Zach Edey, BMOC

The dog days of NCAA Basketball are here… unless you’re fully engaged in the ongoing realignment drama. But until another top-tier program or two officially depart, we’ll be focusing on some stories that could have an impact on how the 2022-23 season shakes out.

Make sure to subscribe to the Field of 68 Daily!

THREE POINTERS

1. Zach Edey playing 30+ mpg for Purdue?

Brian Hamilton of the Athletic did a story on the Purdue Boilermakers, talking with head coach Matt Painter about the role of returning star big man Zach Edey. The 7-4 center famously shared the minutes in 2021-22 at the five-spot with Trevion Williams but with him gone, he will have the position all to himself.

But will Edey gain most of those available minutes? Coach Painter believes so.

Last season, Edey averaged 14.4 ppg and 7.7 rpg in just 19 mpg. Per 40 minutes, that averages out to be a whopping 30.3 ppg and 16.6 rpg. It’s not impossible to believe that he can put up some huge numbers if he plays around 25-30 mpg as a junior next season.

There certainly will be conditioning concerns, but if Painter isn’t worried, neither am I. And considering how the supporting cast looks, the Boilermakers will need Edey to be on the court as much as possible. Utah transfer David Jenkins will be the featured guard on offense, and Mason Gillis (6.4 ppg and 4.8 RPG) is the only other returning contributor that averaged more than 5.0 ppg.

Edey will have to avoid foul trouble, something that at times he didn’t do last season. Though, it wasn’t his fault at times, as he got a fair amount of fouls solely for being big. Regardless, Purdue can’t afford for him to be off the floor.

The question will be “how much does Zach Edey need to score for Purdue to be an NCAA Tournament team”? I believe it’ll have to be in the 20+ ppg range — of which he is totally capable. Edey flashes tremendous touch, footwork and strength in the paint, in addition to posing an ever-present lob threat…because he’s, you know, 7-4. Unless a breakout candidate emerges, Painter may not have a choice but to play the big man around 30 mpg.

2. Sean Miller’s second chance has major potential

Myron Medcalf recently looked at Sean Miller’s tenure at Arizona and forecasted what the future holds at Xavier. It involves the saga of the NCAA investigation that ended with his assistant, Book Richardson, in jail for a few months, and ultimately Miller’s dismissal.

Miller is back at Xavier, where he first had major success. He has four Elite 8 appearances in his coaching career, and there’s no doubt that he was a major hire for a program that couldn’t get out of the Big East’s mid-tier under Travis Steele.

Now, the Musketeers have both a short and long-term plan to be in contention in the conference. Xavier’s roster is ready to compete for an NCAA Tournament appearance, led by forwards Jack Nunge and Zach Freemantle and guards Colby Jones and UTEP transfer Souley Boum.

Miller ranks among the top head coaches in the Big East, and with Hall of Famer Jay Wright gone, the crowns for best team and coach are up for grabs. Why can’t Miller, who has sustained success at the D1 level, be that guy on top of the new era for the league?

3. Latest recruiting news

Texas is on a mission to land a 5-star PG

Tre Johnson, a consensus top-5 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, was one of the stars from the first July NCAA Live Evaluation period. Joe Tipton of On3 noted that Texas coach Chris Beard was one of the coaches there to see him, along with the likes of Duke and Arizona.

Expect the Longhorns to heavily pursue the point guard. He comes from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and for Beard to keep the program in national contention — especially since they’re going to the SEC — he has to find a way to not only keep him in-state but also to keep Johnson away from rivals Baylor and Texas Tech.

OK State bounces back on the recruiting trail

After finishing 15-15 and falling off the radar without Cade Cunningham, the Cowboys needed a boost. And they did, landing top-50 prospect Brandon Garrison.

Garrison is a 6-9 forward from Oklahoma City and was the best class of 2023 prospect from the state. So in a way, he was a “must get” for Coach Mike Boynton as the team looks to get some more offense, particularly since not a single frontcourt player averaged double figures last season. Garrison is a solid offensive threat from inside and likely will be in the rotation from Day 1.

Ole Miss steals one from Arkansas

Maybe Eric Musselman was too busy lurking in the transfer portal to notice an SEC foe snag a commitment from the highest-ranked prospect from Arkansas. Ole Miss was able to land 2023 commit Rashaud Marshall, a consensus four-star prospect who hails from Blytheville.

Listed at 6-9 and 215 pounds, Marshall is more of a true center, although he’ll probably have to gain a little more weight before dealing with the bigs of the SEC. However, he’s a good athlete and capable defender who will impact the Rebels out of the gate.

Ole Miss landed three frontcourt transfers, including Theo Akwuba from Louisiana. He’ll be gone after next season, so there will be plenty of minutes available for Marshall as a freshman.

OFF THE CAROUSEL

Big plans in the Little Apple

It’s been a slow-paced offseason for new head coach Jerome Tang of Kansas State, but after recruiting transfer Tykei Greene, he is starting to build a roster that can be a potential thorn in the side of Big 12 programs. Check out this interview with the Field of 68 covering Tang’s vision for the program.

THE FAST BREAK

Links as you check Chris Hemsworth’s fitness plan.

• A road trip at Creighton is the highlight of St. Thomas non-con schedule.

• West Virginia, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern are part of Pitt’s non-con schedule.

• The top prospect out of Wisconsin, Milan Momcilovic (2023), is set to announce next week.

• Gonzaga commit Dusty Stormer is drawing comparisons to sharpshooter Corey Kispert.

• Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins is embracing “positionless basketball”.

• The Sun Belt officially welcomed Marshall, Old Dominion, James Madison and Southern Mississippi.

Thanks for reading The Field of 68. Spread the word (please).