Written by Dave Homsher on Sunday, 02 March 2008 Category:Sports Hits:3498

March Madness is quickly approaching, and it’s about time I let everyone know what I think about the NCAA season.

Players I like:

Jerryd Bayless – The Arizona freshman guard is lightning fast, can shoot brilliantly, and gets to the foul line as much as any big guy.  He takes and makes big shots and BLOWS UP in big games.

Johnny Flynn – The Syracuse freshman point guard has shown a lot of poise this year.  He can beat his man off the dribble and can knock down the open J.  In spite of being such an offensive threat himself, he still makes finding open teammates his #1 priority.  He’s a big reason why Syracuse is on the NCAA bubble instead of a .500 team. 

Ty Lawson – Ty is probably the fastest player in the country.  UNC’s ridiculous fast break is jump started by the fact that Lawson goes end to end better than anyone in the country.  He’s not a great shooter, but he knows his limitations, and instead sets up his teammates and gets into the paint for himself.  If he is playing well, Carolina will be a very tough team to beat in the tournament. 

Michael Beasley – No explanation needed.  The Kansas State freshman has been beasting people all year long.  He’s the best player in the country, and it’s not even close.

Derrick Rose – The Memphis freshman point guard would look fantastic in a Philadelphia 76ers jersey next year.  He always looks to pass first, but can get his own shot at will.  He’s a freak athlete who can play up tempo or a slow down style. 

Stephen Curry – No list is complete without a star from Davidson.  Curry might be the best shooter in college basketball.  He’s got NBA range (like his father Dell Curry) and is a fantastic shooter on the move.  For whatever reason, he wasn’t recruited by any major schools, probably because he is too short (6’0” shooting guard).   However, it appears he’s playing each and every game while holding up a great big middle finger towards every school who wouldn’t take him.  He’s averaging 25+ ppg and has scored over 30 points 8 times already this year.  Because of him, there’s not a team in the country that’s looking forward to drawing Davidson in the first round of the tournament.   

This dude can SHOOT THE ROCK!

Chase Budinger – The 6’7” small forward plays with a toughness that isn’t found that often.  He moves fantastically without the ball, and can knock down the open 3.  Between Bayless and Budinger, Arizona is a threat to beat any team on any given night. 

Chris Lofton – The NCAA’s #2 all time leader for most 3 pointers made is the main reason why Tennessee has become a national power.  He’s only averaging 15 points per game, but he frees up the entire court for his teammates.  Because he is such a deadly shooter, his man can not play normal help defense at any time during the game, because it’s almost an automatic 3 points for Lofton.  This allows Tennessee’s other weapons to attack the basket through wider driving lanes.   

Lofton makes the Vols Final 4 contenders

Players I dislike:

Greg Paulus – Greg Paulus stinks.  I’m sorry, the guy plays hard, and he can shoot the 3, but he has no speed whatsoever, and he’s being CARRIED by more talented teammates.  Last year in the NCAA tourney, Eric Maynor from VCU DESTROYED him.  VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH!!!  Once Duke runs into a top flight point guard in the NCAA tourney, Paulus is going to be brutally exposed once again, and Duke will be going home. 

Sorry, Coach K, you're not winning a title with this guy

Roy Hibbert – Hibbert is actually GOOD.  My main problem with the Georgetown center is that he is completely overhyped.  People are saying that he is a player of the year candidate in the Big East, which is an absolute JOKE.  He has minimal lateral movement, and negative athleticism.  You would think being 7’2” tall you’d be able to average more than 6.4 rebounds per game.  He’s got great hands for a big guy, and a nice touch around the basket, but I’ve NEVER seen him take over a game.  I’ve never even seen him take over FIVE MINUTES of a game.  He’s a great piece to a team, and a solid contributor, but he’s not going to lead a team to victory. 

Drew Neitzel – I don’t really have a good reason for not liking the guy.  He plays hard all the time, creates his own shot, and has carried MSU for entire games.  There’s just something about him that bugs me.

Joey Dorsey – The Memphis center is maybe the most overhyped piece of crap in the entire country.  He’s a thug who tried to jump into the stands to fight fans just a few weeks ago.  In addition, he always gets a ton of love from the announcers as this inside force, but HE’S AVERAGING 6.8 POINTS PER GAME!!!  You would think with all that talent around him, he’d be good for ten a game on putbacks and alley oops. 

Donte Greene – The Syracuse freshman is the most frustrating player to watch in the entire country.  He has all the talent in the world, but his shot selection is quite possibly the worst I have ever seen this side of J.R. Smith.  He’s a lights out shooter, but he’s only dropping 33% from downtown, because he jacks up 3s like there’s no tomorrow.   He’s 6’11” tall and yet he’s taken 7 or more 3 pointers EIGHTEEN times this year.  You are TALL AS HELL!!  Why don’t you drive to the basket and shoot a LAYUP!!

Move CLOSER to the basket!!

