Feast Week Heat Check: McNeese & George Mason are Hot
Week 4 college basketball Heat Check Report after Feast Week. McNeese, George Mason, Belmont, UC San Diego heating up while Wichita State, Montana cool down.
We’ve officially wrapped up one whole month of the college basketball season!
Feast week did not disappoint as we had a ton of thrilling MTE’s and a real look into the teams starting to separate themselves from the rest of the country. McNeese looked strong, Belmont and George Mason continue to roll, and so much more.
We have just one more month (in fact, we have a conference game today in the Southland) until teams start their conference schedule full-time, so every win over the next few weeks is even more important as teams look to try and position themselves to help their conferences achieve multi-bid status come March.
Let’s take a look at who’s hot, who’s not, and who’s on fire coming out of week four of the college basketball season in this week’s Heat Check Report!
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Heat Check
Heating Up
McNeese
11/24/25 KenPom: 89th
12/01/25 KenPom: 78th
The McNeese Cowboys haven’t missed a step underneath Bill Armstrong after taking over when Will Wade left for NC State. The Cowboys are 6-1 on the season while coming off any incredible Feast Week performance. While playing in the Cayman Islands Classic, they took down George Washing 92-86, Murray State 73-60, and Middle Tennessee 72-62 to go 3-0 in the MTE.
The Cowboys are now a top-80 KenPom team and they are doing it on both ends of the court. Here’s where their primary metrics sit:
83rd in offensive adjusted efficiency
77th in defensive adjusted efficiency
76th in opponent effective field goal percentage
27th in turnover percentage
3rd in opponent turnover percentage
10th in opponent 2pt percentage
49th in free throw percentage
3rd in steal percentage
6th in opponent steal percentage
4th in opponent blocking percentage
They are not a three-point shooting team, but they have a remarkable ability to control the ball and get to the free throw line. Interestingly, their 26.3% total point distribution is 24th in the country. They are 149-189 from the line thus far in the season. Ten players are averaging 17 minutes or more per game, and just two of those are shooting less than 70% from the line in which both are traditional 6’10 forwards.
Freshman Larry Johnson has been incredible through the first seven games of the season. The 6’4 guard is only shooting 23.1% from three-point, but he’s shooting 65.7% from the floor overall. He is averaging 18.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. The notable feature here is, he is only averaging 19.4 minutes. His 136.8 offensive rating is 101st in the country, and his 27.2% possession percentage is 175th. He’s doing an excellent job getting to the line as well with a 7.3 average of fouls drawn per game which is 50th overall and he’s converting at an 88.9% rate.
Looking at the week ahead, the Cowboys will take on Incarnate Word on the road and Northwestern State at home. As of the date this newsletter published, McNeese is projected to go undefeated in the Southland. It’s been a strong start to the season thus far and college basketball is better when McNeese is good.
George Mason
11/24/25 KenPom: 84th
12/01/25 KenPom: 61st
Just last season, the George Mason Patriots finished 27-9 overall and 15-3 in the Atlantic-10. Many didn’t pick the Patriots to repeat that performance this year. In fact, they were picked just sixth in the preseason poll for the conference. However, as of the end of November the Patriots are one of the few remaining undefeated teams sitting at 8-0.
This past week, they took down Ohio 92-69, FAU 74-65, and James Madison 82-66. They are waiting on that “statement” win, but that could be coming this week against Virginia Tech on Saturday. However, they’ve knocked off some quality teams in both FAU & James Madison, as well as Winthrop earlier this year.
Their strength of schedule is just 330th overall per KenPom, but they are doing exactly what they need to do which is firing on all cylinders. They are winning by an averaging margin of 17.9 points, while ranking in the top 100 in both offensive and defensive categories:
79th in offensive adjusted efficiency
46th in defensive adjusted efficiency
80st in effective field goal percentage
22nd in opponent effective field goal percentage
101st in offensive rebounding percentage
94th in opponent offensive rebounding percentage
38th in 3pt percentage
24th in opponent 3pt percentage
137th in 2pt percentage
58th in opponent 2pt percentage
Presbyterian transfer Kory Mincy has been everything that Tony Skinn could have asked for and more. Mincy is averaging 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 55.2% overall, 52.1% from three-point, and an insane 97.3% from the free throw line. His 145.2 offensive rating is the 31st best in the country. Mincy’s 67.7% effective field goal percentage is 53rd, the 73.2% true shooting percentage is 21st. You are not going to find many players that are having as good of a start to the season as Mincy has for George Mason.
Looking at the rest of the team, there are many key contributors. There are 11 players averaging at least ten minutes per game. Five players are averaging double-digit points. Four players are shooting 50% or better from three-point. Then on the defensive end, there are three players averaging one or more steals and two that are averaging one or more blocks. Brayden O’Connor who I projected to be a key contributor hasn’t even played since the opening Wofford game on November 3rd as he suffered a foot injury and will still be out for a while. If he does come back this season, he’ll provide even more additional firing power for this tough squad.
