Maui is for offense

A note for your sports week: If monitoring multiple screens during the Maui Invitational and the United States' World Cup game was a challenge, Friday should be a little better when the U.S. plays England. Their 2 pm ET kickoff will overlap with parts of the Battle 4 Atlantis, but not the championship game.

In the meantime, let's dive into everything from the start of Feast Week.

1. No surprises (and barely any D) at Maui

The Maui Invitational delivered the full spectrum of games on Monday: Blowouts, tense second halves, some defense, and an offensive showcase to close out the day.

But mostly, lots of offense. Seems the soft Maui rims are still a thing.

Creighton's soft schedule to start the season — four teams all rated sub-200 on KenPom — increased substantially in the Maui opener, mathematically and literally. But the Bluejays were up to the challenge in a 76-65 win.

Texas Tech (3-1) used its physical, imposing defense to disrupt Creighton's flow to start, forcing 13 turnovers in the first half. Just as concerning was Bluejays big man Ryan Kalkbrenner rolling his ankle late in the first half. He returned to help key a huge second half for Creighton.

"First time on the road with this team, maybe anxious and excited, we certainly weren't ourselves early in that game," coach Greg McDermott said afterward. "We had as many turnovers in the first 20 possessions I think as we've had in four games. So once we settled in, I thought we were pretty good."

He's not wrong. Creighton scored 1.2 points per possession, nearly a half point better than the high against the Red Raiders this season — and higher than any single game all last season. Arthur Kaluma led the Jays (5-0) with 18 points, while guard Trey Alexander was huge down the stretch, knifing through the defense for 13 of his 17 points in the second half.

Creighton will play Arkansas next, which had no issues against Louisville (as anyone who's watched any of its ganes might've guessed).

Arkansas (4-0) still doesn't have freshman Nick Smith, but it hardly mattered against the Cardinals (0-4). No Benny Hill music for moments like these below, but it might be a while before the Cards get a win. Maybe it'll be an early Christmas present.

Meanwhile, for those who stayed up to watch the late tip between Arizona and Cincinnati, there was no chance of falling asleep.

The Wildcats (4-0) scorched the nets, making nearly 80 percent of their shots in the second half (and 62 percent overall) in the 101-93 win. The Cats were so hot, they hit their first 11 attempts after the intermission, not missing until nearly 10 minutes in. As a result, Cincy (3-2) never really had a chance to cut into the lead.

Ažuolas Tubelis (30 and 12) and Oumar Ballo (21 and 10) both had double-doubles, while Cincinnati's Landers Nolley II led all scorers with 33 points (9-for-14 from 3). (Did the airlines lose their defensive luggage?)

For context, Arizona scored 1.31 points per possession, the third time they've topped 1.3 in a game. But the previous performances were against Nicholls State and Utah Tech, not a team intent on earning an at-large bid from the AAC. Does that continue Tuesday against San Diego State? Better grab some coffee for that 10:30 pm ET tip-off.

San Diego State showcased its depth in an 88-77 win against Ohio State. It needed every bit of it, too.

The Aztecs (4-0) didn't have star guard Matt Bradley for much of the second half due to foul trouble, which came at the worst time for Bradley. He entered the game hitting just 24 percent of his field-goal attempts but scored a season-high 18 points on 6-of-11 from the field. Further complicating matters, leading scorers Jaedon LeDee and Darrion Trammell were a combined 3 of 14.

In their stead, Lamont Butler and Micah Parrish each finished with 15 points, while Adam Seiko finished with 14. Their performances, combined with just seven turnovers, ensured it was an efficient offensive night (1.22 PPP; they beat that just twice all last season). Even for one of the sport's elite defensive teams, the offense was the story.

Ohio State (3-1) got 22 points from Sean McNeil (all but two came in the second half) and 17 from freshman Brice Sensabaugh.

2. A mid-major's Paradise

Monday might have set the stage for Drake's breakthrough moment.

And no, we're not talking about Her Loss. The Drake Bulldogs held off a feisty Tarleton, 71-64, and claimed the Paradise Jam championship. Their balanced attack — four players scored in double figures, led by Tucker DeVries' 22 — offset a huge game by Tarleton's Freddy Hicks, who scored 30 points and was a beast in the lane.

But the night belonged to Drake, who's now 5-0 and has been the best mid-major program this season, at least according to the Field of 68's weekly poll.

This isn't just media groupthink, though. UAB is the only mid-major program with a better rating on KenPom or Bart Torvik, and Drake has a go-to guy in DeVries (21.8 ppg, 6 rpg and 37.5 percent from deep on the season), and plenty of history leading to this. During coach Darian DeVries' tenure, the Bulldogs have won 20 games every season and have topped 25 in the last two.

Could Drake claim its second NCAA Tournament berth in the past three years? Everything sure looks like it's in place.

