Update

I'm taking a little break from the college basketball season. I'll be out of the country until Christmas. Happy Holidays everyone. Coverage of the college basketball season will return for conference play. Catch you then.

College Basketball Player Ratings 12/6/15: Syracuse, Georgetown, Zona, & Zaga

Player Ratings and Recap for a pair of Saturday's games:
Syracuse @ Georgetown & Arizona @ Gonzaga

14 SYRACUSE @ GEORGETOWN

Syracuse Orange

C DaJuan Coleman: 6.5

Coleman had his best game of the season against Georgetown. I knew it would be necessary he see more minutes against the Hoyas, who can play a pretty big lineup. Coleman scored 10 points, shooting 3-5, and making all four of his free throw attempts. He grabbed five rebounds, all of which came on the offensive end. The trouble was defensive rebounding, like it was for everyone on the team. He couldn't keep Georgetown's bigs away from the basket. Coleman also turned the ball over four times.

F Tyler Roberson: 7.5

Roberson was the only positive part of the team in the first half. He had 10 points in the first frame. Unfortunately, he slowed down in the second. Roberson finished the game shooting five of seven, and making all five of his free throw attempts, scoring a total of 15 points. He also had eight rebounds. Roberson did put up a good effort. He needs to contribute like this more often, even when Syracuse is shooting well. Unfortunately, Roberson doesn't have the size to take on Bradley Hayes himself.

F Malachi Richardson: 3.5

Richardson's shooting % continues to plummet. He made just one shot, while attempting eight, and this was the first game this season in which he failed to make a 3pt shot. Richardson scored just two points. The freshman's confidence looked visibly shaken this game, especially in the second half. He was missing jump shots badly every time he threw one up, and was called for offensive fouls on multiple occasions while driving to the basket. Worst of all, Richardson drove to the basket, and actually got a blocking foul called (it was close), and he missed both free throws, at a key juncture of the game. I don't have inside information in regards to the psyche of Malachi Richardson, but I would consider benching him next game. He was no help to the team in the second half of this game; he was shot mentally. I'd bench him, give Joseph his shot, or play big with Lydon and Roberson on the wings. Then bring Richardson off the bench, and see how he responds. It could reinvigorate him (or, it could bring his confidence down further. But, if he's that frail mentally, I'd rather know now). Richardson did grab a couple steals, and brought his turnovers down to two. Both of those were the aforementioned charges.

G Trevor Cooney: 5

Cooney shot 3-12. Last game I'd give him 10 shots without complaining, but anything above will draw my ire if he isn't shooting well. Well, I'm not going to be so hard on him. Many of his shots came late in the game, when Syracuse was still down by quite a bit relative to the time on the clock. He did shoot three for nine from 3pt range, and made both his free throws. He also stole the ball twice, and had three assists and three rebounds. Still, if he's going to take 12 shots, I'd like him to be scoring 15 points.

G Michael Gbinije: 9

If Gbinije keeps up this form, he will enter the ACC season as one of the favorites to be player of the year. Gbinije continues to play exceptionally well, but he needs his teammates to step up their game. The fifth year senior shot 7-16, 3-8 from 3pt range, and 6-7 from the charity stripe, totaling 23 points. He's now averaging 20 points per game. Gbinije stepped up his game down the stretch, scoring 13 points in the final ten minutes of the game. He finished the game with five rebounds, and five assists. He also only turned the ball over once, which is nice to see against a tough opponent.

F Tyler Lydon: 5.5

Lydon did not have his most effective game. In fact, he has struggled offensively in both of Syracuse's losses this week. He shot 3-7 against Georgetown (including 1-3 from 3 pointers), for seven points. Lydon isn't going to surprise anyone moving forward, and he will not get as many open looks as he received earlier in the season. Syracuse will need to do a better job of working to get him open. Lydon struggled with Georgetown's bigs. Hayes and Derrickson consistently got inside of Lydon to grab boards, especially on the offensive end, giving the Hoyas extra looks. Lydon is becoming a good shot blocker though; he got two more this game, and does a good job getting steals, with his long arms, and solid hands.

G Franklin Howard: 5.5

Good for Howard for getting to play down the stretch. He gave Syracuse a different look, and was able to grab four rebounds due to his size. He pushed the tempo of the game, and took the ball straight to the basket in transition. He got his first two field goals of the season, finishing with four points, on eight attempts. Howard also had two assists.

Team Rating: 5.90

A lot will be made of the NCAA's decision to have Boeheim's suspension begin immediately. However, Syracuse shot just 25.9% from 3pt range, despite taking 27 shots from there. They were also out rebounded, especially in the first half. Syracuse allowed Georgetown to have as many offensive rebounds, as the Orange had defensive rebounds. Meanwhile, yes, Syracuse had 18 offensive rebounds themselves, but that was facilitated by the team missing so many shots in the first place. I said before after the loss to Wisconsin, Syracuse was overrated this past week in the polls. They'll either be ranked 23-25, or unranked next week, and I think that's about right right now. I think it makes sense that this team has gone 2-2 against quality opponents, beating Uconn and Texas A&M, while losing to Wisconsin and Georgetown. Losing to Georgetown in D.C. isn't even an upset. The season begins anew when Syracuse travels to Pittsburgh on the 30^th. Thus far they have two quality wins, and no bad losses. I'll take it.

I liked that Hopkins rotated players down the stretch. Boeheim will typically leave the same five players in the game down the stretch, regardless of the situation, but Hopkins mixed things up. My complaint last game was, Boeheim doesn't make adjustments in game. It's refreshing to see changes made as Syracuse tried to come back down the stretch.

Georgetown Hoyas

C Bradley Hayes: 9

Hayes does not always receive consistent playing time, and his minutes will often depend upon the flow of the game, and opponent. He proved to be a valuable asset against Syracuse though. Hayes dominated the Orange inside, scoring a season high 21 points (8-12). He had eight total rebound, and four on the offensive end. He scored a couple of times after grabbing his own rebound.

F Marcus Derrickson: 8.5

Derrickson, like Hayes, does not play more than 20 minutes consistently, despite starting. He came up big against Syracuse though, especially on the glass, where he had ten rebounds, and defensively; he drew three offensive charges just outside the restricted area in the second half. Derrickson also scored 13 points on 4-7 shooting, including making two of his four attempts from beyond the arc.

F Isaac Copeland: 7

Copeland got his usual 14 points, shooting 5-9. But, was quieter than the two big men, particularly in the second half.

G LJ Peak: 4.5

Peak struggled against Syracuse, and the zone. He shot just 1-5, scoring three points. He also fouled out with more than three minutes remaining in the game.

G D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera: 5

Smith-Rivera has struggled at times this season. He's coming off a 30 pt effort, but shot just 3-9 from the field this game, scoring 11 points. He did have five assists against Syracuse, but also turned the ball over four times.

C Jessie Govan: 5.5

Govan did not play much this game, because Hayes was so effective. He played just 11 minutes, but did manage four rebounds, and an assist in that time.

F Reggie Cameron: 6.5

Cameron continues to be a reliable scorer off the bench. In 14 minutes he shot 2-3 from the field, and made 4-5 free throws, to finish with nine points.

G Tre Campbell: 7

Campbell received more minutes than usual, because of Peak's foul situation. He scored six points, while adding three assists, and three steals. Those are nice contributions from them.

Team Rating: 6.85

Georgetown now has two quality wins, against Syracuse and Wisconsin, although they still have that bad loss to Radford (see Syracuse fans, it could be worse). They played great against their Big East rival. Dominating inside, and on the boards. They also got just enough shooting, while aided by Syracuse's own inability to make consistent jump shots. Georgetown still needs D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera to get going consistently. If he can become reliable, and play like he did last season, along with Copeland's solid shooting, and the way Hayes and Derrickson played against the Orange, this team could be very good.

