As we approach Selection Sunday, here are a couple issues that have stood out this season in college basketball, as well as what to look for come tournament time.
CHAPEL RE-FILL
One of the elite basketball programs in the country, North Carolina does not rebuild, it reloads. Despite losing its top seven scorers from last year’s championship team, the 15TH-ranked Tar Heels find themselves in second place in the ACC thanks largely to the brilliant play of freshman Tyler Hansbrough. Leading the team in minutes per game, Hansbrough boasts an average of 18.5 points per game (second in the ACC to J.J. Redick) and grabs seven boards each time out. But until he dropped 40 against Georgia Tech on Feb. 15, Hansbrough didn’t draw much attention. This was probably due to his seemingly boring, fundamental game. In that respect, Hansbrough reminds me a lot of another Roy Williams big man, Nick Collison. Both are 6’9“ and like Collison at Kansas, Hansbrough specializes in beating his man down the floor and establishing position so as to make his life easy around the basket. It might not be flashy, but it’s certainly effective: He’s shooting 58 percent from the field this year. Collison brought Williams two Final Fours and, if Hansbrough sticks around, he and Roy should share similar success.
REDICK vs. MORRISON
The year-long shootout between Duke’s J.J. Redick and Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison led many to question who they would rather have on their team. Morrison’s 6’8” frame might make him more attractive to pro scouts, but I’d take Redick any day in the NCAA tournament. He’s the best player for Duke, so he gets everyone’s best defensive effort every time out and still hits big shot after big shot. More importantly, he seems to thrive in hostile environments, scoring 35 points at both North Carolina and Maryland. Even when Redick had an off night against Georgia Tech (5 of 21 from the field) on Feb. 22, the Yellow Jackets still had to honor his range and double team him. As a result, Shelden Williams was left wide open for easy scores. And, while Morrison is billed as a winner, consider that as a junior and senior at Duke, Redick is a combined 54-7. Morrison, though, does get points for the David Baharestani-esque mustache.
THE PICKS
I’m worried about Duke’s lack of depth and their reliance on Redick. But that could only backfire if he has an ugly game, which this year, has been once in a blue moon. Also, Josh McRoberts’ length and shot-blocking ability has usually taken the pressure off Shelden Williams defensively (he’s only fouled out twice this season) which should keep Williams out of foul trouble, making depth less of an issue. This formula has worked for them all year. I think you’ll see them in the Final Four.
From the toughest conference in the country, both Villanova and UConn are resilient teams with lots of weapons. UConn can score both inside and outside and Nova’s perimeter pressure defense looks good enough to hide their lack of a major inside presence. They both seem like pretty sure picks for Indianapolis. Also, don’t be surprised to find Thad Matta’s Ohio State team there. The players are well coached and have a solid post presence in Terence Dials to go with Je’Kel Foster’s spot-on perimeter shooting (47 percent from behind the arc). Plus, their four losses have come by a combined 15 points.
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