3. Florida State finally finds a way

Leonard Hamilton's had the occasional rough start to a season, most recently a 1-3 open in 2014-15. But nothing like this season's donut through four games. It was almost five.

Florida State started fast and hung on for an 81-72 win against Mercer. The Noles (1-4) got 41 combined points from Cam'Ron Fletcher and Matthew Cleveland, and while they weren't exactly sharp, their defense was better, holding the Bears (2-2) to 39 percent shooting and blocking 11 shots.

Other results to know from Monday:

Iowa 100, Omaha 64: Kris Murray had 25 points in the first half and finished with a career-high 30 for the Hawkeyes (4-0). He's scored 22 or more points in each of Iowa's past three games.

Syracuse 74, Richmond 71, OT: Joseph Girard III went for 31 points as the Orange (3-1) advanced to the championship game of the Empire Classic. Just as important for Syracuse were some timely defensive plays — Richmond turned the ball over in the final seconds of regulation without getting a shot off — including this nasty block by Judah Mintz.

St. John's 78, Temple 72: The Red Storm (5-0) had four players in double figures and held Damian Dunn — who entered the game as the NCAA's fifth-leading scorer — to just 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting. They'll play Syracuse in the Empire Classic Championship game.

Mississippi State 58, Marquette 55: The marquee game in the Fort Myers Tip-Off game wasn't pretty. Neither team could shoot and they combined for 32 turnovers. But the Bulldogs (4-0) made enough plays late to hold off the Golden Eagles (3-2).

Kansas City 83, Toledo 71: RayQuawndis Mitchell scored 35 points (18-of-20 from FT) as the Roos (2-4) handed the Rockets their first loss of the season behind a 50-point-second-half outburst. Toledo (3-1) was an 18-point favorite and was coming off some nice press, too.

Bryant 98, Detroit Mercy 88: March folk hero Doug Edert went for 23 as the Bulldogs (4-1) topped 90 points for the third time this season. Antoine Davis scored 29 for the Titans (2-3).

UT Rio Grande Valley 78, Western Illinois 77: Justin Johnson scored 34 points, but it was teammate Ahren Freeman who delivered the biggest bucket of the night for the Vaqueros (3-2).

Boston College 59, Wyoming 48: BC (4-2) was in control throughout this one. Any hopes the Cowboys (3-3) had as a potential at-large NCAA Tournament team might be gone. Hunter Maldonado attempted one field goal and cracked his head on a teammate's knee (he needed four stitches). When does Graham Ike return?

4. Texas hooks the last 5-star for 2023

Seems Chris Beard's got something to be thankful for each week. First, it was 5-star forward Ron Holland committing to Texas, then a resounding home win over Gonzaga — while opening their new digs at the Moody Center. Now? AJ Johnson, the last 5-star prospect in the class of 2023 is off the board.

The 6-5 Johnson boasts great size and good speed for a lead guard, though there are questions about how ready he'll be to contribute on Day 1. He's skinny but has good burst and a solid mid-range game. If Tyrese Hunter sticks around in Austin for another season (Marcus Carr will be out of eligibility), there's a chance Johnson could be brought along slowly.

Most player additions to 2023-24 rosters will come via the transfer portal now because most of the impact players are now committed. The highest-rated player still on the board? Bronny James.

5. Arrests made in saga where NM State player "lured" to campus

We touched on this briefly in Monday's Daily, but the saga surrounding New Mexico State basketball player Mike Peake and his shootout with a University of New Mexico student — that resulted in the student's death — over the weekend had more details emerge Monday morning.

Police arrested two people, 19-year-old Jonathan Smith, and a 17-year-old female, whose identity was not released. Smith is charged with aggravated battery, conspiracy and tampering with evidence

According to court affidavits, he told police that he and Brandon Travis, the 19-year-old student who was killed, "got into a fight and got jumped" while attending the Oct. 15 football game between NM State and New Mexico. Smith allegedly knew Peake was one of the people in the fight, so Travis, Smith, a third man (only referred to as "Eli" in the affidavit) and a female developed a plan to "lure" Peake to New Mexico's campus in Albuquerque.

When Peake arrived, detectives say he had a gun pointed in his face, was hit with a bat and started running away, but pulled a gun from his waistband and shot toward the three men. Peake also was shot and is in "stable" condition.

Peake has not been charged, though it's against New Mexico state law to carry a gun on a campus.

There are more specifics on Peake here, including his future with the team. Officials haven't commented yet, though some say he's been removed from the program. He has averaged nine points and 3.5 rebounds this season with the Aggies, who will play San Diego in the Las Vegas Invitational on Friday.