19 ARIZONA @ 13 GONZAGA

Arizona Wildcats

C Dusan Ristic: 6.5

F Ryan Anderson: 7

G Allonzo Trier: 8

G Kadeem Allen: 4

G Gabe York: 9

F Mark Tollefsen: 5.5

G Parker Jackson-Cartwright: 5.5

G Elliot Pitts: 5

Team Rating: 6.85

Gonzaga Bulldogs:

F Domantas Sabonis: 8.5

F Kyle Wiltjer: 9.5

G Eric McClellan: 5

G Josh Perkins: 5.5

G Kyle Dranginis: 5

G Silas Melson: 4

Team Rating: 6.65

I'm not going in depth on this game. I watched it, but I wasn't watching it with any intention of analyzing the game. I just really wanted to see these two teams play. Arizona looked great coming back to win this one on the road. I thought Arizona would be great this year because of the incoming freshmen, even with Ray Smith's injury they have three top-50 freshmen. However, it's been seniors Gabe York and Ryan Anderson leading Arizona thus far. York's performance down the stretch, and complete confidence in himself, was impressive, and really fun to watch him play. Alonzo Trier was one of the best players I watched last summer. He's a dynamic offensive player. Gonzaga's bigs are really good. Wiltjer looks like he can be the best player in the nation, and Sabonis is great inside. However, the rest of this team, the backcourt, isn't good enough to make the Bulldogs a top-ten team. Sorry. It's too bad Karnowski and Tarczewski were unavailable for this game. But, at least each team was missing a big man. 

24 Louisville @ 3 Michigan State: ACC/B1G Challenge Player Ratings

Still working my way through the ACC/B1G Challenge. 

24 LOUISVILLE 67 @ 3 MICHIGAN STATE 71

Louisville Cardinals

C Chinanu Onuaku: 4

F Jaylen Johnson: 4

F Damion Lee: 8

G Trey Lewis: 7.5

G Quentin Snider: 5.5

C Mangok Mathiang: 6

F Anas Mahmoud: 6.5

G Donovan Mitchell: 5

F Raymond Spaliding: N/A

Team Rating: 6.38

Louisville was winning for the majority of this fame, despite 65% of their offense coming from two players: Damion Lee and Trey Lewis. They played physical, and were aggressive on the defensive end. They did a great job forcing turnovers (Michigan State had 17), and stole the ball ten times. However, Louisville shot terribly, 43.3% from the field, and 23.5% from three point range, and they struggled on the boards, allowing Michigan State to out rebound them, and grab 17 offensive rebounds, even though Michigan State usually plays a small team. Louisville needs to find a third scorer.

Onuaku was the most disappointing player for Louisville. He has the size to dominate a small team like Michigan State, who only start one player taller than 6'5. He made his presence known on the defensive end by blocking a shot, his only block early. However, as the game wore on he got into foul trouble, particularly in the second half. Onuaku never got things going on the offensive end. He did a nice job receiving the ball in the low post, and backing up Deyonta Davis to score close to the basket, but only showed that once. He finished 1-4, scoring just two points. He also had six rebounds. Jaylen Johnson started at power forward. He was pretty silent during his time on the court, taking only three shots for two points, and grabbing only one rebound.

Mangok and Mahmoud both received more minutes than their starting counterparts down low. Mathiang (which seems less of a last name than Mangok) showed some really good moves in the low post, and also driving baseline. He's shooting 56.3% from the field this season, and averaging 7.5 points. His numbers against MSU fell in line with those averages, 3-6 for seven points. He grabbed four rebounds. All of which, were on the offensive end. Anas Mahmoud has now played 25 minutes in each of his last two games. He shot just one for five, and 0-4 from the FT line. However, he proved to be a versatile defender. Lousiville often used him on the wing, and he even spent time defending Denzel Valentine. He actually did a nice job containing Valentine, and preventing MSU from getting him the ball for a time. Mahmoud ended up with six rebounds, and three of the team's four blocks.

As stated before, 65% of Louisville's points came from either Damion Lee or Trey Lewis. Damion Lee shot 8 of 15, leading the team with 23 points. However, he was only 2-8 from 3pt range. Lee is a good fit for Louisville's pressure based defense, and stole the ball five times. He also turned the ball over four times though. Trey Lewis was just behind Lee, 7-13 for 21 points. Lewis looked especially good in the first half while driving to the basket. His ball handling ability looked good, despite his three turnovers, and finished with three assists as well. I would not mind seeing Lewis play more point guard with Snider on the bench. Both Lee and Lewis look like two players who can lead Louisville into the tournament. However, the pieces around them need to step up.

Quentin Snider is not my favorite player on this team. He plays good defense, especially while pressuring. However, he is not an asset on the offensive end. He shot just 2-8 for four points this game, and had only one assist. The freshman, Donovan Mitchell came in as a sub for both Snider and Trey Lewis. His offensive potential is exciting, and he is a great athlete. He looks excellent in transition, and is capable of driving to the basket. His jump shot needs work, and he missed both of his 3pt attempts, but there is a lot of potential here. Mitchell unfortunately fouled out in just 20 minutes, freshman.

I'm disappointed Deng Adel is injured. He is another exciting freshman, although he was not shooting well through two games prior to injuring his knee. Hopefully he's back in time for the ACC season. The Cardinals need some help on the offensive end.

Michigan State Spartans

F Matt Costello: 5.5

F Javon Bess: 3

G Denzel Valentine: 8.5

G Bryn Forbes: 9

G Lourawls Nairn: 5

F Deyonta Davis: 8

F Kenny Goins: 9

G Eron Harris: 5

G Matt McQuaid: 4.5

G Alvin Ellis: N/A

F Marvin Clark: N/A

Team Rating: 6.88

Michigan State was losing by as much as 13 points in the first half, but they battled, and came back in the second half led by Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes. Michigan State also got some surprisingly strong minutes from Kenny Goins off the bench, which gave Michigan State some added size. Michigan State won despite turning the ball over 17 times, not that they want to make a habit of it. They did this by out rebounding Louiville, getting eight blocks on defense, and getting some timely 3pt shots down the stretch.

Matt Costello is a key player for Michigan State being the only starter above 6'5. He is a good asset on offense. He can score in the post, and also make some mid range jumpers. Costello shot 2-6 for seven total points, which actually falls right in line with his numbers for the season, 2.6-6 for 7.6 ppg. Despite grabbing only five rebounds, Costello proved to be a force inside defensively blocking three shots. Javon Bess is the other starter in Michigan State's frontcourt. However, the undersized forward could not get rolling early in the game. He was 0-2 shooting with a turnover despite grabbing three quick rebounds. As a result, he spent most of the game on the bench. Bess is usually a pretty solid player for MSU. He is averaging seven points and four rebounds, while shooting over 50%. However, the team decided to play a bigger front line against Louisvile.

Due to playing a bigger lineup, Michigan State relied more heavily on freshmen Deyonta Davis and Kenny Goins. Davis, a former top-50 recruit, is one of the country's best freshman. He is becoming a dominate post player. He shot 4-6 against Louisville, scoring nine points, while grabbing six rebounds, and blocking three shots. Davis should receive more than 20 minutes for the remainder of the season as he settles in beside Costello in the post. Goins is a gritty and active forward at just 6'6. He played exceptionally well against Louisville, and played quite a bit down the stretch. Goins grabbed 13 rebounds, and scored five points on 2-2 shooting.

Denzel Valentine (and again, I almost typed Washington) has been the best player in the country thus far this season. His performance against Louisville did nothing to change that. Valentine struggled in the first half, but stormed back in the second, and led Michigan State down the stretch. He shot 7-16, scoring a game high 25 points, and was a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. He did not quite have a triple-double (although he has had two already this season), but he did have five rebounds, and seven assists. Overall, it was a good game for Valentine, especially late in the second half. However, he did turn the ball over four times, struggling against Louisville's press.

Bryn Forbes had MSU's most important performance. He put on a terrific shooting display, going 7-11 from the field, and 5-9 from beyond the arc. He scored a total of 20 points. Forbes does not create his own shot often, but he does a good job getting himself open, and is a great compliment to Valentine. Frobes also had two rebounds, two assists, and steals this game. Lourawls Nairn is similar to Quentin Snider. He plays good defense, doesn't turn over the ball, but also doesn't offer much on offense. Nairn was 0-5 from the field, and assisted twice. On the season he is shooting just 36.1%, and 23.1% from 3pt range. However, he is averaging 4.1 assists, and just 0.8 turnovers.

Eron Harris and Matt McQuaid were the reserve guards for MSU. Harris is a potential big time scorer, but has been very inconsistent this season. He shot just one for five this game. McQuaid is a solid shooting freshman. He made three 3pt shots against Kansas a month ago. However, he has cooled down since then, and is averaging only 3.9 points per game. He did not even attempt a shot this game, and turned the ball over twice. 

