NCAA Preview: The Players

The Superstars

Brandon Rush, Kansas- This guy makes the game look so easy it almost looks like he doesn’t play hard. The fact is the guy has the total package; he is an above average defender, he can rebound well on the defensive end, he strokes the 3 at a 43% clip, he can put the ball on the deck and finish at the rim or unleash his deadly array of mid range jumpers. It is time for him to take over and become a force in this, his last, tournament.

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina- What more needs to be said about this guy? Okay maybe he doesn’t translate well to the next level, but who gives a shit. I thought he was overrated coming out of high school because he didn’t have a high skill set, but I underestimated his intangibles. He plays harder than you and he has improved his offensive skill level to where now you have to guard against his jump shot. In the post he is virtually unstoppable because of his desire to get the ball to the rim. Defensively he can guard anyone on the floor and he can control the game on the boards, I expect him to will his team to at least one come from behind win.

DJ Augustin, Texas- He is a prototypical Rick Barnes Point Guard; undersized is stature only, not in heart or desire. Somehow he averages 19.8 points a game but doesn’t seem to be a shoot first PG. He runs the Texas offense to perfection and always knows when it is time to assert himself offensively. He can live in the paint and has a fall away baseline runner that is money.

Chris Lofton, Tennessee- Everyone knows about his legendary shooting range, but throughout his career his all around game has improved. He started slow this year, but most likely because he had more talent around him. He began to assert himself in SEC play leading his team in scoring at 16 points a game. Lofton’s prowess from downtown can ignite his team on spectacular runs where they can rip off 10-20 points faster than anyone in the country. He is also known for having ice water in his veins, which I experienced up close just last Friday when he buried the game winning 3 with 11 seconds to go against my Gamecocks.

Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis- Everyone talks about the Frosh Derrick Rose (and with good reason) but CDR is the leading scorer at over 17 a game and hits 45% of his 3 point attempts. He has also shown the ability to step up in some of the bigger games, scoring 33 at UConn and 24 against Georgetown, also in their two hardest conference road games he poured in 30 at Houston and 32 at UAB. If Douglas-Roberts is having a big game his team is usually rolling big time, I look for him to have a big time coming out hey I am going to the NBA party this year.


The Glue Guys (this award to be renamed the Pendergraft after he graduates this year)

David Padgett, Louisville- No, I don’t know how long he has been in college, but I know it exceeds the limit set forth by the NCAA. The fact is when he is in the lineup they always have a chance, he epitomizes the phrase “does whatever it takes to win.” He scores 11 a game and leads the team but more impressive as his 65% FG which tells me he doesn’t take bad shots. He can handle the basketball and is an excellent passer from the high and low post areas. When a basket is needed for Louisville they run the offense through the big fella.

Cliff Hammonds, Clemson- He is second on his team in scoring, leads them in assists, pulls down 4 boards a game at 6’2 and shoots 47% from the field at the guard spot. He can guard any guard or wing player on the floor. In Clemson’s two biggest non conference wins this year, Purdue and Miss Stat, Hammonds averaged 12.5 pts. 6 boards, 5 assists and only turned the ball over 1 time. At Chapel Hill in a game Clemson should have wont his year he poured n 31 points including 5 three’s and grabbed 7 boards. This Senior leader sparks the high octane Clemson attack.

Drew Lavender, Xavier- He began his career under Kelvin Sampson at Oklahoma where he ran into some issues with the coach about his overall desire for the game. He transferred back closer to home (a Columbus native) and his game has picked up. Under Sean Miller he has become more of a complete player, playing better defense and improving his shot, knocking down 40% of his three’s. In a big win over his old coach’s now Hoosier squad he had a steady 13 pts 6 assist performance to lead his team to victory. Against Creighton, another tournament team, he scored 28 and dished out 10 dimes and in his return to Big 12 territory he poured in 21 points in a 26 point rout of the Kansas State Wildcats. He is the little engine that runs the show for Xavier and this is his last chance to prove himself, again.


Ronald Ramon, Pittsburgh- this guy, like Hammonds is the ultimate glue guard. A 4 year Senior who has been through it all. Earlier this year in a big game against Duke he went 38 minutes without making a shot, and then just before the buzzer calmly knocked down the game winner. Ramon is a tough city kid raised in the Bronx, and I think you need one or two city kids on your team to win. Ramon plays over 30 minutes a game but only average’s 8 points, which tells you he is doing a lot of other things well. Over 4 games in the Big East Tournament he averaged 14 points and 5 rebounds a game, both way over his season averages, in leading the Panthers to the Big East title.



The guys you may not have hear of and need to see

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma- An Oklahoma city native and High Scholl All-American, Griffin is one of the least talked about Freshman in the country. A brusing 6’10 243 lbs. power forward Griffin lead his team in scoring (15 PPG) rebounds (9.4) FG % (.559) and was third in steals and assists. He had 10 double doubles this year, including a 29 point 15 rebound performance in late February in a must win game against Baylor. He also had a one man showdown with superstar Freshman Michael Beasley, wherein a 2 point loss to the Wildcats Beasley went for 32 and 11 while Griffin basically matched him with 27 and 14.


Jamont Gordon, Miss State- Everyone knows who Chris Lofton is, and Shan Foster deservedly won SEC Player of the Year but overall the most talented and perhaps hardest player to stop in the league is Jamont Gordon. He leads his team at over 17 points a game and dishes out 5 assists from the PG spot while also grabbing 6 rebounds a game. At 6’4 230 lbs. he is built like a linebacker at virtually unstoppable when he gets in the paint. Gordon has a great change of pace dribble which gets him in the lane where he has a deadly array of pull-up moves and if you aren’t careful he can explode all the way to the hoop and dunk the ball. His game is definitely more suited to the 1 on1 aspect of the NBA game but he is joy to watch play because of his size, strength and explosiveness on the collegiate level.

Aaron Bruce, Baylor- If you are a basketball junkie and enjoy watching the game “the way it is supposed to be played,” then you need to watch Aaron Bruce. He has struggled through some injuries this season but he is the coach on the floor. When Baylor is playing well it is because Bruce is playing his all court game; he knows where every player is supposed to be on offense and defensively he is always talking to his teammates and pointing out where they need to be. He comes from the new school of Australian basketball players who are quickly proving to be some of the smartest and savviest in the game.

Austin Daye, Gonzaga- The Frosh up in Spokane is also not talked about very much, but at 6’10 190 lbs forward has a silky smooth stroke. He makes almost 905 of his free throws, 44% of his three’s and scores almost 11 points a game in only 18 minutes. He plays the game in a very easy manner and is never in a hurry. He plays well off of his PG Jeremy Pargo and post man Josh Hytvelt and can always be seen deep in the corner knocking down key jumpers. Day is someone who can really explode on the scene over the next few weeks.