10 Things I Learned In College Basketball This Week: The Mellow Edition

Per Merriam-Webster:

mellow: rich and full but free from garishness or stridency

There are multiple definitions for the word mellow, but this one fits this past week in college basketball best. I'm going to start by attacking the first part of that word salad above. Nearly every slate in college basketball is "rich and full" if you know where to look, and we've had marquee games and/or exhilarating finishes in each of the seven days since my last column was published.

Now to run a garishness/stridency check:

garish: excessively or disturbingly vivid
strident: commanding attention by a loud or obtrusive quality

Compared to other college/pro leagues, college basketball's hype machine features very little garishness or stridency. The casual fan gets bombarded with takes in mid-March, and he or she forgets the games are played in halves two weeks after the national title game concludes.

Let's take one step up the fan ladder, however, and look at the slightly-informed college hoops supporter. They take a glance at the ESPN scores (unfortunately we have to go one step higher to find someone who uses the stellar Basket Under Reviewapp) throughout four stages of the college basketball season. A Mount Rushmore of attention-grabbing phases in our sport, if you will. What four stages do they tune in for?

Two are obvious: March Madness and conference tournament week. I'd argue we're right in the middle of the other two. Opening week and Feast Week lead to an inevitable wave of team judgments, player anointments and message board-worthy criticisms every single year.

Someone can avoid college basketball all they want, but if they follow the main sports accounts on social media, I bet they'll see a few clips and takes from the Players Era/Maui sneak into their feeds over the next couple weeks. If you're slightly more plugged into the sport, you'll see a few hundred more from those MTEs and what feels like 108,362 other games. Garishness may not apply here, but the quantity of content that comes out during Feast Week can make college basketball feel a bit strident to some. The adrenaline rush of a new season and an opening week with a ton of games can have that same effect.

This week and the beginning of next week mark the slowdown before we ramp back up. It's a mellow stage, but certainly not a dead one. I still have 10 things to discuss.

1) Kyan Evans has rediscovered his spark

After Cade Tyson re-emerged at Minnesota last season, much was made over Kyan Evans' arrival in Minneapolis via the portal. The parallels between this year's Golden Gophers point guard and last year's starting 3 were too much to ignore: both guys were mid-major standouts two seasons prior to coming to Minnesota, they both transferred to North Carolina and struggled, they both came to Niko Medved seeking reclamation. Tyson got all of his game back and more; would Evans do the same?

Two games into this season, it looked like the answer was going to be a resounding no. Then Monday night happened, and in Minnesota's first big test of the season against a top-40 Cincinnati side, Evans delivered his offensive magnum opus.

In a slogged affair, Evans controlled everything as the main creator for his team. He found open teammates, attacked the rim effectively and generally looked to be having a fun time playing basketball again.

Indications show that Evans has a different role on this season's Minnesota team than the one he had in Chapel Hill and at Colorado State under Medved two years ago. He's not the hub of his team's offense, but he is being asked to do a lot more on-ball work without exceptional talent surrounding him. Evans is thriving thus far as a distributor with who he's got, posting a 26% AST.

That number is good, but it's also similar to what he did through his first three games at UNC. His shot diet piques my interest a little more.

In an offense that's more perimeter-heavy than UNC's was, Evans' three-point rate is down 32.4% to date while his 2PT% rim rate is up 31.3%. He already has almost as many two-point attempts (24) through four games as he did all of last season (32). His efficiency at the rim this season has been quite poor, but there is precedent (63.3% FG at rim in 24-25') for him being an effective slasher.

I don't know how steady Evans' numbers will be against Big 10 defenses, but seeing him light up box scores at least a few times this season is good enough for me. He's an exciting player, and it's good to see him doing exciting things again.

2) Two words: Tennessee Tech. Must-see TV.

I'm taking a page out of Charles Barkley's vast quote book for this one. In a way, it makes sense, because watching Tennessee Tech play basketball may make you feel like you've been transported ... inside the NBA. Sorry, I had to use it.

