The annual McDonald's High School All-American game took place last night, and the future stars of Duke, Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina and others took the United Center to show off their talents. There was a competitive game played, but as is with all star games its about the individuals, and in this high school game it is about what these guys show off for their future teams. There were the big names that you could only watch a 10 minutes special on, and then the top recruits that do not get quite as much fan fare. They were all there and all performed, who was the most impressive though.
Brad Beal, G, Florida: He was the most impressive to me last night, the way he played and moved looked great. He was very smooth on the court, and his shot was entertaining to watch. Scored the first points of the game effortlessly from outside and inside the arc. I had only heard a little of him before last night, but afterward I left thinking that Florida may lose their front court players to graduation, but their guards are going to be among the top in the nation next year.
Austin Rivers, G, Duke: The son of Doc Rivers is the top player in the class among many recruiting databases, and last night he was able to show why. Like Beal he looked real smooth in the way that he moved, especially on the offensive end. His shot looked great, and NBA range threes did not seem to pose a problem to him at all, but the most impressive play was when he attacked the rim and went across the lane in between defenders to lay in a reverse of the glass. Showed he is not just a shooter but a scorer, a real player. James McAdoo, F, North Carolina: The North Carolina front line is maybe the best set in the nation already, and now they are adding another athlete that can go inside and out. The most impressive part of McAdoo's game was not his great athleticness, but his ability to shoot from the outside. The versatility he brings with his game will give Roy Williams the opportunity to be versatile with his lineups, that if Harrison Barnes comes back could be the best in the nation. Anthony Davis, F, Kentucky: Anthony Davis not only grew a lot since he was a point guard in this class, he is a freak of an athlete, and there does not seem to be a lot he can not do. He can jump out of the gym and will be able to get John Calipari a lot of rebounds, he was the best athlete on the court last night.
Michael Gilchrist, F, Kentucky: He is a beast on the boards, and can score from anywhere on the court. He was among the most impressive last night because of how he showed there are a number of things he could do on the court. When you think of a front court that could consist of Terrence Jones, Davis, and Gilchrist you think Calipari should be all set come the start of the 2011-12 season. Shannon Scott, G, Ohio St.: Now Ohio St. already has Aaron Craft to man the point guard role next year, but Scott is going to be on that court and playing either way. Maybe it was because he was playing defense in an all star game, but Scott was really impressive with what he was able to do last night. He was the quickest guy on the floor, and the way he read passing lanes and was able to get into people was really great. Cody Zeller, F, Indiana: Zellers has always had something to deal with, first it was being the youngest of a basketball family powerhouse, now it is going to be the savior to Indiana basketball and Tom Crean's job maybe. Well last night he showed the arsenal that would be able to help him live up to all that. He was able to do his work on the inside, but like his brothers he showed the touch from outside, hit a nice little baseline fade away. He is definitely going to be big man on campus from day one.
Kyle Wiltjer, F, Kentucky: What gets you right away is his shot, and he showed that last night, as well as in winning the event's three point shooting contest. He will bring great diversity to Kentucky, if he can get on the court with all their talent, because he has a really pure stroke that he showed off last night. What might have been even better though, was when he went in for a little hook shot on the block. That is what he will need to succeed to the fullest, and it was impressive to see him do it against the best competition he has faced yet.
Myck Kabongo, G, Texas: The Canadian guard is following in the footsteps of Cory Joseph. He was able to distribute the ball last night and find the open man a lot of the time. The most impressive part of last night was his quickness, he was so quick out there in a game of players with superior quickness. In losing Balbay in Texas he will be able to step right in and run that two guard set with either Jospeh, or J'Covan Brown. Quinn Cook, G, Duke: Cook was going in as the second best point guard heading to Duke last night, but what was impressive was his court presence. He seemed to know when to push it, when to pull it back, when to take his own shot. The other thing was his speed and quickness, he has such a good frame that the speed and quickness he showed was a little unexpected and a pleasant surprise, and quite impressive. P.J. Hairston, G/F, North Carolina: Hairston was rather impressive last night, he showed great range, hitting a number of NBA range threes, and really showing a smooth form. The thing about last night though, and it was an all star game so this may be skewed, was his selfishness and looking for his own shot. Now a lot of guys were looking for their own shot, but in looking for his own shot it just seemed a little more selfish than the others, less willing to move the ball to get his own shot. Just something from last night that will be interesting to see in the future under Williams. Michael Carter-Williams, G, Syracuse: The guard from Syracuse was one of the more impressive players when it comes to effort, he was really getting after it and showed the ability to really get into his guys defensively. He really impressed when he decided to take a charge in an all star game, and his motor. He also showed great quickness and the ability to get into the lane and make plays.
