A Tale of Two Blue Bloods

Quite the classic from the Heat and Nuggets last night. Even amid the loss, it’s hard not to marvel at Nikola Jokic. Enjoy it, folks. We’re seeing a future all-time great reach his apex in real-time.

But of course, this is a college basketball newsletter. And our sport’s national champion found itself in another headline over the weekend.

Let's get to the news.

1. A Husky of a proposition

It’s been nearly four years to the day that the Big East announced its plan to bring UConn home. A founding member of the league, the move felt downright auspicious for a program that spent six seasons toiling in no man’s land following the 2014 National Championship.

“As a group of schools rooted in basketball pre-eminence, we can think of no better partner than UConn to join us in perpetuating the rivalries, traditions, and successes that have made the Big East unlike any other conference in college basketball,” said commissioner Val Ackerman at the ensuing press conference. “We know that our competitions and the experiences of our student-athletes, coaches, and supporters across all of our sports will be greatly enriched by UConn’s return.”

While the Huskies have certainly upheld their end of the bargain, the “enrichment” for which the commissioner hoped might be short-lived. On Friday afternoon, a report surfaced that the Big 12 is exploring further expansion — and UConn is the latest rumored target.

Now, the move is far from guaranteed. However, it proposes an interesting scenario: What would be the fallout if UConn, a resurgent national power, left the conference it helped charter…again?

This question seemed almost unfathomable just two months ago. Consider the following: Moments after the Huskies captured their fifth national championship, noted UConn fan Rob Dauster marveled at his team’s journey since rejoining the Big East in the 2020-21 season. Listen for yourself below:

As Dauster outlines, it’s reasonable to assume that without the return to the conference, UConn wouldn’t be competing for national titles. The Big East has positioned itself as a basketball-centric league that offers resources, support and quality competition, night in, night out.

And yet, the Big 12 may promise greener pastures. It has spawned two of the past three national champions, and with Houston joining for 2023-24, it brings in another elite program. If the conference secures UConn in the near future, it will bring more money to the athletic department and add to the list of hoops titans. A new Big 12 could create a sense of inevitability despite the unpredictability of March Madness.

Regardless of how it shakes out, UConn will remain a controlling force in the sport. Not too bad for a program that missed three of four tournaments before Dan Hurley’s arrival.

2. What’s going on at Kentucky?

While one blue blood blossoms, another one bungles. For John Calipari and Kentucky, good news has become a scarcity since the Wildcats’ second-round loss to Kansas State.

First, it missed out on a slew of transfer targets (Hunter Dickinson and Keshad Johnson were the big ones; it was also in the mix for Harrison Ingram, Chris Ledlum, Kel’El Ware, Isaiah Miranda, Dalton Knecht, Jordan Dingle and others). Then, last week, Mike Miller classified Kentucky as one of the biggest losers of the NBA draft deadline after Chris Livingston and Oscar Tshiebwe opted for the pro route.

In case you need a reminder, here’s what the AFTER DARK crew had to say about the Cats:

Five days later, Kentucky still hasn’t received official word on Antonio Reeves. Moreover, it has now pivoted to pursuing a pair of 3-star recruits.

With all due respect to Jordan Burks and Joey Hart, it’s odd to see Kentucky in this position. For years, it chose which players would comprise its roster, and as recently as two years ago, Calipari seemed poised to thrive in the portal era. But now, the coach has just seven players locked in ahead of next month’s trip to Toronto for the Global Jam.

While he released a statement assuring BBN that the staff has “prepared for all scenarios,” time is running out. The heat has turned up to sauna-like temperatures, and Arthur Kaluma likely represents the last shot at an instant-impact player. (And he has no shortage of suitors.)

3. Chris Johnson’s not in going to Kansas anymore

Kansas starkly contrasts Kentucky — few teams had a better offseason than the Jayhawks. A popular pick for preseason No. 1, they’ve felt nothing but joy from the transfer of Hunter Dickinson to the recovery of Bill Self to the return of Kevin McCullar.

However, it appears that not everybody experienced the same sense of bliss.

Chris Johnson, an incoming freshman with a top-50 pedigree, requested release from his letter of intent on Saturday. However, it’s a rare case where the split makes sense for both parties. Kansas reloaded its backcourt with Texas transfer Arterio Morris, Towson transfer Nick Timberlake and 5-star frosh Elmarko Jackson. Plus, Dejaun Harris returns to run the point. Even in small-ball lineups, the 6-4 Johnson likely would’ve been behind those players in the pecking order.

