What was presupposed to be the marquee sport of the primary day of the 2024-25 males’s school basketball season was a mismatch from the opening tip. No. 6 Gonzaga appeared in midseason type in a 101-63 shellacking of No. 8 Baylor on Monday night time in Spokane.
Baylor opened the sport switching ball screens and doubling the put up, and Gonzaga carved up each approaches, sprinting out to a 49-30 halftime lead. When Baylor tried to regulate, Gonzaga nonetheless received no matter it wished and simply had an excessive amount of measurement and expertise for the Bears.
In what was a powerful day for among the nation’s different prime freshmen, it was a troublesome begin for anticipated one-and-done lottery choose VJ Edgecombe, who struggled capturing the ball and drove into longer defenders to drive tough photographs on the rim as a substitute of in search of open teammates. Edgecombe completed with 4 factors on 2-of-11 capturing and likewise had three turnovers. However Edgecombe wasn’t alone. Baylor appeared like a workforce with guys making an attempt to win by themselves, whereas Gonzaga performed collectively and took nice photographs, ending with 25 assists on 40 area targets and 5 gamers scoring in double figures — an unsurprisingly scorching begin for a workforce that returned six of its seven main scorers from final season. Mark Few additionally added some firepower from the portal, and new starter Khalif Battle slot in nicely, flattening 4 3s.
The Bears have expertise, however their lack of measurement inside — they’ve simply two bigs of their rotation, and each begin — could possibly be an issue this yr. It’s early, however Baylor appeared removed from able to compete in opposition to a top-10 workforce, and it doesn’t get any simpler with a sport in opposition to No. 16 Arkansas on Saturday in Dallas.
Right here’s what else you could know from opening day.
This freshman class is fairly good, and it’s not simply Cooper Flagg
Duke’s much-hyped freshman confirmed some flashes of why he’s seen as among the finest prospects within the final decade, but when opening night time was any indication, this could possibly be a deep class. Flagg’s classmate Kon Knueppel was the star for the Blue Devils within the opener, main Duke with 22 factors in a 96-62 win in opposition to Maine. Flagg crammed the stat sheet with 18 factors, seven rebounds, 5 assists and three steals. Different freshmen who impressed:
Alabama coach Nate Oats informed me this fall that time guard Labaron Philon, a former Kansas commit who flipped to Alabama in April, was higher than he thought he’d be. Philon began the opener over each Aden Holloway and Latrell Wrightsell, and he justified the spot with a close to double-double, going for 10 factors and 9 assists with three steals and two blocks on the defensive finish. Alabama was my preseason No. 1 and appeared the half in a 110-54 win over UNC Asheville, a workforce that received 22 video games final season.
5-star middle Flory Bidunga got here off the bench and completed with 13 factors, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 17 minutes in top-ranked Kansas’ 87-57 win in opposition to Howard. Invoice Self’s plan is to play veteran stars Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams fewer minutes this season, and it seems like he has the depth to make that occur. Self went 10-deep within the first half, and he’s nonetheless with out Mississippi State switch Shakeel Moore, who Self informed me is his workforce’s greatest defender. Bidunga goes to learn from taking part in with a superb lob-thrower in Harris. Bidunga can flip his hips rapidly and race to the rim, after which you’ll be able to put it nearly wherever close to the basket, and he’s going to go get it.
Head faucet 😤#Payheed x @FBidunga pic.twitter.com/E0QOBb80hs
— Kansas Males’s Basketball (@KUHoops) November 5, 2024
Texas star freshman Tre Johnson had 29 factors and 4 assists within the Longhorns’ 80-72 loss to Ohio State in Las Vegas. Texas had a handful of veteran scorers switch on this offseason, however Johnson may find yourself the go-to man. Switch guard Tramon Mark (formally of Houston and Arkansas) is out with an harm, and with a lot turnover elsewhere, it’s nonetheless early to guage Rodney Terry’s workforce.
Will Riley, who reclassified to affix Illinois this yr, got here off the bench to attain 31 factors in a 112-67 win in opposition to Jap Illinois. Lithuanian guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who has generated a lot of the preseason buzz from NBA scouts who’ve seen the Illini, additionally had a strong sport, ending with 11 factors, seven assists and 5 rebounds.
