As Disney+ enthralls the country, which is apparently not Mickey Mouse on steroids, the 2019-20 college basketball season keeps trucking along.
The die-hard fanatics are here. They always will be. NBA fans who want to see potential Draft prospects have not yet joined the fray. Neither has your weird uncle, who only watches come March to fill out a bracket in which he bases his picks on the average temperature of each campus.
Let's get this The Morning After College Basketball started.
Nico Mannion Minions
Joseph Nardone (@JosephNardone): Nico Mannion is three games into his college basketball career with the Arizona Wildcats. Objectively speaking, he's only had one true stellar game. Despite that, Sean Miller and his FBI overlords Wildcats are 3-0.
Oddly enough, his best game was against Arizona's stiffest competition. He scored 23 points and dished out nine assists against the famed Illinois Fighting Illini. On Thursday evening, though, Nico Mannion only scored six points on 40% shooting from the floor.
What does this all mean? Well, tickle me glad you asked.
Just about nothing. He's a freshman. It might take a few games for the kid to find his footing. As for whatever narratives might being to circle the youngster, those who grow negative when talking about him will only be doing so relative to his NBA Draft stock (remember those guys mentioned in the lede?).
In terms of college basketball, while many freshmen perform well quickly, there's usually an adjustment needed. Given the fact he's already had a breakout game of sorts, it shouldn't be too concerning to Arizona Wildcats fans that Mannion had a bit of back down to earth game.
Nico Mannion will be fine. He's good!
Is Myles Powell Good At Basketball?
Blake Lovell (@theblakelovell): Myles Powell scored 37 points in an absolutely incredible performance in Seton Hall's loss to Michigan State on Thursday.
But the question must be asked: Is Myles Powell good at basketball?
Let's ask the experts.
Well, I mean, it's his head coach. What else do you expect him to say? Let's see what someone else thinks.
Tom Izzo only has 600-plus career wins and eight Final Four appearances as a Division I head coach. More research is needed.
I'm sold. Myles Powell is indeed good at basketball.
Penn State Positives!
Joe: While I reside in Northeastern Pennsylvania, per state bylaw, this Internet Scribbler is required to write about Penn State whenever something positive happens.
Penn State defeated the Georgetown Hoyas on Thursday night. The Hoyas, a team that will need to shoot well consistently to take that next step, only shot 37.7% from the floor and an eh 30.8% percent from beyond the arc. Is that a credit to Penn State's defense or Georgetown not exactly being equipped to hit shots from beyond at the rim attempts?
The world will never know…
(it's the latter)
Anywho, Penn State is in a solid position to enter Big Ten Conference play with a swell overall record if it doesn't fall to a few wayward programs. Given how middling the conference should be this season, despite PSU forever feeling like a bottom half of the league team, maybe there will be actual reasons to be happy in the valley come March.
The world will never know…
(they literally will come Selection Sunday if not sooner)
Aaron Nesmith Is A Breakout Star
Blake: Vanderbilt lost its first game under Jerry Stackhouse in what was one of the most entertaining games of the season thus far, but that wasn't really the story.
Yes, the way the game unfolded was not ideal for the Commodores. Stackhouse's squad had the ball on what figured to be the final possession of overtime, but a turnover allowed Richmond to sprint down the court and draw a foul with just 0.6 seconds left. One free throw later, and it was a brutal defeat for a Vanderbilt team that has played with a lot of confidence and toughness early on in the season.
However, what stood out most was the play of sophomore Aaron Nesmith, who posted 34 points and knocked down seven 3-pointers. The 6-6 forward is now averaging 26.7 points per game through three games and has made 17 of his 30 attempts from beyond the arc.
Simply put, he's good.
Before the season, I said that Nesmith was a player to watch as a potential breakout candidate in the SEC. But at this point, he may prove to be much more than that. He has the ability to take over a game in key situations, and he did that against the Spiders.
Stackhouse and his staff won't be able to fix everything right away, but Vanderbilt is already playing with a different mentality than it did a season ago.
And with Nesmith emerging as one of the SEC's better playmakers, the Commodores are certainly on the right track.
In Closing Teddy Ruxpin Taught Me How To Read
This isn't a joke. When I was a child, Teddy Ruxpin taught me how to read. I miss him dearly.
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Blake Lovell is a national writer for ClutchPoints. He’s also a contributor for the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and Athlon Sports College Basketball Preview magazine. He hosts two podcasts: Marching to Madness (CBB) and Establish the Pass (NFL).
You can follow him on Twitter @theblakelovell.
Joseph Nardone has been covering basketball for nearly a decade for various outlets in a variety of ways. He currently contributes to Forbes and Clutchpoints. You can follow him on Twitter @JosephNardone.
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