Stars dominated NCAA Basketball’s opening weekend, yet no one made lasting statements as strong as Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier and Memphis’ PJ Haggerty.
The first weekend of the college basketball season provided a handful of high-level matchups that much of the Monday-through-Friday slate lacked. And while all those matchups helped provide a little insight into the respective teams involved, a lot of players used the stage to make individual statements.
North Carolina’s second-half rally nearly allowed the Tar Heels to shock Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse as Seth Trimble continued his breakout campaign. Tahaad Pettiford took over for Auburn with a huge performance against Houston and put his name on the map as a freshman to watch, while fellow freshman VJ Edgecombe finally looked the part of a star in Baylor’s victory over Arkansas.
We’re going to focus on a few other standout performances in this Rauf Report, starting with a look at Chaz Lanier’s impact on Tennessee.
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Chaz Lanier has been the answer to Tennessee’s big question
The main question looming over Tennessee all offseason was clear: Who will replace Dalton Knecht? Knecht was critically important — and damn good — for the Vols, elevating the program and showing what is possible when a dynamite scorer pairs with Rick Barnes’ elite defense.
Lanier was brought in to be that guy after averaging nearly 20 points with North Florida, but there were valid questions about whether his production would translate given the step up in competition.
Through one week, Lanier has more than answered those questions.
The 6-5, 207-pounder racked up 18 points against Gardner-Webb and followed it up with 19 points in Tennessee’s blowout win over Louisville, all of which came in the first 30 minutes of the game. When the Cardinals threatened in the second half, back-to-back buckets from Lanier put the game away for good.
“We expect it from him,” Barnes told reporters postgame. “And he’s got so much more to his game than he’s put out there. As a coaching staff, you’ve got to get it out of him. His teammates want him to give it to us, and they know he can. But it’s all new for him. Think about it, a whole new level for him, everything is new.”
Lanier’s ability to create his own shot and score from all three levels was on full display against Louisville. Barnes didn’t have to draw up plays for him; the coaching staff just had to get Lanier in position to attack, which he did effectively and efficiently.
Knecht took his game to a different level in SEC play, and it still remains to be seen if Lanier can do that. But this is the version of Lanier that Tennessee needs in order to make the program’s first-ever Final Four.
So far, so good.
Memphis’ PJ Haggerty might be an All-American
Things have worked out pretty well for PJ Haggerty and Memphis, too.
Haggerty transferred to play for Penny Hardaway this offseason after an incredibly successful season at Tulsa in which he averaged 21.2 points. Any questions about his fit in the AAC or the role he would have with the Tigers — well, they are no longer in question.
The 6-3, 191-pounder scored 25 points in Memphis’ comeback win over Missouri on Monday and followed it up with 29 points in a victory against UNLV. But it’s not just how much Haggerty is scoring that has impressed, but also when. He scored 22 points in the second half against Missouri as Memphis erased a double-digit deficit. Against UNLV, the Tigers trailed by as many as 12 — but Haggerty led the cavalry in the comeback charge, scoring 12 of the team’s last 19 points in an 80-74 win.
“It’s just the moment,” Haggerty said postgame about his second-half performances. “I think just playing basketball, we just want to be in moments like that. And be able to pull through. I’m just doing what I gotta do to win. I just try to play my hardest for the team to get the win.”
David Jones was a first-team All-AAC performer last season for Memphis and got significant All-America love. Right now, Haggerty is putting up better numbers than Jones did, while also having more of an impact in terms of winning. If he can maintain even close to this level of play, Haggerty would have to be on the All-American shortlist.
UCLA’s guards may keep the Bruins from reaching their full potential
UCLA’s guards, meanwhile, are nowhere close to the All-America list.
When the Bruins shook off a 6-10 start to win eight of their next nine games last year, it was partially because Dylan Andrews and Sebastian Mack stepped up play and brought the team along with them. With both players back in Westwood — along with the addition of former Illinois and Louisville guard Skyy Clark — I expected the Bruins to continue some of that momentum and have quality perimeter play this season.