Rakeem Christmas, F, Syracuse: The forward was really impressive in how he moved, at his size he was able to really run the court, get up and down at a good rate that will really help in the fastbreak game Syracuse likes to play. He also shot a little mid range jumper that looked smooth and was without hesitation which was nice. Unfortunately, he seemed to be disinterested at times and almost not into the game, which was troubling. He is going to need to show more initiative and hustle in the future.
Marshall Plumlee, F, Duke: One thing he has going for him is his athleticness, he can definitely move around the court and for his size that is a great attribute. On the other hand while watching him last night all that came to mind was the other two brothers. You heard about their size, they are athletes, but then they only show flashes of really contributing for Coach K. I saw some potential there, but in reality it just seemed like you were watching the two other brothers in a different body.
To say a team that just now has 15 wins at the end of March had the biggest win franchise history might be hyperbole, but it is what is behind the win. The way James left, the things he has said, the beat down given to the Cavaliers and their fans on December 2, all of that bundled up into one win on Tuesday night was something that might have given those fans as much satisfaction as any previous win. Perhaps that is the better way to categorize this, the most satisfying win the fans of the Cavaliers have ever had, rather than most meaningful win for the franchise. How does it compare though?
Perhaps you look at the game seven win in the series known as the "Miracle at Richfield" as the most satisfying win in Cav's basketball history. It was their sixth season in the league and that game seven victory was their first playoff series win, mostly because it was their first season to be above .500 and in the playoffs. That game might have just put the Cavaliers on the map, but it is not one of the wins you hear about when people speak of the franchise.
Then you skip ahead to the late 1980's after a long time of heart ache for Cleveland fans, and you have maybe their best stretch as a team, going on great runs and establishing themselves as contenders in the Eastern Conference. Their most memorable win came in game four of the first round best-of-five series in 1989 when they were able to beat Chicago in Chicago and force a game five back in Cleveland. The win over Michael Jordan and the Bulls was huge for the Cavs and their fans, invigorating the city. This game probably does not measure up though simply because of what happened next. That was the series that "The Shot" took place, when Jordan got the ball and seemed to hover in mid-air as Craig Ehlo flew by and he hit the series winning 15 foot jumper. The heartbreak of that game and series tends to take away from the game four satisfaction.
The next game that would be incredibly satisfying to Cavalier fans would be game one of the career of one LeBron James. He was the hometown boy, the high school phenom who was a man among boys, the consensus number one pick overall, and the savior. He did not disappoint either that night in Sacramento as he had 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and four steals while shooting 60% from the floor. An amazing debut as an 18 year old right out of high school, and a game that Cavalier fans had to love and get an extreme feeling of satisfaction, knowing they were heading in the right direction.
The next great, satisfying game that Cavs fans will remember came in the playoffs in 2006, in LeBron's first playoff game he joined Magic Johnson and Johnny McCarthy as the only players to have a triple-double in their first playoff game. He recorded 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. The pride that they felt as one of their own was able to join such an elite club in a playoff series they would eventually win for the first time in years.
After that came the game that many would assume to be the most satisfying game Cavs fans could have had, and maybe could ever have, when LeBron simply went off. With the series tied at two games apiece with the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland found themselves on the road and looking to LeBron. He responded. He scored 29 of the teams last 30 points, the last 25 points in the game, as well as the game winning shot with two second left for the double overtime victory. Not to mention the nine rebounds and seven assists in a game that would eventually propel them to the franchise's one and only NBA Finals appearance. That is a hard game to top.
