🦇 The Phil Knight Rises

We spend a lot of time in The Field of 68 Daily looking ahead, whether it’s recruiting, team and player outlooks or projections. Today’s newsletter is no different, but we’re at that point in the summer when things have slowed just a tiny bit. So we’ve got something new for you that’s forward-looking, and also a little chill. (And a decent amount of regular news as well.)

Let’s get to it.

1. A Final Four in November

We knew that the teams playing in the Phil Knight Legacy and the Phil Knight Invitational (both part of PK85) would comprise a must-see event.

But looking at these matchups just cements that Portland is a pseudo-Final Four city this Thanksgiving.

If you’d like a table version of tip times and TV networks, try here and here. In the meantime, please join me in daydreaming about March-worthy games.

The Legacy field is a little more top-heavy — if Duke and Gonzaga don’t meet in the final, consider it a surprise — but watching Florida-Xavier is a perfect Thanksgiving meal. (Seriously, that’s right when I’ll be enjoying my third helping of sausage stuffing.)

The Invitational field only has one team (Portland) that’ll start the season outside of KenPom’s Top 50. Does that mean much to North Carolina as the de-facto favorite? Probably not. I think it just creates a larger viewing dilemma for that 10 pm ET window when I have to choose if Alabama-Michigan State or Purdue-West Virginia is the best show.

Ah, who am I kidding? The tryptophan will prove victorious by that point.

2. Justin Edwards delights BBN

Nothing like an elite prospect choosing Kentucky to liven up Twitter.

Justin Edwards, a top-5 recruit in the class of 2023, announced Monday night that he’ll head to Lexington. Though he seemed destined for Tennessee just months ago, he became John Calipari’s third elite 2023 prospect (joining Robert Dillingham and Reed Sheppard) — with possibly 2 to 3 more on the way.

Guess you could say Cal still has his mojo. From The Athletic:

Edwards, a 6-7 wing is a lefty who’s long, has a good, high release and can get to the rim. There’s a chance he could play stretch 4, but it’s unlikely. He’s a pure wing who can run and space the floor.

Kentucky’s other 2023 targets include Ugonna Kingsley, Aaron Bradshaw and D.J. Wagner.

Bradshaw, a 7-1 center, will visit at least two more schools, UCLA and Texas, before making his decision. Kingsley reportedly will announce his college of choice on Aug. 1. As for Wagner, his future is still very much up in the air, but at this rate, UK may not need him.

3. More recruiting news you can use

Minnesota’s not playing around this season. After winning just three of its final 16 games, second-year coach Ben Johnson is adding eight (8!) new players to the roster for 2022-23. That includes four 2022 freshmen, three transfers — most notably former UNC and Marquette big man Dawson Garcia, who missed most of the Heels’ season due to family medical issues — and a newly re-classified 2023 player, Kadyn Betts.

Betts, a 6-8, 210-pound forward who averaged 22 and 12 last season as a junior at Pueblo Central High (Colorado), saw an opening for more playing time after Gopher forward Parker Fox suffered a season-ending knee injury this summer. Whether he can impact a Minnesota team that hasn’t finished above .500 since 2019 remains to be seen.

“To help Minnesota win is my main purpose and goal,” Betts told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “[Johnson] envisions a very powerful program, a top 25 program year in and year out. With the moves he's making and his passion for the game, it's looking bright for Minnesota for sure.”

Also on the recruiting front:

• Fast-rising 2023 forward T.J. Power reportedly visited North Carolina yesterday and will hit Duke today. He could end up as a 5-star recruit.

• Three 2023 prospects — Kanaan Carlyle, Jahki Howard and Tremayne Parker — will reportedly play for Overtime Elite. Bryson Tiller, a top 2025 prospect, is doing the same.

