In a stereotypical big vs. small clash, the small is actually favored as No. 1 seed Kansas “hosts” No. 4 seed Purdue in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. It’s listed as a neutral-site game, but Sprint Center is less than an hour from Allen… Continue reading “Purdue faces tough road vs. top-seeded Kansas”
GREENVILLE, S.C. — North Carolina scored the final 12 points to beat Arkansas 72-65 and avoid an upset Sunday night in the NCAA Tournament’s second round at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Isaiah Hicks scored six of the points in the winning spurt, sending North Carolina to the Sweet 16 for the 22nd time since 1985. The… Continue reading “UNC tops Arkansas to advance to Sweet 16”
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — If this is indeed the road to the Final Four for UCLA, the Bruins will look back on their Sunday game as the one they had to find a way to win before they could challenge college basketball’s bluebloods for the national championship. Lonzo Ball posted 18 points, nine assists and seven rebounds… Continue reading “Third-seeded UCLA races past Cincinnati”
A day after Oklahoma State’s season ended with a one-point loss to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament, head coach Brad Underwood took the vacant position at Illinois on Saturday. Underwood’s hiring occurs exactly one year after he coached 14th-seeded Stephen F. Austin to a double-digit win over West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. Underwood’s tenure with… Continue reading “Illinois hires Oklahoma State’s Underwood as coach”
Game Recap
Dayton entered this ESPN televised game 22-5 on the season and undefeated in the month of February. Their perfect month continued after beating Davidson 89-82 in OT.
Davidson used their inside play, shooting, and the home crowd to keep them in it. Dayton tried to make it a running game and used their athleticism. This one was back and forth from the start and both teams attacked the basket early and often resulting in a lot of whistles. Both teams ended up in the bonus early and 28 FT’s were shot in the 1st half. Davidson really struggled defending Dayton’s motion pick and roll attack while Dayton struggled to guard Davidson patient half court offense. Davidson lead most the 1st half behind 19 points from Peyton Aldridge but it was Dayton who used a flurry of baskets to take the 46-45 lead at the half.
The 2nd half was back and forth with neither team able to really take a big lead or take control. Both teams struggled with turnovers. Davidson was finally able to make a run and their lead got as high as 11 with 7:58 left before FT’s by Charles Cooke ended Dayton’s drought. This prompted a 17-5 run for Dayton to tie it up and then Scoochie Smith scored 11 points in OT to help Dayton get the win.
Scouting Reports
Davidson
Peyton Aldrige, F, JR, 6-8
Peyton Aldridge had it going early tonight and it continued all game. He was hitting 3’s, scoring on the block, rebounding, and blocking shots. He looks better and better every game. He finished with 27 points and 7 rebounds.
Jack Gibbs, G, SR, 6-0
Struggled early on but finished strong and played well most of the game. Played solid defense tonight and made plays. Wa able to get the rim area practically at will to draw fouls. Finished with 27 points.
Dayton
Charles Cooke, G, R-SR, 6-5
Leads team in scoring at over 16 per contest and finished with 17 tonight. . Super long and athletic. Can put the ball down and get to the rim w/ 1 dribble and finish. Has a great looking stroke and can hit the 3 ball with consistency. High motor guy who defends.
Kendall Pollard, F, SR, 6-6
Really solid body that he uses to get deep position on the block where he can score with either hand. Has some Draymond Green in him but doesnt shoot the 3. Handles the ball decently well for his size.
Scoochie Smith, G, SR, 6-2
Leads team in assists per game and is 3rd in scoring. Can turn the corner off the pick and roll and is an excellent passer. Showed his scoring ability in the OT period by scoring 11 points.
Xeyrius Williams, F, SO, 6-8
One of the best potential filled prospects on the court. Has really good length. Runs the floor hard. Showed he could hit the set open 3.
Game Scouted: Furman vs Chattanooga
Furman wins 60-56
Kris Acox, 6’6″, 215 lbs, F, SR
Stats- 34 minutes, 4-7 FG, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assists, 8 pts
Strengths
Kris is a big time athlete with good explosion and a high motor. Very strong. Really active rebounder on both ends. Attacks rebounds at the highest point on the defensive end and uses the swim move to attack the offensive boards. Has really good quickness for a guy his size. Can finish with either hand inside.Goes a nice job of getting deep position in the post where he uses his quickness to go by bigger defenders. Gets his body low and attacks. Comfortable facing the basket. Efficient on dump downs- can catch and finish strong. Does a nice job of using the rim as protection.
