Cub Scouts

The Day That Was

CHN — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:55:55 -0700

by Cub Buenning
Our fair college basketball season has finally reached its conclusion with last night’s 89-72 victory by North Carolina over an overmatched Michigan State Spartan team. The Tarheels entered the season as the favorite, spent much of the season near the top of the nation’s pecking order (those silly polls), and finished by playing a beautiful last two months of the season. Impressive, late-season double-digit wins over the likes of Oklahoma, Gonzaga, Villanova, Duke (twice) and Michigan State bookended a great season for a team that was decimated with injuries but still managed to win the ACC regular season and procure a No. 1-seed in the Tournament.
As has become the norm with this team, Carolina won the national title on the “heels” of a full-team effort. Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough were great during their six-game jaunt to the title, but nothing would have been ultimately achieved if not for the supporting cast that surrounds Head Coach Roy Williams’ last two ACC Players of the Year.
In a sport (and event) where guard-play is often “pubbed” as the most important variable for ultimate success, it was Carolina’s ability to dominate the paint early on that proved to be the difference. Against an opponent like MSU, that will usually dictate play inside/on the backboards, the Tarheels not only drove from the perimeter with relative ease, but were able to pound the post and crash the offensive glass (Deon Thompson, especially) on their way to a lead that promptly swelled to 20 points only 10 minutes into the contest. Michigan State was unable to evoke the ghosts of 20 years ago as Kalin Lucas, Goran Suton and the rest of Tom Izzo’s crew continually settled for perimeter jumpers early in the shot-clock, rendering themselves a shell of the team that had shocked the basketball community by being in the final game in the first place.
From there, Wayne Ellington took over, finishing the half with 17 points and almost single-handedly squelching a late first-half Spartan run, keeping the Carolina advantage at a robust 21 going into intermission; a lead that would not be relinquished nor compromised.
Simply put, the Spartans were outclassed from the opening tip and assumed a fate similar to that endured by UNC’s previous five opponents.
Hats off to the North Carolina Tarheels, the 2009 National Champions!
The day in college basketball, however, was not solely focused on the national title game that went down in Detroit. Around the country, two major programs filled vacancies with young up-and-coming stars in the coaching ranks. For starters, now ex-Xavier boss Sean Miller finally accepted the seemingly ideal job at Arizona after other suitors (including himself just the day before) had turned down the opportunity. For a program that can boast an awesome fan base, a great arena, a national championship history, and access to the top players from Los Angeles, the west and the south, the Wildcat’s athletic department sure struggled to fill the void left by long-time head, Lute Olsen. (I have been more than vocal about current assistant, Mike Dunlap, who basically was the interim coach this year. I am more than curious to see which lucky school swoops him up.) Although, Miller tried to be loyal to his guys back at Xavier (they will be loaded next year), working at a major program in a town like Tucson has to be a better set-up than his old digs back in “The Natty.”
It was the other major signing yesterday, however, that got my attention. Kudos to Memphis University in its inking of Josh Pastner as the incumbent to the now-Kentucky head John Calipari. Many around the basketball world might not be familiar with the young Pastner, but believe me, this is a hiring that will reverberate around the Mid-South for years. Not only does Pastner already have a year with his future Tiger players (Wesley Witherspoon, Roburt Sallie and Angel Garcia to name a few) as an assistant, but he will also provide the Memphis program inside access and probable signings from one of the nation’s largest and (as of late) most fertile recruiting grounds, in Houston, Texas. (Pastner’s father, Hal, basically started and runs AAU ball in the city and Josh has been involved with coaching since he was still a player himself on the older Houston Hoops’ teams.)
Yes, the kid is young (31 years old) but he is more than ready for his first head-coaching gig. Oddly enough, Pastner cut his collegiate teeth on the court and on the bench in Tucson at the aforementioned, U of Arizona before taking the assistant’s job at Memphis last summer. To be truthful, that university should have made Pastner some promises while Coach Olsen was struggling with his health/passion. The hire for Memphis will surely not bring the national splash and flair that a Bruce Pearl or Leonard Hamilton might have, but it will guarantee the Tigers’ continued national relevance from their perch high atop Conference-USA.
With the season now officially over, fear not! For those of you diehards of the college game (and those that want to know what they are talking about before/during/after the draft) Cub Scouts will continue during the off-season with breakdowns of potential draft selections, sit-downs with coaches and players and much, much more.
Check Cub Buenning’s scouting website for weekly player reports.