14 Syracuse vs Wisconsin: ACC/B1G Challenge Player Ratings

I've now seen all of the ACC/B1G Challenge games, and am working on the Recaps.

WISCONSIN 66 @ 14 SYRACUSE 58 (OT)

Wisconsin Badgers

F Ethan Happ: 9

The Badgers' frontcourt played really well against Syracuse. Ethan Happ had a breakout performance. He scored a season high 18 points. Grabbed a season high 15 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, and blocked a season high three blocks. Ethan Happ outworked Syracuse's bigs, Lydon and Roberson. He does not have a ton of offensive upside. He has trouble finishing in traffic, and his jumper is inconsistent at best. However, he played really well this game, and did a great job defending Tyler Lydon, as he is athletic enough to guard him out on the perimeter as well as inside.

F Nigel Hayes: 8

Nigel Hayes is the key for this Wisconsin team. He has a great combination of size, 6-8 245lbs, and athleticism. He has not shot well this year, 36% from the field this season, and just 27.3% from three. However, he does many good things for the team. This was in line with his performance against Syracuse. He made only 5 of 15 shot attempts, scoring 15 points. However, he grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished six assists. Hayes often ran the offense, playing out on the perimeter to see over the zone. This proved effective, especially in the first half when he found Vitto Brown open for jumpers. Hayes also played excellent defense on Malachi Richardson. Due to handling the ball so much at the top of the zone, Hayes did turn the ball over five times.

F Vitto Brown: 8

Vitto Brown had a great first half, scoring 11 of his 14 points in that frame. He can be an inconsistent shooter. His field goal percentage is 41.2%, and he's been shooting just 21.1% from 3pt range. However, he shot six of nine this game, and two of three from beyond the arc. More consistent performances from Brown will make Wisconsin a dangerous team. On defense, Brown gives the team a third forward 6'8 or above. He blocked three of Syracuse's shots.

G Bronson Koenig: 6

Bronson Koenig was supposed to be the next star of the Big-10. He's averaging over 15 points a game, but every time watch he's terrible. In fact, against good competition Koenig has been terrible. 16.7% shooting percentage against Georgetown, 16.7% against Oklahoma, and 33.3% against Syracuse. Koenig shot just 3-9, for 12 points. He did make some important FT down the stretch, and had six rebounds. He was also the only Wisconsin player not to turn the ball over, despite playing 42 minutes, and the team recording 20 turnovers this game.

G Zak Showalter: 6.5

Showalter is the less proficient scorer on Wisconsin's starting lineup. He scored only six points, on 3-6 shooting, missing all three of his 3pt attempts. However, he did make five assist, and grab six rebounds. He also did a nice job on defense, and drew several offensive fouls.

F Charlie Thomas: 4.5

Charlie Thomas is another body to throw into the frontcourt. He is not an asset on offense, and missed all four of his field goal attempts. He grabbed two rebounds, but was much less effective than Wisconsion's starters.

F Khalil Iverson: N/A

Did not play enough minutes to qualify.

F Alex Illikainen: N/A

Did not play enough minutes to qualify.

Team Rating: 7.35

Wisconsin finally picked up a signature win after losing to Georgetown and Oklahoma earlier in the season. I can see this team bouncing back this season. The frontcourt is very strong. They aren't huge with no starter taller than 6'9, but they are balanced, and both Brown and Hayes are able to shoot from outside. They are also tenacious rebounders. If the frontcourt can continue playing like this, and Koenig shoots more consistently, they will be a dangerous team going into the Big-Ten season.

Syracuse Orange

C DaJuan Coleman: N/A

DaJuan Coleman only played five minutes, and did not play in the second half. He grabbed three rebounds early in the game, and missed the only shot he took. Syracuse lose the rebounding battle 25 to 51. Yes, Wisconsin doubled Syracuse's rebound total. Syracuse was dominated inside. One of the biggest problems I have with Jim Boeheim is, he rarely makes adjustments. This game required Syracuse to make an adjustment. They were not shooting well, and Wisconsin was dominating them inside. I know Syracuse loves Tyler Lydon and Malachi Richardson, but one of them should have gone to the bench in the second half in favor of Coleman. Coleman could have helped diminish Ethan Happ's presence inside. Coleman has a big body to block out, and could have put more pressure on Wisconsin's front line. Instead Syracuse allowed Lydon and Richardson shoot a combined 1-10 from 3pt range. Nice work.

F Tyler Roberson: 4

Roberson has been extremely inconsistent on the offensive end. He shot just 3-7 for seven points this game. Syracuse is a more perimeter oriented team than they have been in recent years. However, it is important that they still have a presence in the post. Roberson is a great rebounder, but he only had two this game. If I was just given that stat, and I didn't watch the game, I would have known Syracuse lost. Roberson got into foul trouble, and fouled out in overtime. He did have three blocks, but left Vitto Brown open on his side in the first half for easy buckets as well.

F Malachi Richardson: 5.5

Malachi Richardson had one of his rougher offensive performances of the year. In fact, this was the first time he failed to score in double digits in his college career (all of seven games). He shot just 3-11 from the field, and 1-7 from 3pt range. His lack of effectiveness on offense was due to Nigel Hayes guarding him, and giving him no easy shots. Hayes was a matchup nightmare for the freshman. He is bigger than Richardson, and athletic enough to prevent Richardson from driving on him. Richardson did make an effort on the glass, and led the team in rebounding, with seven. Impressively, Richardson did not turn the ball over. So, that's progress.

G Trevor Cooney: 5.5

I usually complain about Cooney's shot selection. But, I'm not going to do that for this game. He took ten shots, made three of them, and shot 2-5 from 3pt range. I'll give Cooney 8-10 shots a game to try, and get hot. It's when he's taking 12,13, and sometimes 16, or 17 shots when I have to complain. Cooney was one of the only Syracuse players to shoot better than 50% from the FT line. He made more than half, six, or the team's total made free throws, eleven. Cooney is good on the defensive end. He's a great zone defender, and even though he did not have a steal he helped the team force 20 turnovers, and kept Wisconsin shooting only 27.8% from 3pt range.

G Michael Gbinije: 7.5

Gbinije was the one highlight on Syracuse's team this game. He is proving to be a reliable star, and that's good for Syracuse in the long run this season. Gbinije shot 7-16, and an impressive four of eight from 3pt range. He scored 19 points, which has become his season average. Gbinije also had five assists, and five steals. However, Gbinije was terrible in overtime. He shot 1-4 from the field, and missed one of two free throws. He did a terrible job managing the game in overtime, which led to Syracuse loosing. It's overtime, take the ball to the basket. Do not shoot jumpers early in the shot clock. Thanks.

F Tyler Lydon: 5

Tyler Lydon had performed admirably prior to this game. However, he looked completely overmatched against Wisconsin. Lydon has been a very efficient shooter thus far this season. He has averaged double digit points, while taking only 6.6 shots per game, and is shooting 50%. Most of his points have come easy. His 3pt attempts have come while wide open. This is because defenses need to focus on Gbinije, Cooney, and Richardson, and the players guarding Lydon are often not used to having to come out to the perimeter to contest shots. Wisconsin was ready for Lydon, and Ethan Happ did an excellent job defending him. Lydon shot just two for six, and missed all three of his 3pt attempts. He also only grabbed four rebounds, as he struggled against Wisconsin's more active forwards. Lydon still did a pretty good job on defense. He had two steals, and two blocks, and prevented easy shots under the basket. I'm still concerned about him facing bigger competition, Wisconsin's biggest player is 6'9.

G Kaleb Joseph: 7

Kaleb Joseph is qualified to be graded for just the second time this season. Joseph came in when Roberson got into foul trouble, causing Syracuse to play small with Gbinije and Richardson on the wings. Joseph actually played well, while on the court. He shot 2-5 from the field, doing a good getting to the basket. He got to the free throw line, making two of three attempts from the line. He also dished out two assists in 14 minutes. Joseph did the best job managing the game, while he was on the court, and he did not have a turnover. I was very impressed with the way he played point guard, and Syracuse would have been better served inserting him into the lineup to start overtime.