SUMMER READING

Georgia, on our mind

Summer reading assignments suck. Trying to absorb info when your brain just wants to zone out is like trying to outrebound Oscar Tshiebwe. Well, good news. We did the assignment. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Sean Paul gives Cliffs Notes on programs that aren’t Top 25 contenders but are worth knowing entering the 2022-23 season. So sit back, relax, and enjoy. 

The Georgia synopsis: Mike White made the surprising intra-conference move from Florida, a regular NCAA Tournament team, to Georgia, a 6-26 mess last season. But the good news for Dawgs fans: Coach White wins games. He won 71 percent of his contests at Louisiana Tech and made four NCAA Tournaments in Gainesville. If Georgia makes an NIT appearance, it’s a successful season, considering its recent struggles. The staff utilized the portal to add a mix of shooting (Mardrez McBride), point guards (Justin Hill, Terry Roberts) and former highly-touted recruits looking to rebound on their second stop (Frank Anselem, MA Moncrieffe, Jusuan Holt). No, they won’t contend in the SEC and may miss the dance, but bubble-team potential is possible.

Main Characters: Former JUCO teammates Kario Oquendo and Roberts re-join forces! Roberts earned first-team All-MVC honors at Bradley, while Oquendo’s flashes of athleticism provide the Bulldog faithful something to look forward to. Oquendo only shot 29 percent from 3 for an awful team during his first season in Athens. But can that number improve? Having more talent around him should help the winning aspect. However, his shooting ability is what could make him an All-SEC caliber player and put Georgia in the NCAA Tournament conversation.

The conflict: It’s 2022. If you don’t make perimeter jumpers at a reasonable clip, then it’s unlikely you’re winning too many games. Nobody outside of McBride (North Texas) shot above 37 percent from distance, which could lead to defenses sagging off of the majority of the Dawgs. The X-Factor? Jabri Abdur-Rahim. The 6-8 wing canned 32 percent of his 98 3-point attempts after transferring from Virginia. His mix of size, versatility and shooting potential could solve a world of issues.

Spoiler alert! Georgia doesn’t have a daunting non-conference schedule based on the confirmed games, but facing lesser opponents could help stack wins and build momentum, similar to Texas A&M’s non-con schedule in 2021-22. I could envision 17 or 18 wins and close to .500 in league play, which would put the Bulldogs in position for postseason play of some sort.

ICYMI

Mark your calendar

The Phil Knight tourneys weren’t the only scheduling news Tuesday. Three schools released their non-conference lineups.

• The replies to Texas A&M’s non-conference slate are wild. Is it a Top 25 non-con sked? No. Is it filled with cupcakes? Nah.

• N.C. State’s opponents on the other hand? Hm. Furman could snag an auto-bid, but not much to worry about other than the Battle 4 Atlantis.

• Nebraska’s slate of events comprises its toughest games, with matchups against St. John’s (in Queens) and K-State (in Kansas City) that are essentially road games.

OFF THE CAROUSEL

Thad Matta’s homecoming

Thad Matta played at Butler. He was an assistant, then a head coach for the Bulldogs (24-8 with an NCAA tourney win in his lone season), and now, more than 20 years later, he’s returning to Indy for another stint.

So why make the move now after sitting out the last five seasons? He explains that, what’s ahead for the program and much more.

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THE FAST BREAK

Links as you try to slice garlic as thin as Paulie Cicero. (RIP Paul Sorvino.)

• The oldest continuous rivalry in men’s hoops — Idaho vs Washington State — is ending. They’ve played 277 games over 116 years.

• Note for those of us who cover or write about recruiting: these are kids. Watch how you position them because it matters.

• Altius Partners is hiring an NIL general manager who will work at a specific school. Cincy, LSU, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Virginia and South Carolina all want in.

• Reports of the Pac-12’s death may be exaggerated ($).

• The Sun Belt gave commissioner Keith Gill an extension through 2030.

• The SWAC thinks its revenue could surpass FBS conferences by 2030.

• One U.S. Rep thinks the IRS should be more stringent when it comes to fraudulent charities. NIL Collective concern?

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