Ryan Odom has been around college basketball most of his life, whether it was watching his dad, Dave, coach, playing at Hampden-Sydney, or working his way through the assistant coaching ranks. He's seen the highs — his UMBC Retrievers are the only 16 seed to win an NCAA Tournament game — and mostly avoided the lows.

Now in his second season at Utah State, Odom's Aggies are rolling to start the season behind a balanced, experienced team that could make a run at the Mountain West crown. How's he feel about his squad? He joined us for Four Questions.

Q: Coach, you're 4-0 with an offense that's topped 90 points in its last two games. You're shooting it well (43 percent from deep) and finding open teammates (Utah State's team assists on made field goals are again among the best in D-I). As you prepare for Oral Roberts, a team that can also score in bunches, what are the areas that raise an eyebrow thus far?

Ryan Odom: You start with [Max] Abmas. He's a tremendous player who can score well behind the arc. As soon he comes across the half, you have to be prepared. They're very fast in transitions and they pass the ball. They're a very unselfish team. They provide a lot of problems 1 through 5 because they can all shoot behind the arc, and they can all dribble as well. When you do all three things, it makes it really difficult on the defense.

Q: I saw a recent tweet that declared Taylor Funk "a cheat code on offense," which is apt for a 6-9 forward who makes 48 percent of his 3s. But that doesn't always mean success for a transfer into a new system. How have you been able to unlock that "cheat code" this early in the season?

Ryan Odom: Taylor's a great player. He's always been a confident player. The first thing you notice is his jump shot and how quickly he can get into it, and how quickly he can get it off, sometimes under duress. He also fits our system very well. We play in pick and roll, and play in drive and kick, and try to move guys around, and he's just a great fit for that. He does have the ability to post and is a great passer. He's just a natural fit for us.

Q: You had a slow start to open MWC play last season. This year, you'll be coming off a trip to the Diamond Head classic, and then will play three of your first five conference games on the road. Any concerns about a road-weary team potentially having a slow start this year? What will be the key to preventing it?

Ryan Odom: Any time you start conference play you want to get off to a great start. When you're playing on the road, that's easier said than done. As we know the Mountain West can be a killer. Each team we're gonna face provides a stiff challenge. Taking care of business at home and then stealing one on the road has gotta be the goal.

Q: It's your second season in Logan. How's the transition to the Rockies been for a guy who spent most of his time on the East Coast? Probably no time to ski in the next few weeks, right?

Ryan Odom: No, not all (laughs). It's been great. it's a great community here in Logan. Our fans are the best in the country. Our students are copied all around the country. The Herd is one of the best that exists. We're connected with them. And the tradition here is very strong with former players and former coaches, which makes it so fun to be a part of here. And our players understand that there's a legacy here. We're going to create our own.

Utah State hosts Oral Roberts tonight at 9 pm ET.

The calm before the storm

Tuesday's the quietest day for Feast Week. Most of the premier events haven't gotten going and the Maui hasn't hit its title game yet. So let's put some shine on Liberty-Northwestern. Ritchie McKay's Flames are 2-2, but look to be the class of the ASUN. And that's with star guard Darius McGhee going hot (27 points vs. NC Central) and cold (8 vs. Alabama). They'll face an unbeaten (!) Northwestern team that relies on defense (opponents' effective field goal percentage is just 39.2 percent). One more win would match the best start of Chris Collins' tenure. (8:30 pm ET, CBS Sports Network)

Other games to watch (All times ET)

• Creighton (5-0) vs. Arkansas (4-0), 8 pm (ESPN)

• San Diego State (4-0) vs Arizona (4-0), 10:30 pm (ESPN)

• Syracuse (3-1) vs. St. John's (5-0), 9:30 pm (ESPN2)

• LSU (4-0) vs. Akron (3-1), 1:30 pm

Fear the Beard

Texas hammered Northern Arizona last night, occupies the top spot on KenPom and grabbed another 5-star prospect for 2023. That means coach Chris Bears has things rolling now. The predictive metrics think his Horns are in good shape for the rest of the season, and they're poised to continue it next year.

Yet, this may just be the start of what Beard is building. Rob Dauster, John Fanta and Terrence Oglesby have a spirited discussion about the future of Texas hoops.

BONUS FOR TEXAS FANS — get your Beard gear here.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 on YouTube here and subscribe here to the DTF podcast.

Links as you decide if you want to make that delicious cranberry sauce or just go with the canned crap.

• Virginia jumped 11 spots to No. 5 in the latest AP poll.

• The MAC-Sun Belt Challenge will be held for the next two seasons.

• America East title contender Vermont is 1-4 and on the road again. But don't expect the Ls to continue.

• The women's Final Four host cities for 2027-2031 were announced Monday: Columbus (Ohio), Indianapolis, San Antonio, Portland (Ore.) and Dallas. The men's sites will be announced today.

• Life (and basketball) lessons from John Beilein. ($)

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