The Sweet 16’s No. 1 Seeds

CHN — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:14:37 -0700

by Cub Buenning
Let me start today’s thoughts by apologizing for not “being there” more over the past week. After a very busy few days (remember, I have a full-time writing job that is not associated with SLAM or even basketball) I chose to sit back, order the DirecTV March Madness package (well worth the duckets) and watch.
Just watch.
With my folded-up, in-and-out-of-the-back-pocket-for-the-next-month bracket just starting to show some wear, I was out of contention in most of my pools by the first week’s end. My hours and hours of not only close viewing, but in-depth analysis of this year’s college season, led me to believe that West Virginia and Wake Forest were on a head-on collision in the Midwest’s Regional Final (cue snickers and laughter).
Honestly, WVU has looked really nice lately and their three major contributing freshmen had been playing like upperclassmen. I don’t have the highest opinion of this year’s Atlantic-10 (I had all three losing in the first round) so I liked the Mountaineers draw. Kansas and Michigan State are teams with balance, but maybe not ready to win six in a row. My feelings on Louisville (the biggest joke of an overall No. 1 seed maybe ever) are more than well known as I am still searching for an impressive, quality win on their resume or in the 15 or so games I saw of them this year. I had trouble getting them out of Dayton and past Ohio State (who didn’t even get by Siena) in the second round, so the inevitable match-up with an extremely talented, but albeit disappointing as of late, Wake Forest team was an easy selection for me. In addition, I still don’t think that this is a year (like last season) when we will see all the top seeds. In my estimation one of ‘em is going down over the Thursday/Friday “holiday.”
Which brings me to the purpose of penning these ideas, which team(s) might it be?
Which of the four No. 1 seeds will pack it in early and be forced to consider the season a failure?
My aforementioned impressions on the Atlantic-10 should lead you to assume that Pittsburgh should skate on through to the weekend in the East. Purdue might be a little thin up front to have many answers for Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet, so UConn should advance.
However, I am not so sure about the other two.
Arizona is playing great and before I illuminate on my preseason “illusions of grandeur” about how this might the best team in Pac-10 (which were met by a chorus of written disbelief by mainly, cough…. Washington fans) and how they are the only team remaining from that conference, I’ll say, Arizona and Louisville might turn into a classic and an upset is surely not out of the question. Six sure-fire (yes, Nic Wise is going to be a pro) NBAers on the court at the same time should be enough for even our most ardent NBA-diehards to turn to CBS for a few minutes on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
But I truly believe the best of the next eight games will be played in Memphis when the North Carolina Tarheels meet the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Friday at 10 p.m. I don’t see a better or more complete team in the nation than UNC and why they weren’t named the No. 1 seed is beyond me. My aforementioned “bracket of doom,” however, does involve a Gonzaga win and an eventual trip to the Final Four.
Follow me on this.
If there is one team in the nation that actually matches-up with the Tarheels in the depth/athleticism/size/experience/talent department, the Zags might be that team. So with those thoughts and impressions in mind, I shall waste the next few minutes of your time breaking down this regional semi-final.
North Carolina comes in with 28 wins while their counterpart paved their Sweet 16 trip with 26 wins. Both were regular season champions in their conference, but let’s look at the personnel specifically, as apposed to crunching numbers that might be meaningless at this point in the year.