Team Rating: 5.75

This game is the answer to the question: How will Syracuse fare when their shooters aren't on? They lose to fringe top-25 teams. I actually think Syracuse is a top 20-30 team themselves, and were overrated in the latest polls. The team's frontcourt has been extremely inconsistent, at best, and will struggle against teams with good frontcourts. They need to give Coleman more of a chance, and Boeheim needs to do a better job of making changes in the lineup based on the flow of the game. Against Wisconsin, the team needed less Richardson and Cooney, and more Coleman and Joseph. But, Boeheim is going to play the way he wants regardless of the situation. I guess we'll see what Hop's got on Saturday. Georgetown is going to be a tough test. 1. They beat Wisconsin. 2. They have a good frontcourt. 3. It's a primary rivalry. 

11 Purdue @ Pittsburgh: ACC/B1G Challenge Player Ratings

11 PURDUE @ PITTSBURGH

Purdue Boilermakers

C Isaac Hayes: N/A

It speaks volumes that Isaac Hayes wrestled the starting job away from AJ Hammons. Hayes has averaged 13.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game, despite playing only 17.6 minutes a game. He scores .78 points per minute...that's an incredible rate. If he were to only play 25 minutes per game he would be a 20 point scorer each game.

Anyways, back to the game at hand, Hayes only played nine minutes against Pittsburgh. He picked up three quick fouls, and also turned the ball over four times during his short time on the court. So, Hammons came in for him, and dominated. While he was on the court, Hayes did show off some nice post moves, shooting 2-4, and scoring six points. He uses his length exceptionally well. He plays offensively the way I always hoped Craig Forth would. Sigh.

So, I am not going to grade Hayes. I would have to give him a low grade because of the turnovers, and fouls, and his overall low impact on the game. There's a chance I don't watch Purdue again before the NCAA tournament, and I don't want that to be the only thing I have on record for him at that time.

F Caleb Swanigan: 5.5

Imagine for a moment that Swanigan had honored his commitment to Michigan State...how good would that team be? Sorry, you're right he's a boilermaker.

Swanigan has struggled on the offensive end thus far this season. He is shooting only 37.3% from the field, averaging 8.9 points per game. He shot just 1-6 this game, and scored four points. Despite his offensive deficiencies, Swanigan grabbed eight rebounds, and played good defense. Swanigan often was pushed out to guard the perimeter against Pittsburgh's versatile forwards. He moved surprisingly well laterally, and did a nice job switching to cover Michael Young or Jamel Artis.

F Vince Edwards: 7.5

Edwards is a shooting guard who doesn't take too many shots, but he shoots at a high percentage. He shot 3-6 this game, and was 2-4 from 3pt range. He only grabbed three rebounds, but finished the game with six assists. He is averaging just under four assists per game thus far this season. Edwards only turned the ball over once.

G Dakota Mathias: 3.5

Mathias is a 3pt specialist, 75% of his shot attempts are from beyond the arc. He shot just 1-5 this game, and 1-4 from beyond the arc. He made all three of his free throws to score 6 total points. Mathias also had three rebounds and one assist.

G PJ Thompson: 5.5

Like Edwards, Thompson shoots at a high percentage despite not taking many shots. He averages just 3.3 shot attempts per game, while shooting 47.8%, and over 40% from three. Thompson was 1-2 for three points, while also adding four rebounds, and two assists.

C AJ Hammons: 9.5

AJ Hammons is playing less minutes this season, 20.8, than he had in any of his previous three seasons with Purdue, even though he is scoring more points than he ever has, 12.2 points per game, and shooting at a higher percentage, 59.1%. He came off the bench to replace Isaac Hayes after Hayes picked up his second foul early in the first half. Hammons barely left upon entering the game.

Hammons scored 24 points on 10-15 shooting, and made both of his 3pt attempts. He also grabbed twelve rebounds. Pittsburgh had no answer for Hammons defensively, so Purdue just kept feeding him.

G Ryan Cline: 8

Caleb Swanigan is the freshman with the most hype behind him, but it would be a mistake to forget about Ryan Cline. Cline is shooting 48% from beyond the arc thus far this season. He made four of his six attempts from that range coming off the bench against Pittsburgh, scoring 12 points. He made three of those shots inside of 10 minutes left in the second half.

G Kendall Stephens: 5.5

Kendall Stephens played 28 minutes this game. However, he did not make the most of those minutes, shooting just 1-9. All of his shots were taken from 3pt range. Stephens is shooting just 31.7% from the field this season. He did have five assists this game though.

G Johnny Hill: 6

Johnny Hill is a high energy, hustle heavy reserve. He seemed to be in every scramble when on the court, and made some solid contributions while playing just 12 minutes. He scored four points, while taking just two shots, and is shooting 70% from the field this season. He also finished the game with three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Team Rating: 6.33

Purdue needed to battle with Pittsburgh in the second half, but pulled away in the game's final ten minutes. Purdue is set up nicely on offense with a dominate big man, whether it be Hammons or Hayes, and plenty of shooters around them. Caleb Swanigan is a potential x-factor for the team moving forward; the team would be much better with Swanigan playing up to his potential. Purdue's best on the defensive end. They have great size, and their forwards are very versatile, able to defend multiple positions. They held Pittsburgh to just 35% shooting from the field. I do wonder if Purdue will play Hammons and Hayes together on the court as they face stiffer competition. Their offensive skill and size would be unmatched by any other college duo.

Pittsburgh Panthers

C Alonzo Nelson-Odoba: 3.5

Nelson-Odiba was just a token starter. He played only seven minutes, had two rebounds, and even managed to block a shot. He, like every Pittsburgh big man had nothing to offer Hammons defensively.

F Michael Young: 7

Michael Young is Pittsburgh's best player. He is possibly the most versatile, and dynamic forward in the ACC (except for Tyler Lydon, of course). Young scored 16 points, making 5 of 11 shots. More impressively, he grabbed 12 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, and dished three assists. However, Young turned the ball over three times this game, and did not score a field goal the final 15 minutes of the game. Pittsburgh cannot possibly hope to win games when Young is ineffective for that long of a stretch.

F Jamel Artis: 3

Jamel Artis and Michael Young are an interesting, and extremely versatile pairing. However, Artis was handled well by Purdue, and limited to eight points, on 3-10 shooting. Pittsburgh depends upon the play between Artis and Young, but Artis did not look on all game. Most small forward are mismatched facing Artis, but this was not the case for Vince Edwards, and Pittsburgh's attempts to get Caleb Swanigan switched onto him did not work out for them either. Artis did have four assists though, and he's averaging more than three per game.

G Sterling Smith: 5

Sterling Smith was suppose to come into the Panthers line up and give the team a credible three point shooting. He has been great shooting. His 3pt percentage is 57.1%. However, he is only taking 3.2 shots per game. How is that possible? How is Pittsburgh not trying to feed him the ball more often? Smith played 21 minutes against Purdue, and tok only two shots, scoring three points. He also had four rebounds. I don't blame Smith for his low point totals. I blame this Panthers offense that refuses to get him more involved.

G James Robinson: 8

James Robinson stepped up against Purdue with Jamel Artis struggling, and made this game close. He shot 6-11 for 17 points, and scored most of his points in the second half. He became aggressive at the right time, and took the initiative on offense. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough. Robinson had four assists, but he also turned the ball over four times.

F Sheldon Jeter: 4.5

Sheldon Jeter has improved his numbers across the board (shooting, rebounding, blocks, steals) this season when compared to last, despite playing the same number of minutes. He shot 2-9 for seven points against Purdue. It looked like Pittsburgh spent some time with a frontcourt of Young, Artis, with Jeter playing in the middle of the zone...ugh.

G Chris Jones: 3

Chris Jones split time with Sterling Smith this game. He took five shots, and only made one, missing all three of his attempts from 3pt range. Chris Jones is struggling early this season he is shooting just 40.6% from the field, and 28.6% from three point range. His point total is just 7.0 ppg this season, almost two point less than his point total last year.

F Ryan Luther: 4.5

Ryan Luther played 11 minutes. He scored a little bit shooting 2-3 for four points, and grabbed a couple of rebounds. However, he looked really bad trying to guard Hammons. Hammons just bullied him.

F Rafael Maia: 5

Maia played ten minutes, as the center position minutes was split up between three or four players. Maia at least offered some aggressiveness, and urgency on the defensive end. He grabbed a couple of steals, and blocked a shot. But, ultimately no one could stop Hammons.

G Cameron Johnson: N/A

Did not play enough to qualify.

