NCAA Basketball: Under-evaluated headlines of the week (Big 12 preseason awards)

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Mar 23, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Melo Trimble signs autographs during practice the day before the semifinals of the South regional of the NCAA Tournament at KFC YUM!. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Which headlines/storylines have been overlooked in NCAA basketball this week?

It’s now the beginning of October. Recruits are taking visits, teams are well into fall practice, coaches are approaching crunch time and fans are increasingly gaining excitement as the regular season is just over a month away.

Just think, very soon we will be evaluating teams on the court and players will begin to either stand out or become bust material.

We cover all the major headlines and preview the world of college basketball here at Busting Brackets, but every week there will be under-evaluated storylines that need some extra attention.

Sure, they may not be breaking news stories, similar to a monster commitment or a surprising transfer, but they are important in terms of tracking your favorite recruit, team, player or even coach.

In the lead up to the start of the college basketball regular season in mid-November, Busting Brackets will have those under-evaluated headlines covered at the end of every week.

This week we continue with four stories, including a recruit who chose Memphis, a transfer who will be eligible in December for Utah, a dual point guard attack will be taking over Maryland and the Big 12 released their preseason awards.

Mar 9, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Tubby Smith reacts from the sidelines against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half during the Big 12 Conference tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

4. Victor Enoh chooses Memphis

The Memphis Tigers haven’t played a single basketball game yet under new head coach Tubby Smith, but the new man on campus is already having an impact off the floor.

Three-star 2017 power forward/center Victor Enoh committed to the Tigers over Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Oregon State and Vanderbilt on Friday.

The 6’9″, 195 pound big man from Decatur, GA is not ranked in ESPN’s top 100, however, he is the 17th best player in the state of Georgia and is labeled as the 43rd best power forward in the class of 2017.

This commitment just continues to verify how good of a recruiter and coach in general Smith is. His consistency and success at numerous different schools tends to attract high school players that want to not only win but have individual accolades. Smith is terrific at elevating the talent and skill on his roster by putting players in the proper position to win games.

Enoh is the third recruit that has committed to Memphis for the class of 2017. He joins three-star shooting guard Jamal Johnson and three-star small forward David Nickelberry in the class.

With Dedric Lawson potentially dashing for the NBA after this season, the Tigers need reinforcements up front. Obviously Enoh won’t be nearly as good as Lawson is, but the Tigers do need to build depth at both the power forward and center position moving forward.

Expect Smith to try to reel in another recruit, JUCO talent or even transfer that can help the Tigers in the paint in 2017-18.

Nov 29, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Brown Bears guard Justin Massey (2) and Southern Methodist Mustangs guard Sedrick Barefield (2) yell at the loose ball during the second half at Moody Coliseum. Southern Methodist won 77-69. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

3. Sedrick Barefield eligible in December for Utah

Sedrick Barefield played in just five games for the SMU Mustangs in 2015-16. The 6’2″, 190 pound guard didn’t score a single point as he played just 3.2 minutes a game and 16 total minutes.

Barefield opted to transfer mid-season, committing to Larry Krystkowiak and the Utah Utes.

Krystkowiak told Today’s U that Barefield will be eligible for the Utes following the fall semester, which means he will be available for conference play starting in December.

The point guard from Corona, CA chose the Mustangs over a plethora of other offers out of high school, including UConn, Creighton, Kansas State, Memphis and UNLV, among others. Barefield averaged 20.6 points and dished out 4.2 assists per game in his final year of high school at Corona Centennial High.

He was labeled as a three-star prospect coming into his freshman season and was ranked as the 35th best point guard in the class of 2015.

With Brandon Taylor out of the fold and Lorenzo Bonam expected to handle the majority of the point guard duties, the Utes could certainly use another ball handler.

That’s where Barefield comes into play. He is a “chiseled” guard who rarely turns the ball over and stays calm in difficult moments. He likes to break down the defense and get into the lane, using his crossover, savviness and confidence.

