Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers. Here’s hoping your day is full of family and college basketball.
Two Big 12 teams that had undesirable outcomes a year ago head into the holiday weekend on a good note. It’s one that surely has their fans thinking a better outcome is possible this time around, even if for one last season’s outcome was not terrible by many programs’ standards.
We begin with the earlier game, which was the championship in the Maui Invitational. Dayton came into the game on a high, with forward Obi Toppin having two big games to enter the national consciousness after most in the Midwest certainly knew about him. They were opposite a Kansas team that once again has a good deal of talent, but most of all, they have a healthy big man, with a sidekick down low who is getting better as well.
The game was all we could hope for, especially in a championship game of a premier tournament. It was neck-and-neck throughout, with the two teams rarely more than a couple of possessions apart. With time running down and not many other options, Jalen Crutcher came up big again for Dayton with a three-pointer with three seconds left to force overtime. We would get five more minutes of this, which only made sense.
After Dayton got within one with under two to play, Kansas sealed it with two straight baskets sandwiched around a big block by that healthy big man, Udoka Azubuike. Three more free throws helped provide the final margin in a 90-84 win.
The Jayhawks have a dynamic duo emerging with Devon Dotson (31 points on 11-16 shooting) and big man Azubuike (29 points on 12-15 shooting and four blocked shots), the latter of who Dayton had no answer for all day inside. If they got him the ball there, it was sure to be a basket. They led the way as Kansas shot almost 56 percent from the field. In particular, you saw that when Azubuike is healthy, he can be unstoppable, and if David McCormack continues to develop – he had two double-digit scoring games in Maui and shot 13-19 from the field in them – the Jayhawks will have some real options up front, which was an area of concern last year.
We move on to the later game, the championship game in the Cancun Challenge, where West Virginia took on Wichita State. Last season was one to forget for the Mountaineers, who at this time a year ago had lost in the final of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. That wasn’t so bad considering it was Buffalo who beat them, but things got worse from there. You sensed that they could turn it around eventually, until Big 12 play got going and nothing happened in the first few games. This year figures to be better for Bob Huggins & Co., if only because he has a different cast as the chemistry was no good last year.
One of those newcomers is Oscar Tshiebwe, who has quickly been an impact player. The freshman from Congo has put up a couple of monster games thus far, including on Wednesday night when he had 19 points and 18 rebounds to lead them past the Shockers 75-63. He’s averaging nearly a double-double, having also put up 20 points and 17 rebounds in the Backyard Brawl against Pittsburgh, and he’s also shooting nearly 71 percent from the foul line, which is respectable for a post player.
Tshiebwe is not the only difference, but he’s a big one, and thus far the Mountaineers are 6-0 with wins over improving Pittsburgh and Wichita State as well as some solid mid-majors like Akron, Northern Colorado, Boston University and Northern Iowa.
Certainly, Kansas had a season a year ago many programs would be happy with. Their streak of consecutive Big 12 regular season titles ended, but it was otherwise a good year for most teams. It was much better than the season West Virginia had. Thus far, both appear to have better times ahead this season, with Wednesday being the latest sign.
Side Dishes
Tournament/showcase roundup:
- In other action in Maui, Georgia got 24 points and eight rebounds from Anthony Edwards to take seventh place with an 80-77 win over Chaminade, Michigan State pulled away from UCLA 75-62 for fifth, and BYU broke open a close game in the second half to take third place with a 90-77 win over Virginia Tech.
- In the Cancun Challenge, Northern Iowa got 26 points from A.J. Green to take third place with a 78072 win over South Carolina.
- In the Fort Myers Tip-Off, Bradley pulled away from Kansas State 73-60 to take third place, then Pittsburgh did the same to Northwestern in the championship game for a 72-59 win.
- George Mason won the Cayman Islands Classic with a big second half, as they took over the game in a 68-64 win over New Mexico State to go to 8-1.
- La Salle took home the Gulf Coast Showcase with an 81-76 win over South Alabama in overtime despite 28 points by the Jaguars’ Andre Fox. It’s a big win as Ashley Howard tries to rebuild the program in year two.
- The Battle 4 Atlantis got underway in fine fashion, with Michigan holding off Iowa State 83-76 despite 25 points and nine rebounds from Tyrese Haliburton, as Zavier Simpson had 10 points and 13 assists to go with seven rebounds. Then North Carolina beat Alabama 76-67, Gonzaga ran away from Ole Miss 94-69, and the day closed out with a dandy as expected as Oregon edged Seton Hall 71-69.
- Semifinal action in the NIT Season Tip-Off saw Oklahoma State get off to a good start and ride that to an 86-72 win over Syracuse, then Ole Miss rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to edge Penn State 74-72.
The NCAA has upheld the 12-game suspension handed out to Memphis freshman James Wiseman. Memphis had appealed the initial decision, hoping to get it down by a few games from past precedent, but the NCAA held firm, perhaps in part because Memphis initially played him after being told he was likely ineligible. Either way, the big man will return on January 12 as American Athletic Conference play picks up.
Virginia will be without Braxton Key for an undetermined period of time after the guard had wrist surgery. The second-leading scorer on the team, he won’t be easy to replace, but should return, and the Cavaliers are carried by their defense, although he’s a key veteran presence as well.
Another team who will be without a key veteran is Kentucky, as forward Nate Sestina is expected to miss three to four weeks with a fractured wrist. A graduate transfer from Bucknell, he suffered the injury to his left wrist in practice on Tuesday, and it means Nick Richards will continue to play a bigger role up front, especially as E.J. Montgomery tries to work his way back after missing time earlier with an ankle injury.
Tonight’s Menu
The slate is much lighter, but the games are good, with three more getting underway.
- The Orlando Invitational gets underway with its quarterfinals, starting with Maryland taking on Temple (11 a.m.), then Texas A&M battles Harvard (1 p.m.), Fairfield plays USC (4 p.m.) and Marquette battles Davidson (6 p.m.) to close out the day.
- The Battle 4 Atlantis continues with semifinal action as North Carolina takes on Michigan (1:30 p.m.) and Oregon battles Gonzaga (4 p.m.), then consolation games as Alabama battles Iowa State (6:30 p.m.) and Seton Hall takes on Southern Miss (9 p.m.)
- The Wooden Legacy gets going out west with Providence taking on Long Beach State (2 p.m.), then Wake Forest takes on College of Charleston (4:30 p.m.) In the evening, UCF takes on Penn (8:30 p.m.) before the day closes with Pepperdine taking on Arizona (11 p.m.)
- In the Barclays Center Classic, NC State takes on Memphis (4 p.m.)
- In the Las Vegas Invitational, Tennessee State takes on Cal Poly (2 p.m.), LIU takes on North Florida (4:30 p.m.), Texas Tech battles Iowa (8 p.m.) and San Diego State takses on Creighton (10:30 p.m.)
