Player of the Week:
Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts
Every college basketball fan remembers Max Abmas for his performance in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. In the Golden Eagles’ three game run, Abmas played all 125 minutes, shooting around a 42% clip from the field for 26.7 points per game and totaling 14 assists in his campaign.
Now that his partner in crime, Kevin Obanor, has left for Texas Tech, the keys to the team have been solely given to Abmas. So far through the first seven games of the season, Abmas has not skipped a beat.
To start the season, the darling of the Oral Roberts team plays less minutes, averaging 30.5 per game, but putting up similar numbers to the tournament. The guard averages 22.3 points per game on 44.3% shooting from the floor, 43.9% from the perimeter, and 1.0 steals per game.
However, his play as of late has been magnificent. Abmas averaged 33.5 points per game in the last two games, posting 29 points in an overtime loss to Oklahoma State and 38 points the Golden Eagle’s win over the Golden Hurricane.
Who’s Hot?
Kenneth Lofton Jr., F, Louisiana Tech
Listed at 6 foot 7 inches and 275 lbs., Kenneth Lofton Jr. bulldozed his way to marquee wins. In the Bulldogs last five games, the team has gone 4-1 in that stretch, with a nine-point loss to a Power 5 program in NC State. In that loss, Lofton Jr. put up 36 points on 73.7% shooting, grabbing 18 boards and dishing out four assists. On the year, Lofton is averaging a double-double with 17.7 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game.
Osun Osunniyi, F, St. Bonaventure
As one of the few weapons for the Bonnies, Osunniyi has stepped his game up from the first two rounds of the Charleston Classic. In that chamnpionship game, he erupted for 16 points on 80% shooting. His success would still carry on into the next two games. In their loss to Northern Illinois, Osunniyi posted 12 points with seven rebounds and three assists. The Bonnies would bounce back with a victory over Coppin State. The senior forward had 17 points on 66.7% shooting with five rebounds and three blocks on the final stat sheet. Osunniyi plays a vital role for the Bonnies’ success.
Oakland Golden Grizzlies, Horizon League
The Golden Grizzlies were projected to finish seventh in the Horizon League after losing two big scorers in Rashad Williams and Daniel Oladapo. However, the Golden Grizzlies are now defying the odds. Oakland returns the best mid-major player in Jalen Moore, who averaged 17.9 points per game and 8.4 assists per game. Alongside Moore is Jamal Cain and Trey Townsend, who have been great assets to Oakland. This season, Moore, Cain, and Townsend have posted averages of over 12 points per game.
Who’s Not?
Gonzaga Bulldogs, West Coast Conference
Now this may seem a little too farfetched but looking at their dominance over the past couple of seasons, the past two games have been disappointments. Starting with their marquee matchup with the Duke Blue Devils, the teams played close, but in the end, Duke came out of Vegas with the win. A little deflating to the program, but it was nothing to worry about, until Tarleton came into Spokane. The Zags, suffering from an apparent big game hang over, allowed 1-5 Tarleton Texans to take them to the brink of defeat, but Gonzaga pulled away due to their star talent and balance with their starters. Fans of the Bulldogs should not press the panic button however, they figure to continue to improve with a number of key pieces (Chet Holmgren in particular) improving as the season progresses.
Dexter Dennis, G, Wichita State Shockers
Dexter Dennis started off the season strong by putting up double-digit points in two out of the first three games of the season. Once Feast Week commenced, Dennis’ production started to decline. In the last four game stretch, the junior guard has totaled 14 points, going scoreless in their final game of the Roman Main Event against Jordan McCabe and the UNLV Rebels. The main part of his lackluster statsheet comes with not taking many shots. The past three games have not seen shot attempts go past five shots.
Top 5 Weirdest Mascots
5.) UTSA Roadrunners, Conference USA
Located in the southwest, home to many mesas, deserts, and the Grand Canyon, UTSA decided to go with a mascot to fit their environment. The roadrunner shows speed and can blaze past their predators to get to safety. In basketball, speed and pace are vital components to a transition offense, and UTSA wants to bring that identity to their squad.
4.) Wichita State Shockers, American Athletic Conference
In the heart of the Great Plains, Wichita finds themselves surrounded by flat land, which is great for growing wheat. Kansas in known for its wheat crop, and the university wanted to represent their citizens by creating their mascot as the Shockers. They definitely did shock the nation in the early 2010’s when they went on a few year run in the NCAA tournament, headed by head coach Gregg Marshall.
3.) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, Big West
UC Santa Barbara decided to pay homage to their cultural roots in South America. The Gaucho refers to a cowboy in the Southern Hemisphere countries of South America. They would herd cattle while looking like gunslingers. As a gunslinger, the shots will not miss, which is what UC Santa Barbara hopes to achieve from their offense.
2.) St. Louis Billikens, Atlantic 10
As one of the weirder names of college basketball, the St. Louis Billikens decided to pay homage in a different way compared to other schools. One professor who worked at St. Louis University made a doll, who happened to look like their head football coach at the time in John Bender. The football team was called “Bender’s Billikens” and the rest is history.
1.) Akron Zips, Mid-Atlantic Conference
This mascot creates confusion in the minds of casual college sports fans. But what if I tod you their original name was the Akron Zippers. In the 50s, the name got shortened to the Zips and flipped the logo to a kangaroo. You can find Zippy on the sidelines of Akron basketball games cheering his team on.