Point Guard
The health of several point guards was one of my main concerns entering the conference tourneys two weeks ago. Carolina’s Ty Lawson was my biggest worry. A turf toe injury might be one of the more debilitating injuries that a fast-paced point guard can endure. With Lawson struggling through the injury (and more than likely ready to go after his gutsy game on Saturday against LSU) what was an advantage for UNC might become more of a push. Lawson is a one-man show from back there and the opposition can roll out senior leader in Jeremy Pargo who has size and strength over Lawson and might be as quick as the slightly hobbled Tarheel. Gonzaga freshman back-up Demitri Goodson proved his stones by not only taking the outlet pass against Western Kentucky directly in-front of Pargo, but then proceeding to make like Moses; parting the red sea of Hilltoppers on the way to the winning bucket and instantaneously legendary status in Spokane. This position and this position alone might determine the outcome of this game.
Advantage: Push
Two-Guard
By now, most of y’all know I am a big fan of my boy from Colorado, Matt Bouldin and that I think the world of him as an all-around player, but this might be a really tough match for him, against Wayne Ellington. While Bouldin is the superior shooter, playmaker, rebounder, post-player, and probably some other areas I am forgetting, Ellington’s first-step quickness and explosiveness (especially when his perimeter shots are hitting) will give Bouldin fits.
What gives Gonzaga some promise in this spot, though, is that with a player such as Stephen Gray coming off the bench combined with Bouldin’s versatility, the slight mis-match can be covered-over. Coach Roy Williams only has six true contributors but between the four-guard rotation that Mark Few can trot out, this game should prove the old “guard play” theory for tournament success.
Advantage: Gonzaga
Wing
Danny Green has grown to personify the streaky shooter that doesn’t always know when to stop shooting. If he can hit some perimeter shots early, the Tarheels could be in a good position to stave off an early run against a still “cold” Lawson. Gonzaga can play the three guard rotation of Pargo, Gray and Bouldin with the latter sizey enough to defend the majority of college wings. If not, senior Micah Downs is steady and can do a bit of everything as a senior leader. The rebounding and intensity he has shown lately will be greatly needed.

Advantage: Gonzaga
Frontcourt
Austin Daye does not fit the prototype of a regular college power forward (although he fits a rather ideal one for a professional one) and his rebounding will be so crucial to sealing up the paint against the active, athletic and relentless inside attack of Carolina. Whether it is Deon Thompson, Ed Davis, or Tyler Hansbrough, all attack the rim hard and are players that must be accounted for on both sides of the glass. Daye has proven at times to be a dominating rebounder, but his slight frame might be exposable against the stauncher opposition. Josh Heytvelt is playing a high level, again, and his interior defense against Hansbrough should prove a tough test for the ACC’s all-time leading scorer. Heytvelt has a similar physical make-up to Hansborough but has an honest two-to-three inches on him. If Heytvelt plays timid (as they all did against Memphis) Carolina will dominate this game in the paint.
Advantage: Carolina
Now what?
There is no set formula on how to take these individual decisions and mend them into one concise winner. I can play out several scenarios in which both teams control the play and come out victorious. Ty Lawson proved that once he got his toe “warm-up” he could dominate his opposition, but this time, his opposition is not LSU. The Zags can throw several different looks at the hobbled Heel, from the similarly built (but again, another 2-3 inches) Pargo to the young and impressionable Goodson to even the long athletic energy of Gray. The Zags have also proven to be quick starters through out the year as well as in both of their two tournament games to date. If Lawson cannot get warmed-up quickly, this game could look like a replay of last year’s national semi-final against Kansas.
Prediction: The minute Lawson’s speed was compromised due to his toe injury; an opponent like Pargo became the ideal “Ty-stopper.” Throw in Gonzaga’s depth across the board and versatility at the guard position, as well, and the nod has to go to the Zags.
You can ignore for a second the fact that an extended Gonzaga run is about the only way that I can crawl back into my pools…
Check Cub Buenning’s scouting website for weekly player reports.

