Marquette turnovers, Kansas’ scoring and
Nov 22, 2023, 07:30 PM ET The Maui Invitational is a rite of November in men’s college hoops, and the 2023 variation differed from any Invitational we have actually ever seen.This year’s occasion was played not on Maui but about 80 miles away in Honolulu, due to the terrible wildfires that swept through Lahaina in August. The traditional host place, the Lahaina Civic Center, is still serving as a crucial facility for continuous healing efforts in western Maui.Fans on the island of Oahu were treated to
the strongest Invitational Field in recent memory. Three of the AP poll’s top four groups and five of the leading 11 were included in a crammed bracket.Marquette and Kansas nearly concerned blows when Shaka Smart appeared to take exception to Kevin McCullar Jr.’s comments after the Jayhawk made a 3. Purdue and Tennessee– or, more precisely, the referees designated to their semifinal– set new requirements for foul calls. A young UCLA team looked notably remarkable in spite of losing its first game. And Zach Edey and the Boilermakers lasted longer than the Golden Eagles to win it all.We always say November doesn’t matter so much, particularly when strong teams lose a game occasionally. However does that apply to this specific competition? ESPN’s panel of professionals– Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and John Gasaway– have some thoughts. play 1:38 Zach Edey sets up 28 points, 15 rebounds in essential win vs. No. 4 Marquette Zach Edey installs an impressive 28-point, 15-rebound double-double
in No. 2 Purdue’s win vs. No. 4 Marquette.Zach Edey is a much taller variation of Trae Young Edey goes back to the mainland with his usual big numbers for offending rebounds, dunks and blocks. Simply do not look past all
the points from the line. Even if Matt Painter’s All-American didn’t have the excellent statistical fortune to play in a foul-filled win over Tennessee, Edey’s production on totally free tosses up until now this season would still be excellent. In this regard, the 7-4 Boilermaker is similar to Trae Young during his single season with Oklahoma. Like the former Sooner star, Edey does a few of his most efficient work with the clock stopped.– John Gasaway play 0:31 Oso Ighodaro has a set of thunderous blocks Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro declines back-to-back shots with authority versus the Jayhawks.Marquette’s win over No. 1 Kansas in
Maui
on Tuesday was evidence of the team’s capacity to make a Last Four run in
March. And essential to that is Ighodaro. In the preliminary versus UCLA, the 6-11 senior center( 14 points,
four rebounds, one block )merely beat the Bruins’big male Adem Bona. Then, against the Jayhawks, Ighodaro (21 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks) had the edge against Hunter Dickinson. With a landscape that includes elite big guys at Duke, Arizona, Purdue, Creighton, Kansas, Kentucky and UConn, any go to the national title will probably demand a strong frontcourt. Ighodaro’s two quick fouls disrupted his group’s rhythm in the very first half against Purdue in the national championship Wednesday. However they likewise demonstrated his importance. His ability to remain on the floor this season and face the leading big men in the nation could figure out Marquette’s ceiling.– Myron Medcalf Turnovers– for and against– are really crucial for Marquette Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Last season Shaka Smart’s group played basketball for three entire months without committing more turnovers than the challenger in a single game. Then, when the impossible took place and Michigan State actually won the turnover fight, Marquette lost in the round of 32. We’re seeing this very same pattern repeat
(up until now)in 2023-24. In
205 combined possessions against Illinois, UCLA and Kansas, the Golden Eagles scored fewer points on each”effective”(turnover-less)belongings than their challengers. Obviously, Marquette won all three games by looking after the ball and requiring a high number of turnovers. Purdue did an outstanding job of getting up shots in its champion win against Smart’s group, but that’s still a high job for any team versus this defense. However, good things tend to take place for Marquette when, as typically happens, it acquires a benefit in turnovers.– Gasaway play 1:49 Kansas outduels Tennessee to finish 3rd in Maui Invitational Hunter Dickinson balls out with 17 points and 20 rebounds to lead Kansas to a win over Tennessee and finish third in the Maui Invitational.Kansas’ ceiling will be determined by its boundary newcomers Kansas has four established playmakers: Hunter Dickinson , K.J. Adams
Jr.,
Kevin McCullar Jr. and Dajuan Harris Jr. The presumption in the preseason was that one of the freshmen or transfers would step up as a consistent supplementary player on the wing and make the Jayhawks one of the most balanced systems
in the nation. That hasn’t rather took place yet. The lack of shot
creators and makers in the backcourt was obvious in the loss to Marquette( and in the win over Kentucky in the Champions Classic, though Harris bailed them out in that one ). Touted freshmen Elmarko Jackson and Johnny Furphy aren’t quite there yet, and Towson transfer Nick Timberlake isn’t making shots today. Something worth tracking: Freshman Jamari McDowell played 27 minutes against Tennessee. He was perhaps the least-touted of the incoming players, however he struck a pair of 3s versus the Vols to help in the win, and brings length on the wing.– Borzello play 0:16 Dalton Knecht tears down 3 for Tennessee Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht pulls up from the wing and sinks the 3-pointer. For all the talk of Tennessee having an enhanced offense this season, the Vols scored less than 0.96 points per possession in all three games in Hawaii. At times they looked extremely similar to in 2015’s system, whichwent
through long lulls at that end of the floor and didn’t have the power to consistently beat great groups. This year, they do have the power, on paper.
However that didn’t quite equate against Purdue and Kansas. Dalton Knecht, who has been among the best transfers in the nation through the opening couple of weeks, truly had a hard time in the second half of both games, integrating for six points on 2-for-13 shooting. Unsurprisingly, Tennessee also had a hard time to make shots in both games, going 17-for-63(27 %)from behind the arc and making just 6 of 20 layup attempts versus the Jayhawks. Knecht is the separator for Tennessee, someone who can go get his own shot and has the size and athleticism to make contested shots over great protectors. But when he’s off, the Vols will struggle.– Borzello Sebastian Mack developed himself as UCLA’s effect newbie Entering the season, it was entirely unclear how Mick Cronin was going to set up his rotation. Adem Bona was back within, but that had to do with it. It hasn’t taken wish for freshman guard Sebastian Mack to seal his spot as the Bruins’go-to guy on the perimeter, however. He had 18 points in the 2nd game of the season versus Lafayette, and has actually