Happy Holidays to all the college hoops fans across the world! However you celebrate, I hope you enjoy some time with family and friends.
At the Jacobsen household, we celebrate Christmas this time of year. My kids, now teenagers, still write lists to Santa and ask him to bring the things they want on Christmas morning. If they are nice and if Santa has it in the budget, he delivers, and everyone is happy (for a week or so).
[College Basketball Rankings: Casey Jacobsen Welcomes Kentucky Back, Top 3 Unchanged]
Anyway, I thought it would be fun if “Basketball Santa” delivered some gifts to some notable men’s basketball programs this season. So here are the top-3 Christmas gifts these basketball teams are very much hoping to get:
3. St John’s: An elite point guard
(Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images).
Coach Rick Pitino had a lot of resources at his disposal this off-season and thought he put together a title-contending roster. The Red Storm is talented in their backcourt, sure, but it’s clear that they don’t have a floor general that can create shots for others.
Last season, former Red Storm guard Kadary Richmond distributed 5.3 dimes per contest and was clutch in close games against the best teams. This year, Zuby Ejiofor is leading them in assists at 2.6 per game. He’s their center!
2. Duke Blue Devils: A consistent second scorer
(Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
Duke’s size, defensive ability and forward Cameron Boozer are going to give them a chance to win every game they play this season. However, it’s hard for me to envision the Blue Devils cutting down the nets if they can’t find Boozer more consistent scoring help.
Guard Isaiah Evans is second in scoring on the team at 11.8 points per game, but he’s shooting an erratic 39.3% from the field. Center Patrick Ngongba II is another talent who can score, but in their last two ranked matchups (Texas Tech and Michigan State), he’s averaged five points across those games.
1. Kansas Jayhawks: A healthy hamstring for Darryn Peterson
(Photo by Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)
I believe Peterson is the most talented guard in the sport and will be a top-2 NBA Draft pick even if he never plays another game in a Kansas uniform, but we all just want to see him on the floor. He’s played in four of Kansas’ 12 games so far, but he’s likely going to miss the next several weeks or more after re-aggravating his hamstring against NC State.
It’s not his fault, of course, but fans of college basketball are getting robbed — remember Kyrie Irving’s shortened freshman season at Duke? — of seeing a truly elite player. With him, Kansas could compete for a title. Without him, Kansas’ ceiling is probably the Sweet 16.
Casey Jacobsen is a national college basketball reporter and analyst for FOX Sports. He was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection at Stanford and a First-Team All-American as a sophomore. Follow him at @cjacobsen23.
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