Now, he won’t be as electrifying in Year 1 as, say, another athlete who shares his name. But still, he has the tools to contribute in a sizeable role off the bench in his rookie campaign. This past season, Johnson played for Montverde Academy against some of the best competition in the country. He flashed a propensity for getting to the basket and shined as a secondary ball-handler.

So far, Alabama, Illinois, Memphis, Ole Miss and Texas, among others, have reached out to Johnson.

Elsewhere in recruiting/transfer news:

• NC State transfer Isaiah Miranda, a former 4-star big man who never suited up for the Wolfpack, committed to Oklahoma State

• Connor Vanover, a 7-5 super senior who most recently starred for Oral Roberts, will spend his final season at Mizzou.

• Yarin Hasson (UConn), a rising sophomore forward, will play at Southern Indiana.

• Top-70 point guard Daniel Freitag (2024) chose Wisconsin

• Andy Enfield continued his recruiting hot streak and snagged a pledge from 4-star forward Brandon Gardner.

Never too early to look toward November

Ah, yes. Who isn’t thinking about college basketball schedules in early June?

Well… If you’re not, maybe it’s time to start. We’re on the verge of the dreaded summer sports lull. Sure, baseball and softball are still in full swing, but the more high-octane sports will conclude in the coming weeks — the NBA season has a maximum of five games left, the NHL playoffs have reached their final series, and the Scripps Spelling Bee ended on Thursday.

So, now that you don’t have to spend your hours trying to remember how to spell “psammophile,” take a second to envision a couple of marquee matchups.

Auburn vs. Baylor, Nov. 7, Sioux Falls, SD

Auburn and Baylor, two programs defined by guard play in recent years, will begin their seasons by squaring off in the Sanford Pentagon.

But oddly enough, both squads will start 2023-24 with re-vamped backcourts, making up the main storyline for this early tussle. For the Tigers, gone is the erratic Wendell Green and in his stead step freshman Aden Holloway and FIU transfer Denver Jones.

Holloway, a shifty top-20 recruit, comes to Auburn with a reputation for deadeye shooting and burgeoning playmaking. Jones, meanwhile, is a veteran bucket-getter who finished fourth in Conference USA in usage while averaging 20 points per game on 48/37/85 shooting splits. Opening night will provide a nice test to see how they adjust to the uptick in competition.

Baylor must navigate even more turnover. Keyonte George and Adam Flagler are pursuing pro careers, while LJ Cryer migrated to Houston. That means some combination of freshmen Ja’Kobe Walter and Miro Little, VCU transfer Jayden Nunn, and its latest addition, Toledo transfer RayJ Dennis will earn starting roles. (And that’s not even mentioning redshirt sophomore guard Langston Love.)

It’s a new challenge for Scott Drew, who has leaned on a reliable stable of guards for the past four seasons. All of the newcomers possess plenty of upside — there’s just more uncertainty around the backcourt than Baylor fans are used to.

USC vs. Kansas State, Nov. 7, Las Vegas, NV

This should be an entertaining showdown from the stars in the crowd (LeBron James and Dennis Rodman?) to the product on the court.

Both schools feature high-scoring guards who can swing the matchup (Boogie Ellis for the Trojans and Tylor Perry for the Wildcats), though a few more compelling narratives will also emerge. For one, how will Jerome Tang fare in Year 2? Can he build off of last season’s Elite Eight run? And second, how will USC freshmen Isaiah Collier and Bronny James play in their debuts?

Regardless of the results, it’s good to see teams schedule non-buy games for the season’s inaugural night (the exact opposite of last year.) Here’s to hoping more programs follow suit.

Shooting star

Gradey Dick may be the best shooter in the 2023 NBA Draft. But as Matt McCall tells Jeff Goodman, that’s far from the only thing that Dick does well. They break down what makes him a likely lottery pick.

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Links as you comb through Jimmy Neutron memes in light of Duncan Robinson’s renaissance:

• North Dakota State transfer Grant Nelson will visit Baylor, Alabama and Arkansas this week.

• An Alabama manager confirmed to the New York Times that he was present the night of the January shooting, not Crimson Tide player Kai Spears.

• Liam McNeely, a 5-star wing, has narrowed his list to six schools.

• The New Mexico-New Mexico State hoops rivalry may have some hope after all.

Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily! If you have a news tip or feedback, email us at [email protected].