March approaches, with the appropriate levels of madness, so I hope you have your face paint and big heads ready. But while passions run high on campuses all over the country, another group of dispassionate observers, free of the NBA’s trade deadline, turn their attention to filling their roster with the greatest players in today’s college game.
Who can prove some things to the NBA talent evaluators this weekend? Let’s take a look. All times ET:
Saturday, noon -- Florida State at Clemson: Two of the country’s very best at guarding wings take each other on, with Jaron Blossomgame of Clemson going up against Jonathan Isaac of Florida State. For Blossomgame, whose rep is more defense-centric than Isaac’s, it’s another chance to prove himself. First time around, he didn’t get much of a chance. First Isaac faced early foul trouble, and then the Seminoles pulled away. This time, at home, he can show the skills that limit those he’s guarding to 0.743 points per possession this year, per Synergy, work against even the highest-ceiling future NBAers. Meanwhile, Isaac can keep teams salivating by doing more of this. And this.
Saturday, noon -- SMU at Connecticut: This is a chance for Shake Milton, an underrated prospect who has been slumping of late, to show up in a big game. SMU can all but end Connecticut’s NCAA Tournament dreams, with those hopes largely powered by the work of Jalen Adams. In Adams, Connecticut has a playmaker holding opponents to 0.771 points per possession, per Synergy. Milton, meanwhile, is a long, athletic guard who scored 23 his first time around against Connecticut. He’s at just 8.5 points per game over his past four, however, and it will be fascinating to see whose stock gets elevated in this head-to-head.
Saturday, 3 p.m. -- Creighton at Villanova: Think of this as Justin Patton’s final exam. The springy stretch five has been impressive this season, shooting 70 percent from the field. And even Villanova’s defense couldn’t hold Patton down last time they met, with the Marcus Camby-like Patton making nine of 12 shots. Watching this rim-runner try and spoil Villanova’s effort to clinch the Big East at home, in front of a raucous Pavilion crowd, will tell us a lot about just how big-game ready Patton is.
Saturday, 4 p.m. -- Oregon at Stanford: It’s time to rethink Dillon Brooks, who has always presented lottery talent but has taken his game to another level. Over his past seven games, he’s averaging 21.4 points and shooting 55.8 percent from 3-point land, including this one. Now, Stanford can’t score, but the Cardinal defend pretty well, especially Michael Humphrey, who will likely draw the Brooks assignment. The knock on Brooks has been consistency, and if he continues stringing together elite games without a hiccup, the evaluation of Brooks is going to have to change.
Saturday, 8:15 p.m. -- UCLA at Arizona: Here’s another chance for Lonzo Ball to shine, for sure. An opportunity for the post-slump Lauri Markkanen to show off against a similar player in skill set in TJ Leaf. But this is a potential coming-out party for Allonzo Trier, who scored 25 on Thursday against Southern California, including four 3-pointers. It isn’t clear who UCLA can use to guard Trier. For those still caught in a time warp, Trier is no longer suspended, and the rust has been cleared from his game. He’s hyper-athletic, capable of getting to the basket, and in a draft short on twos beyond Malik Monk, has a chance to assert himself in front of the nation.
Sunday, 2 p.m. -- Syracuse at Louisville: How do you attack the Syracuse 2-3 zone? How about with an oversized dose of Donovan Mitchell, who is shooting 45.8 percent on 3s over his past eight games while averaging 21.6 points. Note also the way Mitchell bothers Andrew White on the defensive end. Mitchell is allowing opponents just 0.583 points per possession, per Synergy, good for second best in the country among defenders with at least 200 possessions. White shot 2 for 14 from 3 the last time these two teams met. Those two stats are not unrelated.