Breaking Down the Tourney

CHN — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:44:27 -0700

Twenty-one hours and counting until The Dance begins. By now, you’ve surely filled out a fair number of brackets and forked over some significant cash to go with them. We hope you waited to complete your best bracket last because here’s how SLAMonline’s college experts think the Tournament will play out.
Midwest Region
by Justin Walsh
Sweet 16
Louisville (1) vs. Wake Forest (4)
Both teams are fairly matched in the post, as well as the wing with Johnson/Aminu and Clark/Williams respectively. The No. 1 overall seed Louisville has one major weakness: lack of quality PG play. Wake Forest has the most explosive PG in this region. Expect Jeff Teague to pick apart Edgar Sosa and be the difference in a close victory for the Demon Deacons.
Kansas (3) vs. USC (10)
USC PG Daniel Hackett is probably the best perimeter defender in this region—he held down James Harden to just 4 points and Darren Collison to 1-9 shooting in the regular season. But Sherron Collins will be too much for the Trojans to handle. The key matchup in this game is going to be between Tyshawn Taylor and Demar DeRozan. DeRozan has been on a tear as of late, and it will be Taylor’s assignment to try and limit his production. At the end of the day, Cole Aldrich will be too much to handle for Taj Gibson, and the Jayhawks should come out with a win.
Elite Eight
Wake Forest (4) vs. Kansas (3)
Wake Forest is probably the most athletic team Kansas will face all year. With all their length and size in the frontcourt, Cole Aldrich is going to have problems being effective offensively. On the other hand, Wake Forest will have some difficulty limiting Sherron Collins’ productivity. The key question here will be whether Tyshawn Taylor can stop Al-Farouq Aminu. Don’t count on that happening, the Demon Deacons will dance all the way to the Final Four.
Final Four Pick: Wake Forest (4)
Wake Forest is solid from top to bottom with Jeff Teague and L.D. Williams in the backcourt, Al-Farouq Aminu and James Johnson at the forward positions, and a workhorse Chas McFarland anchoring the frontcourt. The key for the Demon Deacons to win a national championship, outside of Jeff Teague consistently scoring, is to getting quality production from the rotational players coming off the bench. If L.D. gets in foul trouble, Ishmael Smith needs to step up and lead the way. That’s the main question for the Deacons, and if they can answer it, look for Wake Forest to have a shot at getting to the title game.
Key players: Terrence Williams, Earl Clark (UL); Jordan Hill (ZONA); Jeff Teague, Al-Farouq Aminu, James Johnson (WF); Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich (KU); Demar DeRozan, Taj Gibson (USC); Tyrese Rice (BC); Kalin Lucas, Raymar Morgan (MSU).
*****
West Region
by Adam Fleischer
Sweet 16
Connecticut (1) vs. Purdue (5)
Purdue’s trio of Robbie Hummel, E’Twuan Moore and Keaton Grant had Boilermaker fans eying a deep tournament run back when the season first started. Since that time, the team has had its ups and downs, but they have the ability to present trouble for opponents on any given night, as evidenced by their march through the Big Ten Tournament. The biggest question in this game, as in most games UConn is involved in, is how their opponents deal with the Huskies’ interior play. Although many have been high on the play of Boilermaker big JaJuan Johnson of late, a lurking Hasheem Thabeet and double-double hungry Jeff Adrien will prove too much—even if Hummel & Co. are reigning shots like they’re capable of.
Missouri (3) vs. Memphis (2)
In J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor, Missouri has two sure-handed guards who rarely turn the ball over, something that will be key if Mizzou hopes to move past Memphis and their stifling D. The Big 12 champs’ up-tempo, high scoring style is exactly the way Memphis doesn’t allow opponents to play, however, as John Calipari’s team has let up just 50 ppg since the start of February. Missouri’s ability to effectively pressure the ball—earning over 10 steals per contest—will be their best shot at preventing a Memphis-UConn matchup in the following round. In the end, though, Mizzou will have no answer for Tyreke Evans, as the freshman will carry the Tigers to their fourth straight Elite Eight.
Elite Eight
Connecticut (1) vs. Memphis (2)
Look for this battle of two of the top defensive squads to be a struggle, with whoever doesn’t let up coming out on top. Year after year, Memphis’ out of conference schedule comes into question, and they haven’t fared well in their few games against non-conference ranked opponents this year (1-3), but they’ve caught fire as of late—well, as of the last three months, as they ride a 25-game win streak into the Big Dance. With only some turnover on the roster from the successful Tigers teams of years past, their inexperience could play a factor in a match up against UConn. Look for A.J. Price to go off against Memphis’ rotation of point guards.
Final Four Pick: Connecticut (1)
