Evans Seven: New Year's resolutions for top coaches

Another year is almost history and the non-conference portion of the college basketball season is behind us. In this week’s Evans Seven, we peer into seven New Year’s resolutions that contending coaches should be setting forth as the calendar flips over on Monday.

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There isn’t a whole lot that this year’s Michigan State bunch doesn’t possess; they are, in a way, like Noah’s Ark: They have two of everything. Miles Bridges hasn’t been playing like the national player of the year that many thought that he would be, but it would be hard for almost anyone else not to be happy with averages of over 16 points, six rebounds and 93 percent shooting from the foul line. The Spartans’ Achilles' heel may be is at the point guard spot. Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn and Cassius Winston do not lack for the talent or the leadership, but they do come up short when it comes to ball security. With one of the top power conference programs in turnover percentage, Tom Izzo would love for the calendar change to bring a greater appreciation for the basketball. If not, the Spartans may not go as far as they should in March, though next fall they will enroll one of the surer hands from the 2018 class: Rivals150 guard Foster Loyer.

Bill Self’s resolution may have already come to fruition, as Silvio De Sousa, a former five-star big man in the 2018 class, has enrolled at Kansas and could potentially suit up for the Jayhawks in the coming days. There is no shortage of talent in the backcourt in Lawrence, and while there is no Frank Mason on this year’s squad, there is a bevy of shot-making guards and wings who can take over any game at any given time. However, whenever things settle into the half-court setting or Udoka Azubuike faces foul trouble, where do the Jayhawks turn? They are already playing LeGerald Vick, a 6-foot-4 wing, at the power forward position in spurts, and they boast little to no depth in the frontcourt. Guards and shooters have been the primary reasons for Kansas' success in March, but usually those teams have at least two bigs who can rebound and defend the basket. Self is hoping that DeSousa’s early enrollment and Azubuike’s continued progressions coalesce with their star-studded backcourt in the new year, bringing KU its fourteenth consecutive Big 12 title.

No one knows just how good or how average this Kentucky unit is. The Wildcats do not have many quality wins outside of beating Virginia Tech and mid-level programs Vermont and ETSU. If the program wasn’t named Kentucky, it might not be ranked at the moment. The Wildcats have lost two resume-boosting contests against Kansas and UCLA and will enter the new year among a pack of three or four vying for the SEC title. The Wildcats have gotten better mileage out of point guards Quade Green and Shai Alexander since the beginning of the season, but questions remain as to who is going to make shots consistently. The Wildcats are making a rather solid 34 percent of their perimeter tries, but could this be fool’s gold? As a team, UK made 11 of its 22 3-point attempts against Virginia Tech before making six of its 21 tries in its following contest against UCLA. Next year, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson and Immanuel Quickley should erase Kentucky's current need, but in the meantime John Calipari is hoping Kevin Knox can raise his percentages and Jemarl Baker can get healthy. That could equate to a much-needed perimeter threat in the coming weeks.

Trevon Duval hit the college ranks as arguably the best point guard from the 2017 class, thanks to his dynamic first step and explosiveness at the basket. He has shown these two facets of his game throughout his time at Duke, but the one thing that has always held him back is his shot-making abilities. In a lineup that often displays three 6-foot-8 or taller big men on the floor at the same time, being able to make shots has never been overly pertinent for Duval because of the clustered lane that he encounters. While going big may be in the best interests for the team as a whole, it does not highlight Duval’s strengths, thanks to his shaky 17-foot-and-out jumper. After making just five of his 33 perimeter attempts this year opponents aren’t even going out to guard Duval until he is within 17 feet of the basket. Coach K is hoping that the light turns on for Duval and that he becomes at least a threat to knock down an open jumper during the new year.

Clemson is off to its best start in the Brad Brownell era, as he has gone from the hot seat to potential ACC coach of the year. Thanks to a plethora of experience and talent atop of the roster, the Tigers' early success this year should continue for the remainder of the season. However, if Brownell really wants to make a splash and prove that this year’s bunch is not just a flash in a pan, the Tigers need to go out and secure the highest rated recruit in the Rivals era: Zion Williamson. Things have been quiet on the Williamson recruitment front, as Kentucky, Kansas, South Carolina, Duke and UNC remain involved, but the talk lately has surrounded the in-state Tigers. Oklahoma has become must-see TV this year, thanks to the talents of Trae Young, but if Williamson says yes to Brownell, Clemson might take the reins from Lon Kruger’s program as the most exciting team in America.

Jay Wright has been one to keep a tight rotation, and he did just that on the way to the 2016 national championship. Villanova has quite possibly been the most consistent basketball program over the past five years, and no one is disputing what the Wildcats are capable of achieving, but it has to be worrisome just how little depth they have outside of their top seven. After losing freshman guard Collin Gillespie for another few weeks thanks to injury, just one player outside of the team's five starters averages more than 13 minutes per game. The Big East is a little more top-heavy this year, but there is also a greater chance that someone can take the Wildcats down. Jay Wright must be hoping his unit can remain healthy and not see one of its six top contributors go down to an injury. Wright’s other freshmen, Jermaine Samuels, who is also nursing an injury that will keep him sidelined until mid-Fenbruary, and Damir Cosby-Roundtree, are beginning to round into form, but are they ready to step in and consistently produce during conference and postseason play? Wright is probably hoping that he doesn’t have to find out.

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USC, Oklahoma State, Louisville, Alabama and Miami have each been hit badly by the FBI investigation that hit the sport in September. And while all of those involved would love to erase everything that occurred from their memory, Sean Miller might be the one head coach who most wants to receive full clearance. After losing his ace recruiter in Book Richardson, the Wildcats were stung greatly by the FBI sting that resulted in five-star guard Jahvon Quinerly backing off of initial pledge. Arizona also lost total traction in the recruitment of five-star seniors Bol Bol, R.J. Barrett and Nassir Little. It wouldn’t have been a surprise to see Arizona land at least two of those heavily coveted prospects this fall, but the Wildcats were only able to sign top-50 prospects Brandon Williams and Shareef O’Neal to financial aid papers. Sean Miller and his staff have done a commendable job of turning around their season on the court, but when the calendar flips the Arizona head coach is hoping that he can fully put the FBI investigation behind him, jump back on the recruiting trail and secure another nationally ranked group.