Eamonn Brennan, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Afternoon Links: Platoon by any other name

What we're reading while we regret nothing. Submit links via Twitter.

  • A Sea of Blue argues that Kentucky's platoon system won't die thanks to Alex Poythress' injury, even if the injury gives UK coach John Calipari an ostensible excuse to return to a more conventional rotation. On the one hand, Calipari isn't suddenly going to pick five starters and four reserves and divide their minutes hierarchically. Nine guys will play around 20 minutes per game, rather than 10. On the other hand, this argument is kind of moot. The whole notion of a platoon is based on two relatively equal sets of five players rotating en masse. If Calipari is mixing different lineups and substituting one or two players at a time, that's not a "platoon" -- it's just a really balanced, slightly unconventional rotation. At that point, clinging to the p-word is less about description than branding. Who cares what you call it?

  • A few weeks ago, I previewed one of Villanova's Big Five matchups with the caveat that while the Wildcats were obviously the better team, the Big Five rivalries had a way of bringing out weird results. Not so much: A year after sweeping its Big Five opponents by a combined 90 points, Jay Wright's team is 3-0 thus far, with a combined margin of victory (over La Salle, Saint Joe's and Temple) of 65 points. Philadelphia Daily News staff writer Mike Kern tallies up just how far ahead of the rest of the city Jay Wright's team really is: "They'll get Penn at the Palestra in mid-January. Their magic number is 26. Which begs the question, is the current separation between the programs really this wide? 'Things are [cyclical],' said Villanova coach Jay Wright. 'We've had older guys the last two years. Other teams are young. It makes a big difference in college basketball.' It's part truth, part diplomacy. …"

  • Burnt Orange Nation uses waterfall charts -- a pretty piece of information design bestowed with an even prettier name -- to hammer home just how good the Texas defense has been in 2014-15.

  • While you were fretting about Michigan State's year-over-year talent dropoff and/or enjoying the accordion stylings of Tom Izzo, the Spartans were quietly shooting the ball as well as any team in the country: "With nearly a third of the regular season in the books, this Michigan State team is pace to become the most prolific long-range squad in program history. The Spartans shot 58.8 percent from deep, on a 10-for-17 effort Sunday night. That raised their season average to 45.6 percent, the best in the country. Michigan State may not be able to compete with college basketball's best night-in and night-out. Its flaws, from a drop in athleticism compared to last year's team to struggles to get to the hoop, are apparent. But if shooting performances like Sunday are on the table, there could be some fun nights in March."

  • Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield is shooting just 36.4 percent to start the season, a significant drop-off from last year's 44.5 percent caused primarily by a 20-of-54 start from inside the 3-point line. (By contrast, Hield shot 51 percent from 2 last season.) What say Sooners coach Lon Kruger? He isn't the least bit worried.

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