Then comes Tuesday night's game though. This game has so many factors to it that make it satisfying and special to the fans of the Cavaliers. LeBron had left them, and not only left them but did so in a fashion that both hurt and disgusted those fans. They felt disrespected, and it was a level of disrespect that rose exponentially from the fact that it was by one of their own, the man that they had called their King. The way he treated them that night, and in the months since "The Decision." Then tonight, when they thought maybe all they would get was a chance to boo this man, and show their discontent, something they can do on only two nights out of 365, he is hiding in the locker room, taking away one of the few things they still had over him. Why he would do that boggles minds, and is just fuel to the fire. Not really sure what he thought would come of that, even if it was something as simple as using the restroom, think of how that will come across.
So what is the most satisfying win, the game seven that won their first playoff series? They have won many series since, and people just do not seem to even remember it. The game four victory in Chicago, a monumental win at the time for the franchise? "The Shot" kind of knocked that one down quite a bit, it is hard to celebrate a win that then led to one of the city's most heartbreaking moments, let alone the Cavaliers. How about LeBron in his first game? The triple-double in hist first playoff game? Maybe the Jordan-like performance to defeat the Pistons en route to their first NBA Finals? "The Decision" seemed to wipe away all of those sentiments did it not? The hate they have for him now, the disrespect that was shown has tainted all of those moments right? This win, with the worst team in the league, when he skipped introductions, by double-digits, just might be the most satisfying and long lasting win these fans have had, and will have.
It comes down to your criteria, most satisfying that night? That week? That month? Forever? However you deem the time frame that is going to determine the "winner" of this poll as to the most satisfying win in Cavaliers history. Other than maybe that performance to beat the Pistons, this game might be the run away winner. Just ask Cavalier fans.
It is now that time of year for the national player of the year, freshman of the year, coach of the year awards to being getting announced. Well yesterday the Associated Press came out with their annual All-American First Team, and the question is simple, did they get it right?
Well there were a few no brainers for the list, and luckily they got those right, then it seemed to get interesting when the big men came into play:
G Jimmer Freddette BYU (64 of 65 votes) G Nolan Smith Duke (61 of 65 votes) G Kemba Walker Connecticut (51 of 65 votes) F Jared Sullinger Ohio State (58 of 65 votes) C JaJuan Johnson Purdue (44 of 65 votes)
I have a couple of problems with the list and voting that took place. First of all, it seems interesting to me that Jimmer got one vote less than a unanimous selection, which almost feels as if there were a sort of personal aspect to that voting. What did all but one of the voters see that this last one could not, that just feels weird and it makes the reader of the list a little uneasy.
The second problem with this list deals with votes again, Kemba Walker and his lack of them. Not only did Kemba Walker's play deserve first team, it should have been in the 60 plus vote range, and he should not have found himself behind a freshman big man, that he had a better year than in the toughest conference in America. There is no way 14 voters could tell me that he did not deserve to be on that list, maybe three or four could make arguments, but a total of what equates out to over 21% of the voters believed him not to be first team worthy is atrocious. No matter when the voting took place.
Then the issue of the players left off the list comes into play, and that has to do with the big men. In the terms of how good Ohio State was all year the team aspect was overlooked for a good part of the season. Sullinger is a great talent, a nice kid, and definitely deserving of being in the top seven players being voted onto this list, but that is just it, top seven, not top five. He had a great year, but the idea was that this big man (which the college basketball experts drool over in their game) came in and put this school on his back. They had the all time Big 10 three point record holder on their team shooting 50% for the year. They had two forward/guard seniors that were able to do anything on the court that you could ask of them. Lastly, he was playing in a Big 10 that did not have the upper echelon big men that people have become used to seeing. That is where the selection of Johnson comes into play as well, because despite his great year, he was not going up against the best big men in the country night in and night out, and there were players elsewhere that deserved to be on that list, and receiving votes ahead of them.
Derrick Williams has now become a name that everyone knows, and if the draft were today he would have a great shot at being taken number one. He is a freak athletically, and he was able to at times put his team on his back just like Sullinger and Johnson were able to. Just look at his statistical output, to go along with his freak attributes and NBA ready body (which I am aware not part of the All-American criteria). He averaged 19.5 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game, 1.1 assists as a big man, a steal per game, shot 59.5% from the field, and that included over 56% from outside the three point line. Those stats are ridiculous and those do not even include the intangibles he brought to his team, and game winning plays he made, including a huge block to win a game that he duplicated later on in the NCAA Tournament. Derrick Williams should have been getting at least the fourth most votes to be an All-American.
