The United States is Still on Top (in College)

Tipoff

Jerry Colangelo must be wondering what he can do to convince Coach K to return to the sidelines for Team USA. During his time as the head coach of the US Men’s National Team between 2006 and 2016, Mike Krzyzewski only ever lost 1 game in exhibition or tournament play. Just this month, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and the team preparing for the Tokyo Olympics dropped games to Nigeria and Australia. Meanwhile, the USA’s under-19 World Cup team held off Canada and France to claim another gold medal. The world is catching up.

Many of the best young players in the world will compete in the upcoming college basketball season. Team Canada, the bronze medal winners, featured a slew of college players. In the Bronze Medal game against Serbia, Arizona’s rising sophomore Bennedict Mathurin led the way with 31 points while Purdue’s Zach Edey chipped in 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Michigan fans can look forward to freshman forward Caleb Houstan, who showed off a smooth jumper while Creighton’s incoming guard Ryan Nembhard provided a steady presence in the backcourt.

In the title game, two string beans stole the show. Both USA’s Chet Holmgren (7’1” and under 210 pounds) and France’s Victor Wenbanyama (7’3” and similarly skinny) showed why each is considered a top prospect for future NBA Drafts. Holmgrem will be a freshman at Gonzaga this season. He displayed a unique blend of talent all tournament, blocking shots, taking the ball through traffic, dishing out behind-the-back passes, and dunking the ball when he wasn’t spotting up for a jumper. Here is a sequence of Holmgren from the semifinal game against Canada that displays almost everything I just described:

While the world’s best, including Serbia’s Nikola Jovic and France’s Wenbanyama will eventually play professionally in the United States, college basketball fans get to enjoy watching some of the top international talent in just a few months. Maybe Team USA should put another college coach in charge after Tokyo.

The Mixtape

The Field of 68 team puts out lots of great content each week. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

• One reason to get excited about the upcoming college basketball season is all of the big names returning for another year. UCLA star Johnny Juzang will be a junior, Illinois center Kofi Cockburn is in the transfer portal instead of the NBA Draft (although he may return to Champaign), and many others decided to stick around. The bottom line is that more stars in college is better for the sport. The reason more stars are back this summer may be due to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Rob Dauster, Da’Sean Butler, and John Fanta break down the new era, effective July 1st, and how that played into key draft decisions.

• Speaking of big names, one of the stars of 2021 has been Michigan Wolverines center Hunter Dickinson. The rising sophomore 7-footer joined Jeff Goodman to talk about his decision to return to Ann Arbor for another year under head coach Juwan Howard. The two discussed the feedback Dickinson received from NBA scouts, the projected roster Michigan will field in 2021-22, and what he wants to do to expand his game. Will we see Dickinson spot up from 3 this year? He was 0-for-4 as a freshman, but his shooting stroke is pure. With Luka Garza gone and Kofi Cockburn potentially leaving Illinois, Dickinson may enter the season as the undisputed best big man in the Big Ten. Of course, it might have been the Big House that had more to do with the decision.

• Jeff Goodman hosted another episode of Candid Conversations. The topic of the hour was the new face of recruiting in the era of NIL. The discussion featured a ton of insiders, including Eric Bossi, Director of Basketball of 247Sports; Jimmie Williams, Furman; David Patrick, Oklahoma; Duane Simpkins, George Mason; Brian Eskildsen, Harvard; Mike Pegues, Louisville; Ulric Maligi, Texas; Ronnie Hamilton, Ole Miss; George Halcovage, Villanova; Amorrow Morgan, Loyola-Chicago; and Charlton Young, Florida State. No other source in college basketball gives direct, unedited access to the insiders like the Field of 68 and the Candid Conversations series. If you want to hear what it is really like to recruit high schoolers in this new day and age, this is a must-listen.

• The latest episode of Champaign on Ice with Deon Thomas featured rising sophomore forward Coleman Hawkins. Hawkins played off the bench as a freshman, and what a season it was for the Illini. Things look bright for Illinois and Hawkins, who looks to expand his role next season. Hawkins grew up in California, although he has Chicago roots. Thomas and Hawkins discussed his background, his experiences playing during COVID, and what he hopes to accomplish in his college career.

Four Point Play

Each newsletter throughout the summer, we’ll check in with one of our podcast hosts and see what they’re up to in addition to producing compelling content for us at The Field of 68.

This week, we check in with Rob Dauster, CEO of Shoot Your Shot, LLC and sort of my boss, in a way. I do this for fun and so my partner doesn’t have to talk to me about sports, but you see what I mean. Anyway, you can hear Rob on the Dauster, Da’Sean, and Fanta show (Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you access podcasts).

1. You started a podcasting company focusing on college basketball during a very weird time, in the middle of a pandemic. How has the first year of the Field of 68 gone?