G Damon Wilson: N/A

Did not play enough to qualify.

Team Rating: 5.38

Pittsburgh was only down two points with eight minutes to go, but it never looked like they were getting the better of Purdue. They ultimately lost by 13, which seemed about right. Pittsburgh tried to employ a 2-3 zone against Purdue, and it really did not work out. Pittsburgh's players did not look comfortable playing in the zone. They did not seem accustomed to it, and it did not take much for Purdue to break the shape. They also have the shooters to take advantage of the zone. On offense, Michael Young and Jamel Artis did not score for long stretches, and they needed to be at their best to beat Purdue. Pittsburgh essentially only counts on three positions to score. They don't get much offensively production from their “center,” and they don't get much from their shooting guard...which is obligatorily ironic. Despite returning the majority of their team from a year ago, Pittsburgh looks like a team still trying to find the right mix of players. I'm not encouraged by this performance, but I know if they're a dangerous team if Michael Young and Jamel Artis are on. 

ACC/BIG 10 CHALLENGE PLAYER RATINGS: NORTH CAROLINA v MARYLAND & VIRGINIA vs OHIO STATE

Last night was an excellent night of basketball, as the ACC/Big 10 challenge got into full swing. Here is my first post recapping last night's games. This post will cover VIRGINIA @ OHIO STATE, and MARYLAND @ NORTH CAROLINA. It will include player ratings for all teams.

I am still working on another post covering last night's games, which I plan on releasing later this afternoon before tonight's slate of games begin. Tomorrow I will have  a player ratings post covering tonight's games, and Friday I will release a post covering any games I did not get to today or tomorrow. So, stay tuned because there is more excitement to come. Let me know what your take on last night's big matchups was.

10 VIRGINIA 64 @ OHIO STATE 58

Virginia Cavaliers

C Jack Salt: 4

Well, last time I saw Virginia play (which was back at the beginning of the season), I started the #FreeSalt campaign. He is starting now at center for the Cavaliers, but he only played nine minutes against. Salt and fellow center, Mike Tobey combined for only 27 minutes. So, Virginia chose to play smaller with Wilkins and Gill down low this game. Salt did not get a chance to do much this game. He was just 1-3 shooting, and is not a skilled scorer in the post. He also only had one rebound. Ohio State found some success attacking the basket when Salt came out of the game early in the second half.

F Anthony Gill: 6

Anthony Gill is a consistent frontcourt player for the Cavaliers. He is capable of making mid range jumpers, but most of Gill's points come from close to the basket. He is especially good at scoring off of offensive rebounds. These factors make Gill a usually high percentage scorer, although not a dynamic one. He was just 3-8 against OSU, scoring ten points. Gill is a good rebounder, and had eight this game, three of which came off the offensive glass. Gill struggled defensively against Jae'Sean Tate. I personally found some of Virginia's defensive alignments strange, and this was one of the matchups I questioned. Tate is much smaller than Gill; he's 6'4, but is a terrific athlete, and consistently beat Gill off the dribble, and when moving without the ball.

G Marial Shayok: 3

Shayok is an inconsistent shooter. The stats would have you believe he is a 62% shooter who has made 60% of his 3pt attempts. However, through six games Shayok has scored in double figures three times, while he has scored four points or less in the other three games. Shayok was only 1-5 this game, scoring two points. He does not contribute much apart from his shooting. He is not a rebounder, and not a great individual defender, though he had a steal in this game.

G Malcolm Brogdon: 9

Malcolm Brogdon shot just 3-10 in the first half, but he stepped up his game in the second, shooting 4-6, and leading Virginia down the stretch. He scored 22 points total, and shot 6-10 from 3pt range. Brogdon also had six rebounds (all on the defensive end), and two assists. Brogdon did struggle at times against Marc Loving defensively, especially when Loving decided to take the ball to the basket. Brogdon picked up three fouls in the second half when Loving drove to the basket. This was another defensive mismatch in my opinion. I would have had Brogdon on Tate, and Gill on Loving—but what do I know. Perhaps Tony Bennett figured Loving would force Gill too far away from the basket defensively.

G Darius Thompson: 8.5

Thompson received the start at the point guard positon in London Perrantes' absence. He did a good job stepping up, and shared ball handling responsibilities with Malcolm Brogdon. Thompson showed off some good offensive ability. He shot 5-8 from the field, and made two of his three 3pt attempts, for a total of 12 points, which ties a season high for him. He also dished out six assists this game, and only turned the ball over twice. Thompson's shooting potency this game, helped to free up Brogdon, and the two worked really well together. Thompson did a nice job containing JaQuan Lyle on defense as well, especially down the stretch as he prevented Lyle from getting a good shot off late in the game.

F Isaiah Wilkins: 6

Wilkins was once again the first player off of Virginia's bench. He scored two of three shot attempts, scoring a total of six points. He finished the game with five rebounds, two on the offensive end. He also played solid defense inside, and delivered Virginia's lone block of the game. Wilkins is a solid defender. He has a similar skill set to Anthony Gill, and I consider him Gill Lite. Although, Wilkins is not capable of making a jump shot. He was the better defender this game though, as he was not tasked with Tate.

G Devon Hall: 3.5

With London Perrantes out this game, Devon Hall received an increase in minutes. He played 24, or more than half the game. Despite this, he scored only four points, which is below his season average, on two for five shooting, and missed his only 3pt attempt. Hall grabbed three rebounds though. Hall played defensively against the bigger Keita Bates-Diop in the second half, but OSU did not attack this matchup like I thought they would.

C Mike Tobey: 4.5

Mike Tobey has been benched for the more defensive Jack Salt since I've last seen the Cavaliers play. In my first review of the team at the beginning of the season I criticized Tobey for being defensively deficient, despite his 7'0 size, saying “he provided no bite under the basket.” By saying that though, I DID NOT MEAN TO BENCH HIM, AND PLAY HIM ONLY 18 MINUTES A GAME! Tobey is a terrific scorer, and can score in a variety of ways both in the post, and shooting jumpers away from the basket. Virginia's biggest problem is the lack of a go-to scorer outside of Brogdon. It confounds me why Virginia would have Tobey sit on the bench for a majority of the game, when he shoots nearly 60% from the field, and is far-and-away their best low post scorer. Despite playing only 18 minutes per game, Tobey is still scoring nearly 10 points on average, while grabbing 5.5 rebounds per game. No, as I have suggested before, Tobey is not going to be a great interior defender, but I don't think replacing him is a worthwhile tradeoff. So, I am starting a new movement for the sake of Virginia fans. #FreeTobey.
Now...back to the game against Ohio State. Tobey came off the bench, and shot two of three from the field, scoring six points total. Virginia really did not try to get him involved in the offense. He also only grabbed one rebound. Tobey was little help preventing OSU's forwards from attacking the basket in the second half, but neither was anyone else for UVA.

F Evan Nolte: N/A

Did not play enough to qualify.

Team Rating: 6.30

Virginia could not break away from the Buckeyes, and this game was closely contested until the final 30 seconds. The Cavaliers had to overcome adversity with their starting point guard, London Perrantes, out following an appendectomy. Darius Thompson filled in exceedingly well, though. Malcolm Brogdon was his usual stellar self, and led the team to victory in the second half. To be completely honest, I'm still left with the same concerns about this Virginia team I was a month ago. They are going to struggle against teams that can score inside due to their lack of strong interior defenders, and they lack a go-to offensively player next to Brogdon. Gill is a nice consistent starter, but he isn't a dynamic offensive player. Maybe, if Tobey goes back to being the offensive player I saw at the beginning of the year, and Thompson proves to be the scorer I saw against Ohio State, there is enough offense to finish in the top-four in the ACC. But, I still do not think this is a team that can compete for another conference title.

Ohio State Buckeyes

C Daniel Giddens: 6

Giddens is the first of four four-star freshman who played in this game for OSU. Giddens proved to be a great interior defender, making the Cavaliers very jealous. Giddens blocked four shots, and did so while only fouling twice in 25 minutes. Giddens looked pretty nonexistent on the offensive end though. He took only two shots, making one, for a total of two points. He also turned the ball over twice. Giddens did have an assist. He received the ball against the baseline, was double teamed, and passed the ball across court to Lyle who was open for a three pointer. Disappointingly, Giddens also only had one rebound this game. Giddens is a terrific interior defender, and will receive a lot of minutes as a result, but he still needs to develop his offensive game. He could become a dominate big man though.

