For the casual fan, college basketball is just a sport where people start paying attention in February and March so they can sound like an expert when talking to their buddies at a bar when the brackets come out (These people are the absolute worst). But with all of the freshman talent this year, more eyes are geared towards the college game and Tuesday launched casual interest to another level. Champions Classic lived up to the expectations in two great games between Michigan State-Kentucky and Duke-Kansas. How much did these games tell us about the teams? Not a great deal yet there are some truths that came out about these squads.
Truth 1: Michigan State is not your brother's B1G team. One of my biggest takeaways from Tuesday was how good Michigan State looked throughout the game. They played an up-tempo style of basketball running up and down the court at all times. Not just off a defensive rebound, but also on a made basket. They pushed the ball better than I have ever seen out of Michigan State. They always had the talent in certain spots, but it seems they have it at all positions which I assume gave Bo Ryan and others nightmares last night. This is in large part to the play of Keith Appling and Gary Harris. Appling has always been inconsistent, but when he is on, Appling is a great point guard. Michigan State is the team to beat in the B1G.
Truth 2: Everyone forgot about Jabari
Remember Duke's Jabari Parker made a Sports Illustrated cover in his junior year of high school. People actually made a big deal of it and wondered if he were the next LeBron James. Parker did not have a great senior year while Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle both had big years meaning people let Parker slip by. In his hometown of Chicago, Parker made sure people remembered his name. He looked the most fluid of the three freshman. I am trying hard not to compare the two, but Parker looked like the man last night. In a losing effort, Parker had 27 points with nine rebounds. He also made four 3-pointers last night which is a big thing for a young player. Parker is an all-around good player and might be the best one by the end of the year although the jury is still out.
Truth 3: Julius Randle will only get better
It is hard to say a player whom had 27 points and 13 points did not have a five star game, but here we are with Kentucky's forward Julius Randle. He also had eight turnovers which is a large number for a post player. He also missed six free throws although going to the line 15 times as a big man is a good thing. Randle seems to be all there; he needs to get more familiar with the college game. The stat lines will keep being enormous for him because I do not think there are many teams in all of college basketball who have the ability to shut Randle down when he enters the post. If he can develop a Kevin Garnett elbow jumper, holy shit, he is borderline unstoppable.
Truth 4: Kansas is more than Andrew Wiggins
When people talk about the Jayhawks this season, they look towards Wiggins, Wayne Selden Jr. and Joel Embiid, three guys with the potential to find their way to the NBA lottery in June. But as Bill Self teams go, they always have more than just the highlighted players. Perry Ellis, not the clothes designer, seems to be a competent basketball player. Ellis will probably not ever be a superstar, but he is a solid role player whose able to step up when the moment matters the most. Frank Mason came off the bench to have 15 for Kansas. Wiggins had a nice game with 22 points and nine rebounds yet it was not a game where we all fawn over the young Canadian. That moment will happen and it will happen very soon.
Truth 5: It will get better with the officials
What I do not like is Jay Bilas acting like Father College Basketball preaching to everyone about these new rules, but I think he has a point. Taking the physical nature out of the college game might limit some of the defenses, but at least we will see more scoring. It is not teams cannot play defense right now more so it is the lack of defense being taught with the youth. When you are able to armbar a defense or check an off-ball guy coming through the lane, it makes playing defense much easier versus actually using your feet like James Naismith wanted people to do when he created the game. I expect to get better and I also expect refs to lighten up after the first or second month. It is like when a school tells a frat to stop having parties, they will stop for a bit then a couple months later, there are keggers every weekend.
Charlie.
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