The second player that should have been on this team might have been overshadowed a little bit simply because you might not always know it is him doing the things that he is doing. Marcus Morris was a stud in the Big 12 and was deserving of being on the first team. the man averaged over 17 points a game and nearly brought down eight rebounds while dropping almost two dimes a game. He was playing a mixture of the small and power forward spots and doing that damage. His versatility to play four, maybe all five positions if Bill Self asked him to, his intangibles, and ability to know when his team needed him to step up were outstanding. In a list of the guys that should have been recognized as first team All-Americans I believe that Morris should have found his way onto that list.
VCU became only the third 11 seed to ever reach the Final Four on Sunday, and the first since 2006 when Jim Larranaga and his bunch from George Mason put on that glass slipper and embraced the role of Cinderella. If VCU had played and won on Saturday against Kansas it would have eerily been the five year anniversary to the day of that awe inspiring win over one seed Connecticut. So who had a more impressive and inspirational run, VCU or George Mason?
You take a look at something that is strangely similar, the bashing of the two teams before a game was played in the tournament. Back in 2006 Billy Packer of CBS was very vocal of his displeasure for the Patriots even being invited to the dance, and that ended up biting Packer in the butt as they made their way into the Final Four to face eventual champion Florida. VCU was struck with similar criticism, even more wide spread this time, as you had Dick Vitale, Doug Gottlieb, and Jay Bilas (amongst many others) saying that they should not only not be in compared to other teams resumes, but should not have even been in the consideration. The fuel that naysayers provided the two of them.
Well with the pregame talks out of the way the games had to be played, and that is instantly giving VCU a leg up on George Mason because they had to play in the First Four game. The inaugural First Four experiment has certainly gotten the boost it needed from the Rams, because maybe next year people will be more interested by the teams playing in it. They were able to take on a power conference team, and hold them to only one field goal over the final nine minutes in a 59-46 win. The win was the momentum starter with all that negative talk that the Rams just might have needed to put it all together.
VCU 1 George Mason 0
Then came the round of 64 and a match up with a six seed for the two teams. In that round George Mason was able to take out the tournament juggernaut that is Michigan St., while VCU was able to knock off Big East's Georgetown en route to a third game. The difference here is where Georgetown was coming into this game, on a losing streak and trying to insert senior leader Chris Wright who had missed over a month due to a broken bone in his non shooting hand. They were not the team that had risen to a possible three seed prior to the injury, and it could be said that VCU caught them at a good time, a team that does not really have a good tournament record following their last trip to the Final Four with Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert.
VCU 1 George Mason 1
In the last game of the first weekend George Mason was facing no easy task, as they had the defending champion North Carolina Tar Heels to deal with. They were able to defeat the Tar Heels by slowing them down and making it a grind of a game, pulling it out 65-60. This was their second win against the power conferences and a larger upset than the previous game had been, winning over a three seed in North Carolina. VCU matched up next with Purdue out of the Big 10, getting a third win from a power conference, and winning despite the fact that they were dominated down low going into the game with JaJuan Johnson being one of the nation's top big men. They were able to shut down E'Twaun Moore, only allowing him to get 10 points, in the dismantling of Purdue, outscoring them by 10 in the first half and eight in the second. Given the absolute domination of the Boilermakers, VCU has to get the upper hand in making it to the second weekend.
VCU 2 George Mason 1
So both teams found themselves in the sweet 16, and both were lucky enough to not have to face the two seed in their bracket, as they had already been knocked off. With that being said George Mason got more of a reprieve than VCU, because you can not just look at the seedings. In terms of that, VCU got a 10 seed and George Mason got a seven seed, but the difference was in the competition, as VCU had to play against Florida St., the nation's best defensive team perhaps, and George Mason was facing Wichita St., another mid major. Florida St. came out punching and VCU was able to withstand it, shoot 46% from three as a team, and hold on for a win in overtime against Florida St. George Mason was able to control the game against the Shockers, and win going away 63-55. In terms of the tougher and more impressive win, the edge goes to VCU.