• When I was at NBC Sports, college basketball was there but it wasn’t a priority. I had an idea a while ago to do something where college basketball is the priority. For the fans that love college basketball, it is the priority. After I got laid off, Jeff Goodman and I started talking about starting the Field of 68, who we wanted to host our podcasts, the kind of content we wanted to host. We had 3 weeks to launch once we decided to do it. Last year was all about trying to keep our head above water. We were able to get a little traction. Just 11 months ago, having a podcast network wasn’t even in my mind. I think the pandemic was kind of the perfect time to start the company. Fans were stuck at home. There weren't any new movies coming out. There wasn’t much new content coming out. The timing worked out and we were able to build up viewership and a little bit of a listener base. We have a lot of guys in media (like Dan Dickau and John Fanta) on our network and those guys were stuck at home, too. This thing helped fill that void. As weird as it sounds, it was the perfect time to start this thing.

1. Let’s talk about this upcoming season. Who is your dark horse candidate and which team is overrated?

• The team that I think is overrated is Villanova. They had issues last year that they never sorted out and have lost their best player to the NBA in Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Losing him is going to hurt. Having them in the top 4 or top 5 in the preseason rankings is too high. I have them in the 14 or 15 range. Overall, this season is going to be so fun. There are about a dozen teams that are going to be really good. One of those teams that isn’t getting enough attention in my mind is Purdue. (Sophomore point guard) Jaden Ivey is going to have a breakout season. They have Trevion Williams and Zach Edey in the frontcourt, which reminds me of those teams Matt Painter had with Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Haas. I think Jaden Ivey is going to be an absolute star and we will see Purdue as a top 3 team by the end of the year.

1. Several coaches retired or announced their retirements, including Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, and Lon Kruger. Others moved to new spots, like Shaka Smart from Texas to Marquette and Chris Beard from Texas Tech to UT-Austin. There are a few first-time head coaches as well, including Tommy Lloyd at Arizona and Hubert Davis at North Carolina. I have now granted you the powers of a genie, which makes you able to see into the future. Which new head coach is the first to make it to the Final Four?

• Chris Beard at Texas is going to be loaded with talent, especially if they get (former Minnesota point guard) Marcus Carr. North Carolina is going to be loaded, too. Caleb Love is going to take a step forward, I think. I am going with Texas; I think they will get to a Final Four, as early as this season.

And one!

1. You and Da’Sean Butler did a Thursday night beers and basketball podcast this past season where you discussed the week in college hoops while enjoying a cold brew. What are you drinking these days?

• I have had a lot of White Claw and Truly this summer, to be honest. As the summer came around, the IPAs were a little too much. I’ve been trying to lose the “COVID 19 pounds.” There’s a number of good breweries near where I live in New Jersey, like Cape May Brewing Company, and everything they put out has been fantastic. When I’m not doing the hard seltzers, it’s something from Cape May.

NBA Draft Superlatives

The NBA Draft takes place on Thursday, July 29th. To help us get ready for the big event, I asked our resident draft expert, Rob Dauster, to predict what happens to the players in their NBA careers. Think of it like a Senior Superlatives, Draft Edition.

Most likely to… become an all-star: Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State Freshman Guard/Forward

• Rob: Cade has such a high floor. The worst-case scenario for him is Khris Middleton, a guy that averages 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists per game and is playing in the NBA Finals right now. That’s his floor right now. His ceiling is a lot higher.

Check out Rob’s full NBA Draft preview of Cade Cunningham here:

Most likely to… make an All-NBA defensive team: Evan Mobley, USC Freshman Center

• Rob: That’s an interesting category, because you have to be an All-Star caliber player in the first place to make the defensive team. Walking into the league, Evan Mobley is going to be a top 5 defensive center from day 1. He is great at defending ball screens. He is an elite rim defender, too. He’s just so good on that end and can contribute on offense, too.

Check out Rob’s full NBA Draft preview of Evan Mobley here:

Most likely to… get drafted in the second round but start more than 15 games this season: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova Sophomore Forward

• Rob: JRE is better defensively than people realize. He is a playmaker and can step out and hit a jumper. He can play on both ends right now in the NBA. JRE does all of the little things so well. Maybe someone like Baylor guard Jared Butler, if he can get medically cleared, could be that kind of guy. His stock is down due to health concerns..

Most likely to… regret going to the draft instead of returning to college for another year: Daishen Nix, G-League Ignite Guard

• Rob: Daishen Nix was a top 15 player coming out of high school but decided to go to the G-League instead of UCLA, where he committed to play. Instead of starting for a team that has a chance to be #1 next year, he might not get drafted at all.

Most likely to… surprise people by developing a jump shot: Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois Guard

• Rob: Can I say Ayo Dosunmu? (Editor’s note: yes). I think Ayo has a chance to be pretty good. He shot well from 3 last season but people don’t look at him as a guy that can shoot. I don’t think he’ll be a star, but he’ll be a guy that works really hard and has a good career.

Check out more of Rob’s NBA Draft preview videos on the Field of 68 YouTube channel, including Scottie Barnes, James Bouknight, Davion Mitchell, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, and others as the draft approaches.

