Welcome to Glass Slipper! The Bears players that want Tyson Bagent to start should definitely Google his numbers; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

March Madness will arrive before we know it. We need to start making some observations. Here are my 10 biggest takeaways from the first week of the men’s college basketball season.

1. Same old Hunter.

Kansas was eliminated from the 2024 NCAA tournament on March 23, and just kicked off the fresh campaign on November 4. That means Hunter Dickinson had a 226-day window to fix his defense, and he evidently squandered it.

Dickinson was a deserving preseason first-team All-American, the production is elite, and he’s on the No. 1 squad in the country. Yet, you can’t win a national title with him as your main star. You just can’t.

If I was coaching against Kansas, I wouldn’t even put together a game plan. I’d just tell my point guard to call Dickinson into a pick-and-roll on every offensive possession, and watch my guys feast all night. I’ll get to 100 before the Jayhawks do.

Hey, Hunter. We know you can get your 18 points and 9 rebounds on anyone. You’re a 7-foot-2 college basketball player, who is now 23 years of age; that’s kind of expected. How about we dust off the trusty agility ladder, and run through some drills? I’m only trying to help.

2. VJ Edgecombe’s ceiling.

It doesn’t exist. If this kid learns how to shoot, everyone is in danger. Edgecombe is like if Jalen Green was locked in all the time. He’s one of the most freakish collegiate athletes I’ve seen in the last decade.

3. Head over heels.

I am in love with Gonzaga. If Mark Few gets bounced in the Sweet Sixteen with this roster, it is an out-and-out coaching catastrophe. Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, Khalif Battle, Michael Ajayi, and Graham Ike is clearly the best closing lineup in America to me. I didn’t even include Braden Huff in that group, who is currently leading the Bulldogs in scoring. This might be the year, Spokane.

4. UCLA’s one big problem.

These dudes just can’t shoot. Like, at all. The Bruins are 20 of 74 from the three-point line, and that’s not a fluke caused by the tiny sample size; all five of the team’s leaders in minutes per game shot under 36% from distance a season ago. It’s still a gifted bunch, so I can understand why Mick Cronin seems somewhat rejuvenated. Perhaps UCLA sneaks into the tournament as a lower seed, and gets hot for a few weeks. I can only dream.

5. Bobby Hurley, please go.

This man should not be employed. It’s Year 10 for Hurley at Arizona State, and he’s never won a first-round March Madness contest. Every employee on the planet envies that kind of job security.

Hurley managed to land two top-24 recruits, and has plenty of talent to work with. Don’t get your hopes up, though. Bobby will find his way to the NIT anyway.

6. Wake up the NBA scouts.

Why in the world is Koby Brea not in the league yet? He shot 50% from three at Dayton last season on over six attempts a night. That’s borderline impossible. By the way, Brea is 6-foot-7. At worst, he’s Duncan Robinson.

Koby is lighting it up at Kentucky now, and he helped close out that Duke battle with a Burrow-esque go-ball to Lamont Butler on an inbounds pass. My guy will rocket up draft boards soon enough.

7. Cooper Flagg’s meltdown.

I hold generational prospects to high standards, and I think that’s fair. Thus, we need to discuss Flagg’s final sequence on Tuesday night. He had scored the last seven points for the Blue Devils, and was set up for a signature moment with the game tied. Cooper then got ripped with 10 seconds to play, fumbled the following possession out of bounds, and neglected to box out when Kentucky missed a sealing free throw. It was bizarre, at best. Let’s see what he looks like when Duke is in crunch time next.

8. Dylan Harper is amazing.

22-5-3 on 55% shooting so far. 18 years old.

9. Michigan men.

The Wolverines are bad, but their collection of notable names is quite something. Former Ohio State guard Roddy Gayle Jr. is there now. So is Charlie May, the coach’s kid. Jace Howard - the son of the freshly-fired Juwan - remains on the roster. There’s also a true freshman named Phat Phat Brooks. Incredible.

10. Egor Demin has arrived.

Whoa. We heard whispers about Demin potentially being special, and they were true.

Here are his first three collegiate performances.

• Game 1: 18 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 7-13 FG, 4-7 3P

• Game 2: 20 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 8-11 FG, 2-5 3P

• Game 3: 14 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 6-9 FG, 2-4 3P

A 6-foot-9 pass-first point guard, who also happens to be a sniper? I need to see more, but that smells like a top-three pick to me.

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“Something That I Want” by Grace Potter. Never seen the movie, likely never will.