F Keita Bates-Diop: 6.5

Bates-Diop is one of three perimeter based forwards who start for the Buckeyes. He was a five-star recruit just last year, and is one of many high upside players on this team. Bates-Dip took six of his eight field goal attempts from beyond the arc this game, making three of them. He shot 50% (4-8) overall, and scored 15 points. Bates-Diop was a passive part of the offense, as it seemed to flow through Loving, Tate, and Lyle. I got frustrated by Bates-Diop in the second half, especially down the stretch, because he kept taking 3pt shots whenever he touched the ball. He was being guarded by the smaller Devon Hall, and I would have liked to have seen him drive more against Virginia. Bates-Diop has not shot well from 3pt range this season, under 30%, so I guess he was feeling hot tonight, and tried to make the most of it. Oh well. Don't get me wrong, he still had a really good game offensively. However, I think Ohio State could have won this game, and this was a mismatch they failed to exploit. Bates-Diop did not rebound well this game, only grabbing two boards. This may be because he played on the perimeter so much this game.

F Jae'Sean Tate: 8

Jae'Sean Tate is an interesting player. He is a thick 6'4, and built like a linebacker. He proved to be extremely versatile on the offensive end against Virginia. He shot 5-9 for 12 points, moving well with and without the ball. Anthony Gill had trouble staying with him, and Tate punished him a couple of times when Gill strayed off of him to help on a double team. Tate is a surprisingly good ball handler, and often drove to the basket, where he was able to score at the rim, and also pass out to open shooters. He turned the ball over only once. One of the most improved areas of Tate's game this year is his jump shooting. He shot just 15.8% from three last season, but is shooting 33.3% this year, and was one of two this game (not that he will ever be Malcolm Brogdon or anything). Tate is good rebounder, and led his team in that area with eight boards. Tate guarded Anthony Gill often defensively, and struggled against him in the post, as Gill could easily shoot right over him. I don't like him defending power forwards; they are just too tall for him.

F Marc Loving: 8

Loving led OSU in points this game, like he has all year. He shot an impressive 7-11 from the field, and three of six from beyond the arc, for a total of 19 points. Loving found as much success driving on the smaller Malcolm Brogdon as he did shooting from outside. It was nice to see OSU's lone upperclassman acknowledge that mismatch, and take advantage. Despite shooting well most of the game, Loving helped OSU make some critical mistakes down the stretch. Virginia got the lead back to six points following a Brogdon three with about six minutes to go. Loving and Lyle then each missed 3pt attempts early in the shot clock on back-to-back possessions. Loving then turned the ball over twice in the following minutes while driving to the basket. Then Ohio State lost. So, Loving played really well most of the game, and helped Ohio State stay in the game. However, he did not play like a veteran during the game's final six minutes, and that led to the team's loss.

G JaQuan Lyle: 2

Lyle was the weak link for Ohio State against UVA. The four-star freshman has a heavy burden on him, taking the place of DeAngelo Russell. He shot poorly this game, making only one of his seven attempts from the field; six of his shots came from beyond the arc, including his lone made field goal. He ended the game with just three points. Lyle's three point attempts often came either very early in the possession, when better shots could have been had, or with the shot clock expiring. Lyle often found the ball in his hands with time expiring, which credit Virginia's defense for. Lyle's only made shot came after Tate dribbled into the middle, drawing a second defender, and leaving Lyle open. Lyle did have four assists, and had some mild success penetrating, and looking for open teammates. However, he also lost the ball while driving, and never looked to score inside. The development of Lyle as a point guard is the biggest factor for OSU moving forward.

C Trevor Thompson: 6

Trevor Thompson played some really good minutes off the bench, proving to be an effective replacement for Giddens. He scored five points on 2-3 shooting. He also grabbed five rebounds. Despite not recording a blocked shot, Thompson played good post defense.

G Austin Grandstaff: 2

Grandstaff is yet another four-star freshman. He played quite a bit down the stretch, but was incredibly unimpressive. He missed his only three points attempt (he's a 3pt specialist who is shooting 42.1% from beyond the arc this year), and played some really poor defense. Even though he was matched up against Virginia's least effective backcourt scorer, Hall.

G Kam Williams: N/A

Did not play enough to qualify.

G AJ Harris: N/A

Did not play enough to qualify.

Team Rating: 5.85

Considering they were playing the tenth ranked team in the nation, I suppose this is a positive performance for Ohio State. However, he must be frustrating for the team, because they could have (should have) beaten Virginia. Unfortunately, they panicked with about six minutes left in the game, and completely fell apart offensively. I think you can confidently say this is the best two win team in the country. Ohio State is overflowing with potential, and it will be interesting to see how much they are able to improve the remainder of the season. Loving, Bates-Diop, and Tate give the Buckeyes three versatile forwards offensively, while Giddens provides them with a great interior defender. However, they need a low post presence offensively, and Lyle needs to mature quickly, and become a better game manager.

2 MARYLAND 81 @ 9 NORTH CAROLINA 89

Maryland Terrapins

C Diamond Stone: 6

Diamond Stone had a quiet game against North Carolina. He shot four of seven, scoring nine points, which falls in line with his season average. Stone struggled with Kennedy Meeks guarding him. Meeks did a good job of denying him the ball, and standing strong in the post when Stone did get the ball. It's just disappointing to see the top-ten recruit settling for mediocrity on the offensive end. I would liked to see him get the ball in the post seeing as he is bigger than any of North Carolina's players. He could have at least tried to draw fouls on UNC's Meeks and Brice Johnson, instead the duo only had two and one foul respectively. Stone hit a a turnaround jumper from the baseline from about 15 feet out, that one play really impressed me, and showed a glimpse of his potential. Stone's nine point scoring average isn't actually bad considering he only plays 16.7 minutes a game. I don't know why he is playing so little. Maybe it's conditioning, or maybe Maryland just hasn't needed him as of yet, and are still trying to ease him into the college game. Whatever the reason. He will need to be a more dominate player on both ends of the court, and for longer stretches if Maryland is to challenge for a Final Four bid this season. Stone also had five rebounds, three of which were off the offensive glass.

F Robert Carter: 7.5

Robert Carter looked good against North Carolina. He is a versatile forward, who has big size, he's 6'9, is athletic, and can shoot. He shot 5-8 from the field, and 1-3 from 3pt range, scoring a total of 11 points. The transfer from Georgetown is shooting over 60% from the field thus far this season. I think Maryland needs to make a more conscious effort to make him (and Stone) a bigger part of the offense. Carter also looked good on the defensive end blocking four shots (Maryland only had six as a team); he also had two steals. Although, he only grabbed five rebounds, and turned the ball over three times. Carter finished the game with four fouls, but he was never in foul trouble. He picked up two fouls in the final minute of the game.

F Jake Layman: 4.5

This was a high scoring game, but Jake Layman was one of the few players who struggled offensively. He could not get himself going on offense. Layman shot 1-5 from the field, and missed all three of his 3pt attempts. Layman has been shooting poorly from beyond the arc all season. He's made less than 29% of his attempts, compared to 38% last season. During the broadcast, Jay Bilas suggested his struggles may be due to playing the three more often this season, rather than being employed as a stretch-four. So, he is facing quicker, more athletic wings. Layman was another player responsible for three turnovers. He did grab eight rebounds though.

G Rasheed Sulaimon: 7.5

Rasheed Sulaimon is experiencing a career rejuvenation in his final year of eligibility. He shot 6-12 from the field, and 5-9 from beyond the arc, scoring 18 points. He is shooting over 50% from both the field, and from three thus far this season, which is pretty incredible. He is also proving to be a good passer and creator. He is averaging 3.4 assists per game, and had three against UNC. Sulaimon's struggles came on the defensive end this game though. He struggled against the returning Marcus Paige, and looked to be growing frustrated as the game wore on, especially after slamming into a couple of Tar Heel screens, which dropped him. He also had three turnovers.