That was not the case in Friday’s loss to New Mexico. That trio combined for 13 points on 5-of-15 shooting with five assists and 10 turnovers. Collectively, it was a dreadful display, particularly as UNM star Donovan Dent went for 17 points and eight assists.
“It’s hard to beat Division II teams with 21 turnovers, so [I am] obviously extremely disappointed in some of our guards,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin lamented postgame. “Three things you’ve got to do: defend, rebound and take care of the ball. We didn’t defend, and we didn’t take care of the ball. We didn’t really rebound early, either.
“Dylan and Sebastian are throwing the ball away for layups, just giving it to them for layups. I told them guys, we were better than that last year when we had a lack of talent.”
This UCLA team does have talent. Tyler Bilodeau, a 6-9 forward from Oregon State, scored 23 points to go along with 15 rebounds against the Lobos. It looks like he’ll be a go-to guy all season long. The Bruins have more shooting and more depth, and they have the potential to be elite defensively (24 forced turnovers against UNM).
But guard play is what makes it all go. The Bruins will only be as good as their backcourt trio.
Arkansas State enters the “best mid-major” conversation
There is a group of mid-major teams that will be a force to reckon with this season — and, no, Gonzaga is not in this conversation. Grand Canyon returns the core of last season’s 30-win team that made the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend. Will Wade has brought another loaded group to McNeese that should win 30 games again, too. Even schools like High Point and Princeton have garnered national respect for what their potential could be this season.
Arkansas State’s performance in a loss to Alabama on Friday shows it deserves to be in that mix, too.
Head coach Bryan Hogdson has assembled a squad of power conference-caliber players, many of whom began their careers at that level. These Red Wolves have come together quickly and showed the kind of physicality, toughness and skill needed to go blow-for-blow with one of the nation’s best teams.
Arkansas State has one of the nation’s best mid-major scorers in Kobe Julien, and he’s the headliner of this group. Putting him next to last season’s leading scorer, Taryn Todd, and another dynamic scorer in Derrian Ford is part of what makes them dangerous. Izaiyah Nelson — who didn’t even play against the Crimson Tide — is an elite rim protector who is an emerging offensive force.
The Red Wolves are the clear favorite in the Sun Belt and look to be as strong as the James Madison and Appalachian State teams from last season. That JMU team famously beat Michigan State and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament, while the Mountaineers upset Auburn during the regular season.
Don’t sleep on the Red Wolves.
North Florida is worth your attention!
Only one D-I team is 3-0 with multiple wins over power conference foes: the North Florida Ospreys!
This team was expected to take a step back after losing Chaz Lanier to Tennessee, but that has been anything but the case. Head coach Matthew Driscoll led his team to an upset victory over South Carolina on opening night, only to follow it up with a 24-point victory over Charleston Southern and a 105-93 victory over Georgia Tech on Sunday. The Ospreys led by as many as 21 points in the second half against the Yellow Jackets, too, showing that the game wasn’t a fluke.
“It’s an amazing thing when you’re not afraid and you believe in something,” Driscoll said in his postgame press conference. “In this new landscape of college athletics, everybody is worried about this, that and the other, when in reality … what matters is how you pour into [the players].”
Driscoll also noted that the UNF system was always more than just one star.
“That’s the beauty of this group. When you come to play for us, there’s a standard,” he said. “And the standard is the standard: We shoot a lot of 3s. We make a lot of 3s. Tonight, they made more 3s than us, but we shot 74 percent at the rim. Pick what you want to take away, and we’re going to attack whatever that looks like.”
UNF’s top-100 KenPom offense has sparked this run. Six different players scored in double figures against Georgia Tech, headlined by Josh Harris’ 22 points. Against South Carolina, it was Jaylen Smith and Liam Murphy providing the firepower.
That scoring depth is something few teams have, especially in the ASUN. The Ospreys now face Georgia on Tuesday, where another big-name upset may be brewing.
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