Males’s Feast Week classes: Michigan No. 1? St. John’s, Florida in bother?

The 2025 version of males’s school basketball Feast Week didn’t disappoint.

Michigan tore via a stacked Gamers Period Competition discipline, beating two High 25 groups (Auburn and Gonzaga) by 30-plus factors en path to successful the championship of the 18-team occasion. Cameron Boozer continued his scorching streak in Duke’s win over Arkansas. And UConn had a really completely different expertise than final Thanksgiving week.

Now what did we study? ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf react to 5 key storylines from the previous seven days, from whether or not Michigan and Duke’s star freshman performed themselves into new tiers to which preseason prime 5 group ought to be fearful after stunning outcomes.

Ought to Michigan be the brand new No. 1?

Borzello: The Wolverines are my No. 1.

We have by no means seen a group dominate three good opponents in three consecutive days the way in which Michigan they did final week in Las Vegas. Three straight wins over three potential NCAA event groups by a mixed 110 factors? Are you kidding?

Dusty Could’s group misplaced a few of its preseason luster within the first two weeks of the season when it wanted additional time to beat Wake Forest and needed to maintain off TCU down the stretch, however each of these groups may be higher than anticipated — and preseason accidents to a few key gamers meant Michigan wanted a few video games to completely discover its rhythm.

At full power in Vegas, this group was a machine. The Wolverines are mature, deep, big, have arguably the perfect protection in school basketball and made 38 3s in three video games at Gamers Period. Future opponents should hope that capturing efficiency was a blip; in any other case, Michigan appears extraordinarily powerful to beat.

Medcalf: I’d rank them No. 1 this week.

I nonetheless contend that Arizona has the perfect win of the season with a real highway victory over UConn. I additionally suppose Purdue has accomplished its half to validate its preseason standing because the No. 1 group within the nation. However I do not suppose one other group has had a extra dominant stretch than what we witnessed from Michigan in Las Vegas.

The metrics show this group is on one other degree. Could’s obsession with enjoying a number of large males in a small-ball period appears counterproductive, however he’s having the kind of success with a lineup we not often see. Michigan is twenty eighth in common peak on KenPom and but twenty first in adjusted tempo. This gigantic squad can also be one in all nation’s quickest. How? Michigan additionally boasts arguably the perfect protection within the nation and the Wolverines are additionally top-10 in adjusted offensive effectivity.

With Yaxel Lendeborg as a Picket Award contender, Michigan is the perfect within the discipline proper now.

Which preseason top-five group ought to be fearful: Houston, Florida or St. John’s?

Medcalf: Florida.

St. John’s has severe issues, and Houston’s younger stars want extra time to discover a rhythm with their teammates, however Florida’s early points are essentially the most regarding.

The reigning champions have the identical frontcourt from their title run, however face actual questions concerning the make-up of their backcourt. Pairing Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee as level guards hasn’t labored thus far — Lee’s offensive score on KenPom is dramatically decrease (113.1 vs. 96.8) than it was a season in the past at Princeton, whereas Fland’s turnover price is up and his help price is greater than half of what it was at Arkansas final season.

It does not assist that the Gators are additionally committing turnovers on practically one-fifth of their possessions and connecting on solely 27.7% of their 3-point makes an attempt.

Borzello: St. John’s.

The Purple Storm’s most blatant challenge is their lack of a constant playmaker at level guard. Ian Jackson is not a standard level guard and might battle along with his decision-making, and Oziyah Sellers is much better off the ball. Dylan Darling is stable however does not provide as a lot explosiveness as the opposite two. Quite a lot of offensive initiation for St. John’s is coming via its frontcourt playmakers, however the greater concern is on the opposite finish of the court docket.

St. John’s is not guarding constantly and is getting annihilated on the defensive glass. The Purple Storm have performed 4 video games in opposition to high-major opponents and are permitting 1.21 factors per possession in these contests — that may rank round No. 342 nationally over a full season. Additionally they rank within the 300s of defensive rebounding proportion.

I count on Rick Pitino to determine issues out, however there are actual worries proper now.

Is Cameron Boozer enjoying himself into his personal tier?

Borzello: Sure.

Boozer’s calling card all through his highschool profession was his excessive manufacturing. Even when gamers reminiscent of Cooper Flagg or AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson had been thought-about to have increased ceilings than Boozer, his numbers nonetheless stored him neck-and-neck with these gamers in prospect rankings. So there was robust proof to point he could be productive on the school degree, however to not this extent — and never this rapidly.

His numbers are legitimately absurd for a freshman. He’s averaging 22.9 factors (sixth within the nation), 9.8 rebounds (prime 30 within the nation) and three.9 assists whereas capturing 58% from the sector and 39% from 3. He is No. 1 by an enormous margin in KenPom’s Participant of the Yr rankings, and Stats Carry out posted that he is the one Division I or NBA participant previously 30 seasons to have an eight-game span with 175 factors, 75 rebounds, 25 assists and 10 or fewer turnovers with out shedding a sport.