G Melo Trimble: 8.5

Trimble shows flashes of brilliance when he looks like the best point guard in the country. He took charge for the first thirteen minutes of the second half, and led Maryland back to take the lead, before UNC pulled away in the closing minutes. He looked tremendous off the dribble, and made Nate Britt look completely silly on a crossover. Trimble is capable of making every shot offensively. He ended the game 8-14, making four of his five attempts from 3pt range. He scored a game high 23 points. Trimble is an excellent passer, and had several highlight reel dishes this game. He finished with a career high 12 assists, giving Trimble his first double-double of the season. On the other side though, Trimble turned the ball over an outrageous EIGHT times. That's inexcusable. Trimble has only turned the ball over more than twice in a game on one other occasion this year (four against Illinois State), which leads me to believe that North Carolina did an excellent job of forcing Trimble to make mistakes. Trimble's performance was nearly perfect, but unfortunately too many turnovers (the team had 22) caused the team to lose.

F Damonte Dodd: 5

Damonte Dodd matches Diamond Stone in size. He's listed at 6'11 250 lbs. He usually comes in in place of Stone. However, the two do play together at times, giving Maryland a big lineup. Dodd is not a dynamic scorer, but he gets some high percentage looks close to the basket. He made three of his five attempts, and scored six points agains the Tar Heels. He is shooting 70% from the field on the season. He also added two rebounds, and did a decentjob of preventing UNC from scoring inside

G Jared Nickens: 4

Nickens is a 3pt specialist. More than 80% of his shot attempts this season, and all of his against UNC, are from 3pt range. Nickens made two of his six three point shots, scoring six points. However, he missed a couple of wide open looks down the stretch, when Maryland was still in contention. Nickens provides little value outside of his shooting ability, and his favored defensive technique is fouling when he gets beat. He picked up four fouls, while playing twenty minutes this game.

C Michal Cekovsky: 5

Cekovsky gives Maryland some additional size at 7'1. He scored four point, and had three rebounds. He is an adequate back up center, but I would rather see Stone play more minutes.

Team Rating: 6.40

Maryland shot the ball really well: 50.8% form the field, and 46.2% from three. Melo Trimble, Rasheed Sulaimon, and Robert Carter all looked very good on the offensive end. Trimble especially looked like one of the nation's premier players. However, the team turned the ball over way too many times. They cannot possibly expect to win games if they turn the ball over 20 times in a game. Perhaps, the problem was Maryland played too fast, and got suckered into an uptempo game by UNC. The Terrapins had no answer for North Carolina's offense, exemplified by Rasheed Sulaimon's face when he went crashing into Joel James' screen, while desperately trying to stop Marcus Paige. Maryland still looks like a top-five team to me. Trimble is a star, and he has great complements around him in Sulaimon and Carter. They will be even more dangerous if Diamond Stone can start living up to his potential.

North Carolina Tar Heels

F Kennedy Meeks: 8

Kennedy Meeks was his usual solid self on offense against Maryland. He shot 6 of 11 from the field, scoring 12 points. Meeks even made a long jump shot from just inside the arc. He also had six rebounds, three of which came on the offensive end. However, it was on the defensive end that he really shined. Meeks did a great job of jumping in front of passes destined for the post, and had three steals this game. He also blocked a pair of shots, and overall did a nice job preventing clean looks in front of the basket. Meeks also did a nice job staying out of foul trouble; he finished the game with only two.

F Brice Johnson: 7

Brice Johnson continues to prove he is a supremely talented scorer anywhere in the post. He a multitude of moves with which he can score. Johnson shot 7-12 from the field, scoring 16 points. Johnson was held to only six rebounds this game, and did not get any off the offensive glass. This partly could be because North Carolina shot over 50% from the field though.

F Justin Jackson: 7

Previous to this game, Jackson had scored more than 20 points in three straight games. However, he failed to reach even ten against Maryland. Jackson shot 3-7, making one of his two 3pt attempts. He also turned the ball over three times. Like Meeks though, Jackson's greatest contribution this game was on the defensive end. Jackson was a menace disrupting passing lanes. He finished the game with five steals, and created even more turnovers often leading to easy points for North Carolina.

G Marcus Paige: 10

What a difference Marcus Paige makes on this team. He made his season debut against Maryland, and energized his team. Paige began the game with an assist to Meeks. He then hit a 3pt shot on the following possession. In the second half he scored eight points in a two minute span to keep his team ahead. In all, Paige shot 7-12, and 4-5 from beyond the arc. He scored a team high 20 points. Paige's presence also opened up teammates; he recorded five assists. In a game where the two teams combined to turn the ball over 37 times, Paige was only responsible for one of the turnovers. He also played good defense, disrupting passing lanes, and coming away with two steals.

G Joel Berry: 7

Despite Paige's return, Berry still played 32 minutes against Maryland. He shot really well form beyond the arc this game, 3-5, and scored 14 points total. Berry also finished the game with five assists, and two steals, while turning the ball over twice. Berry missed some free throws in the final minutes when the outcome of the game was still in contention, and only made 3 of his 7 attempts from the line. I personally, prefer Nate Britt to Berry. He's a better shooter. He plays better defense, and he turns the ball over less. However, it is clear UNC is going to go with Berry, and he did not discourage them with his performance against Maryland.

F Isaiah Hicks: 6

Isaiah Hicks is one of my favorite frontcourt reserves in the ACC (although he certainly is not ahead of Syracuse's Tyler Lydon). He has good size, and is athletic. He can be an asset on offense, defense, and rebounding. He can make a jumper as well. That said, Hicks did not have the most memorable game against Maryland, playing only fifteen minutes. He shot 2-3 for four points, and added six rebounds.

F Theo Pinson: 5.5

Theo Pinson lost his starting spot to Marcus Paige. He and Nate Britt will have their minutes reduced the most due to Paige's return. Pinson played just 18 minutes this game, despite averaging 27 minutes on the season. Pinson is not a great scorer. He had only six points, on 1-3 shooting this game. However, he is a terrific passer especially for his size, and he dished out a pair of assists. He is averaging just under five assists per game. Pinson also grabbed four rebounds.

G Nate Britt: 8

Britt was one of the minutes casualties with Marcus Paige returning. He played only ten minutes. Britt shot 2-5, making his only 3pt attempt, and scoring 5 points. He also dished out three assists during his short time on the court. Unfortunately for Britt, his most memorable moment on the court was when he fell down, fooled by a Melo Trimble crossover.

F Joel James: 3.5

James is UNC's designated get dirty player. He comes out, and just plays physical. He grabbed just one rebound this game. Turned the ball over twice, and picked up three fouls. On the bright side though, he made a nice turnaround jumper, causing me to confuse him for Brice Johnson for just a moment.

Team Rating: 7.45

Marcus Paige immediately makes North Carolina look like a title contender again. The two best performances I have seen this season are Kentucky's win over Duke, and now North Carolina's win over Maryland. Those two teams are one and two for me, and no one else is close—of the team's I have seen—and that includes Michigan State. Marcus Paige gave UNC an edge offensively that they had lacked prior to this game. He also plays with such confidence that the entire team is elevated on both sides of the ball. He is a really fun player to watch. The frontcourt players, Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks, have had better games offensively, but they deferred to the shooters this game. North Carolina made an incredible 69% of their 3pt attempts (9-13). No, they won't always shoot that well. However, I trust that when they don't the post players will step their game up. The balance and explosiveness on offense is unmatched in college basketball. Kentucky is just as explosive, maybe more so, but they aren't as balanced. North Carolina also showed some good defense despite Maryland scoring 81 points, and shooting over 50%. This is because the Tar Heels grabbed 13 steals, and forced Maryland to commit 22 turnovers. Kennedy Meeks, Justin Jackson, and Marcus Paige were especially impressive on defense. This game just started a whole new season for North Carolina.

ACC/BIG 10 Challenge: Wake Forest v Rutgers Player Ratings

Now that preseason tournaments are over, I am turning my focus on the fast approaching start of conference play. That means I need to start searching for all the ACC teams I have yet to watch this season. As it turns out I am in luck, because last night kicked off the ACC/BIG 10 challenge.

This is the first of many posts following the ACC/Big 10 challenge. This post will cover player ratings for Wake Forest, and recap their game against Rutgers last night. No, I did not see a reason to write out player ratings for Rutgers, sorry, but not really.

I also watched Clemson vs Minnesota, but I am not sure when/if I will get a chance to create a post for that matchup. Because...