One other freshman I’ve heard is best than anticipated is Michigan’s L.J. Cason, who initially dedicated to Florida Atlantic and adopted coach Dusty Might to Michigan. He had 14 factors and three assists off the bench in Michigan’s 101-53 win over Cleveland State.
One other gradual begin from Texas A&M
Texas A&M has needed to get scorching throughout SEC play the previous two seasons to earn an at-large bid after struggling in its nonconference schedule, and it could possibly be the identical story this yr. UCF knocked off the No. 13 Aggies 64-61 and set off a courtroom storm in Orlando. The Aggies had been with out switch guard Zhuric Phelps, who is anticipated to be a starter, however UCF was additionally lacking important items: main returning scorer Jaylin Sellers was sidelined with an harm and Memphis switch Mikey Williams was in a strolling boot.
The important thing to the Aggies’ late-season surge final season was the scoring of guard Manny Obaseki, who began the ultimate eight video games of the season and helped spur a five-game successful streak. Obaseki got here off the bench and had simply two factors within the loss to UCF. The Aggies had been one of the best offensive rebounding workforce within the nation final yr and stored up that pattern with 16 offensive boards, however they simply didn’t get sufficient from their guards. Credit score to Buzz Williams for being keen to open the season with a real highway sport, however that is one you’d count on a ranked workforce with one of many oldest rosters within the nation to win.
UCF storms the courtroom after gorgeous No. 13 Texas A&M‼️ pic.twitter.com/7zfvr5fJrb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 5, 2024
The Large East … meh
The Large East received solely three groups into the NCAA Match final season, and it wasn’t a powerful opening night time for the prospects of enhancing on that quantity. All eight convention members in motion received, however Seton Corridor, Butler, Windfall, Villanova and DePaul all trailed mid- or low-major opponents within the second half. DePaul wanted extra time to beat Southern Indiana; Seton Corridor received by 4 over Saint Peter’s; Windfall simply squeaked by Central Connecticut 59-55.
Marquette did care for enterprise, following a pattern of groups with roster continuity trying sharper on opening day. The Golden Eagles rolled over Stony Brook 102-62, and Kam Jones had one of the crucial spectacular performances of the day, ending with 32 factors on 14-of-16 capturing. Jones put up huge numbers final yr when Tyler Kolek was out, and he could possibly be in for an All-America season with Kolek now on the New York Knicks.
The portal taketh from high-majors, too
It’s a irritating time in school hoops for mid-majors as a result of normally once they develop a star, he’s off to a high-major for an even bigger paycheck. Effectively, typically it occurs to high-majors, too.
This spring, South Carolina misplaced main scorer Meechie Johnson when he returned to his authentic faculty, Ohio State, though the Gamecocks made the NCAA Match and retained rising head coach Lamont Paris. The Gamecocks had been certainly one of final yr’s huge surprises, however they’re off to a nasty begin with out Johnson. They had been the lone high-major to be upset by a mid-major on opening day, dropping 74-71 to North Florida.
Johnson was a part of the Buckeyes’ huge win on Monday, taking part in half-hour within the upset of No. 19 Texas.
Greatest sport of the day
The most effective sport I watched on Monday was Santa Clara’s 85-78 win over Saint Louis on the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota. The Broncos have huge gifted wings, a talented low-post scorer in German 7-footer Christoph Tilly and legit depth. Adama-Alpha Bal, who began his profession at Arizona, led the Broncos with 24 factors and appeared like a professional. The Broncos have a strong nonconference schedule, with upcoming video games in opposition to high-majors Arizona State (on Friday), Stanford and TCU. Saint Mary’s is normally the second-best workforce within the WCC behind Gonzaga, however don’t be stunned if Santa Clara is that workforce this yr and competes for an at-large bid.
The Billikens also needs to be related, as Josh Schertz’s offense continues to be must-watch TV with Robbie Avila as his hub. Avila rolled his proper ankle with 4:36 left within the sport and returned to the bench with it wrapped in ice. Hopefully he’s not out for lengthy. Each he and fellow Indiana State switch Isaiah Swope, who had 24 factors in his SLU debut, ought to be two of one of the best gamers within the Atlantic 10. This win ought to age nicely for Santa Clara, assuming Avila’s ankle harm isn’t important, and it shouldn’t be a nasty loss for the Billikens. Make it some extent to look at each. They’re DVR-worthy.
(Photograph: William Mancebo / Getty Pictures)