UConn’s only losses all season have come at the hands of Pitt (twice), Georgetown and Syracuse in last week’s unforgettable marathon, and none by more than 10 points—so we know that they can play with anyone and keep it close ’til the end. The biggest question surrounding Jim Calhoun’s guys heading into the Tourney is if they’ll be able to bounce back from losing Jerome Dyson, something that they’ve thus far been unable to prove, having gone a mediocre 4-3 since he went down. Missing Dyson has highlighted UConn’s already weak perimeter game, which may hurt them and will force either Kemba Walker or Craig Austere to step up. That said, they have the leaders to put them in position for wins and the role players to help them pull games out. Senior A.J. Price is sure to be eager to leave his mark in the Dance, especially after last year’s injury while Thabeet and Adrien can and must own the paint and glass on both ends of the floor. The Huskies have the experience, core, coaching and enforcers down low to carry them to the Final Four and give them a shot at the title.
Key Players: Hasheem Thabeet, A.J. Price, Jeff Adrien (UConn); Tyreke Evans (Memphis); Greivis Vasquez (Maryland); Lee Cummard (BYU); Jon Brockman (Washington); Robbie Hummel (Purdue); DeMarre Carroll (Mizzou).
*****
East Region
by Cub Buenning
Sweet 16
Pittsburgh (1) vs. Florida State (5)
I foresee the Seminoles making it a through a tough Boise sub-region and coming out to face the Panthers. Unfortunately, for those that made the trip up to Boston from Tallahassee, Pitt should survive this game and advance to the Elite 8. FSU’s Toney Douglas is a marvel to watch score the basketball, but when he struggles, so does his team. Pittsburgh, behind their wall of talent, defense and depth will frustrate the ‘Noles’ senior guard and dominate inside for the win. Too many weapons versus too few.
Duke (2) vs. Villanova (3)
This might be one of the better Sweet 16 match-ups this side of Gonzaga and North Carolina. Nova should be fresh off the heels of two impressive wins at home in Philly, and, although Duke will be afforded the same hometown draw (they’re in Greensboro for the first weekend), this might be a tough match for Duke. The triumvirate of Scottie Reynolds and the two Coreys (Fisher + Stokes) will make life difficult on both ends of the court for the likes of John Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Greg Paulus. The frontcourt might a bit of a push, but I see the Wildcats flexibility (up-tempo scoring or slowed-down defensive grind-out) as the difference in this game.
Elite Eight
Pittsburgh (1) vs. Villanova (3)
The ‘Cats won the only time these two conference foes faced in the regular season in a New Year’s Eve battle to shutdown the Spectrum in Philly. This game will be played in Boston, so neither team has a huge advantage. I do, however, like the idea of Pittsburgh losing relatively early in the conference tournament to give their dinged-up point guard LeVance Fields time to rest. His match-up with Reynolds will be huge and will likely determine the game’s outcome, so I will go with the experienced player here. Pitt in a squeaker.
Final Four Pick: Pittsburgh
In recent years, Pittsburgh is a team that has enjoyed first weekend success like no other. But this year should be their chance to break through and play into the tournament’s final weekend with their combination of talent and experience. DeJuan Blair is the horse in the middle and has proved his mettle against the nation’s most intimidating frontlines (ask UConn). Somehow, senior wing Sam Young flies under the radar but can and will score 25 on you with relative ease. His size, athleticism and strength are underrated and at this level he will be a tough match for any small forward. Against a balanced, Villanova team, the Panthers will need (and should get) some contributions from their bench. A potential meeting with North Carolina in the national semifinal could be epic.
Although my picks above surely fall into the “chalk” category, I see this region as loaded with first-round upset possibilities. My folded-up/back-pocket home bracket has Portland State beating Xavier (then losing to Florida State) and VCU using the “home-court” advantage against a travel-weary UCLA squad (before facing Villanova in the second-round), so keep your head up with the EAST!
Players to watch: DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, LeVance Fields (PITT); Scottie Reynolds, Dante Cunningham (Nova); Kyle Singler, John Scheyer (Duke); Toney Douglas (FSU); Jeremiah Dominguez (Portland State); Eric Maynor, Larry Sanders (VCU); Dexter Pittman (Texas); DJ Rivera (Binghamton).
*****
South Region
by Tzvi Twersky
Sweet Sixteen
North Carolina (1) vs. Gonzaga (4)
Even with a questionable Ty Lawson (injured toe), the Tar Heels should have no real problem advancing to this point. Gonzaga—pronounced GONZAAAGA–similarly will find itself unchallenged until it meets up with UNC at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. At that point, the catalyst of UNC’s high-powered attack, which averages 90.2 ppg, will need to be at close to full-speed to deal with the Bull Dog’s equally ferocious defense (61.3 points against). If Lawson is healthy, look for UNC to pull-away from the Zags late in the game, behind the inside play of Tyler Hansbrough (21.4 ppg, 8.7 fta), the shooting of junior Wayne Ellington (15.2 ppg, 2.1 3pt-m) and their deep bench (four players on the pine play 10+ mins.).
Gonzaga (26-5), a team with two straight first-round exits, will need its eight-man rotation to be firing on all cylinders for the upset to occur—even if Lawson is feeling the effects of his injury. If guards Jeremy Pargo (2/1 A/T) and Matt Bouldin (13.7 ppg, 45 3pt%) hit their shots, take care of the ball and keep Ellington in check, then the game could be close. The same goes for Josh Heytvelt (14.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg): If he can keep Hansbrough off the glass and limit his open-looks, anything can happen.
At day’s end, look for UNC to leave the court victorious.