The next two nights are two of the biggest nights in college basketball thus far this season.
Tuesday's Games:
Michigan @ NC State
Northwestern @ Virginia Tech
Wofford @ Georgia Tech (yeah, this one doesn't really belong, but I have yet to see GT)
10 Virginia @ Ohio State
11 Purdue @ Pittsburgh
21 Miami @ Nebraska
2 Maryland @ 9 UNC (Season debut of Marcus Paige)
Wednesday's Games:
South Carolina Upstate @ Clemson (again, not Big 10 match up, but I owe Clemson a game at some point)
24 Louisville @ 3 Michigan State
Wisconsin @ 14 Syracuse
Penn State @ Boston College
Indiana @ 7 Duke
Notre Dame @ Illinois 
Florida State @ Iowa

This is a ridiculous slate of games. I will be working on player ratings and recaps for almost all of them, at least the ACC/Big 10 match ups, throughout the remainder of the week. I will be writing player ratings for both ACC and Big 10 teams for most of the match ups as well. I just didn't for Rutgers. So, get excited. It is going to be a great couple of days. Feel free to comment, and let me know which games you are most excited for!

Also, for the record, I decided my ratings were a little low--6.70 for Kentucky's dismantling of Duke a couple weeks ago. So, I have adjusted accordingly. A 6.0 is somewhere about average, but it is a work in progress of course. 

WAKE FOREST @ RUTGERS

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

F Devin Thomas: 9

Devin Thomas was the best player on the floor this game. Thomas was Wake Forest's only source of offense for most of the second half. He kept the team in the game single handedly before a few timely 3pt shots allowed them to take over late. Thomas scored 23 points on 9-16 shooting. He showed off some good footwork and moves in the post. He scored multiple times after spinning in the paint. Thomas also scored on second chance opportunities close to the basket. He grabbed six offensive rebounds, and 11 rebounds total, for a total of 17, which ties a season high for him. Thomas did struggle holding onto the ball at times, and passing, especially when he was pushed back farther away from the basket, and tried to drive all the way to the basket. He turned the ball over seven times, which is a ridiculous number, but you have to remember Thomas was handling the ball way more than he should with the rest of the team struggling for much of the game. Thomas played good defense against a smaller Rutgers lineup, and had three blocks, which also tied a season high. Prior to the season I named him to my All-ACC third team, but if he continues the way he has been playing he could be a darkhorse contender for ACC Player of the Year honors. Thus far this year, Thomas has four double-doubles, and has also scored more than 20 points on four occasions this year.

F Konstantinos Mitoglou: 4

Mitoglou is a player Wake needed to step up this season as a starter in order for the team to improve. For the most part he has thus far. He is averaging 12 points, and 7.7 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, Mitoglou had his worst shooting performance of the year against Rutgers. He shot just 1-7 from the field, and missed all five of his 3pt attempts. Mitoglou's poor 3pt shooting has been a trend this season. His 3pt shooting % has dropped from 38.5% his freshman season to 28.6% this season. This is worrisome for the team as they approach the start of the ACC season. Mitoglou's ability to stretch defenses will be essential to the team competing against the conference's best teams. Mitoglou also struggled rebounding the ball. He had just five rebounds, and three on the defensive end. Rutgers consistently grabbed offensive rebounds around Mitoglou, especially when he was paired up with John Collins or Doral Moore. He did do a decent job in the post on defense though, and even blocked a couple of shots.

F Greg McClinton: 3

Despite getting the start, McClinton only played 11 minutes, and took no shots. McClinton is often sparingly used, as Wake prefers Hudson on the floor when playing small, or either of the freshman: Collins or Moore, when playing big. McClinton usually gives the team another solid rebounder, but he only had one this game, and turned the ball over twice in limited minutes.

G Mitchell Wilbekin: 6

With Codi Miller-McIntyre out the first month and a half of the season, one would think Mitchell Wilbekin would be one of the focal points of this Wake Forest offense. However, Wilbekin has a tendency to disappear offensively at times. He struggled in both of the team's two losses, taking only five shots against Richmond, and putting up a goose egg against Vanderbilt. Wilbekin nearly disappeared again in the second half of this game, until he rifled a 3pt shot to bring Rutger's lead down to six points with eight minutes remaining. Those were his only points of the half though. Wilbekin is a good 3pt shooting. He shot 4-7 from that distance this game, and is shooting 39.5% from three this season. However, his offensive game has not developed beyond being a marksman at this point. Wilbekin also struggled defensively matched up against Rutgers' star freshman, Corey Sanders.

G Bryant Crawford: 4

I was really excited to watch Crawford play. He has been Wake's second best player, behind Thomas, while getting the start at PG in Codi Miller-McIntyre's place. Unfortunately, like Mitoglou, Crawford had his worst game of the season. He shot just 1-8 from the field.. Wake Forest tries to push the ball up the court quickly on offense, and that gets the four-star freshman into trouble at times. Crawford often takes difficult shots early in the shot clock. Also, although he had only one this game, turnovers have been a problem for him. He has averaged 4.0 a game, to go with 4.2 assists per game. Ironically, 3pt shooting was not thought to be a strength of Crawford's coming into college. But, he has shot 39.1% so far, and was one of two from beyond the arc against the Scarlet Knights. Crawford shows a lot of talent, and it is good he is getting so much experience early in the season. However, Crawford will benefit from playing behind Miller-McIntyre when the senior point guard returns. Crawford's aggressive style is better suited for the bench right now.

F Cornelius Hudson: 6

Hudson looked like a nice versatile defender, and role player. On offense, he is best when using his length, and athleticism to drive to the basket. He was three for six from the field, scoring eight points, but missing both of his 3pt attempts. For the season, Hudson is shooting just 27.8% from the field, and 12.5% from deep. It should be noted, both of these numbers are subject to a very small sample size, as Hudson has played in only two games this year. Hudson offers little upside offensively, but looks like a good defensive asset. He covered Corey Sanders much better than Wilbekin, especially down the stretch.

F John Collins: 7

Collins received playing time early this year in Hudson's absence, and became a nice surprise for Wake Forest. Collins is averaging nearly 10 points per game, and had 11 against Rutgers. He shot 5-7 from the field, and showed good potential scoring in the post. Having an additional post threat, should free up Devin Thomas further, as well as Wake Forest's shooters like Mitoglou and Wilbekin. Collins also has some raw tools on defense, and had two blocks this game. However, he also picked up four fouls in just 16 minutes.

G Rondale Watson: 4

Rondale Watson played in just his second game of the season against Rutgers. He is not a big threat to score. He missed all three of his field goal attempts this game, and is shooting just two for eight through two games. He shot just 25% last season in limited minutes. Watson grabbed five rebounds this game, but that is likely an aberration, as most of them came far away from the basket. Watson's playing time will drop once Miller-McIntyre returns.

C Doral Moore: 5

Doral Moore is one of Wake Forest's most promising players. The 7'1, four-star, freshman has good tools on the defensive end, and looks pretty light on his feet. He impressively grabbed four rebounds, and blocked two shots in just eight minutes this game. Moore looks incredibly raw on the offensive end though, and does not know how to properly post up yet. He also picked up three quick fouls, and did not play down the stretch with the game on the line.

G Trent VanHorn: N/A

Did not play enough minutes to qualify.

Team Rating: 5.90

Wake Forest struggled in the second half against Rutgers, and was only able to take the lead back in the closing minutes of the game. Wake Forest's shooters particularly found it difficult to find the back of the net. The team shot 27.8% from beyond the arc, and Mitchell Wilbekin had all but one of their made 3pointers. The Demon Deacons also turned the ball over 18 times, and was out rebounded by a smaller Rutgers team, who they allowed to grab 16 boards off the offensive glass. Wake Forest did defend well in the post, other than their inability to block out when rebounding. They blocked a total of ten shots. The frontcourt also has a ton of depth, with Mitroglou, Collins, and Moore (all of whom are 6'10 or taller) rotating beside Thomas, and three of the four bigs played together at times. Devin Thomas was especially dominate on both sides of the court, and has been an anchor for the team all season. His assertiveness when the team struggled in the second half was impressive. Rutgers is not a team you want to squeak a win out against. However, Wake has otherwise had an encouraging start. They have only lost two games, and one of those losses came against Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, they have beaten both UCLA, and Indiana who was ranked 13^th at the time. Most impressively though, Wake Forest has been playing thus far without senior point guard Codi Miller-McIntyre, who was their co-best player last season, along with Thomas. They should get Miller-McIntyre back this month, and it will be very interesting once they do.