Stock Report: Pac-12 Edition

Now that the transfer portal and NBA Draft decisions are mostly settled, we take a deeper look into a conference. Which teams are rising, which are holding steady, and which might be taking a step back heading into the season?

Rising: Washington State

• Besides that brief moment when Dick and Tony Bennett were steering the Cougars in the early 2000’s, basketball has not been a bright spot south of Spokane. Entering his third season in Pullman, head coach Kyle Smith might have lit a fire. Leading scorer Isaac Bonton is out, but in his place is journeyman point guard Michael Flowers, formerly of Western Michigan and South Alabama. Most of the rest of the roster is back, including junior guard Noah Williams, sophomore center Efe Abogidi, and junior forward DJ Rodman. Abogidi, a native of Nigeria, displayed a ton of promise as a shot-blocking presence that can clean up the boards. His 27.3% 3-point shooting rate was not that great, but he hit more than 80% of his free throws, a sign that he could eventually become that modern center that every team in college (and the NBA) is seeking. Look out for the Cougars, a team with both consistency and upside.

Holding Steady: Oregon

• Dana Altman is going to do two things (almost) every year: Win 20+ games and make it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Since 2013, Oregon has made it to 3 Sweet 16s, an Elite 8, and the Final Four while winning at least 21 games. Altman has never had a season with less than 21 wins per year, in fact. Behind senior guard Chris Duarte, last season was no exception to the rule. The Ducks were 21-7, making it to the Sweet 16 before losing to USC. While Duarte, Cliff Omoruyi, and LJ Figueroa are out, in comes Syracuse transfer forward Quincey Gurrier and Oklahoma guard De’Vion Harmon. Guerrier is from Montreal, Quebec that can score in a variety of ways and defend multiple positions. Does that sound familiar in Eugene? Altman knows how to employ a player just like that. Expect more of the same from Oregon this season.

Falling: USC

• In the NBA Draft Superlatives section above, we heard from Rob Dauster about how good of a defender Evan Mobley is right now. Losing that kind of talent is going to be hard for head coach Andy Enfield to cope with. Fortunately, the older Mobley, Isaiah, announced his intention to return to LA for his junior season. While not as talented as his younger brother, Isaiah is still very good in his own right and can score all over the court. The frontcourt will be in good hands between Mobley, forward Drew Peterson, and center Joshua Morgan. The backcourt is the reason for the slippage. Ethan Anderson and former Memphis guard Boogie Ellis are going to have to step up to provide balance on the roster. Expect a step back from the Elite Eight team USC fielded last season. On the other hand, this roster could still be an NCAA Tournament team.

Rising: UCLA

• After playing the undisputed “Game of the Year” in the Final Four and returning basically everyone for the upcoming season, a lot of preseason rankings have UCLA all the way at the top. However, some perspective is in order. Before their run from First Four to Final Four, UCLA had lost 4 in a row and 5 of 7 overall. The Bruins were an 11-seed for a reason. Clearly, the talent is there to compete with the best now that rising junior wings Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez, Jr. are returning to Westwood. Throw in Rutgers grad transfer Myles Johnson for some additional rebounding and shot-blocking, and you have yourself the makings of a team that can improve on both ends. Just to add to the fun, one of the top high school recruits, forward Peyton Watson will join the roster. The defensive end is where things could justify lofty preseason rankings. UCLA was ranked just 46th in adjusted defensive efficiency last season according to KenPom, even after their run to the Final Four. Generating more stops will be the first order of business.

Holding Steady: Arizona

• Fresh faces is the theme for the Wildcats this offseason. The biggest change is Tommy Lloyd, former Gonzaga assistant and first-time head coach. Lloyd is leading a youth movement in Tucson which features international influences. Sophomore forward Bennedict Mathurin impressed for Canada in the FIBA U19 games, where the Canadian team gave Team USA almost all they could handle in the semis before earning a bronze. Lithuania forward Azoulas Tubelis is the leading returning scorer after an impressive freshman campaign while Malian center Oumar Ballo followed Lloyd from Spokane to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. The top players will all be sophomores or freshmen with the exception of former George Mason and Georgia guard Justin Kier. Given all the youth and the first-time head coach, don’t expect things in Year 1 of the Lloyd era to be a sea change.

Falling: Utah

• Another new head coach, Craig Smith, will be joining the “Conference of Champions” this season. The former Utah State head coach is now the top man for the Runnin’ Utes. Smith has a lot of work to do to get the program back on par with BYU as well as the rest of the Pac-12. Leading scorer Timmy Allen transferred to Texas. Starting guard Alfonso Plummer transferred to Illinois. Pelle Larson is now in Arizona. Incoming transfers David Jenkins, Jr. and Marco Antony will provide some experience. There’s no denying that the roster has undergone significant turnover. Smith had Utah State ranked in both 2019 and 2020 as part of 3 consecutive 20+-win seasons. He may be the man to get Utah back to national prominence. It just might take time to settle things down.