To try this within the first month of his school profession is outstanding.

With Peterson sidelined by an damage and Dybantsa sharing the stage with two different prime gamers at BYU, Boozer has clearly established himself as the favourite for Freshman of the Yr — and maybe Participant of the Yr.

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Boozer finishes the quick break with a large jam for Duke

Cameron Boozer takes flight on the quick break and finishes with an enormous dunk for Duke.

Medcalf: The easy reply is sure.

Someway, Jon Scheyer has signed one other prolific freshman a yr after Flagg gained Participant of the Yr for some of the dominant freshman seasons in latest reminiscence. He rapidly separated himself from the competitors. That is what makes Boozer’s begin so outstanding. He has Flagg-like numbers.

Per 40 minutes — an estimate of a participant’s numbers in the event that they performed a whole sport — Flagg would have averaged 25.0 factors, 9.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks final season. Boozer’s per-40 minute numbers would rival — and even surpass — these of school basketball’s greatest star a yr in the past: 31.6 factors, 13.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.6 blocks.

Flagg was in a distinct dimension earlier than he was the No. 1 decide within the 2025 NBA draft. To date, Boozer is also in his personal stratosphere.

How necessary was UConn’s win over Illinois?

Medcalf: Vital.

A yr in the past, the Huskies misplaced three consecutive video games within the Maui Invitational, which stripped the group of its nationwide contender standing following back-to-back titles. However these losses additionally highlighted an even bigger challenge: Dan Hurley had missed on some roster additions.

Isaiah Abraham and Ahmad Nowell, a pair of four-star recruits, had been both injured or struggling to discover a function with the group on the time and transferred after the season. And Aiden Mahaney, a two-time all-West Coast Convention standout at Saint Mary’s, additionally failed to seek out his footing at that degree and entered the portal after the season. However this season’s group has early chemistry that final season’s group lacked at the moment.

For the reason that Massive East may regress this season, the win additionally strengthened UConn’s résumé.

Borzello: Vital.

It was the primary time we received to see UConn at full power this season, and for lengthy stretches in opposition to Illinois, the Huskies regarded as in the event that they belonged proper in that prime tier of nationwide title contenders alongside Michigan, Purdue and Arizona. A wholesome Tarris Reed Jr. is without doubt one of the greatest large males within the nation, able to posting 20 factors and 10 rebounds any given evening. And freshman Braylon Mullins, who sat out the primary six video games of the season, was thought-about the perfect shooter within the 2025 highschool class and is a projected to be a first-round decide. Hurley having these two guys again within the fold is a large enhance coming into a stretch that features upcoming video games in opposition to Kansas, Florida and Texas.

The win over Illinois additionally confirmed the depth of UConn’s roster. Solo Ball and Silas Demary Jr. struggled within the second half, and Reed and Mullins could not play a full allotment of minutes — not an issue. Malachi Smith got here off the bench to put up 14 factors and 9 assists, and Eric Reibe had one other robust efficiency with eight factors and 7 rebounds. The offense wasn’t firing on all cylinders? Not a problem when you possibly can maintain a top-10 offense to 61 factors.

At full power, this group is as full because it will get.

Is the Gamers Period criticism warranted?

Borzello: Will depend on the particular criticism.

The first challenge was how the third-day matchups, other than the championship and third-place sport, had been set. Pitting a 2-0 Iowa State group in opposition to a top-10 Alabama group and making a top-15 matchup between Houston and St. John’s would have given the occasion a couple of extra marquee matchups. As an alternative, not solely had been the Cyclones the one 2-0 group to not get an opportunity to play for extra cash, they got Syracuse as their third opponent in a sport that can do little or no for his or her résumé.

An 18-team discipline leaves few choices for an efficient event construction, however brackets would clear up loads of points, particularly if it expands to 32 groups.

The gang critiques weren’t proper or unsuitable, I simply do not suppose enjoying in 12,000- or 17,000-seat arenas ever lends itself to an excellent neutral-site surroundings. You are not going to duplicate the texture of the Maui Invitational with out enjoying the sport at, say, Coronado Excessive Faculty in Henderson, Nevada.

From a media or in-person perspective, although, Gamers Period provides the perfect discipline and the perfect gamers — and it is within the continental United States.

Medcalf: The criticism concerning the format was legitimate.

Gamers Period had an unimaginable discipline for the second yr in a row and the recognition of the occasion continues to develop. That stated, followers want a neater gateway to this adorned discipline, not the convoluted system previous the title video games. These criticisms had been legitimate. The remainder weren’t.

Nervous about half-empty arenas? Effectively, go to the primary couple days of each convention event within the nation and inform me what you see.

Backlash concerning the have an effect on on different Feast Week occasions appeared to come back from people who find themselves capable of afford journeys to Hawaii and different islands. The Maui Invitational is a gorgeous occasion however is much much less accessible to the common fan than Las Vegas. The Gamers Period Competition may change into the closest factor we’ve got to an NCAA tournament-like occasion earlier than March. The criticism ignored that half.