VCU 3 George Mason 1
Finally we have the Elite Eight match ups, both got no reprieve here as they had to face the number one seeds in their region, Kansas and Connecticut. Now VCU was facing a Kansas team yesterday that was clearly among the two best teams in the nation all year with Ohio St., and they were outmatched again at almost every major position, but they were able to shoot their way to a huge lead in the first half, while Kansas could not hit water in the middle of the ocean. They took their nine first half threes and went into the locker room up 14, only to come back out and get hit right in the mouth, Kansas opening the second half on a 19-7 run to cut the lead to 48-46. The Rams then regrouped and shot their way back out of it, gaining a 10 point lead right back, and holding on for an incredible upset, one of the bigger ones in tournament history.
George Mason's upset to reach the Final Four though can not be overlooked, because going into that game Connecticut was a prohibitive favorite and seen as the overall best team in the nation by a good margin. They were loaded with NBA talent, moreso than the Kansas team that VCU beat yesterday, and their top talent was better than the Jayhawks top talent. In that game George Mason was not only able to stay in it in regulation, helped in large part by their outside shooting, but they forced overtime. There you thought that the Huskies would regroup and win this one going away with the extra five minutes. Wrong. George Mason hit 5-6 shots and was able to hold on for the 86-84 victory when Denham Brown missed a three at the buzzer. Given the teams involved in the two games, you have to definitely give the Elite Eight edge to George Mason.
VCU 3 George Mason 2
When it comes down to it the fact that VCU was able to win that extra game, against a power conference school, and beat five power conference schools to George Mason's three, was what put them over the top. They had to win more games against better competition as a whole. Though that win by George Mason to make it into the Final Four over Connecticut could have still almost pushed them in front because that was an upset for the ages. There is no way that they should have beaten that team, but they did, and that is why these two Cinderella stories are so great, taking the criticism and naysayers and just continuing to come out on top.
It all comes down to this, 147 combined games, 119 combined wins, three of the most storied programs in college basketball, and one cinderella. Who is going to join Connecticut and Butler down in Houston?
11VCU vs. 1Kansas
In this game you have to think Kansas will be thinking play our game and we will be back in the Final Four, and if you are looking at it then you are thinking the same thing. To be blunt Kansas has better athletes, better shooters, better defenders, better rebounders, better passers, and better ball handlers. Kansas is just better. Then again, many could have looked at the two teams and said USC was better, Georgetown was just better on paper, Purdue was better on paper, and even Florida St. was better than VCU on paper. They won all of those.
So if Shaka Smart and VCU are going to pull off another MONUMENTAL upset, what needs to happen? Well they need their shooters to shoot. They have had a number of guys step up and make shots throughout this run, and that has to continue. They need Bradford Burgess and Brandon Rozzell to continue to make those threes. They need to limit the turnovers and control their possessions, because the shorter they can make this game, the more tight Kansas may get and when a team on a run can stay close anything can happen. Lastly they have to attack the Morris twins down low in some capacity. Make some moves towards them and try to get them in foul trouble, on the defensive end go into the game with taking charges in the forefront of their minds. The twins are the key to this game because they are just such a tough match up for VCU, so to get them out of the game would be huge.
Kansas though has the athletes and has the team game that VCU should not be able to handle. Their depth and chemistry should prove to be too much. They have six or seven guys that could easily lead the team in scoring tonight, and that variety will probably be too much. VCU might keep it close early, but the pace will need to pick up for them if they want to win, and that plays right into Kansas' hands. Kansas 77 VCU 63
4Kentucky vs. 2North Carolina
Another match up of college basketball bluebloods, a showdown in the middle of town, a meeting on Mount Olympus. A rematch of an earlier game back in December that Carolina won in Chapel Hill 75-73. This game takes place in March though with two different teams than the ones who played back in December. North Carolina did not really take off as a team until January, they have changed their point guard status, Harrison Barnes has become the player people thought he would be from day one, and they are making a conscious effort to get the ball down low to the big guys Tyler Zeller and Jon Henson.
Kentucky is different too though, as Brandon Knight has taken his place on this team as the number one guy, especially having two game winners in three games in this tournament, with a career high 30 point game sandwiched in between. Josh Harrellson is playing the best basketball of his career, and guys like Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins are filling their roles as the upperclassmen. Do not forget about Terrence Jones who was the best player on this team for a long time, and can go off for 25 at any point.
