Turnovers -- for and against -- are really important for Marquette
Last season Shaka Smart's team played basketball for three entire months without committing more turnovers than the opponent in a single game. Then, when the impossible happened and
Michigan State actually won the turnover battle, Marquette lost in the round of 32. We're seeing this same pattern repeat (so far) in 2023-24. In 205 combined possessions against
Illinois, UCLA and Kansas, the Golden Eagles scored fewer points on each "effective" (turnover-less) possession than their opponents. Of course, Marquette won all three games by taking care of the ball and forcing a high number of turnovers. Purdue did a stellar job of getting up shots in its championship win against Smart's group, but that's still a tall task for any team against this defense. Nevertheless, good things tend to happen for Marquette when, as often happens, it gains an advantage in turnovers.
-- Gasaway
Kansas' ceiling will be determined by its perimeter newcomers
Kansas has four established playmakers:
Hunter Dickinson,
K.J. Adams Jr.,
Kevin McCullar Jr. and
Dajuan Harris Jr. The assumption in the preseason was that one of the freshmen or transfers would step up as a consistent ancillary player on the wing and make the Jayhawks one of the most balanced units in the country. That hasn't quite happened yet. The lack of shot creators and makers in the backcourt was noticeable in the loss to Marquette (and in the win over
Kentucky in the Champions Classic, though Harris bailed them out in that one). Touted freshmen
Elmarko Jackson and
Johnny Furphy aren't quite there yet, and
Towson transfer
Nick Timberlake isn't making shots right now. Something worth monitoring: Freshman
Jamari McDowell played 27 minutes against Tennessee. He was perhaps the least-touted of the incoming players, but he hit a pair of 3s against the Vols to help in the win, and brings length on the wing.
-- Borzello
For all the talk of Tennessee having an improved offense this season, the Vols scored fewer than 0.96 points per possession in all three games in Hawaii. At times they looked awfully similar to last year's unit, which went through long lulls at that end of the floor and didn't have the power to consistently beat good teams. This year, they do have the power, on paper. But that didn't quite translate against Purdue and Kansas. Dalton Knecht, who has been one of the best transfers in the country through the opening few weeks, really struggled in the second half of both games, combining for six points on 2-for-13 shooting. Unsurprisingly, Tennessee also struggled to make shots in both games, going 17-for-63 (27%) from behind the arc and making just six of 20 layup attempts against the Jayhawks. Knecht is the separator for Tennessee, someone who can go get his own shot and has the size and athleticism to make contested shots over good defenders. But when he's off, the Vols will struggle.
-- Borzello
Sebastian Mack established himself as UCLA's impact newcomer
Entering the season, it was entirely unclear how Mick Cronin was going to set up his rotation.
Adem Bona was back inside, but that was about it. It hasn't taken long for freshman guard Sebastian Mack to cement his spot as the Bruins' go-to guy on the perimeter, though. He had 18 points in the second game of the season against
Lafayette, and has only taken his game up a level against superior competition in Maui. Against Marquette in the first round, he finished with 25 points on 14 shots, also grabbing six boards. Mack does most of his damage inside the arc and at the free-throw line, but his hot start seems like it has some staying power.
-- Borzello