Let’s dive into this week’s version of 10 Traits, together with a six-pack of faux trades as a result of it’s the season and if the Dallas Mavericks can commerce Luka Doncic, we will do hypothetical trades as a result of the incomprehensible is immediately doable. Even in school basketball.
1. Hopeless possessions litter UNC’s offensive tape
Duke’s impenetrable protection was the story of Saturday’s 87-70 blowout victory over North Carolina. However UNC’s course of offensively left loads to be desired, particularly within the first half when the Tar Heels managed simply 0.86 factors per possession.
UNC had extra turnovers (9) than buckets (eight) within the first 20 minutes.
The tape was not fairly, but when UNC needs to salvage something about its season, possessions like this simply cannot occur anymore.
Let’s undergo these 4 alternatives.
- There are 12 seconds left on the shot clock and UNC nonetheless hasn’t generated a single paint contact (a theme of the primary half towards Duke’s switching protection). Elliot Cadeau tries to slide a left-handed backdoor go to Seth Trimble, however Cooper Flagg was already rotating, has an insane wingspan and isn’t fooled within the slightest. Cadeau is fearless however he’d need this one again.
- It appears to be like like Cadeau predetermined that he is throwing this in-bounds go to the nook to try to catch Kon Knueppel napping. However Knueppel is already turning to the ball earlier than the ball can get out of Cadeau’s fingers. This play is straight away useless and one other Duke runout commences.
- UNC lastly generates a paint contact and will get Duke’s protection scrambling just a little bit, however Jae’Lyn Withers rotates to an already-filled nook, intercepts a go that regarded prefer it was meant for Seth Trimble and chucks up a heavily-contested 3-pointer with 16 seconds left on the shot clock. What are we doing? No play ought to ever have two guys in a single spot and taking this shot simply compounds one mistake into two.
- Withers will get an isolation possession towards Flagg and tries to make a play towards among the finest defenders within the sport. Duke has been switching all the things all sport and there are greater than 16 seconds left on the shot clock once more. Making an attempt to make a play is one factor, however an isolation possession towards Flagg is unhealthy enterprise. Why not attempt to get a swap onto anybody else aside from Flagg?
The dearth of paint touches, the routine shortages of additional passes and a endless brigade of dribbles continuously pop up on UNC’s offensive tape. And it is February. If it wasn’t going to get fastened by now, is there sufficient time to salvage it?
UNC has severe work to do and the clock is ticking.
Clifford is the one participant in America with an help charge north of 25.0 and a defensive rebound charge greater than 26%. The 6-foot-6 wing means all the things to this Colorado State membership.
His stat strains in the course of the Rams’ four-game successful streak are ludicrous.
- 23 factors, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and one steal vs. Wyoming.
- 20 factors, seven rebounds seven assists and 0 turnovers vs. Boise State
- 24 factors, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals vs. Fresno State.
- 22 factors, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals towards Air Power.
It is virtually a miracle that Clifford hasn’t notched a triple-double at this charge.
The most effective half about all of it’s how Clifford and Colorado State have met within the center to attract out a career-best season. Final yr, Clifford performed off the ball a ton to let Colorado State’s legendary level guard Isaiah Stevens cook dinner. Clifford put himself on the map as a authentic NBA prospect because of his 3-and-D archetype. This yr, Clifford has modified his sport dramatically. He is posting up extra now than ever earlier than. His 3-point charge has spiked. He is accepted the blessing and the curses that extra on-ball tasks can deliver.
He is sacrificed cleaner appears to be like from downtown to point out off his well-rounded sport. It is the playmaking that is spiked essentially the most, particularly out of these post-ups. This nifty dart was pretty much as good of a dime as you may see this season.
It is a new weapon that Colorado State’s Niko Medved can use for a gaggle that sits 14-7 general and 8-2 in Mountain West play forward of Wednesday’s highway tilt towards league-leading New Mexico.
This subsequent three-game stretch might be extremely telling for Colorado State’s championship aspirations. Street tilts with New Mexico and Utah State aren’t any joke, and sandwiched in between is Saturday’s residence contest towards San Diego State (10 p.m. ET on CBS Sports activities Community and streaming on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports activities App).
With this model of Clifford, Colorado State can play with anyone.
3. Baylor’s Rob Wright is simply getting began
Wright earned nationwide consideration after placing Baylor on his again not as soon as, however twice, final week. The freshman poured in 22 factors and 6 assists in a decent, time beyond regulation highway loss to BYU earlier than exploding for twenty-four factors and 6 dimes within the Bears’ absurd comeback Saturday to stun Kansas.
Invoice Self tried all the things to decelerate Wright. Massive wings like Rylan Griffen and Zeke Mayo acquired a flip and promptly had been torched. Veteran guard Shak Moore was no match. One among Wright’s greatest buckets got here towards veteran Dajuan Harris when he wiggled right into a pick-and-roll, put Harris in jail and skittered right into a nifty layup.
Jaw-dropping stuff from a freshman who is not enjoying like one.
That is solely the start. Wright’s fingerprints are going to be throughout Baylor’s March run, however let’s scale out for a bit.