Barefield has the potential to be a good catch-and-shoot player and moves well without the ball. He is much more comfortable with the ball in his hands at this point in his career though, because he can overpower opposing guards with his strength and toughness.

The Utes have a lot of unknowns in their backcourt (Tim Coleman, Devon Daniels and JoJo Zamora). We can add Barefield into the mix as well.

March 20, 2016; Spokane , WA, USA; Hawaii Rainbow Warriors guard Quincy Smith (11) plays for the ball against Maryland Terrapins guard Melo Trimble (2) during the second half in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

2. Dual point guard attack in College Park?

The Maryland Terrapins have lost four starters off last year’s NCAA Tournament team. Many view the Terps as a rebuilding club heading into 2016-17, however, Mark Turgeon and company have other ideas.

Jon Rothstein was in College Park earlier this week and has been raving about the team’s chemistry in the early going. The program had loads of talent in 2015-16, but their flow and trust wasn’t even comparable to the 2014-15 squad that overachieved with Melo Trimble as the leader of the pack.

But why does Maryland feel so confident about their team in the Big Ten?

Their dual point guard attack.

Trimble is back for his junior campaign after testing the NBA waters. The 6’3″ talent averaged 14.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game last year and is expected to take reins of the 2016-17 Terps.

But Trimble will need to get back to his old freshman ways first.

In his first year, the point guard was attacking downhill on a consistent basis, was getting to the free throw successfully, was much more efficient and was practically unstoppable in pick-and-roll situations.

Trimble’s shooting dipped (both from the field overall and from beyond the arc) last year. He also took less free throws, downgraded his scoring average and turned the ball over more times per game.

With Trimble in command, expect him to become one of the best lead guards in the country once again.

The second half of the dual attack is freshman Anthony Cowan. The 5’11” four-star recruit is ranked 62nd in ESPN’s top 100 and is the 2nd best recruit in the state of Maryland for the class of 2016.

Obviously Cowan doesn’t have great size, but he’s uber quick, does not hesitate off the dribble, can penetrate in the half-court, is capable of making plays in transition and is a good passer with solid vision.

While it’s going to take time for him to gain a feel for the college game, Cowan can take some pressure off Trimble, giving the junior more space to operate.

Mar 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Monte Morris at a press conference during practice the day before the semifinals of the Midwest regional of the NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

1. Big 12 reveal their preseason awards

The Big 12 unveiled their preseason awards and Iowa State point guard Monte Morris has been picked to be the conference’s Player of the Year. Morris, who averaged 13.8 points, 6.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game last season, will take on a more scoring focused mindset in 2016-17 without Georges Niang in the fold.

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Morris has increased his scoring, rebounding and assist totals in all three of his seasons in Ames. Iowa State will look for Morris to take reins of the offense, lead them in transition and make effective, efficient decisions in pick-and-rolls.

Frank Mason III, Devonte’ Graham, Josh Jackson and Jawun Evans could also claim the Big 12 Player of the Year award at the end of the season.

Looking beyond POY, the Preseason First Team All-Conference consisted of Baylor forward Johnathan Motley, Morris, Kansas guards Graham and Mason, and Oklahoma State guard Evans.

Jackson was named an honorable mention and Preseason Freshman of the Year, but it would be surprising if he didn’t make the First Team, especially if Kansas dominates the league like they are expected to.

Finally, the Preseason Newcomer of the Year went to Baylor point guard Manu Lecomte. The junior transfer from Miami (FL) is a sharp shooter from outside who can also guide the offense. Lester Medford is gone following his graduation in May, so Lecomte has the keys to the car in Waco.

Lecomte averaged 7.9 points, 1.8 assists and 1.4 rebounds in his last season with the ‘Canes. However, he shot 43 percent from the field overall and 46 percent from long range. The Bears will welcome that efficiency in 2016-17.

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