Capable of rebounding the ball and leading the break with the dribble.
Defends ball screens really well. Hedges hard and recovers back to his man. Does a nice job of ¾ fronting the low post.
Weaknesses
TO prone at times- he gets caught on the baseline and doesnt have anywhere to go. Struggled with the length that Tuoyo posed tonight defensively.
Shooting stroke needs improvement- has a minor hitch, takes it back too far, and its not fluid. Misses are not consistent. FT’s need to get better.
Limited offensively to a degree. Rushes at times.
Overview
Entered the game 2nd on the team with scoring at 12.9 ppg and leads the team in rebounds at 7.4 rpg. Tonight wasnt his best night of the season but he hit the game winning hook with a few seconds left. Plays for the Iceland National Team, which is where he is originally from.
Game Recap
Both Wake and Georgia Tech entered this afternoon’s contest in Winston-Salem with a 13-9 record overall. They left tied in ACC record too after the Demon Deacons beat the road team 81-69. Wake Forest wore their retro bright yellow uniforms today and Tech had their road blues, no pun intended.
The 1st half was back and forth after a fast start by Wake in which they scored their first 4 baskets from the post. This was clearly an early emphasis by the coaching staff to get the ball in side early and often today. Georgia Techs offense never really did click in the first half and both teams struggled to manufacture baskets as they went into the locker rooms with a score of 37-31.
Both games struggled to get any flow in the 2nd half until Wake got hot midway through and was able to keep the lead the rest of the way. Wake built up a 16 point lead with 10 minutes to go after a flurry of 3’s. Tech tried to make a run but the run fell short and Wake picked up a good conference win.
Here were the standouts from both teams below.
Wake Forest
John Collins, F, 6’10”, SO
Practically impossible to stop on the block once he gets position. Scored on the block, on the face up, off the PnR, and from the FT line on this one. Did a great job of protecting the rim and rebounding it in this one as well. Finished with another double double.
Bryant Crawford, G, 6’3”, SO
Confident combo guard who can be playmaker for himself and others. Has a high motor and is aggressive. Can score with the jumper and at the rim. Was solid all day today and made some big plays.
Georgia Tech
Josh Okogie, G, 6’4”, FR
Aggressively attacks the baskets,Moves well off the ball, and gets to the FT line at a high rate. Has a great build for a freshman and has good length as well.
Finished with a game high 23 points.
Quinton Stephens, F, 6’9”, SR
Primarily plays on the perimeter. Smart player who you cant leave open behind the arc.
Game Scouted: North Florida vs USC Upstate
North Florida wins 73-65
Michael Buchanan (7’0″, C, SR)
Stats: 26 min, 6-15 FG, 1-5 FT, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 1 TO
Strengths
Can score with his back to the basket- showed a variety of post moves and couldn’t be stopped when guarded by 1 guy. Really solid footwork. Loves the drop step, spin move, and right hook. Can score with contact and has great hands. Displayed great patience on the block and makes good reads against the double team. Really efficient scorer inside who is shooting over 60% from the field on the season.
Can rebound the ball on both ends. Rebounds it in traffic and keeps the ball alive with one hand until he can grab it with 2. Leads the country in offensive rebounding %.
Runs the floor pretty well especially for a player of his size.
Controls the paint on both ends. Size is such an issue for opponents to deal with. He is able to secure deep post position and keep players from scoring in the paint at the other end. Solid shot blocker who uses his length to his advantage.
Weaknesses
Plays under the rim. Needs to continue to improve conditioning- Is able to play strong for about 5 minute spurts but starts to tire after (to his credit he played a long stretch to close out the game). Loves to finish over left shoulder and rarely goes over right shoulder.
Upstate plays practically almost all zone while he is in so I wasnt able to see how he would guard the ball screen.
Needs to improve FT shooting- has a hitch on the way up.
Overall
Has been named the ASUN Player of the Week twice this year. Michael is currently one of 26 D1 players who is averaging a double-double and is the only one of the group to do so while playing less than 25 minutes per game. Mike is currently averaging 15.3 ppg and 10.6 rpg in 23.4 minutes.
Upstate runs their offense through Mike and he has done a great job this season of finishing or passing out to shooters when the doubles come.
