Player of the Week:
Quentin Grimes, PG/SG, Houston Cougars
Quentin Grimes made a name for himself as a top prospect by committing to Kansas University to play for Bill Self in 2018. As a top 10 recruit, according to ESPN, Grimes was expected to be the next great Jayhawk who led his team on a deep tournament run. However, Kansas failed to make it past the first weekend and Grimes bought the first ticket out of there to join the Houston Cougars.
Here, Grimes has found his groove averaging nearly 17 points per game, almost a 10-point increase from a year ago. While his three-point shooting is around the same percentage as last season, Grimes has improved in one way by modifying his style into a more effective slasher. Now, he is shooting close to 50% from the field and he has also improved from the free throw line with his additional opportunities.
This vast improvement in free throw shooting is especially important because of his altered style of play focused around getting to the basket. A 60% free throw shooter a season ago has improved to 71% this season to complement his drastic increase to five free throw attempts per game.
The fast-improving sophomore guard led his team into Columbia, South Carolina and triumphed over the Gamecocks 76-56. Grimes led the way with 24 points on 9-17 shooting to earn his Player of the Week honor. He also added a 10-point performance later in the week against UT-Arlington.
Who’s Hot?
BYU Cougars, 8-4
While the Cougars do not boast an overly impressive record, they found a way to bounce back this week from a demoralizing overtime loss to Utah with two fairly impressive victories. The West Coast Conference contenders prepared for a pair of games against nearby non-conference foes in the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and the Nevada Wolfpack.
The red-hot Cougars showed no mercy in a pair of 33-point beatdowns against two teams who are certainly not used to enduring such embarrassing defeats. In both games, BYU displayed a unified team effort with at least four double-digit scorers and nobody reaching 20 points.
There is not a single player on this BYU team that can beat you by himself, but a stout defense and a well-rounded offensive arsenal is creating a team that coaches are going to have a difficult time trying to prepare for.
Carlton Bragg, Jr. (PF) and JaQuan Lyle (PG/SG), New Mexico
The New Mexico Lobos are another example of a team that is extremely well-rounded. But there is no question that stars Carlton Bragg, Jr and Jaquan Lyle lead the way for the Lobos. Jaquan Lyle is the primary scorer, averaging a team leading 17.7 PPG, but Bragg is arguably the most important player for the squad. Not only does he average a solid 12.6 PPG, but he brings in over 10 rebounds per game for a team that is otherwise average on the glass (72nd nationally in rebounding margin).
The duo has really clicked in their last three games, solidifying their status as one of the most overlooked tandems in the country. The first of the three games pitted the Lobos against Montana, a team who has made the tournament the past two seasons. Bragg was the star of this game, leading the team with 20 points and a dominant 14 rebounds. A matchup with Boise State followed in a game where Jaquan Lyle took over with a career-high tying 31 points in 39 minutes. Finally, the pair wrapped up an impressive stretch with a combined 28 points against Wyoming, but Bragg made his presence felt in another aspect of the game with a decisive 15 rebounds.
While neither player is high on many NBA scouts’ radars, both of these players showcased their skills playing at a power five school. Bragg played at Kansas while Lyle played at Ohio State before they both transferred to New Mexico. This valuable experience and proof that these players can hang with the best is a major reason why I believe Bragg and Lyle can make some noise both in March and in June at the NBA Draft.
Who’s Not?
Jarron Cumberland, SG/SF, Cincinnati
The reigning AAC player of the year has certainly not lived up to the hype so far this season. Many expected Cumberland to compete for conference player of the year once again despite the influx of tremendous talent at Memphis. However, even with the absence of James Wiseman, Cumberland is still nowhere near the top of the conference’s best players.
All of his statistical categories are down from a season ago, most notably his points per game, which is down to 13.9 PPG after a season where he averaged nearly 20. Not only is he scoring less, but he is also inefficient to go along with it. His field goal percentage is down to a dreadful 34% and his three-point percentage is even worse at 26%, a 12% drop from a season ago.
I do believe that Cumberland will be able to pick it up as the season goes on, but his senior season so far is not only personally disappointing, but the Bearcats also find themselves with three early losses this season. If Cumberland does not change something fast, his college career will not be the only career that slips away.
Boogie Ellis, PG, Memphis
In his only game in the past week, Boogie Ellis was less than stellar against an average UAB team. A six-point performance in any game is never something to brag about, especially when the player is a top 40 recruit seeing enhanced opportunities now that the team’s best player, James Wiseman, is suspended.
Not only did Ellis struggle this week, but a relatively average 9.7 points per game is all he is putting together on the season. Expectations were high for Ellis, because even though he was the 4th best recruit, he was the top guard who was expected to be the knockdown jump-shooter for the young, talented Tigers.