So in this game who will win, what are the keys for these teams to win the ball game? North Carolina has to get out and run, because though Kentucky has athletes that can run with anyone Harrellson will not be able to keep up with Zeller in transition where he is one of the best big men in the country, and Henson will have the advantage on Jones in the open court. In the half court they will need to control the ball, be strong with it, because with Barnes and Zeller they will be able to score as long as they do no turn the ball over. On defense they have to be ready to help on the player that Kendall Marshall is guarding, because the quickness of the guards that he will be marking will be their advantage. Putting Dexter Strickland on Knight is their best option, and he should be able to slow him down a bit, but Knight is a great player and this should be an interesting match up.
Kentucky has to get back on defense and do not allow the Tar Heels to get out and run, so they have to have good shot selection to prevent the run outs. They are much more equipped to stop this team in the half court, and that will be a big stat to watch, transition points. On offense they would be well off to play a lot of two man with Jones and Knight, get Knight some open looks, and Jones should be able to get open and away from Henson's length with some pick-and-rolls, or even better with his ability to shoot some pick-and-pops because of the attention you have to pay to Knight.
This should be a very entertaining game, two of college basketball's royalty meeting for the last spot in Houston for the Final Four. Zeller will prove to be too much and keep his run of great games going, and Barnes will find his open shots to give North Carolina the lead early. Knight will take the momentum from Friday night and probably have the type of game he did against West Virginia, but the supporting cast just does not have what North Carolina has in the end.
When the brackets were set almost two weeks ago it seemed like these match ups were not necessarily inevitable, Connecticut versus Arizona, and Butler taking on Florida. Four different seeds, no number one seeds, with two of the four not even supposed to have made it to this weekend, if you go by those seedings. Then there was the storyline of Kyrie Irving coming back unexpectedly for the top seed Duke, Connecticut had just played five games in five days against the toughest competition a conference could have this year, and Butler coming in as more of an underdog than even last year's team. Here we are though, and you would assume at this point that we are going to have two great games, in a tournament that has been filled with games coming down to the last possession. 8Butler vs. 2Florida
Butler is at it again, Brad Stevens has led them back into the Elite Eight, and one game away from a completely unexpected back-to-back trips to the Final Four. Florida has a coach that has been there, three times, and won before, twice. As is the case most of the time Butler will not have the athletes that the other team will have, or even the talent according to some, but at this point is it not stupid to go in assuming they are not going to hang? They may get blown out, but it has reached the point where believing that will happen is not the prediction to walk in with.
When you look at the teams there are advantages that Florida will have, especially when you look down low. Matt Howard has seen the power conferences big front lines and has delivered already this tournament, but Florida will have the advantage, again, and he will have to prove himself up against it, again. Vernon Macklin, Alex Tyus, and Patric Young are all bigger and more athletic than Howard. They will have the numbers on their side, though Andrew Smith will be giving Howard all the help he can, and maybe the Gators will not find the advantage they expect. On the perimeter you might look to Butler as having the advantage, with Shelvin Mack and Ronald Nored having experience and roles that they know and embrace. Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton have some experience themselves, and are both as confident as they come. Nored is a great college defender though, given the referees allow him to get away with the holds that he has seemingly gotten away with most of his career, and he may be able to shut down the ultra quick Walker. Mack should be able to rise and fire from the outside no matter which of the guards he sees across from him with the ball in his hands.
When the dust settles though, the superior athleticism of Tyus might prove to finally be too much for Howard, and though Walker may have trouble with Nored on him, Boynton should be able to score on Mack well enough. The match up that will win the game for Florida though is Chandler Parsons going up against Shawn Vanzant. Vanzant is another talented defender, but Parsons seems to be dialed in this tournament, and has such a height advantage on Vanzant that it will cause him problems. Then if Butler were to switch Khyle Marshall onto Parsons he will again have the height, and then the ability to take him off the bounce. Parsons will be the key to a Florida victory.
Florida 67 Butler 60
5Arizona vs. 3Connecticut
Connecticut is on a run that some may say will catch up to them with fatigue, but those that are fans of theirs will say it is a momentum that will not be stopped. Kemba Walker is on a roll that surpasses what he did back in Maui that thrust him to the top of the Player of the Year talk after the first real week of basketball. The young Huskies have grown up a bit through the rugged Big East, and now have more to their name than just Kemba.