It is fairly clear who the face of this Baylor program goes to be in a short time. Jayden Nunn, Norchad Omier, Jeremy Roach, Jalen Celestine and VJ Edgecombe are all gone after this yr. Baylor’s roster goes to look mighty completely different subsequent November.
The whole lot about Baylor’s roster building in 2025 shall be centered round discovering portal additions who will match round Wright like a glove.
Who would not wish to play with a degree guard like this?
Good lord, I’ll rank Wright far too aggressively in subsequent season’s preseason top-100 gamers.
4. Blindside traps towards Michigan
Michigan is 8-2 within the Massive Ten and only a sport behind rival Michigan State within the convention standings regardless of not really enjoying that effectively for the final couple of weeks. Michigan’s high-powered offense has posted its two worst performances of the season within the final three video games.
A blindside publish lure is one barely new technique that Michigan opponents are using to confuse massive man Vlad Goldin. The Michigan star middle, who’s firmly within the combine for First Staff All-Massive Ten, has turned it over 13 occasions within the final 4 video games mixed. That blindside lure has given him suits. Purdue most likely did it greatest, however Penn State and Rutgers have utilized it routinely to pressure takeaways.
However each week provides new wrinkles. Michigan hosts Oregon Wednesday earlier than a tilt at Indiana (1 p.m. ET, on CBS and streaming on CBSSports.com, CBS Sports activities App and Paramount+ with Showtime).
Each Oregon and Indiana haven’t been heavy post-trap groups this season. The Geese belief Nate Bittle one-on-one towards nearly all people. Indiana does the identical with Oumar Ballo.
Will Dana Altman and Mike Woodson steal among the sport plans which have labored towards Michigan recently? And in that case, what’s Dusty Might’s counter?
5. Pretend Commerce No. 1
The proposal: Georgia’s Asa Newell for Ole Miss’ Sean Pedulla
The pitch: This may be a blockbuster commerce within the SEC. Ole Miss will get the frontcourt assist that it desperately wants with a five-star massive man like Newell reworking that unit. However the fee is difficult to swallow. Pedulla has been phenomenal all season, and the cold-shooting Dawgs desperately want a veteran guard with an actual burner. Plus, Georgia has a great deal of frontcourt depth behind Newell with the likes of Somto Cyril and Justin Abson who’re greater than competent. Ole Miss fingers beginning guards like JuJu Murray and Matt Murrell extra utilization whereas additionally getting a flat-out dude in Newell.
6. Pretend Commerce No. 2
The proposal: Kansas’ AJ Storr for Iowa’s Josh Dix
The pitch: Kansas definitely wants extra function gamers who’re comfy enjoying off the ball and might shoot the duvet off the ball. That’s Dix’s sport to a T. Iowa’s zoom-zoom sport plan might be precisely what a transition scorer like Storr may use. He’d have a usage-rate bump at Iowa in comparison with his function at Kansas, and the wing tandem of Payton Sandfort and Storr would not have a lot positional overlap.
7. Pretend Commerce No. 3
The proposal: Kentucky’s Ansley Almonor for BYU’s Dallin Corridor
The pitch: Mark Pope will get to reunite with Corridor, his outdated level guard, who helps present a veteran within the room whereas Lamont Butler will get wholesome. BYU provides a flamethrower like Almonor to a rotation that may’t ever have sufficient taking pictures surrounding Egor Demin.
8. Pretend Commerce No. 4
The proposal: Wake Forest’s Omaha Biliew for Xavier’s Dante Maddox
The pitch: Maddox is type of buried by Ryan Conwell. Biliew is on the mend however is just a little buried on the depth chart by the good Tre’Von Spillers. This might be an everyone-wins commerce. Biliew has an actual path to minutes at Xavier in a frontcourt that wants extra explosiveness and defensive chunk. Maddox might help remodel a Wake Forest offense that completely wants an on-the-move shooter.
9. Pretend Commerce No. 5
The proposal: West Virginia’s Jonathan Powell for Oregon’s KJ Evans Jr.
The pitch: This one sounds a bit unfair however stroll with me. Powell has been one of many Massive 12’s greatest freshmen. He is a deadeye from downtown who can get scorching in a rush. Oregon has struggled to discover a true spot-up sniper who can get buzzing, but it surely has a ton of frontcourt depth. To maximise Javon Small’s good season, West Virginia gambles on Evans, a former five-star, and believes {that a} change of surroundings paired with an elite pick-and-roll maestro can unlock his sky-high potential. Plus, Evans’ defensive capabilities can be preferrred in West Virginia’s scheme. Oregon can experience with Nate Bittle, Supreme Cook dinner and Brandon Angel to sop up the 80 out there frontcourt minutes whereas upgrading its wing taking pictures with a long-term piece like Powell who might be a multi-year starter.
10. Pretend Commerce No. 6
The proposal: Cincinnati’s Connor Hickman for Michigan’s Sam Walters
The pitch: Welcome to the weeds, of us. Michigan may use one other veteran guard in that rotation, and Hickman, when wholesome, may present extra spot-up taking pictures and additional ball-handling that Might may crave. In the meantime, Cincinnati desperately wants some taking pictures to buff up that frontcourt, and a catch-and-shoot sniper like Walters can be a a lot completely different look than anybody else in that rotation.