For those unaware, the Golden Eagles are coached this season by Tobin Anderson, the architect of the biggest March stunner in tournament history. He's back leading his own program after a year as an assistant under Bryan Hodgson, and the effects of a season with the Nate Oats tree are clear as day.

Some things to know about Tennessee Tech this season: it plays very fast (17th-fastest in the nation). Its players love shooting threes any way they can get 'em: 51% of all the team's shot attempts have come from deep. It runs a high-pressure defense that funnels teams down low, but said defense also leads to 33 opponent FT attempts per game. This is chaotic hyperspeed head-on-a-swivel basketball.

The defensive approach wasn't very effective against Indiana's two-huge-big lineup Thursday night, but the offense provided enough firepower to keep Tobin's squad competitive in Assembly Hall for 25 minutes. That's a win in my book, especially when there were multiple possessions that left Darian DeVries shaking his head.

Another fun thing about the Golden Eagles: it's very difficult for them to close out games! Against Western Kentucky, I watched a 10-point TTU lead with 1:30 remaining wind up as a 97-94 win due to a litany of sloppy turnovers and missed free throws. It's a good thing they shot 19-of-36 from deep that night: a couple more misses and the Hilltoppers may have stolen it!

If you find yourself mindlessly swiping through ESPN+ on a Tennessee Tech game night this season, just turn it on. You won't regret it.

3) This year's Big 12 sleeper may lie in Stillwater

The new Big 12 tries its best off the court to keep me in a state of incredulousness, what with its 16 teams in various locales, its new energy drink partnership and its broadcast deals that lead to seemingly every network ever getting Big 12 games.

On the court, somehow, we typically don't get much in the way of surprise teams. The last time a Big 12 team finished the season top 30 in KenPom after being ranked outside the preseason top 40, this conference was undermanned compared to its name. (Iowa State, Kansas State and West Virginia all did it in a 10-team league in 2022-23.)

I'm not ready to call my shot just yet, but I like the potential Oklahoma State has to break that streak this season. Their last two games have inspired some optimism in different ways for me.

You almost have to throw out the 57% 3PT shooting mark against Queens last Friday due to that team's nonexistent defense and the 3-point variance monster, but how about holding the Royals to .85 points per possession? That same team broke 1 point against BYU four nights later.

Thursday night's 19-point loss to Texas A&M wasn't great, sure, but have you considered what the game would've looked like without the immediate revenge of the 3-point variance monster? On the road, the Cowboys:

• Tied the Aggies in rebounding (38-38)
• Came away with a 42.6% OREB%
• Won an admittedly sloppy turnover battle (16 to A&M's 19)

They shot 6-of-30 from three: that will not happen many other nights this season. This is a balanced team with a ton of depth (9th in the nation in bench minutes), an average height that's top five in its conference, proven shooters and an offense that's built to last. Don't be surprised at 9-seed Oklahoma State in March.

4) This may be the year to drink the George Washington Kool-Aid

Moving down a level, George Washington has been an offseason darling at the mid-major level for three consecutive years now. This past spring, Chris Caputo raised a good chunk of change to build an Atlantic 10 contender in Foggy Bottom, but he had good resources last season too and went 8-10 in conference play. What makes this season different?

Well, this defense is unlike any unit Caputo's had before. They've only played two buy games, but to be this dominant against two teams that aren't complete doormats (Navy and Hampton) sticks out to me:

• 33.4% opponent eFG% (4th in nation)
• 21.8% opponent TO% (63rd)
• 24.2% opponent OREB% (40th)
• 23.7% opponent 3PT% (23rd)
• 41.7 opponent AST/FGM (41st)

I'm confident some semblance of this ultra-productive defense will carry over into the latter half of the season with guys like Terrance Arceneaux and Omari Witherspoon healthy. The question then is the same one this team had in the preseason: who can step up and score?

