Three takeaways from the Diamondhead Classic
While much of the nation was unwrapping presents or gobbling up a holiday feast on Friday, Oklahoma was hard at work. The third-ranked Sooners improved to 11-0 by defeating Harvard in the championship game of the Diamondhead Classic.
Oklahoma was clearly the class of the tournament’s eight-team field, but there were some other significant developments during the tournament. Here are three key takeaways:
BUDDY HIELD MAY BE THE NATION’S MOST LETHAL SCORER
If Buddy Hield wasn’t already a leading contender for national player of the year, he certainly should be now after a brilliant week in Hawaii. The Oklahoma star averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in leading the Sooners to the Diamondhead Classic championship.
What makes Hield tough to guard is the variety of ways he can score. You can’t give him any space behind the arc because he is shooting a staggering 52.9 percent on 3-pointers so far this season despite averaging more than six attempts per game. You also can’t crowd him beyond the arc because he has improved dramatically at handling the ball, getting to the rim and finishing through contact.
That improvement was especially evident in Friday’s 83-71 title game victory over Harvard when Hield repeatedly attacked off the dribble late in the game. He finished with 34 points on 11-for-14 shooting from the field and 9-for-10 shooting from the foul line. The 6-foot-4 wing is now averaging the fifth-most points in the nation so far this season (24.9), a huge reason Oklahoma is one of the nation’s five remaining unbeaten teams.
NORTHERN IOWA IS IN JEOPARDY OF WASTING TWO HUGE WINS
Northern Iowa is the only team in the nation to defeat two top-five teams this season, yet the Panthers are far from a lock for an at-large NCAA tournament bid. In fact, the odds may be against them at this point after a disappointing week in Hawaii in which they fell to 8-5 after sandwiching losses to Hawaii and BYU around a narrow victory over Washington State.
With two elite wins against North Carolina and Iowa State and losses to five teams currently outside the KenPom top 50, Northern Iowa’s non-league resume is confounding to say the least. All the Panthers can do now is try to stack as many victories as possible in Missouri Valley play and root for North Carolina and Iowa State to keep winning and those upsets still look as significant by March.
What’s the biggest difference between last year’s Northern Iowa team and this year’s? The Panthers are neither as efficient offensively nor as stout defending the rim without Seth Tuttle. Northern Iowa never prioritizes offensive rebounding, so the Panthers have to be extremely efficient to make up for the lack of second-chance points. They were top 20 in 2-point and 3-point shooting last season. They’re a more modest top 50 this season without a consistent interior scorer to pair with their loaded backcourt. The absence of a big man who alters shots in the paint is also limiting the effectiveness of Northern Iowa’s defense.
TROUBLE IN PARADISE FOR NEW MEXICO, MOUNTAIN WEST
In the span of a mere six days, New Mexico managed to do irreparable damage to its season. A Lobos team that was off to a solid 7-2 start a week ago blew a double-digit lead against long-struggling Rice last Saturday and then dropped all three of its games at the Diamondhead Classic. The first loss against Auburn was by just five points. The latter two against BYU and Washington State were by 30 and 23, respectively.
Why was New Mexico the clear-cut worst team in the field? The Lobos could neither generate stops nor take care of the basketball. They committed 57 turnovers in three games and surrendered 37 3-pointers. Craig Neal benched his son Cullen for the entire second half of Friday’s Washington State loss after the younger Neal went scoreless in eight first-half minutes and turned the ball over five times.
New Mexico’s miserable week in Hawaii suggests the Lobos may still be a year away from contending in the Mountain West or returning to NCAA tournament contention. They finished with six non-conference losses and no notable non-league wins aside from perhaps a victory at the Pit over Northern Iowa. New Mexico’s struggles are indicative of where the Mountain West stands as a league entering conference play. With no team in the KenPom top 70, a one-bid league is a distinct possibility.
– – – – – – –
Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
