The college basketball season is roughly at the halfway point, meaning we’ve got a pretty good read on what these teams and players are going to be as we progress through conference play.
A team like Kansas, who has somewhat slept walked through the start of the season, found its way with two big home wins over previously unbeaten Iowa State and the Baylor Bears. On the flip side, Iowa State and Vanderbilt were undefeated entering the week, but emerged having lost two consecutive games. Sustainability is the name of the game this time of the year, and we will soon find out who has it and who does not.
Prospect of the week: Darryn Peterson (Guard, Kansas)
Last five games: 24.6 points, 5.0 rebounds per game (48.7% from the floor, 39.5% from deep)
It is remarkable to watch Darryn Peterson play basketball, and here lately he finally has been playing consistently. There isn’t a player in college right now who is as NBA ready as Peterson is. His ability on the offensive end to meticulously get to his spots and knock down shots is fun to watch. Darryn has a great pace to his game off the dribble, as he never feels sped up by a defender.
Simply put, I can’t think of a guard in recent memory that has been more polished at the college level than Darryn Peterson. There is still at least some concern from me about Darryn’s continued leg issues, as he has not played more than 32 minutes in a game this season. However, he hasn’t missed a game since Big 12 play began, and he’s looked fantastic while he’s been out there. Assuming he isn’t medically red flagged, this is your first overall pick.
I know that Peterson has a hype train that follows him every time he steps on the floor. Frankly, I don’t think we’re doing enough to explain just how good he is. You could drop Darryn Peterson into the Warriors at Mavericks game on Thursday, and he would probably be the third or fourth best player on the court. He’s going to be a star.
Games of the week
January 20th
12 Texas Tech at Baylor – 8:00p CT (Peacock)
15 Vanderbilt at 20 Arkansas – 8:00p CT (ESPN)
19 Kansas at Colorado – 10:00p CT (ESPN)
This is a fun Tuesday night card. Texas Tech is coming off of a huge home win against a very good BYU team. They’ll now face a Baylor squad that has looked awful as of late, but this is a dangerous spot. Vanderbilt was unbeaten this time last week, but that zero in the loss column is now a two and they’re underdogs in Fayetteville. The Hogs are a different team at home, and Darius Acuff should have a favorable matchup against the undersized Commodores. Finally, Kansas is heading to elevation against a feisty Colorado squad. Darryn Peterson and the Jayhawks are better, but this is a typical let down spot.
January 24th
22 North Carolina at 14 Virginia – 1:00p CT (ESPN)
11 Illinois at 4 Purdue – 2:00p CT (FOX)
6 Houston at 12 Texas Tech – 5:30p CT (ESPN)
Tennessee at 17 Alabama – 7:30p CT (ESPN)
We get to run back one of the games of the year on Saturday, as Texas Tech will get to host Houston this time around. I’ll be very interested to see how Tech handles Kingston Flemings, as the young freshman lit the Red Raiders up for 23 points in the first matchup. Conversely, does Houston continue to throw doubles at Christian Anderson? This allows JT Toppin to play four on three in the short roll, which is advantageous for Texas Tech. College Gameday in Lubbock, plus a night game so the students can hydrate all day? We are in store for a fantastic game.
Elsewhere, we’ve got a few nice matchups to round out the day. The Heels have struggled lately, almost entirely because they can’t get stops defensively. That is an issue against UVA, as the tempo that they are playing stresses even the best defenses. Caleb Wilson, UNC’s phenomenal freshman, will have ample opportunity to show off here. Next up, Illinois at Purdue features an elite guard matchup with Andrej Stojakovic facing off against Braden Smith.
And lastly, Tennessee will face Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The guard play should be fantastic here with Gillespie for the Vols and Philon for the Tide. We know Alabama can score the ball here, so this game will come down to the efficiency of Nate Ament and Ja’Kobe Gillespie for Tennessee.