There are candidates for offensive breakouts on this roster. Jean Aranguren had a 54% eFG on decent volume last season. Georgia transfer Dylan James is averaging 12 and 9 at the 5-spot: maybe he's found his level. Regardless of who it is, I'm optimistic there are 1-2 guys on this roster who will find their shot before the New Year. Combine that with a potential top-50 defense in an Atlantic 10 that seems wide open beyond No. 2, and this could be the year for the Colonials to make some noise.

5) Thomas Dowd is Auburn's X-factor

Auburn heads into this season with one of the best guard tandems in the country. Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton will likely maintain stellarproduction all season long.

Auburn has also opened the season with two outstanding rim protectors, but Bukky Oboye and Narcisse Ngoy have looked great against bottom-200 competition. When Players Era rolls around next week, the Tigers' interior defense will get its first true test, and if it fails, the two bigs can't compensate with their inside scoring.

Enter Troy transfer Thomas Dowd, who I believe is the X-factor for Auburn. At 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds, Dowd will be nowhere near the 5 this year, but he will be a 4 who can prevent second chances on the glass with his career 20.1% DREB rate (24.9% in 6 top 100 games last season). On offense, the guards can't do it all, so either his or Adam Olson's perimeter game will need to be on most nights.

The biggest concern is whether Dowd's defense can hold up. The Trojans were about as good defensively with him off the court last season as they were with him playing: if that stat gets worse at a higher level, 1.) too much will be put on the centers' shoulders down low and 2.) the forward will have to overcompensate with his hustle on the glass and scoring ability.

6) Utah State's backcourt is sneaky elite

I feel like people (myself included) consistently underestimate Utah State in year 1 under a new coach, which is only a trend since that school goes through so many freaking head coaches.

We praise the coach who left for his new power conference home, but while that school's finding its level, the Aggies come out of the woodwork and prove yet again that they are a mid-major juggernaut. The computers have certainly fallen victim to this trap: the last four Utah State head coaches have improved on their KenPom preseason projection by at least 10 spots in Year 1.

Mr. Pomeroy tried to catch on this year, giving the Aggies their second-highest preseason ranking in the last decade (53rd), but Ben Jacobson has already got his team up 10 spots largely thanks to his triumvirate of guards.

Mason Falslev – or the "mayor" of Utah State, according to Joey Dwyer's great profile – is a wing, but I'm grouping him in here for content's sake. He's actually been the least efficient of the three players I'll bring up, but he's still managed to put up solid scoring numbers on a much higher usage rate. He's also killing it everywhere else on the court, averaging nearly 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

How Mason Falslev became Utah State's "mayor" and a potential name for the rafters

Here's a name you may have forgotten about: Dallin Hall. Virginia's starting point guard last season is now in the Pac-12, and he's seen a major leap in his scoring output thus far while continuing to be a tremendous facilitator. He's the perfect lead guard for Jacobson's system.

Hall and Falslev on their own create a backcourt that can hang in any conference in America, but Jacobson's staff seems to have found a gem in Wright State transfer Solomon Callaghan. The junior took no time acclimating to his new level (although the Aggies haven't played anybody on that level yet this season), posting an 81.5% eFG% (!) through three games. He's been efficient his entire college career too, so while that number won't hold, he'll still likely be a valuable piece for Utah State's offense.

7) I miss the old Colgate

I just gave you six stat-filled points: allow me to ruminate a bit on this back stretch.

The transfer portal/NIL era has certainly decimated many mid-majors across the board, but I'm not sure you can find one hit harder than Colgate. Without knowledge of the institutional dynamics at play, I assume it's a little tougher to convince donors to raise NIL funds for any Patriot League program: these are still academics-focused institutions in a conference whose athletic presence is far smaller than the Ivy's.

Thus, guys keep leaving Matt Langel in the portal for greener ($$) pastures, and the replacement talent isn't coming along quick enough. I tuned into Colgate/Drexel on Saturday and was completely underwhelmed by the Raiders. Outside of a good run at the beginning of the second half, the shot creation was poor across the board, Preseason All-Patriot player Andrew Alekseyenko forced way too much and Drexel generated a ton of rim pressure.

I remember a time when Colgate had four-year stars, though. A time when Langel boasted elite face-up bigs and lead guards alike. A time when I was called on to serve as a messenger to the masses (my junior year classmates) and spread the good word of Colgate's impending 2021 NCAA Tournament upset of Arkansas. That one didn't happen; neither did Wisconsin in 2022, although they deserved it.

I should've known I was watching the glory years of Colgate basketball while we had them. They just seemed inevitable, like a low-major Utah State.

8) Miles Sadler's national breakout is coming

America needs at least four freshman heroes out of college basketball every year.

Media outlets need to know which players they are spamming clips and graphics of between now and June. Your uncle needs to know that one guy he heard about so he can bring him up to you at the next family function, and Stephen A. Smith needs these four names to fill his yearly hour of college basketball talk in mid-March.

The one issue this year is that this is not a very strong freshman class. Tyran Stokes is certainly a freshman hero for the masses, and so is Nikola Kusturica (although he's hanging around). The guy with the next-best odds is one marquee game away from being anointed: West Virginia's Miles Sadler.

Sadler's been discussed already by those in the know, but due to West Virginia's non-blue blood status and its slow start schedule-wise, he hasn't had an opportunity to show his electrifying playstyle off yet. Let's see, when will he get that chance?

FIVE MORE DAYS ‼️📺
Players Era 8 tips off next week, live from Las Vegas @MGMExperiencespic.twitter.com/ZKTEFAb6vl

— Players Era (@Players_Era) November 12, 2026

Haha, yes! It will take precisely one toe-to-toe battle with Tahaad Pettiford for a half, or a 23-point, 8-assist night against Notre Dame, or one play like this:

for Sadler to get his shine. I love the way he plays, and I'm glad his first moment in the spotlight is coming soon.

9) The number of 8-team bracketed MTEs remaining is disgustingly low

This is one of those situations that I've known was bad, but until I saw the facts in front of me, I didn't realize the extent of how bad it was.

Number of 8-team bracketed MTEs (2026):
- Players Era (all 3 brackets)
- Maui Invitational
- Paradise Jam

With all due respect to Players Era for creating tons of great matchups this Feast Week, they are an 8-team bracketed MTE like Hard Rock Cafe is a chain restaurant. Everything looks glamorous on the outside, but where's the soul?

The soul was in HP Fieldhouse in Orlando, where a Metro school would play a national brand at 11:00 a.m. every Thanksgiving. It was in Myrtle, in Charleston, in Hawaii, even in Atlantis. 4 teams doesn't do it for me anymore. If you're not going into your MTE with a range of outcomes from "3 top-50 wins" to "have to play sacrificial lamb in seventh place game", I don't want to hear it. BRB, watching the 2019 Villanova-Baylor Myrtle Beach Invitational title game.

10) I'm out on mid-majors making clutch free throws late

That last point still has me fired up, so I might as well put out another unpleasant take to end this column. So much for mellow.

Speaking of showing my age, I remember certain situations where the charity stripe was a bit of a unifier in letting small schools get back into a game against a power opponent. The big school can't hit the freebies, and so the "little guys" who work hard on the fundamentals wind up taking advantage.

I watched two intriguing mid-major vs. high-major games Sunday and Monday: Wichita State/USC and Charlotte/Seton Hall. Wichita and Charlotte combined: 63.1% from the line. USC and Seton Hall: 84.8%. The high-majors won both games by 13 points combined.

I have no other data to go off of here, and frankly, I don't want to look into anything else. I am using these two games alone to make a sweeping declaration that the small schools have lost the free throw war. Chalk up yet another win for the big brands.

To defeat a power school as a mid-major, your only options now are "ridiculous shooting night" or "freak injury suffered by power school starter". I suggest more low seeds start watching Tennessee Tech.