The Breakfast Buffet: Jarace Walker, Jaylen Clark, Florida Atlantic seeks a Quad 1 win at UAB
Here’s today’s episode of “The Breakfast Buffet”, a daily column that can be found here each morning to keep you up to date with everything that happened the day before and everything that’s to come in the next 24 hours.
Eat!
Things to sample
Jarace Walker emerges offensively for Houston
The five-star rookie is averaging 21 points over his last two games and is 16-24 from the field in that span. The 6-8 Walker is averaging 17.4 points this season in games where he attempts at least 10 shots. His progress over the next month is an important thing to watch as the Cougars aim for their second Final Four appearance in the past three seasons. Houston (20-2) will visit Wichita State (11-10) tonight.
UCLA needs Jaylen Clark to become a reliable scorer
College basketball’s best defenseman needs to recalibrate his offense if the Bruins are to play their best basketball in the final month of the regular season. Facts are facts: UCLA (17-4) is 12-1 the past three years in games where the 6-5 Clark scores 15 or more points. He’s averaged just 8.3 points in his last three games and is just 7-29 from the field and 1-7 from three points in that span. Clark has made just one three-pointer this season in games played away from Pauley Pavilion. His growth as a consistent scoring option behind Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez is key for the Bruins, who host Washington (13-10) tonight at Westwood.
Florida Atlantic Seeks Quad 1 Road Win Against UAB
The Owls — thanks to a 20-game winning streak and a 21-1 overall record — have become one of the big stories of the 2022-23 college basketball season. However, they are still a long way from being locked into earning an overall NCAA Tournament bid. Winning tonight at UAB (15-7) would increase their odds since starting today would count as a win in Quad 1. The Blazers were Conference-USA’s representatives last season in the NCAA Tournament . Florida Atlantic enters tonight’s game with a 4-1 record against opponents in Quad 1 & 2. The tip for this game is at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
On The Side Gonzaga (18-4) is 5-2 this season in games decided by five points or less. He hasn’t had more than seven games decided by five points or less since the 2015-16 season, when he was seeded 11th in the NCAA Tournament. The Alabama bench outscored the entire Vanderbilt team 48-44 in Tuesday night’s 57-point rout at Tuscaloosa. Iowa (14-8) is 11-1 this season when scoring 80 or more points. The Hawkeyes are averaging 82.3 points in their last eight games. If Nevada (17-5) hears its name called during draft Sunday, it will be the fifth team Steve Alford takes to the NCAA Tournament. Alford was previously the head coach at UCLA, New Mexico, Iowa and Missouri State. Oregon (13-9) can change the course of its season over the next two weeks. The Ducks visit Arizona and Arizona State this weekend, then host UCLA and USC in Eugene the following week. Oregon currently has seven Quad 1 and 2 wins. Daily specials Florida Atlantic at UAB Wisconsin at Ohio State Michigan at Northwestern Washington at UCLA Oregon at Arizona Leftovers The breakfast buffet: Jarace Walker, Jaylen Clark, Florida Atlantic is looking for a Quad 1 victory at UAB The Breakfast Buffet: Zakai Zeigler, North Carolina, Ed Cooley makes Providence thrive again The Breakfast Buffet: Kansas/Kansas State, UConn hits the road, Boo Buie The Breakfast Buffet: Purdue, Murderer’s Row continues for Texas, Armaan Franklin The Breakfast Buffet: Rick Barnes has best chance to take Tennessee to Final Four, Michigan State/Purdue, Creighton