Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

The Secondary Break: Friday’s Links

dawson

Michigan State tops Luke Winn’s power rankings (Sports Illustrated)
Luke Winn’s weekly power rankings are an entertaining and informative read, with statistical analysis of the teams proving to be quite valuable. A top his rankings this week is Michigan State, thanks to their win over Kentucky, and the Spartan’s ability to get out and run while limiting opponents’ chances of doing so is one reason why. Through two games an area that was a weakness for Tom Izzo’s team at the end of last season has been a strength.

Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin promotes Titus Rubles to captain (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Entering the 2013-14 season Cincinnati seniors Sean Kilpatrick and Justin Jackson were the team captains, and rightfully so, given the fact that they’ve been productive members of the program for three seasons. This week Cronin made senior Titus Rubles his third captain, citing Rubles’ play in wins over North Carolina Central and NC-State as the reason why.

Should college basketball players be paid? Syracuse, ACC athletes weigh in (Syracuse Post-Standard)
This question has been debated for quite some time, and that will continue to be the case until there’s a resolution to the Ed O’Bannon lawsuit. The Syracuse Post-Standard asked the question of players at Syracuse and throughout the ACC, and there are some solid points made on both sides of the argument.

D’Angelo Harrison, Mike Rice bonded at anger management (New York Post)
With St. John’s guard D’Angelo Harrison and Rutgers head coach Mike Rice having some serious issues to address during the offseason, both wound up under the wing over John Lucas in Houston. The two would form a bond that remains strong, with Rice attending the Red Storm’s second exhibition game against Humboldt State. But while Harrison has made it back to the college game, Rice’s return will be more challenging.

UC Irvine 86, Washington 72 (Big Apple Buckets)
Russell Turner’s Anteaters were dominant in the second half of their win in Seattle, and John Templon of Big Apple Buckets was there to see it all. Irvine’s interior play, featuring Will Davis II and Mamadou Ndiaye, is what stood out on Thursday night with Ndiaye setting a Big West record for blocked shots in a game (nine).

Tom Crean thinks James Blackmon Jr. will be worth the wait, drama (Indianapolis Star)
After making the decision to de-commit from Indiana this past summer, 2014 guard James Blackmon Jr. ended up re-committing to the Big Ten school. And after receiving Blackmon’s national letter of intent, Indiana head coach stated that he believes the drama will be worth it.

Observation Room: Temple/Towson (City of Basketball Love)
The Towson Tigers are 3-0 for the first time in 41 years after knocking off Temple at SECU Arena. Josh Verlin of City of Basketball Love offered up some of his observations of the game, including some thoughts regarding the Owls’ problems closing games.

Five freshmen you might want to pay attention to (Run the Floor)
For all the chatter about the freshmen who played in the Champions Classic, and Arizona’s Aaron Gordon, there are other newcomers college basketball fans should be aware of. Among the five players mentioned here are a McDonald’s All-Americanand a mid major wing who originally signed with Old Dominion.

Devyn Marble following his father (ESPN)
Being a “legacy” can be difficult for young players, especially when the family member who preceded them was so successful. That’s what Iowa senior Devyn Marble struggled with at times due to the fact that his father Roy is one of the school’s all-time greats. But instead of allowing the expectations/comparisons to weigh him down, Devyn’s worked to create his own legacy at Iowa.

Follow @raphiellej