Arizona has their own superstar to speak of though, as Derrick Williams put on a performance, especially in the first half keeping his team close, against Duke that put him into the conversation for player of the tournament so far. Arizona though, like Connecticut, is not just a one man show anymore, the supporting cast has really begun to step up, and take charge, and is a main reason that we have this match up. High school teammate, and friend to Kemba, Lamont Jones is ready to step up and say who is the top New York City point guard.
Williams will be sure to have the advantage on his match up against Connecticut, with either the quickness over Alex Oriakhi, or the strength over Roscoe Smith, and both on Charles Okwandu and Tyler Olander. Either way he is a mismatch for the Huskies in a one-on-one situation, so they will have to help a lot on him, meaning this surging supporting cast will have to step into the right spots and convert on their opportunities given to them from the double teams. The question will also be if Kemba will guard Jones, or they put freshman Shabazz Napier on him, because either one can guard him. Kemba would be a better cover, but it might take that much more out of him having to guard Jones on the defensive end.
Kemba will have the advantage on his offensive end, as he usually does, and will draw the help much like Williams will for the Wildcats. It is up to guys like Napier and Jeremy Lamb to be ready to step into their shots and make Arizona pay for sagging off of them.
I think Smith and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel will have a chance to slow Williams down, just because in that match up Williams would be better off down low, where Oriakhi will be able to come over for the help. Kemba has seemed unstoppable and there is no reason to think that will stop, and he should have a big game. Both of these teams want to get out and run, and they both have a similar array of athletes, so this should be quite a close and exciting game. Lamb should prove to be the difference though, as he has been lately in games against Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Louisville, and San Diego St. Jim Calhoun and his success out west should continue.
Following Thursday night's games half of the Elite Eight has been made, those final four spots will be filled tonight. These games feature more of the bracket busters than last night's action did, with four of the eight teams playing tonight being double digit seeds. While the Southwest bracket has three of those teams, and could be called the upset bracket, the East region in Newark is packed with star power, both in terms of players and simply the teams that are there. Real basketball royalty. The games should all be entertaining at this point, and hard fought, but somebody is going to carve their way one step closer to the Final Four in Houston.
11Marquette vs. 2North Carolina
In a game where it became apparent after the games a week ago today that North Carolina was going to play a Big East team, many believed it to be Syracuse that would be joining the Tar Heels, creating an almost mini-Final Four in Newark. Alas, the Golden Eagles were able to take down the Orange with a big late three from the team's leading scorer Darius Johnson-Odom, and a back court violation call that should not have been made, but I digress.
The match up between these two schools is a very intriguing one, as North Carolina has the athletes, the size, the fluidity to their team game (along with the most fluid player in America in my opinion in Harrison Barnes). Then with Marquette you have these guys that will grind out every defensive possession, will never be out hustled by another team, and has a number of players that can take you off the dribble, or let loose from the outside. They really are contrasting styles though.
Though Jimmy Butler will be one of the tougher defenders that Barnes will have faced all year, the trouble for Marquette will come down on the blocks. They have the players and athletes to contend with Dexter Strickland and Kendall Marshall out on the perimeter, but John Henson and Tyler Zeller are too big, athletic, and skilled for the Golden Eagles down low. The two of them were able to score 60 points in their opening round game, and Zeller also followed that up with 23 points against a bigger and more athletic team than Marquette in Washington.
While Marquette will be able to keep the game close with their grind it out defense, and cause problems for the guards and Barnes, the Tar Heels will be able to control the boards and the paint, forcing Marquette into tough outside shots. In the end I see North Carolina making it back to the Elite Eight.
Final: North Carolina 74 Marquette 63
12Richmond vs. 1Kansas
Here is a game that will all depend on the intensity of the Kansas Jayhawks, who can at times sort of sleepwalk their way through games, and most of the time victories. They are playing a team that was able to upset an overrated Vanderbilt team, and then enter a round of 32 game as the favorite despite their 12 seed when they played Morehead St. Now though the Spiders have to go up against a team that has very few weaknesses, and is simply just better and has better athletes.