This frustrating start for a top prospect reminds me a lot of Ashton Hagans and Tre Jones last season. Both of these guards played well their freshman year, but not well enough to secure a lottery pick, so they both decided to come back for another season. Those moves have already been very helpful early on for these two players making it even more likely that Ellis takes a similar approach once this season comes to a close.
Top 5 Upsets of the Season
1. Stephen F. Austin 85, 1 Duke 83 F/OT
28-point underdogs. 150 straight home wins against non-conference opponents. 1 generational upset. The Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin are known for two massive NCAA tournament upsets this decade against #5 seed VCU in 2014 and #3 seed West Virginia in 2016. They are always a team I look for to come through with a big upset when I fill out my March Madness bracket. What I never expected, just like many other fans around the country, was to hear their name at any point before March.
Then, I got the alert. I was notified that the #1 Duke Blue Devils were on upset alert on their own home floor at Cameron Indoor Stadium. I turned on the TV and proceeded to watch one of the most shocking upsets in all of college sports history. Nathan Bain banked in a buzzer-beater layup to complete the magical upset and brought jubilation to the entire country by taking down one of America’s least favorite teams.
2. Evansville 67, #1 Kentucky 64
Another storied arena. Another historic upset. Rupp Arena has become one of the most feared arenas in all of college basketball since the arrival of Coach John Calipari. The Evansville Aces did not understand what all the hype was about.
Not only did they march into the arena and upset the top-ranked team in the nation, but they did so in dominating fashion. Fresh off a win against then #1 Michigan State, Kentucky fans were ecstatic about the look of this year’s Cats. However, all of that optimism seemed lost after a small Missouri Valley school came into Rupp Arena and made a bunch of five-star recruits look pedestrian.
This unforeseen dominance is what really took the nation by surprise. A five-star will-imposing big man, three dynamic five-star guards, and a sprinkle of a couple more five-stars composed the Wildcat team that was absolutely commanded by the Aces on a night to forget for the Kentucky faithful around the country.
3. Winthrop 61, #18 Saint Mary’s 59
The defending West Coast Conference champions started off the season with an impressive overtime victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. What followed this game was a nightmare for non-power five schools. Mid Major schools rely on upset victories and conference championships to get their name in the paper and to get on a recruit’s radar. What these teams can never afford is a big upset that creates a dark shadow over the dim spotlight that they cling to so desperately.
The nightmare Saint Mary’s endured was a two-point loss against a Winthrop team that now sits at 4-7. The Gaels grabbed the country’s attention last season by knocking off Gonzaga to win a conference championship and the #11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Now, the previously ranked Gaels, only received 8 votes in the latest AP poll.
With only a few big games left, the Gaels will need to take advantage in order to find their way back into the spotlight they so desperately covet.
4. Northern Iowa 79, #24 Colorado 76
As one of the top mid-major teams every season, the Northern Iowa Panthers are one of the first teams you think of outside of the power five basketball conferences. However, it is still considered a major upset every time they knock off a ranked team, especially on the road.
The Panthers, led by a pair of remarkable guards in Trae Berhow and AJ Green, did just that Tuesday night against a powerful Colorado team. The Buffaloes have one of the strongest teams they have seen in a long while, but the Panthers were content to send fans back into their feeling of despair regarding their Buffaloes.
The only loss Colorado endured actually came in their previous game against the #2 Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse. This loss was easy to get over as the Jayhawks are always a top team in the country, but a setback at home is certainly not a good sign for the Buffaloes trying to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years.
5. #15 Florida 59, Connecticut 62
The Huskies have found themselves in the dog pound for the better part of the last four seasons. Not only have they failed to make the NCAA Tournament since 2016, but the former basketball powerhouse has been hovering around .500 the past three seasons as well.
Florida, under the direction of their great, young coach Mike White, have found themselves making noise in March on a consistent basis the past few years. The matchup had a similar feel to the 2014 Final Four matchup between the two squads.
The #1 seed Florida Gators (this time #15 ranked team in the country) were seen as the favorites, while the surprise #7 seed UConn Huskies (now underachieving 1-1 team) tried to pull off an upset. The Huskies once again turned to a senior guard to try to knock off the favored Gators.
Instead of it being a school legend, Shabazz Napier, this time it was Christian Vital who put in 15 points to help the Huskies pull off another upset against the Gators. While the stakes were ever so slightly different this time around, the hopeful Gators were once again defeated by a hungry Huskies team, though, this time, instead of fighting for a national title, the Huskies were only searching for a return to relevance.