Riley Saxon
By Riley Saxon
4 College Basketball Records We’ll See Broken This Season
The Thought Exercises continue in August.
This week, College Hoops Breakdown looks at four records that we’ll see broken this season, in order of most likely to least likely.
- David Lighty’s 157 Career Games Played
The Record Breaker: Jordan Bohannon, Iowa
Thanks to the NCAA’s rule granting an extra year of eligibility, Jordan Bohannon has a chance to surpass the mark many thought would never be broken. Bohannon sits at 143 career games played, so, barring an injury, he will surpass Lighty’s record around the midway point of the season.
- Stanford’s 35.2 field-goal percentage allowed
The Record Breaker: Memphis Tigers
The 2000 Stanford team shut down opponents and their record has stood for over 20 years. Yet, even in this era of better shooting, several teams have been within striking distance of the record. Virginia recently had a streak of 4 years holding opponents to under 40% (it was broken last year), and Memphis in Penny Hardaway’s first year held opponents to 36.1% shooting (although it rose to 38.9% last season). This year, with a top ranked recruiting class and Hardaway’s culture firmly in place, Memphis has a real shot to break the record.
- David Robinson’s 31 Double-doubles in a season
The Record Breaker: Fardaws Aimaq, Utah Valley & Kofi Cockburn, Illinois
Much like the Michael Beasley (28, a record for a Freshman) and Kevin Love (24) double double race in 2007-2008, College Hoops Breakdown envisions a close race between Cockburn and Aimaq. Cockburn had 16 double doubles in 31 games last year, averaging 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds. Aimaq averaged a double double last year (13.9 pts and 15 reb), while securing 14 double doubles in only 22 games. He was also either one point or one rebound away from a double double in three other games. While Aimaq’s competition in the WAC is significantly worse than Cockburn’s, Illinois should dance farther than Utah Valley, giving Cockburn more opportunities to surpass Robinson’s 1986 mark.
- The First Quintuple Double in College Basketball History
The Record Breaker: Paolo Banchero, Duke
In 2007, as a senior at UT Martin, Lester Hudson achieved the only quadruple double in college hoops history with a 25 point, 12 rebound, 10 assist, and 10 steal effort against Central Baptist College.
Banchero will be the central focus for Duke, and with his size and athleticism, double digit points, assists, rebounds, blocks, and steals is not entirely out of the question. Coach K likely won’t celebrate with a championship in his last year, but putting Duke in the record books with something never before seen in the sport is still something for him to hang his cap on.
Bruin Bias
In the continuing spirit of thought exercises and record breaking, here are a pair of records that could be within reach for two Bruins:
Assists in One Game
Record: 24; Cameron Parker, Sacred Heart vs. Pine Manor (Dec 1, 2019)
The Record Breaker: Tyger Campbell
Campbell’s most assists in a game is 14, against Arizona State in 2020 (on only 27 made shots). With the firepower UCLA boasts plus the lack of true PG depth, Campbell has the ingredients to take a run at the record.
Blocks in One Game
Record: 16; Mickell Gladness, Alabama A&M vs. Texas Southern (Feb. 24, 2007)
The Record Breaker: Myles Johnson
Johnson’s highest block total came in 2021 against Indiana (7), and with split time with Cody Riley and steady backups in Mac Etienne and Kenneth Nwuba, the chances might be slim. The early non-conference schedule, however, with mid major competition and Cronin’s willingness to get Johnson acclimated as quickly as possible, represents the best chance for Johnson to catch the record.
College Hoops Breakdown appears twice a month through the summer at JoeTorosian.com
Riley Saxon can be reached at:
Email: rileymsaxon@gmail.com
Twitter: @CHoopsBreakdown …