Oklahoma (2) vs. Syracuse (3)
Jeff Capel’s Oklahoma team may be given a run for its money in the second round by Michigan/Clemson; however, they should find a way to advance this far. Syracuse, fresh off of a tiring run to the Big East Tournament Championship, will have enough left in its legs to run by Arizona State/Temple and reach this point.
The knock on Ok. is that they are overly reliant on a single player, Blake Griffin (21.9 ppg, 14.3 rpg), and if he gets in foul trouble they really are no better than an average team. As long as he avoids that, and Willie Warren (14.7 ppg) doesn’t suffer from freshmen jitters, the Sooners (27-5) will be in this game.
Syracuse (26-9), a chic pick to go all the way, has a lot going in its favor: They showed an abundance of heart and toughness in the Big East Tourney, have one of the best PGs in the nation in Jonny Flynn (17.5 ppg, 6.7 apg), aren’t too reliant on either the J or inside play (24 fta, 19.5 3pt-a) and they have Hall-of-Fame coach Jim Boeheim. All in all, that’s a good tourney resume.
These two teams are hard to separate. They shoot the same percentage from the field (49 percent); they both shoot middling free throw percentages (mid-60s); they both rely heavily on sophomores (Griffin for the Sooners; Flynn and Rick Jackson for the Orange); and they both beat opponents by an average margin of around 10 ppg.
The deciding factor will be who is more valuable to his team: a potential No. 1 pick (Griffin) for the Sooners, or one of the greatest coaches of our time (Boeheim) guiding the Orange? I call it in favor of the old man.
Elite Eight
UNC (1) vs. Syracuse (3)
Once again, if Lawson’s foot is good to go, than the Heels are good to go. With him absent in the ACC Tourney, the Tar Heels only averaged 76 ppg; a 14-point dip from their regular season total. He is the straw that stirs the drink. Without Lawson, they do a lot of standing around and do not penetrate to the cup nearly as well. If he plays, and plays like he can, however, Lawson is every bit as quick as Flynn and will neutralize him as a threat. The same goes for Wayne Ellington. If he is patient and waits for his shot, he has a decent advantage against ‘Cuse shooter Eric Devendorf (15.9 ppg, 2.24 3pt-m). Throw in Hansbrough, going up against a young Jackson, and it seems like UNC has advantages all around the court. And with Roy Williams standing on the Heel’s bench, four years removed from his first NCAA title, look for the No. 1-seed to do what it needs to do, as it clinches a bid—before the year thought guaranteed—to the Final Four.
Final Four Pick: North Carolina
With arguably the strongest starting five in the country (Lawson, Ellington, Danny Green, Deon Thompson and Hansbrough) leading the way, guards Larry Drew and Bobby Frasor coming off the bench and shot-altering Ed Davis joining them, look for the Tar Heels, after defeating the East Region’s representative, to engage in an epic battle with Louisville (Not if Justin Walsh has anything to say about it — Ed.), with the winner going home with the National Championship in hand.
Key Players: Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington (UNC); Tasmin Mitchell, Marcus Thornton (LSU); Orlando Mendez-Valdez (WKU); Matt Bouldin, Josh Heytvelt (GU); James Harden (ASU); Dionte Christmas, Lavoy Allen (TU); Jonny Flynn (SU); Blake Griffin, Willie Warren (OU).
Here’s how SLAMonline’s experts called it. There isn’t enough time in the week for us to agree upon a consensus winner, so let your imagination run wild after that Final Four.