Big moves out West

Tuesday was opening day of the MLB Playoffs, which means you might have missed some of the college hoops news.

Not to worry. We have you covered.

1. Recruiting news from out West

Tommy Lloyd's flashing versatile recruiting chops. Arizona‘s coach is known for luring overseas recruits to the U.S., but don't underestimate Lloyd's ability to secure domestic recruits.

The latest example: Wednesday with Top-100 prospect Emmanuel Stephen.

The 7-footer flashes immense athleticism, and a high motor, making him an intimidating force at the rim. As is the case with most young 7-footers, Stephen’s mostly a dunker and lob threat and must work on the rest of his offensive game. But his mobility as a rim runner should ensure playing time in Tucson.

Stephen joins a star-studded recruiting class, featuring 5-star wing Carter Bryant and 4-star shooting guard Jamari Phillips, which is currently ranked fourth overall in the 247 Sports composite.

Lloyd also has a reputation for playing two bigs together, usually a passer and an inside force. (Think Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo.) Maybe Lloyd leans into that and looks to pair Stephen with overseas freshman Motiejus Krivas.

Meanwhile, one time zone away saw UNLV make nice recruiting move of its own.

N’Diaye, known for his shot-blocking ability, chose UNLV over schools such as Colorado, Kansas and Arizona State. That’s no small thing for coach Kevin Kruger.

N’Diaye’s only 195 pounds, but his frame should be fine to add more weight. Even against Mountain West foes, he’ll be skinny by comparison. Once his body matures, he could develop into a Nathan Mensah-esque force in UNLV’s front-court.

In other 2024 recruiting news:

• North Dakota State picked up guard Jaden Jackson.

• Guard Cam McNamee is headed to Dartmouth.

• Akron locked up guard Sharron Young.

• Cleveland State added guard Jeshawn Stevenson.

• Troy landed JUCO shooting superstar Cobi Campbell.

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2. Bad break: Luis sidelined at St. John’s

It’s a good thing Rick Pitino added roughly 28 new faces to the St. John’s roster during the offseason.

Sophomore wing RJ Luis will miss 6-8 weeks after fracturing his left hand in during practice.

Per The Almanac, Luis was a likely starter for the Johnnies. He averaged 11.5 points in 27 games last season at UMass, and is an underrated rebounder. He grabbed just shy of five boards per game. He’s a bigger loss beyond the scoring.

Luis should return well before year’s end, but he’ll miss valuable early season games where the Red Storm is still coalescing with an almost entirely new roster.

Where will the Johnnies look for wing production? Likely from Oregon State transfer Glenn Taylor and UConn transfer Naheim Alleyne. In fact, they might not miss Luis at all with Alleyne.

He only averaged 5.2 points in 18 minutes per game for UConn, but did see important minutes for the national champs. Plus, Alleyne started 84 games in three seasons on good Virginia Tech teams. He’d be ready for a starting role.

3. Get that coffee ready for MWC games

If you're a diehard college hoopster, this upcoming list of late-night Mountain West games will come up clutch later on.

Let’s dive into 10 of the more intriguing games. (And you can find a full conference rundown here.)

Jan. 2: New Mexico at Colorado State

This is a great start: two possible tournament teams with elite guard play. Rams point guard Isaiah Stevens vs. Jaelen House/Jamal Mashburn Jr. will make for an entertaining night of hoops. Both teams profile as clear top-five teams in the league and should be in the mix for the Big Dance.

Jan. 6: Colorado State at Utah State

Expectations aren't high for Utah State in the first year under Danny Sprinkle. However, playing in Logan usually provides a decent home court advantage. And beating the Rams would help earn even more fan support.

Jan. 6: UNLV at San Diego State

San Diego State is set for more national attention after finishing as runner-up in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Like a nationally televised game against UNLV on CBS. Both teams rely on defense, so it might not be the flashiest showcase, but should be close.

Jan. 12: Boise State at Nevada

Two more teams with NCAA tourney dreams. The Broncos return Tyson Degenhart and Max Rice back, while Nevada will rely on returning guards Jarod Lucas and Kenan Blackshear. Playing in Reno is never easy: The elevation and the rowdy fanbase makes for a long-night for opposing teams.

Jan. 13: San Diego State at New Mexico

Another CBS game. And perhaps the most compelling matchup of the MWC slate. This’ll be a key test for SDSU because the Pit is a tough place to play. Plus, the Lobos are looking to finally to end its decade-long tournament drought, and picking up a victory over the Aztecs would be key.

Jan. 20: San Diego State at Boise State

The schedule-makers did the Aztecs no favors — putting them at New Mexico and Boise State on consecutive Saturdays. This will either provide MWC foes multiple chances to dethrone the reigning champs or give SDSU opportunities to get an early lead for the conference crown.

Jan. 31: Boise State at New Mexico

What a terrific way to finish the first month. Last season, Boise State and New Mexico played an overtime thriller in Albuquerque but came up short. Will a taste of revenge be in the Broncos' mind?

Feb. 9: San Diego State at Nevada

Finally, the long line of arduous road games in a three-week span comes to a close for the Aztecs on February 9th at Nevada. If this iteration of San Diego State basketball can reach the heights of last season's historically impressive team, a tough stretch like this will prove important.

Feb. 21: Colorado State at UNLV

This figures to be a bubbly game, with the winner getting an edge for an NCAA tourney berth. The loser might end up on the outside looking in.

March 8: Boise State at San Diego State

The return game of the season series. The Aztecs have lost just two home games in the last two seasons. But one was against Boise State. This would be a massive win for the Broncos’ at-large hopes.

March 9: UNLV at Nevada

On the final day of regular-season play, two heated rivals from the Silver State meet. Motivation won’t be an issue.

A more familiar ACC

Forget about the ACC’s on-court struggles from the last few seasons. The guys at the DTF podcast are convinced this is the season that the ACC gets back to a Top 4 league in college hoops — not 7th like it was last season.

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Links as you silence your phone at 2:20 pm ET.

• Here’s the Big Ten broadcast schedule. Indiana-Purdue fans need to download Peacock.

• Louisville announced that freshman Ty-Laur Johnson is eligible to play.

• John Calipari will receive the John R. Wooden Award Legends of Coaching honor.

• The NCAA has started revamping its NIL rules.

• The D-I Council voted to introduce penalties focused on personal accountability in the infractions process.

• Furman’s Cooper Bowser is making noise at practice.

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