Looking at the week ahead, the Patriots take on Cornell on Tuesday at home. They’ll then take on Virginia Tech on the road in what could be a huge game for their resume. Per KenPom, the Patriots are projected to lose just three more games for the rest of the season.
Belmont
11/24/25 KenPom: 104th
12/01/25 KenPom: 75th
The Belmont Bruins are on FIRE so far this season. They are 8-0 coming off two solid wins against Toledo 87-72 and Charleston 96-73 this week.
The Bruins have always been known for their stout offense, but Casey Alexander has also made a lot of strides on the defensive end. They rank 58th in defensive adjusted efficiency, 17th in opponent effective field goal percentage, 27th in opponent three-point percentage, and 35th in opponent two-point percentage.
On the offensive end, they are shooting as well as ever. They are fourth in effective field goal percentage, 21st in three-point percentage, and 5th in two-point percentage. Both Tyler Lundblade, Sam Orme, and Brigham Rogers have been phenomenal for the Bruins thus far:
Tyler Lundblade
16.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists
125.7 offensive rating (367th)
61.9% effective field goal percentage (169th)
42.4% three-point percentage (289th)
Sam Orme
15.3 points, 7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.1 blocks
127.9 offensive rating (293rd)
66.9% effective field goal percentage (63rd)
71.1% two-point percentage (96th)
41.7% three-point percentage (319th)
Brigham Rogers
10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists
129.3 offensive rating (249th)
75.7% two-point percentage (44th)
6.6% blocking percentage (144th)
Against Charleston, they were firing at full force as they had expanded their lead to 61-34 within the first few minutes of the second half. This was the showing that I had been waiting to see from Belmont to solidify their status as a legitimate contender in the Missouri Valley.
Their non-conference schedule isn’t close to being good enough to achieve an at-large bid, but they have a few more solid opportunities for the Missouri Valley gets started. This week, they’ll take on Richmond at home on Wednesday and then Middle Tennessee just down the road from Nashville on Sunday.
UC San Diego
11/24/25 KenPom: 130th
12/01/25 KenPom: 102nd
Similarly to McNeese, UC San Diego hasn’t had any problems transitioning underneath Clint Allard after Eric Olen left for New Mexico. The Tritons are not 7-0 on the season after taking down Temple 91-76, Bradley 87-77, and Towson 87-73 this week.
The Tritons are becoming an offensive juggernaut:
66th in offensive adjusted efficiency
2nd in effective field goal percentage
5th in 3pt shooting percentage
14th in 2pt shooting percentage
The defensive metrics aren’t too shabby either:
162nd in defensive adjusted efficiency
105th in opponent effective field goal percentage
214th in opponent 3pt shooting percentage
54th in opponent 2pt shooting percentage
While the defense does have some work to do, their offense is impressive enough to overcome the gaps on the defensive end. They’ve yet to score less than 75 points in a game thus far, however, they’ve also only given up less than 73 points just once. The ball movement is magical to watch. They sit at 85th in the country in assists per made field goal.
Leo Beath has been phenomenal to start the season. He is averaging 19.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 58.4% overall and 53.3% from beyond the arc. His 67.3% effective field goal percentage is 60th in the nation. This man is so much fun to watch. After technically spending two season at FAU and playing in only five games, he’s starting to capture some time in the national spotlight. He won the MVP of the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational as he averaged 23.7 points, four rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.7 steals through three games. He’s still just a junior, but this is a name that if you haven’t already, you should be getting familiar with as soon as possible.
Tom Beattie is averaging 4.1 assists to just one turnover per game, while also contributing with 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and shooting 58.2% overall and 47.8% from three-point. Beattie’s consistency is exactly what you want in a playmaker. He has finished with less than 10 points once and either 13 or 15 points in four out of seven games. Across the MTE, he finished averaging 10.7 points, 5.3 assists (against just three total turnovers), and 5.3 rebounds through those three games. Looking at his metrics, his 138.9 offensive rating is 86th in the country and his 25% assist rate compared to just an 8% turnover rate are 243rd and 158th respectively.
This week, they’ll have a nice opportunity against Nevada on the road, then Long Beach State to round out the week.
Cooling Down
Wichita State
11/24/25 KenPom: 91
12/01/25 KenPom: 101
The Shockers were just listed as one of our teams that were heating up recently, however, it was a rough feast week for Wichita State. The Shockers went 0-3 in the Battle 4 Atlantis which produced some incredible games. They lost to Saint Mary’s 70-65, Colorado State 76-70, and Western Kentucky 75-70.
