Respect the Hustle Podcast brought to you by Will Whelan.
Another weekend of college basketball has passed us by, and analyst William Whelan discusses who disappointed in a flurry of upsets and the implications of Denzel Valentine being out for Michigan State.
Whose Hustle Deserves Respect?
Roosevelt Jones: Butler’s do-it-all wing turned in a big time performance against Purdue, scoring 19 points while collecting 11 rebounds and dishing out five assists. Is he the most under-appreciated wing in the country? Whelan thinks he just might be.
Amile Jefferson: Without Jefferson, the Blue Devils got punked defensively and on the boards against Utah, as the Utes pulled the upset at Madison Square Garden. Few players in the country get as little fanfare as Jefferson, who averages a double-double on the year, but mean more to their teams–Duke will be missing him for the indefinite stretch of his injury.
Jamal Murray: The freshman scored 33 points in Kentucky’s embarrassing loss to Ohio State on Saturday, cementing his place as UK’s only got-to scoring option. With the underwhelming production of Tyler Ulis and Skal Labbisiere, it’s time for Murray to take on even more of the scoring load if the Wildcats want to take care of business in the SEC.
Top Storyline
Player of the Year Denzel Valentine will miss 3-4 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Monday, head coach Tom Izzo announced.
How will the Spartans handle his absence? Eron Harris could be an option to start in Valentine’s place, though the West Virginia transfer has yet to live up to the lofty expectations that many put on him after the year sitting out. Matt McQuaid could help produce some offense as well.
With conference play just a week away, Whelan discusses who might give MSU their first loss.
Games of the Week:
MSU vs. Oakland
Xavier vs. Wake Forest
Iowa State vs. Cincinnati
Vanderbilt vs. Purdue
California vs. Virginia
Who is the best big man in the USA?
Jakob Poeltl, Rico Gathers, Josh Scott, or Brice Johnson? Whelan discusses the merits of his top four big men.
