11.8.23 Slate Primer

Welcome to the daily slate primer, where we rundown last night’s action and preview the day to come.

Last Night’s Recap

• Ed Cooley and Rick Pitino brought new life back to their programs, as Georgetown and St. John’s logged convincing victories over inferior opponents. Georgetown beat Le Moyne 94-57, behind 19pts & 13rebs from Supreme Cook. The Johnnies beat Stony Brook 90-74, thanks to double-doubles from Joel Soriano and Chris Ledlum. The Big East is better when these two teams are good.
• UMass got off to a good start thanks to certified bucket, Josh Cohen. The St. Francis PA transfer had 22pts & 8rebs, picking up right where he left off last season. He’ll be a major factor for the Minutemen next year.
• Indiana survives and Michigan rolls against two very good mid-major programs. We said both teams were on upset alert in yesterday’s primer and FGCU nearly got there. It took a late surge for the Hoosiers to put the Eagles away. Meanwhile, the Wolverines pounced on UNC Asheville from the jump. I think it’s time to start talking about offensive juggernaut Michigan.
• Auburn vs. Baylor lived up to the hype. This game started when the ball was in the air. It was a physical battle between two of the most athletic teams in the country and the star-studded freshmen stole the show. Ja’Kobe Walter (28pts, 6rebs) and Aden Holloway (19pts, 6asts) lit it up in their collegiate debuts. Baylor got the win, 88-82, but Auburn showed they’ll be able to hang with the nation’s best teams.
• Presbyterian and Purdue Fort Wayne knocked off high-major opponents. The Blue Hose took down a Vanderbilt team missing a few starters. Purdue Fort Wayne beat DePaul behind 24 points from Quinton Morton-Robertson (who averaged 6.7ppg last year!)

KenPom’s Thrill Score Top-10 | 11.8.23

There is…not a lot to love on tonight’s slate. Thank goodness for the Barstool Invitational putting on a solid event, or else we’d have to watch…Jackson State vs. San Diego. It’s days like these where college basketball would be wise to have one high caliber matchup in primetime every night to open the season. Get all the casuals excited for college hoops with some familiar names before we fade into obscurity until football season is over.

10 things we’re excited to watch:

• Florida Atlantic’s ball screen offense
• Loyola Chicago’s resurgence
• Andrew Taylor’s shot making
• Jose Perez playing in a real game for the first time in two seasons
• Francisco Caffaro playing for Santa Clara
• The Tucker DeVries Show
• Judah Mintz tough buckets
• Texas Tech’s up-tempo offense??
• Kevin Kruger’s lineup of all fifth-years
• Chris Victor’s 20-win machine

Storylines to watch:

Alijah Martin’s health.

Florida Atlantic is coming off an improbable Final Four run and they bring all but one rotation player back from last year’s squad. Preseason scrimmage losses to North Carolina and UCF have suddenly stirred concerns that this team is a one-hit wonder. We don’t think that’s the case, but the main concern for FAU right now is the health of Alijah Martin. Martin missed both scrimmages with a stress injury in his foot, never a great sign for a guy that relies on his explosiveness to get to the rim. FAU’s did themselves no favors with their non-conference schedule, so his availability will be pivotal in this early season stretch.

Mississippi State’s depth.

Another team going through it with injuries is Mississippi State. The Bulldogs will be without all-conference big man Tolu Smith for the first six weeks of the season. KeShawn Murphy is also out with a foot injury and this morning, Jon Rothstein reported Shakeel Moore will miss tonight’s game due to a suspension. When at full strength, we think MSU is a top-25 team. They’re tremendous defensively and the addition of Andrew Taylor gives them a pop of offense they didn’t have last year. The Bulldogs open with a tough Arizona State team. Do they have enough to squeak out a win in their opener?

Loyola Chicago’s return to prominence.

Drew Valentine’s squad took a major step back after winning 25 games in year one, but they’ve got the pieces in place to return to prominence this season. The Ramblers bring back leading scorers Philip Alston, Braden Norris and Ben Schweiger. They also hit the portal, adding Greg Dolan, Des Watson, Dame Adelekun and Patrick Mwamba. All four are expected to be major contributors, giving Loyola productive depth they didn’t have last year. The transition to the A10 took it’s toll, but we think Loyola is equipped to make a run at a top-four finish in the league this season. They get a great litmus test, opening against FAU in the Barstool Invitational tonight.

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