The uproar over Duke’s late-game offense is understandable but lacks a little nuance. Duke has to execute better offensively down the stretch. Point blank. It did not do that in tight losses to Kentucky and Kansas. It did in an important road win over Arizona. Was Jon Scheyer a disaster of a head coach after he dialed up numerous late-clock gems against Arizona’s fortress-like defense? The truth is likely somewhere in the middle.
But all of Duke’s late-game problems might be solved if it started to make open 3s. Alabama is the only high-major team that has generated more wide-open 3-pointers than Duke. But the Blue Devils are shooting just 32.7% on those unguarded 3s. If they start dropping, Duke will be in business because this defense is the best in the country. Got one prediction right!
Tennesseee just keeps spawning studs. Lose Dalton Knecht? No problem, here’s Chaz Lanier. The North Florida transfer is a flat-out baller. Lanier is shooting a casual 49% from downtown on over 7.8 attempts per game. Lanier is the byproduct of a team that can really shoot and is so unselfish. Tennessee’s turnover rate will drive Rick Barnes a little nuts, but the Vols move the ball, cut hard, offensive rebound like madmen and have skill and size all over the floor.
It’s only seven games, but Tennessee has posted the sixth-best offensive rating and the third-best defensive rating in the country, per Bart Torvik.
The Volunteers haven’t had the toughest non-conference schedule compared to other teams in this range, but they did beat Baylor 77-62 on the Friday before the Feast Week festivities. They get Syracuse and second-year transfer stud J.J. Starling (averaging 19.8 points per game) on Tuesday night in a Battle of the Orange, SEC-ACC style.
Tennessee is the lone squad in the top-10 on both ends of the floor. It’s been sheer dominance so far.
Removing preseason priors, Iowa State has been the second-best offense in the country through six games, per Bart Torvik.
Huh?
If Maui is any indication of what’s to come, Iowa State’s going to flip the usual “defense first” narrative that has been the status quo under T.J. Otzelberger.
This iteration of Iowa State basketball can really, really score. Iowa State still turns defense into offense very well, but maybe we should’ve seen this coming. Iowa State returned its four best perimeter scorers (Keshon Gilbert, Curtis Jones, Tamin Lipsey and Milan Momcilovic). All four of those guys look even more comfortable and assertive in their respective roles, and Iowa State’s frontcourt has more offensive skill than it had in the past.
Otzelberger might need all of it. This defense can still turn you over and that’s going to be a big part of Iowa State’s identity, but the rim defense may not be a major strength. Iowa State blocked just two shots combined in three games at Maui, and Auburn (59% on 2s) and Dayton (69% on 2s) bulldozed Iowa State in the paint.
But you have to score at a high, high rate to compete in this new era of college basketball. For the first time in a hot second, Iowa State looks poised to do just that.
