The Rauf Report breaks down the top takeaways from the NCAA Basketball weekend, headlined by a look at key players for Oklahoma and Arizona.
Thirteen teams entered this college basketball weekend without a loss — and nearly half of them didn’t make it out without suffering their first defeat.
BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Nevada and Princeton all fell to unranked foes. Meanwhile, TCU fell at the hands of an unbeaten Clemson team that is sure to leap up in the polls. The Tigers are now one of seven remaining undefeated teams in the country, joining Arizona, Baylor, Houston, James Madison, Ole Miss and Oklahoma.
Many expected Arizona, Baylor and Houston to still be here, but the other four are certainly surprises. The Sooner might be the biggest shock after being picked to finish 12th in the Big 12. Porter Moser’s squad has picked up some impressive wins along the way, including on Saturday against Arkansas. OU’s calling cards so far have been high-quality defense and team effort, but this Rauf Report starts with the breakout star leading the way.
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Javian McCollum is Oklahoma’s budding star
Oklahoma’s 9-0 start isn’t a fluke — it already has four wins over KenPom top 60 opponents. This is the best start the Sooners have had since Moser took over the program. While his patented defense is a big reason why, Javian McCollum‘s emergence as a go-to scorer has raised this team’s ceiling.
McCollum isn’t the best offensive player Moser has had in Norman — Grant Sherfield still takes that claim — but the Siena transfer is right there. The 6-2, 160-pounder is incredibly quick and shifty, and he has a knack for creating space off the bounce “like Allen Iverson,” according to Providence head coach Kim English.
English had a front-row seat to what has become a commonplace performance for McCollum over the last few weeks. He recorded 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in a blowout victory over the Friars. McCollum topped that with a 20-point, five-rebound, four-assist showing on Saturday against the Razorbacks.
McCollum has now scored at least 14 points in seven of OU’s nine games and has recorded a game-high in points five times — including each of the last three games against power conference competition. This week, against Providence and Arkansas, he led all players in both points and assists.
Siena head coach Carm Maciariello believed McCollum had this kind of ability when he recruited him. The junior averaged 15.9 points a year ago for the Saints, but injuries limited him to some degree. We’ll see if he’s able to stay healthy this season. If so, this is just the beginning of an All-Big 12 season for McCollum.
Caleb Love’s renaissance
Kylan Boswell has been the breakout star for Arizona, but the two-way play of Caleb Love has helped catapult the Wildcats to the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll.
After essentially being run out of Chapel Hill as the scapegoat for last season’s disappointment (and after being denied admission to Michigan) Love has found a home and a system at Tucson. And so far, the Wildcats have gotten the most out of their perceived gamble.
Love’s usage and minutes are lower than they have been at any point in his career, yet he’s playing the most efficient basketball of his career. He has also turned into a high-quality perimeter defender and is drawing top defensive assignments for Tommy Lloyd’s group.
Arizona’s up-tempo system has been the perfect fit for Love’s skill set. He’s a load in transition at 6-4 and 205 pounds, and he has the quickness to get to the rim whenever he wants. Physical ability has never been a question for Love. Still, Lloyd has harnessed that and made decisions easier for him.
UNC utilized Love almost exclusively in isolation last season. Now, you’ll rarely see him in that space because of how Arizona’s offense relies on constant movement. He’s playing in transition more, which automatically puts defenses at a disadvantage.
Love is also bought in. UNC coaches, fans and players might tell you that wasn’t always the case last season.
We’re only eight games into the season, of course. But through eight games, Love has gone from an inefficient volume shooter to a (relatively) efficient two-way playmaker. He needs to keep it up if Arizona is going to remain one of the nation’s best teams all season long.
What’s UCLA’s answer offensively?
Things aren’t as sunny everywhere else in the Pac-12, or really anywhere else in the league. However, I left this weekend with questions about UCLA in particular. The Bruins were picked to finish third in the conference, and I thought there was some potential for this team to take a step forward. But after a 65-56 defeat to Villanova, this is a group that looks lost.
“We’re just not tough enough right now,” Mick Cronin told reporters postgame. “Our margin for error isn’t what it has been.”
This season was always going to be an uphill battle for the Bruins. They lost a lot from last season, but there shouldn’t still be questions about who leads this group over a month into the season.
Sophomore big man Adem Bona was supposed to be that guy, but he has been just OK during this 5-3 start. Point guard Dylan Andrews has not had his oft-predicted breakout season yet. Overall, the Bruins are shooting poorly (240th in EFG%, per KenPom), and nobody on the roster seems capable of taking over a game on that end.
UCLA’s defense has not been an issue during this 5-3 start, which isn’t surprising for a Cronin-led club. The Bruins kept it close in losses to both Marquette and Gonzaga. The lack of viable scoring options, however, has put this offense through some painful stretches that cost the Bruins in all three losses. It nearly lost them the game against UC Riverside, too.
The Bruins’ sub-100 NET ranking is a bit harsh, but it’s also a reality of how this UCLA team is playing.
Gonzaga’s depth is a major issue
The Zags stumbled on Saturday night at Washington, and it was largely because of the team’s lack of depth. This seemed like a potential problem going into the season, particularly on the wing. The concern only got worse once Steele Venters went down with a knee injury that cost him the entirety of the season.
The Bulldogs have gotten by with a short bench (355th in bench minutes, per KenPom), butit hurt them against Washington. Fouls built up, and some unproven players were suddenly facing significant game pressure.
Dusty Stromer, Jun Seok Yeo and Braden Huff were the three underclassmen who appeared in the Zags’ eight-man lineup on Saturday. That trio had just two points on 0-of-6 shooting, racking up just one assist to three turnovers in 43 combined minutes. As Nolan Hickman, Ryan Nembhard and Anton Watson tired from playing the full 40 minutes, the youngsters’ inefficiency played a significant role in Gonzaga blowing an 11-point lead.
Gonzaga is an extremely talented team. This squad will find a way to win a lot of games and will likely cruise to a WCC title. Still, the lack of any viable depth is a major problem that gives the Zags a shorter ceiling and makes them more vulnerable to potential upsets.
It’s time to start paying attention to Indiana State
Let’s end on a positive note. The Indiana State Sycamores aren’t getting a lot of national love right now, but they absolutely deserve it.
A 9-1 start has Josh Schertz’s squad up to No. 12 in the NET rankings and No. 54 on KenPom. Outside of a loss to Alabama, this high-powered offense has been boatracing opponents.
Indiana State plays at a fast tempo and leads the country in effective field goal percentage, per KenPom. That’s likely because ISU ranks in the top 10 in shooting both inside and outside the arc. The Sycamores share the ball and rarely turn it over. They also have five different players averaging at least 10.5 points. Five players also average over 2.0 assists, including three that average 3.8 or more.
This is a balanced team with a dynamic backcourt. The Sycamores also have one of the nation’s most unique weapons in center Robbie Avila, who is a pretty apt comparison for college basketball’s Nikola Jokic given his production and skill set. Just look!
It is worth noting that Avila did not play in the loss to Alabama, and his presence could have made a difference in that game.
Drake remains the favorite to win the Missouri Valley this season, but Indiana State is right there. The Sycamores have another chance to make a statement on Dec. 30 at Michigan State. You might want to tune in — because this is a group that could become America’s darling in the NCAA Tournament.
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