While only losing all three games to a top 50 team, a top 70 team, and a WKU team that put themselves on notice which is now knocking on the doorstep of top 100 status by just six points or less, it should be noted that the Shockers have some more work to do.
Their metrics are still solid as they sit at 104th in both offensive and defensive adjusted efficiency. However, they weren’t able to close out the games as strong as they wanted. WKU surged back over the final ten minutes, while Colorado State & Saint Mary’s fended off a comeback from the Shockers. The Shockers only shot 30% or better once against WKU and that was just 30.4%. They shot 20% against Colorado State and 28.6% against Saint Mary’s.
Kenyon Giles continues to be the go-to guy for the Shockers as he is averaging 18.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.4 steals. After that, it gets a little shaky in terms of who is going to step up on the offensive end. Karon Boyd played well throughout the MTE, and he is the teams second leading scorer at 11 points along with 6.9 rebounds. However, if Wichita State wants to right the ship, they are going to need more offensive output from others on the team. They sit at 155th in 3pt percentage and just 259th in 2pt percentage.
Montana
11/24/25 KenPom: 151
12/01/25 KenPom: 180
The Montana Grizzles were quietly 4-1 in their first give games with wins over UNLV and Cal Poly, but they are now in the middle of a three-game skid with close loses. They’ve lost to Texas A&M 86-81, Lamar 68-63, and Oakland 95-87.
The Grizzles have struggled to find consistency from game-to-game, however, their defensive woes have continued to be their Achilles heal. They rank just 234th in defensive adjusted efficiency, 187th in opponent three-point percentage, 214th in opponent two-point percentage, 205th in opponent effective field goal percentage, and just 340th in opponent turnover percentage.
While I love running smaller lineups in lieu of sacrificing some on the defensive end, the tallest player on the Grizzles’ roster is Trae Taylor at 6’9. Their leading blocker is Tejon Sawyer at just 0.5 blocks per game on average. Their players leading in steals are three different players at just 0.8 per game.
At the end of the day, Montana is going to win a lot of games this year in the Big Sky because they are offensively strong. Money Williams is once again dominating with 19.1 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds. They have three more players averaging at least 10 points per game. As a team, they rank 143rd in offensive adjusted efficiency, 57th in 3pt percentage, and 57th in effective field goal percentage.
However, their defense is going to haunt them at times if the shooting goes cold even for a few minute stretches during games. They’ll look to bounce back against North Dakota State and North Dakota this week.
Staying Hot
High Point
11/24/25 KenPom: 81
12/01/25 KenPom: 79
Who would have thought? The High Point Panthers are good once again. In the first season with Flynn Clayman at the helm, the Panthers have had no problem as they sit at 7-1 on the season. Their only loss came to UAB 91-74 earlier this year, but they are now in the midst of a four-game winning streak after taking down Western Carolina 93-73 this week.
The Panthers are sitting at 44th in adjusted offensive efficiency, 27th in effective field goal percentage, 100th in three-point percentage, 20th in 2pt percentage, 23rd in steal percentage, and so on. They are an offensive wagon led by Cam’Ron Fletcher who is averaging 19.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals while shooting 62.8% overall and 37.5% from three-point. They have four players averaging 11.5 points or better.
Don’t totally write them off on the defensive end either as they have seven players averaging one steal or more per game. They don’t have a ton of height, so they aren’t locking down the paint at an exponential rate, but they play strong on-ball defense. Their combined offensive and defensive capabilities are leading them to win by an average margin of 21.8 points against division one teams.
The Panthers look like they should run the Big South once again this season, and if they do, keep an eye on them to be a potential Bracket Buster come March. This week, they’ll look to stay hot against Southern Illinois o Wednesday and NJIT on Friday both at home.
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Ones to Watch
Illinois State
11/24/25 KenPom: 114
12/01/25 KenPom: 111
The Illinois State Redbirds are never going to want to leave Florida. After starting off just 2-2 with a loss to a one-win Ohio Bobcats team, a dominated loss to USC, and a narrow win over Long Beach State, it is officially time to start watching the Redbirds.
In the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational, Illinois state went 2-0 with wins over Charlotte 79-69 and Furman 72-65. They aren’t dominating one specific category, but they are doing both well as they rank 122nd in offensive adjusted efficiency and 106th in defensive adjusted efficiency.
Ty’Reek Coleman has been lights out for the Redbirds as he is averaging 14.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while averaging 57.9% overall and 43.5% from beyond the arc. His 126.3 offensive rating is 349th in the country, while his 61.3% effective field goal percentage is 183rd. Meanwhile, Ty Pence has been equally as impressive with a 135.7 offensive rating.
The Redbirds will take on Eastern Kentucky and Chicago State. As long as they win both games this week, we'll be bumping them up to a “Heating Up” status.
Around the College Basketball World
Here are some interesting headlines and articles I read this week around college basketball: