It’s that time of year when Santa Claus makes dreams come true for children all over the world. What if he came to college basketball with presents? What would he take with him?
The wish list is long for players, coaches, teams and leagues surrounding the sport. With most programs no longer in conferences, the needs are more apparent now than they were before the season. If expectations are met or exceeded, a visit from college basketball Santa would be ideal for almost anyone.
While no such gift-bearing phenomenon exists, we’re getting into the holiday spirit for this week’s Dribble Handoff. These are the gifts we would give if we could play the role of college basketball’s Santa Claus.
For St. John’s: a point guard
Unless things change dramatically and culminate in a deep run through the 2026 NCAA Tournament, this season at St. John’s will forever be remembered as the one that started with Rick Pitino calling Ian Jackson the Red Storm’s “next big thing” but quickly evolved into something that had the Hall of Fame coach lamenting the idea that no one on his roster qualifies as a true high-major point guard.
It’s not ideal!
Can St. John’s still be good without a legitimate high major guard? Sure, I think. The Red Storm are still ranked 20th on BartTorvik.com and KenPom.com — and 26th in the Top 25 and 1. They’re not bad. They’re just not… great. And Unfortunately for anyone who could have had them No. 1 in preseasonit seems likely that they will always fall slightly short due to a combination of recruiting failures and miscalculations that have left one of the sport’s most talented rosters with a gaping hole. –Gary Parrish
For Mick Cronin: cozy clothes, sleeping pills and an airplane pillow
My colleagues are trying to hand out individual things to teams to increase their chances of winning over the next three months. But I look at the calendar and try to be more practical. There is an urgent issue just over the horizon that requires immediate attention.
A year ago, UCLA coach Mick Cronin was furious at the sight of the Statue of Liberty and the state of the Bruins’ travel schedule. He was so miffed about the team’s travel arrangements that he took care of two things last offseason: he would quietly sign a big new contractand he and his team did not leave the state of California for any of the non-conference games in November and December. But Big Ten play begins in earnest in less than two weeks, and I have some tough news for Cronin: It’s time to hit the road
January 3: @Iowa
January 6: @Wisconsin
January 10: vs. Maryland
January 14: @ Penn State
January 17: @Ohio State
The 10-3 Bruins have four of their first five games of 2026 not only on the road, but two or three time zones away. The focus of UCLA’s Big Ten travel is early, which is probably preferable, but Cronin’s ability to go viral with a postgame rant is all the more likely thanks to this brutal start to January. It is quite possible that the team will lose three of the first five games after the New Year. With that in mind, Cronin needs some Lululemon, travel slippers, sleep meds for the long flights, a fancy pillow to catch some Z’s, and a few podcasts to pass the time/reduce his anxiety. Evidently, Eye on College Basketball should be the go-tobut if he is looking for something outside of sports, SlimLess And Conan O’Brien needs a friend are just as fun as non-sports pods. –Matt Norlander
For Illinois: a playmaking defender
Illinois scores 127.5 points per 100 possessions, according to KenPom data. That’s a figure that ranks second nationally in adjusted efficiency margin, according to the website. That is elite. They differentiate teams by taking care of the ball, shooting it efficiently and crushing teams on the offensive glass. What isn’t elite for the Illini, and largely why they’re 9-3 instead of 12-0: their defense.
They surrender 98.1 points per 100 possessions – a number that ranks 27th nationally in adjusted efficiency. That’s fine and could easily take Illinois to 25 wins. But it doesn’t come close to the elite. (For comparison, Michigan ranks first, allowing just 88.2 points per 100 possessions.)
They rank last among major conference teams in defensive steal rate and forced turnover rate. (And, for what it’s worth, this is a theme under Brad Underwood that goes back several years.) They don’t generate enough chaos to create opportunities for transition — an area that, according to Synergy data, ranks Illinois in the 92nd percentile nationally.
Let’s give the Illini a defensive playmaker or two and see what happens. If this team even makes it to the Div. I’m average in steal rate or turnover rate, defensively they could potentially level up to a juggernaut with the way their offense is buzzing. That is not the case. And it may be the one area I would point to that ultimately keeps this team as a No. 3 or 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, as opposed to a No. 1 or 2 seed. It’s the areas on the margins that hold Illinois back and separate Illinois from a good defense to a truly great defense. –Kyle Boone
For Kentucky: Magic shoulder cream
If Kentucky could just have a healthy and available Lowe, that would alleviate many of its problems. With frontcourt players Mo Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance back in the rotation after recovering from their own injuries, a clean bill of health for Lowe is the final missing piece.
That’s why I buy the Wildcats a magical shoulder cream that solves all point guard shoulder problems. It is the second year in a row that Britain has struggled with this problem. Last year it was Lamont Butler, who dealt with shoulder problems that forced him to wear a bulky brace. This year, Lowe has played just six of 13 games in Great Britain, while also navigating a problematic shoulder situation himself.
Lowe is the Wildcats’ most impactful offensive player EvanMiya.com’s BPR benchmark, because he is the straw that stirs the drink. He’s the one and only point guard on this roster, and life without him makes for an ugly offense. –David Cobb
According to KenPom’s glorious databasethere are only two teams that have not won the opening tip against a fellow Division I club. Vermont and Mercyhurst. The basketball gods need to put this right. Vermont is particularly confusing. John Becker sent three different players to try and win the jump, but to no avail. Gus Yalden (0-1), Ben Michaels (0-2) and Noah Barnett (0-10) have all whiffed.
Oh, and the jump ball is a big deal. Models predict that winning the jump ball increases your chance of winning the game by 3%. Even with the silliness in the opening tip, Vermont is still expected to be the kings of the American East. Mercyhurst will most likely not win the NEC, but its early November win over Loyola-Chicago will be on the ledger forever. — Isaac Trotter
There weren’t many players in college basketball (in recent history) who came into the season with more hype than Peterson. The projected No. 1 overall pick in 2026 NBA draft is one of the best guards of this generation and is an elite scorer. Simply put, it was a shame that Peterson didn’t get to play more because I think people forget how good he is. Peterson has only played in four games this season. For Kansas to be the best version of himself, he will have to be healthy.
That’s why I’m giving Peterson a new bill of health this Christmas. College basketball fans deserve to see one of the best players in the sport play more often. Kansas coach Bill Self said this week that it is a mutual agreement between Kansas and the Peterson family hold it until it reaches full strength. –Cameron Salerno
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