Observations: Don't sleep on Cyclones' Hogue, Gators frosh Robinson
1. Florida's Devin Robinson is being undervalued nationally
We're about three weeks away from the start of practice and it feels like Devin Robinson isn't even scheduled to play this season. Many people including myself have hyped --- and with good reason --- the incoming freshmen at Kentucky (Karl Towns, Trey Lyles, Tyler Ulis, Devon Booker) but when you watch Robinson play you'll realize that he doesn't just have a chance to be one of the best freshmen in the SEC. He has a chance to be one of the best freshmen in the country. Blessed with freakish length at 6-feet-8 along with a terrific second jump, the Virginia native is the type of high-level athlete that has a chance to immediately start for the Gators in his first year of college basketball. Versatile enough to play either forward spot, Robinson has big-time upside and is only scratching the surface of where he'll be in a few seasons. Long, active, and always around the ball, this is the type of player that Billy Donovan will use to guard multiple positions on defense for as long as he's in Gainesville. Think Devin Ebanks with more offense.
2. Remember the name Deandre Burnett
And that especially goes for Miami fans. The 6-2 guard redshirted last season after suffering a wrist injury in the preseason and figures to play a major role in the Hurricanes' hopes for the 2014-15 campaign. Jim Larranaga's squad is loaded on the perimeter, and with Davon Reed (6.6 points in 13-14) now out for four-to-six months after suffering a lower leg injury, the opportunity for Burnett to make an immediate mark becomes even more legitimate. People from the periphery may label transfers Angel Rodriguez (Kansas State) and Sheldon McClellan (Texas) or freshmen Ja'Quan Newton and James Palmer as Miami's most impactful newcomers in the back court, but it says here Burnett won't lose his place at the table. The former high school All-American scored 16 points in 22 minutes in the Hurricanes' last exhibition game before he got hurt last season and averaged 14.3 points in four games during this team's trip to Spain in August. Don't be surprised if Burnett winds up leading this team in scoring --- he's that good.
3. Dustin Hogue may be the least appreciated player in America
The 6-6 forward played his best when it mattered most last season and was a critical piece in Iowa State's run to the Sweet 16. Hogue averaged 17.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in the Cyclones' six postseason games last March and tallied 34 points along with six rebounds in their final game against UConn. Most people immediately think of Georges Niang when someone mentions Iowa State's front court, but the glue to this whole operation is Hogue. A relentless rebounder and burgeoning outside shooter, the New York native has a chance to be an All-Big 12 caliber player as a senior. One of the biggest reasons why Fred Hoiberg's team was so successful last season was because Hogue's selflessness allowed he, Niang, and Melvin Ejim to form arguably the most cohesive front court in college basketball. That type of sacrifice will be paramount again this season as Hogue and Niang look to blend with two new faces on the baseline in Marquette transfer Jameel McKay and Northern Illinois transfer Abdel Nader (13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds in 2012-13).
4. San Diego State-BYU is the sleeper game in the first round of the Maui Invitational
Contrast in styles? Check. Two terrific coaches? Check. High-octane action? You better believe it. The Maui Invitational is always one of the premier early-season tournaments in college basketball and while many of the blue bloods will be showcased during the annual three-day tournament in Hawaii, these two former Mountain West Conference rivals have a chance to steal Day 1 of the event with a scintillating 40-minute tilt. The Aztecs are one of the deepest and most athletic teams in all of college basketball while BYU possesses one of the best players that no one talks about nationally in shooting guard Tyler Haws (23.2 points in 13-14). Dave Rose has proven during his tenure in Provo that he's one of the best offensive minds in the sport and he'll be looking to push the pace from the opening tip against a San Diego State squad that has the chops and length to be devastating defensively. This is a classic case of great offense against great defense. Count me as beyond intrigued.
5. The stigma that you can't recruit to Rutgers continues to be a farce
The Scarlet Knights have had many problems over the last decade, but securing elite talent hasn't been one of them. Rutgers has yet to become the "sleeping giant" that many have labeled it in their opening press conference, but through this program's last three head coaches --- Fred Hill, Mike Rice, and now Eddie Jordan --- one thing has remained constant. They've all gotten players. Hill signed a top-50 player in Corey Chandler in 2007 and followed that up in 2008 with a McDonald's All-American in Mike Rosario and a big man he beat out Duke for in Gregory Echenique. Hill also added Jonathan Mitchell -- New York State's 2006 Mr. Basketball -- as a transfer from Florida. Rice's first recruiting class consisted of a plethora of top-100 prospects in Myles Mack, Jerome Seagears, Kadeem Jack, and Eli Carter along with another former McDonald's All-American in Wally Judge who came as a transfer from Kansas State. And what has Jordan done since taking over for Rice since last April? Gotten players. Rutgers was fortunate to secure a commitment from skilled forward Junior Etou (5.3 points, 4.6 rebounds in 13-14) in the Spring of 2013 and added two quality pieces in this past recruiting class in top 150 freshmen Mike Williams and D.J. Foreman. Then last week, the Scarlet Knights landed a commitment from one of the top point guards in the Class of 2015 in floor general Corey Sanders. What am I getting at here? Getting players has never been the problem at Rutgers. But keeping them in Piscataway beyond their sophomore seasons is something that's become beyond difficult. Chandler, Rosario, and Echenique bolted after they put in two years of service and Carter did the same, opting to transfer to Florida. You can't create a winning culture if you constantly have players leaving when things get difficult and that's the battle Rutgers has and still is facing. Is there a cloud over the school because of all the extracurricular things that have brought negative attention? Absolutely. But let's not make it like this basketball program hasn't been able to secure talent that's good enough to give them a chance to be competitive on a nightly basis.
This and that
• Ohio State freshman Keita Bates-Diop is going to be an immediate factor for the Buckeyes. The 6-7 wing can play either forward spot and will give Thad Matta's squad the ability to play either big or small. Expect Bates-Diop to push sophomore Marc Loving for playing time.
• New Mexico's Craig Neal said this week that he's fine with the Lobos' perimeter of Hugh Greenwood, Cullen Neal, and Deshawn Delaney. Greenwood and Delaney were starters last season and Neal should have a breakout year as a sophomore after averaging 7.1 points last season as a freshman. The real question for this team according to Neal is up front. New Mexico lost two cornerstone pieces in Cameron Bairstow and Alex Kirk, leaving the Lobos thin and unproven on the baseline heading into this season. Don't be surprised to see Neal use skilled juco transfer Jordan Goodman at power forward with 7-1 Obig Aget and 6-10 J.J. N'Ganga holding down the pivot as a tag team.
• Looking for an under-the-radar mid-major heading into next season? Try Illinois State. Third-year coach Dan Muller is primed to make the Redbirds one of the top-three teams in the Missouri Valley Conference along with Wichita State and Northern Iowa thanks to three strong newcomers in Deontae Hawkins, MiKyle Mcintosh, and Devaughn Akoon-Purcell. Illinois State also returns its scorer from last season in 6-1 guard Daishon Knight, who averaged 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 13-14.
• South Florida's Anthony Collins received a medical hardship from the NCAA this week. The 6-1 point guard will have two full years of eligibility remaining after only playing eight games last season due to a knee injury. Collins averaged 6.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 1.9 steals during that span.
• The annual Brayden Carr Clinic is 9/19 at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey. Clinicians include Louisville's Rick Pitino, Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg, Notre Dame's Mike Brey, Villanova's Jay Wright, former NBA head coach George Karl, and South Carolina's Frank Martin. For more info go to http://braydercarrfoundation.com.
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