Richmond thrives off of the play of their two seniors, guard Kevin Anderson and forward Justin Harper. The two took turns last weekend winning the team games, as an incredible second half of basketball by Anderson, he brought the Spiders back from a 48-39 deficit for the eventual win. Not to be excluded from the party Harper led the team to the win over Morehead St. and the Spiders now find themselves facing a favorite to be making it into the national championship game.
Kansas has too much size, power, and speed down low with the Morris twins for Richmond to be able to compete with them. While the talented coach Chris Mooney of the Spiders will draw up something to try and keep the game close for them to have a chance late, I just do not see it happening. The Jayhawks have a platoon of guards to throw at Anderson defensively to slow him down and wear him out, while the Morris twins and Thomas Robinson are defensively ready to slow down Harper. While Richmond may keep it close early, Kansas will run away with this one.
Final: Kansas 81 Richmond 66
4Kentucky vs. 1Ohio St.
This is a game that people look forward to all season, when the brackets come out, and all the way up to tip off. The best team in the nation, going up against maybe the most storied program in the nation. The young guns go up against a team of senior leaders, with a couple fresh faces of their own. This game is the highlight of the Sweet 16 because of all the intangibles that are there before you even get into the nitty gritty of what the actual game play could bring.
The obvious storylines are there, but what will the game bring, who will we see emerge victorious from this one? Kentucky has to look to three guys if they want to win this game, Terrence Jones, Brandon Knight, and DeAndre Liggins. These three guys are what will make or break this game, because while Kentucky center Josh Harrellson has been better than many people expected this year, if you are Kentucky going into this game thinking you need him to stop or really slow down Jerad Sullinger then you might have already lost the game.
Jones is going to have to want the ball, and demand the ball more than he did in the win last round against West Virginia. He will have the advantage on whoever the Buckeyes decide to put on him. If they put Dallas Lauderdale on him he has the advantage on the perimeter with his skill set, they put someone like David Lighty or William Buford on him then he has three inches on them down low. He has to dominate the ball and want to dominate the game.
Knight came into this season as the top point guard in the freshman class, and though it started off rocky, mostly because of the John Wall comparisons that were certain to start off the year, he has shown himself to be worth all the preseason hype. In the game against West Virginia he had a season high 30 points, keeping Kentucky in the game in the first half by himself. Now he goes up against Aaron Craft, a freshman point guard in his own right, and he has to win this match up. If he is unable to take control out top, and control this game, then Kentucky will have a tough time staying in it.
Finally, Liggins will be finding himself guarding either Buford or Lighty. He has to use his defense to take them out of the game. With those two guys doing so much for the Buckeyes taking one of them out would affect their gameplan greatly. John Diebler is going to get his shots, you have to have pressure on him, but to take one of these two away, maybe more importantly Buford, then your chances of beating Ohio St. increase dramatically.
Ultimately though, Ohio St. has just so many weapons, and Sullinger down low is just going to prove to be too much for the Kentucky front court. He will be able to sag off of the center and help out on Jones down low, and Lighty's defense on the perimeter will disrupt the flow for the young wildcats.
Final: Ohio St. 79 Kentucky 71
11VCU vs. 10Florida St.
The game that if you had right on your bracket, chances are you are at the top of the leaderboard. VCU was mentioned on the short list of teams that should not have been considered, let alone in the field. So they went out and won three games last weekend to get to this point. Oh, and they beat the Pac-10, Big East, and Big 10 to get here. Florid St. was part of an ACC conference that was down this year, and was not sure how many teams they would get in. They managed to upset the Big 12 and the Big East in order to make it to this weekend. All things considered, whoever wins this game is going to feel blessed to be one win away from the Final Four, and they are guaranteeing a double digit seed will be 40 minutes away from the Final Four for the first time since George Mason in 2006.
This game comes down to the defense of Florida St. While in their game with Notre Dame they were able to come away with the win, and their defense played great, that game was as much them being inexplicably hot from three point range, and Notre Dame missing a number of open shots. Florida St. will win this game though if they are able to stop the penetration of the guards for VCU coach Shaka Smart, who is proving to be one of the best young coaches in America. Stop their penetration, which Florida St. certainly can do (and will do), and you eliminate the easy buckets and open kick outs that they were getting against the likes of USC, Georgetown, and Purdue.
