Your college hoops weekend recap
Including scheduling news, recruiting tidbits, and what to watch for this week
With the NBA Draft deadline passing, player movement has slowed and final rosters have begun to take shape. But rest assured — the adrenaline rush of sleuthing Twitter for transfer rumors may be gone, but the sport refuses to stay stagnant. Make sure to subscribe to the Field of 68 Daily for a breakdown of all the relevant college basketball storylines.
On to the news!
STARTING FIVE
1. USA Basketball’s U18 Team set to kick off
Have the NBA playoffs not quite scratched your basketball itch? Well, this week FIBA arrives with an elixir for fans yearning for a drop of the college game.
The men’s under-18 team has sojourned to Tijuana, Mexico, where it will play three exhibition games before the official tournament starts on Friday.
You can find the full roster here, and I recommend tuning in (schedule here). These international contests can forecast who’s poised for stardom at the collegiate level. Take last year, for instance, where Jaden Ivey, Chet Holmgren, Mike Miles, and Kenneth Lofton Jr. all parlayed terrific summers into All-Conference seasons.
Villanova and North Carolina supporters will find a particular interest in this year’s rendition, as their schools are the only ones with two commits represented. For the ‘Cats, Mark Armstrong (‘22) and Cam Whitmore (‘22) will provide the first glimpse of the Kyle Neptune era. For the Heels, watch for Seth Trimble (‘22) and G.G. Jackson (‘23) to enthrall fans with their eye-popping athleticism.
2. Reports of the Big 12’s death are greatly exaggerated
In a world where college football runs everything, it’s nice to see a premiere basketball conference get its due — specifically, the Big 12 counted up RACKS the past scholastic year.
From the AP:
The Big 12 Conference will distribute a record $426 million of revenue to its 10 schools for the 2021-22 school year, a nearly 25% increase over last year and 10% higher than its peak before the pandemic.
Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec, chairman of the Big 12 board of directors, said Friday at the end of the league’s spring meetings that the transitioning league is in “a very strong position.”
Yes, it may seem obvious that people like making money. However, this year’s profit retains added significance, as the league saw headline after headline proclaiming its demise less than eleven months ago.
Cash cows Oklahoma and Texas bolting for the SEC will almost certainly damage the Big 12’s football reputation. But with two straight national champions and the impending addition of this season's second-highest betting favorite, the conference office won’t be sweating.
3. Those pesky super conferences…
While we’re on the topic of Oklahoma and Texas, the SEC announced its scheduling setup for the future:
This change will further fuel the narrative of the “regular-season conference titles don’t mean anything” crowd. While I normally don’t subscribe to that logic, I understand the grievances — the format seems to have few safeguards against scheduling imbalances, as home-and-away matchups look to be on a downward slide.
Nonetheless, the news serves as a harbinger of what could come for the greater college sports landscape. For about a year now, coaches across the country have openly speculated on the likeliness of super conferences. Take former Southern Illinois coach and current Oklahoma State staffer Barry Hinson for example. Last week, he shared this on the Three Man Weave podcast (starting at the 27:45 mark):
“I think we’re heading to power conferences. I think the days of low-major and mid-major basketball are numbered [...] and I hate that. Because when we talk basketball, the NCAA Tournament was made on the Loyolas, the VCUs, the George Masons, the Wichita States [...] When we take that away, it’ll be intersting to see how much of that luster still is provided by […] the blue bloods and the high majors.”
Will the SEC prove to be the first domino?
4. Cameron Indoor Youth Center?
The Duke basketball staff is no stranger to relying on freshmen-laden teams. But Jon Scheyer’s first roster kicks the youth focus up a notch.
Late Thursday night, Blue Devil commit Tyrese Proctor announced his re-class from 2023 to 2022 in the wake of Trevor Keels’ NBA draft decision. With Proctor in the fold, Duke’s projected starting lineup consists of four rookies for the first time since 2019 (five-stars Dariq Whitehead, Kyle Filipowski, and Dereck Lively complete the quartet).
Guards who re-class tend to yield mixed (and frankly, often negative) results. But for Scheyer, it seems a necessary gamble. Keels and Wendell Moore’s departures left Jeremy Roach as the lone returning ballhandler with any real experience. So in comes Proctor. In the 6-4 Aussie, Duke gains a floor general with top-notch body control, solid court vision, and an extensive dribble package.
Look at the ankles on this video. Crikey!
5. Early tests in the Empire State
This coming December, the aforementioned Blue Devils will square off against Iowa in Madison Square Garden. The contest will be part of the Jimmy V Classic, which also features a matchup between Illinois and Texas. Stadium/The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman first broke the news on Friday.
The showcase should be one of the most fascinating in the nonconference season since all four teams have both high ceilings and major questions:
Illinois landed two of the most coveted transfer prospects in Terrence Shannon (Texas Tech) and Matthew Mayer (Baylor). But can they thrive as the Illini’s number 1 and 2 options?
Meanwhile, Texas once again buzzes with top-10 upside after adding Iowa State transfer Tyrese Hunter and the nation’s third-ranked recruiting class. Will Chris Beard’s vision come together on offense?
Iowa’s roster contains several breakout candidates in Kris Murray, Tony Perkins, and Peyton Sandfort. Yet how does the squad fare without Keegan Murray?
Of course, you already know about Duke’s touted recruiting class. But where will Jon Scheyer be on his learning curve at this point in the season?
Stumbles in the non-conference don’t necessarily spell looming doom. But for teams needing early confidence boosters, this event will deliver a great opportunity.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Holy S-C-H-N-I-K-E-S!
This might be the most impressive thing you’ll see all month.
ICYMI
‘Cruiting Corner
Some under-the-radar transfers and heralded high schoolers chose their next destinations over the weekend:
Former Ragin’ Cajun and Red Raider Mylik Wilson picked Houston. There’s a non-zero chance he becomes Kelvin Sampson’s next guard to explode out of nowhere.
David N’Guessan, a key reserve for Virginia Tech last season, committed to first-time head coach Jerome Tang. The Dutchman has some limitations — he mainly just operates as a rim-runner and a catch-and-dunk threat. But Kansas State needs bodies and he did swish four 3-pointers in 2022.
Alabama landed top-100 forward Sam Walters, who the staff compares to 2021 SEC Player of the Year Herb Jones.
Rutgers swooned four-star wing Gavin Griffiths, giving Steve Pikiell the second top-50 prospect of his tenure (Cliff Omoruyi was the first). Prior to his arrival, Rutgers had welcomed just one recruit in that range in program history. Not bad for the Jersey Boys!
PREVIEWING THE NBA DRAFT
The ultimate boom or bust player
Few would have expected Notre Dame to win a First Four and a Round of 64 game after starting its season 4-5. Freshman guard Blake Wesley played a pivotal role in the Irish’s turnaround. But where does he stand in the eyes of NBA teams? The 6-5 guard boasts enticing physical skills — a powerful build, impressive burst, and a 6-9.25 wingspan. Yet questions still remain about his role at the next level. On the Field of 68’s YouTube channel, Randolph Childress and Rob Dauster discuss Wesley’s prospects as both an on-ball and off-ball player.
Check it out below.
Be sure to subscribe to the Field of 68 on YouTube.
THE FAST BREAK
Quick links to read while you’re hiding from Vecta from Stranger Things 4
John Calipari is bullish on C.J. Fredrick. I would be too if I watched my team clank bricks against Tennessee and St. Peter’s in the season’s last two losses.
Michigan State officially announced Thomas Kelley as Dwayne Stephens’ replacement on Tom Izzo’s staff. This move comes after a couple of days of speculation that Kelley would get the job. The new assistant will inject some fresh energy into the Spartan program.
Anthony Grant’s daughter, Jayda, died on Friday. She was 20.
Kansas City will host the Big 12 Tournament through at least 2027. Imagine holding a conference tourney in a part of the country where people actually care about the league (*cough cough* ACC *cough cough*).
Coveted Spanish wing Baba Miller will announce his college commitment later today. Gonzaga and Florida State are his two finalists
Gradey Dick, a five-star freshman for Kansas, received a note left behind in his dorm from Ochai Agbaji. I watched the Jayhawks crush the dreams of my Tar Heels just two months ago, and even this warmed my heart.
The Pangos All-American Camp opened yesterday. Expect some decent news from an event that hosts 120 of the nation’s top 2023 and 2024 prospects.
Big South athletes can now transfer to other schools within the conference, the league’s office announced late last week. With this change of policy, the SoCon stands as the last conference that still bars intraconference transferring.
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