Welcome to Glass Slipper! Jimmy Butler will be on a different team in 26 hours; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

Here are my 10 biggest takeaways through 13 weeks of the men’s college basketball season.

1. Any means necessary.

It’s been far too long since Ohio State men’s basketball has felt relevant. The current squad is a bubble team at best.

Jake Diebler’s lone objective? Prevent Bruce Thornton from transferring. If the kid enters the draft, we’ll clap for him. If he stays in the Columbus, we’ll rejoice. You cannot let him go to a different program, though.

Compliment his outfit. Throw him a party for his half-birthday. Do anything. Get it done, Jake.

2. I still like Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs are not ranked. They gave up 103 points at home to nine-loss Santa Clara. I do not care. My belief in this group is too strong. Mark Few will be headed to his tenth consecutive Sweet 16 soon enough.

3. John Calipari’s revenge.

What a hilarious evening. A boisterous Kentucky crowd boos its old coach, and hurls mean-spirited chants at the three guys who followed him to Arkansas. That trio then combines for 52 points to upset the Wildcats, and Calipari delivers a vintage quirk-fest of a postgame presser.

Reed Sheppard showing up in an Arkansas shirt and Kentucky shorts was absolutely bizarre, by the way. If you wanted to be neutral, you could’ve just worn normal clothes.

4. A Durham massacre.

Sheesh. Duke put together a 38-11 run against North Carolina on Saturday, and it was somewhat reflective of the state of these two programs in general. The Tar Heels are stuck in quicksand with this we’re-good-every-other-season thing, while Jon Scheyer is about to lock down both a No. 1 seed and a fourth straight top-two recruiting class.

I’m not one of those people calling for Hubert Davis’s job, but he better figure something out. If a prized high school prospect has offers from both of these universities sitting on the kitchen table, that decision is starting to feel obvious.

5. Please relax.

It’s pretty rare to see a fan base treat its best player like garbage. Philadelphia folks grumble about Joel Embiid; deep down, they’d all run through a wall to see him smile.

Chaz Lanier has struggled since the start of conference play, and Tennessee fans totally turned on him. Search his name on Twitter, and you’ll find Vols supporters attacking his character and flinging expletives his way. It’s gross behavior from grown adults.

Lanier had zero stars back in 2020, and spent his freshman year buried on the depth chart at North Florida. After a massive leap, he transferred back to his home state so his family could watch him compete in person.

He’s delivered a first-team All-SEC campaign, and showed people nothing but respect. This is what he gets in return?

Tennessee hosts No. 15 Missouri tonight. If Chaz missed a few shots early, just pay attention to how toxic the social media discourse gets. The poor kid deserves so much better.

6. Eric Dixon’s pro comparison.

I’m not sure there is one. Dixon is running away with the nation’s scoring title, as a 265-pound wing who has actually spent much of his time at Villanova serving as a small-ball five. He launches over seven threes per game, and is ridiculously efficient. Has there ever been a someone like that? Maybe that random 2020-21 season where Julius Randle shot 41% from distance? That’s the best I’ve got.

7. A silent shift.

Is Alabama morphing into a basketball school before our eyes? I legitimately think it’s a fair question. It already happened to Auburn, after all.

Kalen DeBoer’s crew just finished 9-4, missed the playoff, and is headed for another year of uncertainty. Meanwhile, Nate Oats has a great chance to cut down the nets for a second straight season. You tell me which side is in a better spot.

8. Stevie Mitchell, a dream.

I always tell people that Ashton Hagans is the best collegiate guard I’ve ever witnessed at the defensive end. We have a new contender, folks.

Ryan Kalkbrenner has won back-to-back-to-back Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards. If he gets it a fourth time, it’s bulletproof evidence that the voters just don’t watch basketball. Turn on a Marquette game for 15 minutes, and tell me that thing doesn’t belong in the hands of my precious Stevie.

9. Next in line.

I told you guys that if VJ Edgecombe develops a jumper, there exists no ceiling. He… kind of has one now.

The quartet of Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, and Edgecombe is emerging as the clear-cut Tier 1 of the 2025 draft class. I think all four of those dudes make an All-Star team at some point.

10. My updated National Player of the Year ladder.

1) Cooper Flagg, Duke

2) Johni Broome, Auburn

3) Braden Smith, Purdue

4) PJ Haggerty, Memphis

5) Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue

6) Kam Jones, Marquette

7) Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois

8) Will Clayton, Florida

9) John Tonje, Wisconsin

10) Curtis Jones, Iowa State

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