Jordan Lyons On The Rise
College basketball, you have been Furmented by the Paladins. Remember the name, Jordan Lyons. First, he helps Furman take down Loyola Chicago (a Final Four team last year) on the road. Then, he tied the NCAA record with fifteen three-pointers made in a game, scoring fifty-four points on Thursday (11/15). How does he follow-up a video game like performance? He led his team to a victory at Villanova, the defending National Champions. Lyons, who just so happens to wear #23, is living up to the number with his early season performances. As members of the Southern Conference, they will hope to make the NCAA Tournament by winning their conference tournament and gaining the automatic bid to create some more magic.
Early Season Take-Aways
- Michigan and Virginia Tech are going to be tough to beat this year.
- West Virginia is struggling to find an identity after losing one of the best backcourt duos from last year in in Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. This was evident in their losses to Buffalo and Western Kentucky (both teams that will likely finish in the top three of their conferences respectively).
- UConn will turn around faster than expected with Dan Hurley at the helm. Even though they lost to a rising Iowa team, UConn took down an elite level Syracuse squad and Hurley brings lots of energy and toughness to this program.
Turkey Time and Tournament Time
It is the Thanksgiving Holiday which means time off from school, dealing with family, and trying to find time to watch as much basketball as possible while multiple different tournaments take center stage throughout the country.
Maui Invitational Tournament:
Maui has the potential for a preview of a final four matchup between Duke and Gonzaga. Watch for how Lindell Wigginton (jack-of-all trades player) leads Iowa State, the catalyst for everything this team does.
NIT Season Tip-Off:
This bracket is elite, with only Kansas vs. Marquette and Louisville vs. Tennessee. Marquette will look to bounce back after their drubbing to Indiana. Kansas will try to cement themesleves in the conversation with Duke. Louisville is trying to show new head coach, Chris Mack, that they are ready to win big games. Tennessee is out to prove that last year was not a fluke and that they should not be taken lightly. Having a Kansas vs. Tennessee matchup would be a top ten matchup and has the highest probability of happening.
Las Vegas Invitational:
Another elite field with UNC vs. Texas and Michigan State vs. UCLA. UNC is showing that they deserve national recognition early and can build the hype by winning the Las Vegas Invitational. Texas is hard to figure out. Great talent, great head coach, but underperform game after game. Michigan State has played better after losing to Kansas, so look for Coach Izzo to lead Sparty to the title here. UCLA will face "real" teams for the first time this season and will use it as a measuring stick of where they are at early on.
Battle 4 Atlantis:
Will this year's Battle 4 Atlantis be as shocking as last year when both Purdue and Arizona struggled and checked out early? Possibly, as many teams are looking to have rebound years. Middle Tennessee is known for its big upsets in recent years, and Virginia still hears about their loss to UMBC. While Virginia will take the title with their stout defense, the Hoos will be battle tested and ready to fight. Florida is trying to shake off their opening loss to Florida State and show it has promise. Their first game against Oklahoma will show a lot about how they will do this year and also show how the Sooners replace Trae Young. The Badgers are coming off a key win at Xavier and will look to continue their hot shooting start. Butler can get some big wins against Dayton and potentially Virginia to beef up their resume come March and selection time.
written by Brian Zimdars and edited by Jack Kurtz
