CBB Full-Court Press: Auburn leads SEC slugfest
College Basketball Full-Court Press recaps the most important developments from the sport and examines their significance moving forward.
SEC is a gauntlet
Every SEC matchup is going to be a battle.
The conference boasts nine ranked teams, including five top-10 squads. Eleven SEC schools are currently projected to make the NCAA Tournament, according to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi. All 16 teams in the conference have reached double digits in wins.
Top-ranked Auburn leads the pack with its dominant two-way play. The Tigers have an NCAA-leading seven Quad 1 victories, including three straight wins during their run to the Maui Invitational championship. They're No. 1 in the nation in blocks (seven per contest), seventh in assists (18.6), and ninth in points (86.6). Johni Broome is the straw that stirs the drink. The leading Wooden Award candidate serves as the team's defensive anchor, rebounds at an elite level, and has improved vastly as a passer. The Tigers also have a handful of shooters to complement Broome's dominant low-post game, and first-year guard Tahaad Pettiford is emerging as a big-game player with 18.3 points per contest in Auburn's top-10 tilts.
However, Broome sustained a "significant" ankle sprain over the weekend, and the duration of his absence could have major implications in an evenly matched SEC. Florida held previously undefeated Tennessee to 43 points on 21.4% shooting. Georgia slowed down Kentucky's up-tempo offense to earn its first top-10 win in five years. Alabama's coming off its maiden Final Four appearance, boasts the NCAA's highest-scoring unit, and is led by All-American guard Mark Sears. Texas A&M is building an impressive tournament resume that features ranked wins over Ohio State, Creighton, Purdue, and Oklahoma. Texas' Tre Johnson, Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears, Arkansas' Boogie Fland, and LSU's Vyctorius Miller are among the nation's standout freshmen. South Carolina - last in the conference with a 10-6 overall record - recently took Auburn down to the wire. Whomever emerges with the SEC regular-season crown will have earned it.
Duke more than just Flagg
Duke cemented itself as a national contender when it became the only team to beat Auburn this season, and Cooper Flagg has been the head of the snake on both ends of the floor, pacing the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. The versatile 6-foot-9 forward can hit mid-range pull-up jumpers, finish above the rim, set up teammates out of the short roll, and has guard-like ball-handling skills. His latest performance was an all-around masterpiece - an ACC freshman-record 42 points to go along with seven assists, six boards, and one steal.
But the Blue Devils are stocked with talent beyond Flagg. Fellow frosh Kon Kneuppel and Khaman Maluach are projected to be lottery picks in this year's draft. Kneuppel's a knock-down shooter and has been effective running the pick-and-roll. Meanwhile, Maluach is providing the team with a vertical lob threat and disruptive rim-protecting presence. Jon Scheyer is getting contributions from his upperclassmen as well. Junior guard Tyrese Proctor sits sixth in the ACC with 39 triples, fifth-year guard Sion James has the NCAA's fifth-best defensive box plus-minus (seven), and Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown is a deflection machine.
That defensive tenacity might just be the difference for Duke in March. The Blue Devils are the tallest team in Division I hoops and have length across the board. It's allowed Scheyer to deploy lineups that can switch one through five, and the proof is in the pudding. They're second in KenPom's rankings for adjusted defensive efficiency (87.8 points per 100 possessions), third in opponent 2-point field-goal percentage (40%), and sixth in points allowed (59.6).
Iowa State an offensive juggernaut?
Iowa State has prided itself on its aggressive, swarming defense since T.J. Otzelberger's hiring in 2021. It's made three consecutive NCAA Tournaments while finishing each campaign in KenPom's top 10 for adjusted defensive efficiency, including an NCAA-best 87.5 points allowed per 100 possessions during its Sweet 16 run in 2023-24. That formula remains a key part of the Cyclones' DNA as they continue to force turnovers at a high rate, which in turns leads to opportunities in transition.
The difference this season is that they finally have the firepower to match their elite defense. Iowa State's averaging 86.2 points - nearly 11 more than the year prior - and is sixth on KenPom's rankings for adjusted offensive efficiency (123.5 points per 100 possessions). The Cyclones have cracked the 80-point mark in 13 of their first 15 games, which is already more than all of last season.
Transfer portal additions Joshua Jefferson and Dishon Jackson have brought some punch to the frontcourt, posting a combined 21.5 points, 13 boards, and 7.9 free-throw attempts per game. Having a pair of interior threats has kept opposing defenses honest and is freeing things up for Iowa State's guards. Fourth-year reserve Curtis Jones has been one of the biggest beneficiaries, tallying a team-high 17.3 points off the bench and the third-most triples (41) in the Big 12. Keshon Gibert has also received a boost from the duo's arrival and is averaging career highs in points (16.1), assists (4.7), field-goal percentage (52.2%), and free-throw attempts (5.9).
Transition three
Rutgers' fab freshmen: Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are living up to the hype. Harper is averaging a Big Ten-leading 20 points per game while applying constant rim pressure and finishing from all sorts of angles. He's shown solid decision-making as the Scarlet Knights' lead ball-handler, posting two assists for each turnover. Bailey isn't too far behind with 19 points per contest and a 34.7% clip from deep. The 6-foot-10 wing can attack downhill, plays hard on the defensive end, and is already an exceptional shot-maker. Harper and Bailey are only the second pair of freshman teammates over the last 15 years to each record a 35-point game in the same campaign, per statistician Jared Berson. However, the star duo's individual success hasn't been enough, as Rutgers will miss the Big Dance barring a drastic turnaround. The Scarlet Knights could become the first school to miss the NCAA Tournament despite having two top-five NBA draft picks in the same season on the roster, per CBS Sports' Matt Norlander.
UConn rebounding from Maui: The Huskies nearly fell out of the AP poll following a disastrous 0-3 showing at the Maui Invitational. They've since won nine of 10 games while defeating Baylor, Texas, and Gonzaga. UConn's balanced attack has been at the heart of the resurgence. The Huskies are averaging 80.2 points on 49.4% shooting - including a 37.7% clip from distance - during the recent run. Alex Karaban is providing a steady source of scoring, Liam McNeeley is showing the ability to take charge down the stretch, and Hassan Diarra is settling into his new role as the starting point guard. Sophomore guard Solo Ball has made the leap as well, developing into one of the country's top 3-point shooters. Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr. are providing UConn with production at the five akin to its previous two campaigns. The Huskies' defense still isn't where it needs to be, but Dan Hurley's squad is in a much better place than it was leaving Hawaii.
Mick Cronin's outburst: Things have gone south for UCLA after a promising 10-1 start to the season. The Bruins have dropped their last four Big Ten contests and suffered a 19-point defeat at home to No. 20 Michigan, after which Cronin put his players and coaching staff on blast during his postgame press conference. It's not out of the ordinary for a coach to be brutally honest with the team, but those conversations are meant to be kept private and shouldn't be aired out publicly moments later. There was no accountability from the Bruins' head coach, either. Cronin's rant didn't provide the spark he hoped for. UCLA fell three nights later to Maryland, and his actions are still lingering in the locker room. How will future recruits view Cronin's open criticism of the roster and staff he assembled? This all could've been avoided had he just kept everything behind closed doors.