I know everybody loves football, and I definitely do as well. However, when the Browns were eliminated from the playoffs, I was excited that I could turn my full attention to basketball. The Cavs have been playing great, and they are a joy to watch so far this season.
With that being said, I still love me some college hoops. More specifically, checking out some of the best prospects in the college ranks taking on each other every week and weekend for the next couple of weeks.
In our most recent college basketball viewing guide, we head to the SEC where two potential Cavs guards battle it out
In the last viewing guide, we checked in on the three top prospects in the upcoming NBA Draft. Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, and Paolo Banchero are still the three prospects most likely to go 1-2-3 in the 2022 NBA Draft. Since that viewing guide, not much has changed at the top of most “big boards.” All three players are averaging over 13 points per game this season, and have shown the country that there is a reason they are odds-on favorites to go in the top three.
However, as their first college seasons go on, there have been some small signs of concern. Holmgren has looked out of place at times, and still needs to put on a lot of muscle. Banchero had trouble with cramping issues early in the season and has struggled at times with inconsistency. Smith is the biggest riser in my books. The 6’10” wing can score from everywhere on the court and shows a lot of promise as an elite-level shot blocker. If the NBA Draft were to take place tomorrow, it’s a good bet that Smith would go first, then Banchero, with Holmgren following those two, at three.
This weekend it’s time to take a look at some of the other higher-level prospects, as they get into the meat of their schedule. Also, in the last viewing guide, we checked out E.J. Liddell from Ohio State and Johnny Davis from Wisconsin. Both are having fantastic seasons, however, Davis has shot up draft boards. In some current mock drafts, he’s being drafted as high as five. I think that’s a bit high right now, but I digress.
This weekend, we’ll get a chance to check out two of the best lead guards in the country going head to head when 22nd ranked Tennessee, led by freshman point guard Kennedy Chandler, travels to Lexington to take on TyTy Washington and the 18th ranked Kentucky Wildcats.
However, that’s not all that’s on the schedule for the weekend. Paolo Banchero and Duke host North Carolina State, and Baylor will take on Oklahoma State after losing their first game this week. Finally, it’s a good idea to tune into the Kansas game this weekend to see two of the fastest-rising prospects in the college game. Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji and his teammate, forward Christian Braun, have been on fire of late. Hopefully, they can take that hot streak into the weekend!
Two Lead Guards Battle It Out In Lexington
What: (22) Tennessee at (18) Kentucky
When: Saturday, January 15th
Time: 1:00 PM ET
How To Watch: ESPN/WatchESPN
If you look at the top of most mock drafts recently, there aren’t a lot of guards going high in the lottery. Jaden Ivey from Purdue will likely be a top-5 pick, and Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis should also go in the top ten if he keeps playing at this high of a level. Other than that, the next guard on most big boards is the G-League Ignite’s Jaden Hardy.
This weekend, though, we get a chance to take a look at two of the top leading guards in the country. Kennedy Chandler is a smaller guard for Tennessee who plays at an up-tempo pace and has the leadership attitude you need in great point guards. He will be facing off with TyTy Washington from Kentucky. Washington has been playing off-ball a lot for the Wildcats this season, but I think it’s safe to assume he’ll be asked to handle the ball a lot at the NBA level.
Both of these players are fearless leaders and like to play up-tempo. With that being said, who doesn’t play up-tempo anymore? Anyways, Chandler is on the smaller side, standing only at 6’1 and weighing in at well under 200 lbs. His biggest strengths are literally his strength, play-making ability, and scoring. He is not afraid to get physical with much bigger guards and is a tight perimeter defender. He can score the ball from all over but will need to get more consistent.
This season for the Volunteers, he’s only shooting 43% from the field and 34% from three. However, he has a solid shooting motion, so there’s reason to believe he’ll be able to improve on that at the next level. Chandler is going to play Washington straight up and will be aggressive with him, as he can get lazy with his ball-handling at times. The key for him, and Tennessee for that matter, is to take risks when defending, but not so much that he’s giving wide-open shots from the perimeter. He’ll push the tempo for head coach Rick Barnes, but he also needs to stay out of foul trouble throughout the game.
Washington, on the other hand, is more of the full package. He’s 6’3″ and looks even bigger than that on the court. Kentucky head coach John Calipari has found a way to use Washington effectively while minimizing his mistakes. On top of that, the guy is just a hooper. He has a great shooting form that will only improve at the next level. He’s also very quick with the ball and blows by a lot of defenders rather easily. On the defensive end, he’s also very aggressive. Washington excels on the defensive end thanks to his quick first step and instincts.
Watching Chandler and Washington go back and forth all afternoon on Saturday sounds like a great time to me. Overall, Kentucky is the better team, but this is a great opportunity to watch Chandler and Washington when they need to be playing at their best. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that Tennessee and Kentucky hate each other.
Big 12 Battles & Banchero Watch
The slate for this weekend isn’t great in terms of overall match-ups. However, we do get to take a look at how the Bears respond this weekend after losing their first game of the season to Texas Tech during the week. Kendall Brown and Jeremy Sochan, who was drafted by the Cavs in our latest mock, are two key players for Baylor and should be at their best on Saturday night.
Brown is unique because he can score from anywhere, and plays great defense. Sochan is a guy who just has great basketball instincts. He’s shooting just under 50% from the field this year, while also bumping his three-point percentage up to about 35%. The Bears will be hosting Oklahoma State on Saturday night so make sure you check up on Sochan and Brown.
Down in the ACC, potential number one pick, Paolo Banchero, and his Duke teammates will host North Carolina State this weekend. Banchero struggled with cramping early in the season but is finally starting to look like the number one pick many are projecting him to be.
Two things to watch for in that matchup are how the Wolfpack defends Banchero, and also Banchero’s positioning on rebounding. One of the skills he needs to improve on is rebounding, considering at the NBA level players are bigger and stronger.
Two Fast-Rising Kansas Jayhawks
For whatever reason, it seems like the Kansas Jayhawks have not been themselves over the last five years. Their last national title was in 2008, and the fans in Lawrence are still waiting to see another. Well, it could be Kansas’ year, considering two of their players are playing so well.
Guard Ochai Agbaji has been great for them this season, putting up nearly 21 points per game, and dishing out nearly five assists. Agbaji is shooting over 50% from the floor and is another great defender. With that being said, he’s not the only Jayhawk to watch this weekend.
Christian Braun is a 6’6″ wing that has been scorching of late. He’s putting up over 16 points per game this year, and also dishing out three assists. The hometown kid is also shooting over 50% from the floor, but his three-point shooting needs to improve to make it at the next level.
Overall this should be a great slate of games and players to watch. Banchero, Chandler, Washington, and the Kansas guys are all playing a game on the same day? Count me in, I won’t be leaving the couch.