Professional basketball is definitely in the future for Mike and he should have more then 1 option. I can see him as a possible PIT guy and should receive several NBA workouts. His game would be great in a solid European league.
As my week of Vegas Tournaments continued I saw both days of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational at the Orleans Hotel. The tournament featured 8 teams with 4 teams in one “upper bracket” and 4 in another bracket.
There were several legit NBA prospects and even more European prospects playing as Arizona, Butler, and Santa Clara had several players each. Butler was able to come from behind in the 2nd half to defeat Arizona in the championship game. Andrew Chrabascz, a senior F for Butler, was named MVP.
Below I have put together my own version of the All-Tournament team (5 players) plus a few honorable mentions. These are players who I thought deserved it for the play in this tournament, so no other factors were included, such as hype coming in, or what the player had done in the past.
All Tournament Team
G- Jordan Davis, G, 6’2”, SO, Northern Colorado
The breakout start of the tournament. Back in his hometown, Davis put on a show. He leads the country in usage rate and showed why here. Plays like a mix of Russell Westbrook and Damien Lillard, Davis scored at will and got the paint over and over. Athletic and quick guard who is an excellent rebounder for his size. Davis is definitely a pro prospect and a player for NBA teams to monitor.
G- Jared Brownridge, G, 6’3”, SR, Santa Clara
Big time scorer who can play on and off the ball. Had a big time scoring output in the 2nd game vs Vandy w/ 36 points. Loved his demeanor throughout the tournament, he never gets rattled. Pro prospect who should do very well in Europe.
F- Kelan Martin, F, 6’7”, JR, Butler
Versatile wing with pro size and strength. Can handle the ball well and showed he could create and score off the bounce. Played consistently well in both games.
F- Andrew Chrabascz, F, 6’7″, SR, Butler
Fundamental and skilled forward who knows how to play and makes winning plays on both ends. Can stretch the floor with his shooting ability.
F– Lauri Markkanen, F, 7’0”, FR, Arizona
Talented stretch 4 from Finland showed why so many NBA teams are so high on him. He has a pure stroke from deep, can handle the ball like a guard, and has fluid movements. Very high upside.
Honorable Mention
Dusan Ristic, C, 7’0”, JR, Arizona
Rawle Alkins, G, 6’5”, FR, Arizona
Nate Kratch, F, 6’8”, SR, Santa Clara
Jeff Roberson, F, 6’6”, JR, Vanderbilt
Tyler Lewis, G, 5’11”, SR, Butler
Once again for the fourth straight year I was able to attend the Charleston Classic tournament in beautiful Charleston, SC held at the TD Arena downtown. This years 8 team field was pretty impressive and included defending National Champions Villanova, Miss. St, Wake Forest, and the hometown team College of Charleston. Villanova beat UCF in the championship game Sunday night 67-57.
Below I have put together my own version of the All-Tournament team (5 players) plus a few honorable mentions. These are players who I thought deserved it for the play in this tournament, so no other factors were included, such as hype coming in, or what the player had done in the past.
All Tournament Team
G-Jalen Brunson, G, 6’3”, SO, Villanova
Poised and strong true PG who does an amazing job of getting into the teeth of the defense and making plays. Lefty who has the ball on a string and is an extension of the coach on the floor.
G- Bryant Crawford, G, 6’3”, SO, Wake Forest
Strong and confident guard who can score it and finds teammates for easy scores. Had 3 solid games to help Wake go 2-1 here.
G- Quinndary Weatherspoon, G, 6’4”, SO, Miss St
One of the best pure scorers I saw here- can score it from all 3 areas. Underrated athlete and playmaker.
F- Josh Hart, G, 6’6”, SR, Villanova
High motor X-factor/glue guy type player who plays both sides of the ball. Had a career high in points in the 2nd game of the tournament.
C- Tacko Fall, C, 7’6”, SO, UCF
Had a big coming out party in front of a number of NBA scouts in attendance. Moves very well for size and scores at a high rate around the basket. Looks much more aggressive this year on both ends.
Honorable Mention
Jarrell Brantley, F, 6’7”, SO, Charleston
Matt Willms, C, 7’1”, UTEP
John Collins, F, 6’10”, SO, Wake Forest
Thomas Wilder, G, 6’3”, JR, Western Michigan