Quentin Thomas – The backup point guard for UNC came in for Ty Lawson and promptly ran UNC’s vaunted offense into the ground.  He’s a turnover machine who can’t shoot, can’t defend, and can’t beat his man off the dribble.  He got DECIMATED by Greg Paulus.  GREG PAULUS!!!  If Lawson isn’t healthy for the NCAA’s you can flush UNC’s Final 4 hopes down the toilet.

Teams that can win it all:

Tennessee – Tennessee is the most balanced team on this list.  They are deep, they can score inside, they can shoot the 3, they play exceptional defense, and they crash the boards ferociously.  Because of their style of play, they can suffer and off night from any one area, and usually come out on top.  Tennessee is also the least likely team to be upset by an opponent outside of the top 15 for this reason.  2 of their 3 losses (Texas and Vanderbilt) fit the bill.  They’ve also proven they can beat the best.  Their win at Memphis was the most impressive for any team in college basketball this season. 

Memphis – Memphis is another well balanced team.  They can shoot the 3, and their dribble-drive-motion offense is causing serious havoc throughout the country.  It’s odd to watch a team that doesn’t set screens, but their up tempo style makes for some entertaining basketball.  However, they are a TERRIBLE free throw shooting team, and that might come back to bite them in the tournament. 

UNC – North Carolina is one of the fastest teams in the nation.  They usually have 5 guys on the court who are capable of scoring 15+ points in any given game.  Lawson is one of the top point guards in the country, and Hansborough outworks his opponents on a nightly basis to the tune of 23 and 10.  They run the fastbreak so quickly and so efficiently that they generally outscore their opponents due to their offensive prowess.  However, their defense is below average, and if a team can slow down their fast break, UNC could be susceptible to an early round upset. 

Another reason to like the Tar Heels

Kansas – Kansas probably has the most talent of any team in the nation.  Unfortunately, you never know what Kansas team is going to show up.  They’ve blown out quality teams such as Kansas State, Nebraska, and Boston College.  But, they’ve also lost to Oklahoma and had close calls against Missouri, Baylor, and Iowa State.  If Kansas plays its best ball, they might be unbeatable.  However it just seems that they get a little bored from time to time given how much talent they have.  Nonetheless, Kansas is a clear candidate to win the national title.  

Rock! Chalk! Jayhawk!

UCLA – UCLA is most likely the safest bet to make an appearance at the final 4.  They’ve been in the final 4 the past 2 years, and have some of the key players back from that team.  They’ve got a stud freshman in Kevin Love who is extremely versatile and continues to dominate PAC-10 opponents.  Darren Collison is one of the premier point guards in the country, they’ve got a great inside/outside attack, and they defend very well. 

Teams that are NOT going to the final 4:

Duke – A team with Greg Paulus as its point guard is NOT going to the final 4.  Period.  Duke is a solid team, but they are too reliant on the 3 pointer to win 4 games in a row against top competition.  Eventually they will go cold, and an opponent with a top flight, fast point guard will rip Paulus apart.  Also, their interior defense is suspect at best as noted by recent games in which they gave up 96 to Miami and 86 to NC State.  Although they’ve got a good team, they are just too flawed to make a final 4 run this year. 

Georgetown – Georgetown has got a very good team, and I fully expect them to be involved in the sweet 16 and maybe the elite 8.  However, they just seem very beatable.  They don’t have a go to scorer, and they don’t blow that many people out.  I think that with their excellent defense, and their slow halfcourt offense, their style lends itself to a lot of close games.  In the NCAA’s its just tough to win 4 games in a row in grind it out, down to the wire fashion. 

Potential sleepers:

Arizona – I just love how they play.  They’ve got 2 guys who can get their own shot, a 3 point shooter in McClellan, and a solid big guy in Jordan Hill.  That’s a definite recipe for March success. 

Davidson – We already know they can hang with the top teams, given close losses to Duke, UNC, and UCLA.  Given that those teams will be 1 or 2 seeds, I have to like Davidson’s chances in the 5/12 or 4/13 game.  Stephen Curry can carry them for entire games, and his sharpshooting gives them a chance to beat anyone. 

USC – They’ve got wins over UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona.  They also played both Kansas and Memphis tough, losing heartbreakers to both.  USC plays excellent defense, and they’ve got a rising star in O.J. Mayo who lead them to a deep run in March.  If they get the right draw, USC has got a great shot to play in the elite 8 for a shot in the final 4. 

UCONN – UCONN isn’t a great 3 point shooting team, but they do bring a ton of size to the table.  Thebeet and Robinson block a ton of shots, so UCONN really makes you hit a lot of 3 pointers to pull those guys away from the basket and open up some driving lanes.  Combine that with A.J. Price (the best point guard in the Big East) and UCONN might be going deep into the tournament. 

No matter what happens though, March is going to be "AWESOME BABY!!"

MARCH MADNESS!!

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