By Jonathan Lidskin
On Tuesday night, we got to see a very rare matchup in college basketball. Purdue and Marquette faced off in Milwaukee in a battle of two programs that still embody the word “program”. It’s very hard in this day and age to build a roster in college basketball through internal development yet both Matt Painter and Shaka Smart have continued to defy odds and do so.
Over the past two seasons, Purdue and Marquette have combined for three conference titles, two second weekend appearances and a national championship appearance.
While some guys from those teams have moved on to the professional ranks or even other schools, the development internally that is done in these programs allows for both of them to stay not just relevant, but among the best the sport has to offer. We saw that on Friday night with Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and C.J. Cox and Monday night, we saw it on the other side from one of college basketball’s biggest stars.
Welcome everyone, to the Kam Jones show.
You’ll rarely see me victory-lapping or giving up on a take in November. College basketball is a long season and things can take a turn for the better or worse at any moment. However, my National Player of the Year pick in the preseason was none other than Marquette’s Kam Jones. Jones posted a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the Golden Eagles’ 76-58 win over Purdue and what’s even crazier is Jones, who shot 40% from three last year, didn’t hit a longball in this game.
Jones’ performance wasn’t the only one that was notable this season even against just high-major opponents. Last Friday, Jones went for 28 on the road in a win over Maryland. He also had eight assists two other times this season and 32 points in the opener against Stony Brook.
Marquette wasn’t all Jones on Tuesday though. Each of the five starters played 29+ minutes and it was actually Stevie Mitchell that led the team in scoring with 21. The defense holding Purdue to just 0.85 points per possession is also notable.
The Golden Eagles will get another test as they head to Atlantis this weekend for a single game against a defensive-minded Georgia team. However, the aftermath from Tuesday night in Milwaukee is clear to everyone: Kam Jones has solidified his place in the National Player of the Year race.
Keys to Wednesday’s contest between Illinois & Alabama:
The Illini play their first true road game and first big test of the season on Wednesday when they travel to Tuscaloosa. Illinois is a team that is relying on a trio of freshmen pretty heavily so not allowing the Tide to get off to a fast start where the crowd gets into it will be key.
Alabama took a tough loss on Friday at Purdue and while losing at Mackey Arena isn’t a red flag, it was easy while watching to see why the Tide came up short. Purdue was able to slow the game down and make it a 65-possession game. I don’t think Illinois will be able to do that, but Alabama must be able to get back to playing their brand of basketball.