help the team during the Missouri Valley season.  Jackie Carmichael has been impressive enough to catch the eyes of many NBA teams, and he is a double-double threat every night in the MVC.  He is a very good from 15 feet in to the rim, and is capable of hitting the mid-range jumper consistently.  Senior guard Tyler Brown is the main perimeter threat, though his shot-selection needs some improvement.  Muller likes to go deep into his bench, with 10 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game, so look for him to throw multiple players at McDermott to keep him off-balance.

Providence at Louisville

The Friars have come through a slew of early injuries to have a respectable 8-4 record, though back-to-back losses to Boston College and Brown are not ideal, especially heading into Big East play at Louisville.  Bryce Cotton did an admirable job in the absence of Vincent Council and Kris Dunn, and he should plenty of excellent scoring opportunities now that he can focus on scoring.  LeDontae Henton has been impressive when he gets out in transition and is aggressive attacking the basket.  His ability to rebound, combined with Kadeem Batts and Sidiki Johnson, should allow Ed Cooley to have his guards be aggressive defending the perimeter.  Council and Dunn will need to be at their best against the aggressive Louisville backcourt.

Coming off a huge win against rival Kentucky, Louisville will be without sophomore strong man Chane Behanan.  Luckily Gorgui Dieng returned from injury over the weekend, and Providence is not exactly strong on post players.  Peyton Siva continues to make his case as one of the best point guards in the country on both ends of the floor.  He does an excellent job pressuring the ball on defense, and combined with Russ Smith, the backcourt averages over 5 steals per game.  Siva pushes the ball well in transition and his passes have started to become better in terms of allowing his teammates to make plays quickly off of them.  Smith can be the most electrifying, and the most terrifying, player Cardinal fans have seen in a long time.  His constant activity drives the opposition nuts, and there may not be a better player converting turnovers to baskets in the country.  However, there are players with control issues and then there is Russ Smith.  Shot selection can be a nightmare and he needs to keep his head up when heading into the lane.  Dieng has continued to improve as an offensive threat around the basket, and he will be waiting for the Providence guards to challenge him around the basket tonight.   

Others to Watch

Archie Goodwin, Kentucky vs. Eastern Michigan – Coming off another brutal outing against Louisville (bad shots and awful turnovers far outweigh his 22 points), Goodwin will be put to the test by Eastern Michigan’s version of the Syracuse zone defense.  This game should not be a close, but how Goodwin reacts to the extended zone should say a lot about how much further he still needs to come heading into SEC season.

Aaron Craft, Ohio State vs. Nebraska –  Craft’s defense has been good early on this season, but his lack of offensive ability as highlighted in the Kansas loss, has made it tough for his teammates to get good looks with the defense sagging off of Craft.  Craft will need to show that he can at least be a threat to attack the basket, and what better time to start than the beginning of Big 10 season. 

Colton Iverson, Colorado State vs. UTEP – Iverson, a Minnesota transfer, has been a major component to the Rams’ strong start this season.  A true wide-body, he will need to hold his ground against a physical UTEP team, which has done a very good job handling the big men from UNLV and Oregon in the past few weeks.  UTEP will attack the glass, so Iverson will need to be aware of the crashers and use his body to shield his position.  On the offensive end, UTEP will play him physical, so he can’t let that take him out of his game.

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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.

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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.

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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/

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