Big man spotlight on three guys named Justin NCAA.com
CHAMPS
PRESENTED BY These days, college basketball is dominated by guards. G Still, if you’re a college basketball fan yearning for the methodical footwork and constant contact that post-up basketball can provide, there are a few guys who still opt to mix it up the old-fashioned way. Here are some of the best: RELATED Justin Tuoyo, senior, 6-foot-10, 235 lbs, Chattanooga Mocs (10-4) 27.4 minutes, 13.6 pts, 7.4 reb, 0.9 ast, 3.8 blk, 63.3 FG percentage Tuoyo has been relaibly consistent in the New Year, a good sign for second-year head coach Matt McCall. I The Fayettville, GA native is tied with Baylor's junior forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. at 3.8 swats per game. Tuoyo has had 16 blocks in the team's last three games, including six and seven blocks in wins against Jacksonville State and Western Carolina. In Chattanooga's Southern Conference season-opening road win at Western Carolina, the big man poured in 15 points and snagged eight rebounds along with those season-high seven blocks as the Mocs held an opponent to under 50 points for the first time this year. A few days later in a five-point loss on the road against UNC-Greensboro, Tuoyo tallied his third double-double of the year (18 points, 11 rebounds), converting on eight of nine free-throw attempts. Look who is leading the NATION in blocked shots! averages nearly 4 per game & has 13 in last 2 contests — Chattanooga Mocs MBB (@GoMocsMBB) Thoughts when he has the rock: Like , he's good as at room temperature, but get him warmed up and watch out. Opa! Justin Patton, freshman, 7-foot, 230 lbs, Creighton Bluejays (13-1) 24.9 minutes, 13.1 pts, 6.4 reb, 1.1 ast, 1.6 blk; 74.3 FG percentage It may be hard to find a silver lining for Creighton fans, especially following their team's hiccup in a battle of unbeatens with No. 1 Villanova on Saturday, but check out Patton, who boasts one of the best shooting marks in the nation. He's a fine balance to Creighton's backcourt tandem of Marcus Foster (19.0 ppg) and Maurice Watson Jr. (12.9 ppg, 9.1 apg). RELATED Having the country's leading assist man in Watson Jr. is a nice plus for the baby-faced big man, but that shouldn't overshadow the talent that Patton brings to the table. Length and athleticism aside, Patton has a bevy of post moves, and he uses both hands on either block. Just ask Seton Hall or Villanova how they handled him. (They didn't). This team likes to run in the open court, too, and its young, athletic big man can catch and finish in traffic. Thoughts when he has the rock: A fine wine betters as it ages; fans just need to wait and see Patton mature. Justin Alston, senior, 6-foot-8, 230 lbs, Boston University Terriers (7-7) 23.2 minutes, 11.3 pts, 6.0 reb, 0.6 ast, 0.5 blk; 54.0 FG percentage This fifth-year senior is often flanked by less experienced teammates, which means Alston normally draws the assignment of sticking with the opponent's top big man. Lately, that's worked well for coach Joe Jones. First off, Alston put together 13 points and 15 rebounds while limiting Holy Cross' senior forward and leading scorer Malachi Alexander to just eight points in a 61-55 win on New Year's Eve. Holy Cross might not scare many, but they were the only NCAA Tournament team to come out of the Patriot League (winning the automatic bid as the conference tournament champ). Thoughts when he has the rock: A good bowl of chili looks simple enough, but beneath the surface big flavor is brewing. FCS Game of the Week No 9 Samford faces No 12 Chattanooga in a pivotal Week 11 SoCon battle
Week 11 features four ranked vs. ranked FCS top 25 matchups, but a battle between two SoCon opponents takes center stage when No. 9 Samford visits No. 11 Chattanooga in this week's FCS game of the week. 5 key games to watch heading into FCS football s final month
These are five games that will have a big say in conference titles and FCS playoff seeding and positioning headed to the 2022 postseason. WATCH David Jean-Baptiste' s buzzer-beater lifts Chattanooga to SOCON title
With Furman defenders draped all over him, Chattanooga's David Jean-Baptiste drilled a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the Mocs a 64-63 overtime win in the Southern Conference Tournament championship. DI Men' s Basketball News
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