Player of the Week:
Justyn Mutts, SF/PF, Virginia Tech Hokies
Mutts has always been known as the unsung hero and glue guy for the Hokies, making winning plays without getting the worthy recognition. That all changes this week. In a decisive win over former No. 1 North Carolina, the super senior scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Hokies past the Heels.
He now leads the team in rebounds, steals and blocks per game while leaping to second in both points and assists after his effort on Sunday afternoon. Mutts is one of those players who you need to watch to appreciate and I truly believe he has a role for an NBA team in the future. He’ll just have to do it the hard way.
Who’s Hot?
PJ Hall, PF/C, Clemson Tigers
After a breakout sophomore season in 2021-22, Hall got off to a slow start as a junior, failing to break into the starting lineup in the first six games. That changed this week and it helped the Tigers pull off a pair of massive home victories over Penn State and Wake Forest.
The 6-10 stretch-five scored 43 points in 46 minutes over the two games including 16 points in the second half and OT against the Nittany Lions to stave off a furious comeback by the Lions. The Tigers are looking to get back into the NCAA Tournament after missing out last season and Hall could be the difference maker to get them there.
Tyree Appleby, SG, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
We are firmly into the transfer portal era of college athletics. Just ask college football fans right now. It’s not all about players making jumps from smaller schools to bigger schools to gain notoriety. Just ask Tyree Appleby.
The two-time transfer made that jump from Cleveland State to Florida, but never found a true role with the Gators. This summer he made a seemingly lateral move from Florida to Wake Forest and he is flourishing because of it. After a 32-point outburst to lead the Deacs to a pivotal road victory over Wisconsin on Tuesday, Appleby is a noteworthy star in a conference overflowing with them.
Who’s Not?
Jarkel Joiner, PG/SG, NC State Wolfpack
The curse continues! That’s three straight weeks now where a player went from player of the week or the who’s hot list down to the dungeon of the who’s not list. After a breakout at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, Joiner came crashing back down to earth, shooting 0-12 and 0-7 from the perimeter in an upset loss at home to Pittsburgh to begin conference play. He’ll have a chance at redemption when the Wolfpack take on Miami on Saturday.
Caleb Love, PG/SG, North Carolina Tar Heels
It’s another feature on the who’s not list for Caleb Love who looks as erratic and out of control as ever in his third season in Chapel Hill. The highly touted point guard looked like his forgettable freshman season was in the past, but he is resorting back to the same struggles as a junior. He is out of control on drives, hoisting up horrific shots and missing shots at the charity stripe more than ever before in his career. Something needs to change for the Heels and fast, who are flirting with missing the NCAA Tournament if they don’t figure something out.
Freshman of the Week:
Kyle Filipowski, PF/C, No. 18 Duke Blue Devils
The consistency of Filipowski continues to impress as the standout freshman builds a case for playing at the next level. He started the year fourth at best in Duke’s recruiting class, but he has proven to be the most ready to contribute, with his play in the early season.
That’s now 10 straight games to begin his career in double-figures and he doesn’t look like stopping any time soon. The seven-footer is a matchup nightmare at power forward, as he shows some ability to defend smaller opponets on the perimeter, and deceptive enough to peel out for pick-and-pop 3-pointers at the top of the key. Despite a lack of ideal athleticism for the next level, his confidence, feel for the game and efficiency help to overcome this.
Top Five wins of ACC-B1G Challenge
It was a terrific week for the ACC, defeating the deepest and arguably, best conference in college basketball this week. In the final edition of the challenge, the ACC snapped a three-year winning streak for the Big Ten and earned bragging rights for years to come over their east-coast rival.
5. Pittsburgh Panthers 87, Northwestern Wildcats 58
This game flew under the radar on Monday night, but its importance can’t be overstated for the Panthers and for the ACC. While these two teams are projected to finish at the bottom of their respective conferences, it proves that the ACC is just as deep as the Big Ten, and after Northwestern’s win over Michigan State on Sunday, the win is even more impressive for Pitt.
4. Penn State Nittany Lions 94, Clemson Tigers 101 (2OT)
This was arguably the game of the challenge, with a late flurry by the Nittany Lions forcing overtime, which led to another, in a thrilling game in Littlejohn Coliseum. These two teams will likely end up in the middle of the pack of their conferences and when resumes are being compared at the end of the year, this head-to-head win for Clemson could prove the difference on Selection Sunday.
3. No. 25 Ohio State Buckeyes 72, No. 17 Duke Blue Devils 81
While the Blue Devils were expected to win this one, they needed to prove to themselves that they can beat a finish off a strong opponent in a close game. This is one of the youngest teams in the sport, and while they are immensely talented, surviving close games is something that only experience can teach.
2. No. 20 Michigan State 52, Notre Dame Fighting Irish 70
We’ll excuse Notre Dame’s weekend effort thanks to a dominating upset victory over Michigan State earlier in the week. Home-court means a lot in college basketball, but it’s impossible to make an argument against the Irish winning this game anywhere after the beatdown they put on the Spartans.
1. No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers 70, Michigan Wolverines 68
Not even home-court advantage could save Michigan from the wagon that is Virginia basketball this season. The Cavaliers faced an 11-point deficit at the break, but held the Wolverines to 23 second-half points and stormed back for one of the most impressive wins of the season. As if there was any remaining doubt, the Cavaliers are a legit national championship contender in 2023.