NCAAs are (will be) a Wildcat showcase
Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2008 8:45 PM
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March Madness
Apologies to Joe Crawford. Even without Patrick Patterson, the senior guard ensured Kentucky wasn’t going down in the NCAA Tournament without a fight.
I know a 74-66 loss to Marquette in the first-round wasn’t what Kentucky or its fans was hoping for, but after a season where the ‘Cats started 7-9 only to win 11 of their last 14 games, this wasn’t a bad way to go out.
But it wasn’t easy, either. Especially after watching Crawford torch the Eagles for 35 points.
“I came here to win,” he said. “That’s what I wanted to do. So I’m just kind of sad right now because, you know, I feel like we had a good chance and I’m just kind of down right now.”
The NCAA Tournament has seen its share of players single-handily carry their teams to big wins (my personal fave remains Weber State’s Harold “Da Show” Arceneaux, whose 36 points sunk UNC in the 1999 tourney), so it was no surprise to see someone trying to do the same on Thursday.
And I shouldn’t have been surprised that Crawford was trying to fill that role.
He’d averaged 27.5 points in the Wildcats’ last four games, and doing it fairly efficiently, too. His 1.36 PPWS wasn’t Thursday’s best performance – Stanford’s Kenny Brown 2.0 PPWS on 18 points and Washington State’s Aron Baynes went for 1.82 on 19 points, ampng others – but it was impressive since Kentucky needed Crawford to carry them.
The ‘Cats offense has struggled to score consistently all season (they’re 91st in adjusted offensive efficiency) and has been worse without Patterson. So when Crawford can find seems against the Marquette defense (6th in adjusted defense), it’s a good showing.
Baylor’s Curtis Jerrells (27 points, 1.4 PPWS) also had a valiant effort in a losing cause, while Pitt’s Levance Fields (23 points, 1.4 PPWS), K-State’s Michael Beasley (23 points, 1.37 PPWS and Bill Walker (22 points, 1.53 PPWS) and Texas A&M’s Josh Carter (26 points, 1.62 PPWS) all thrived for winning teams.
Who’s most likely to carry their team on Friday?
UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough is an obvious candidate, but he won’t have to. Instead, look to Indiana’s D.J. White, Texas’ D.J. Augustin, Vandy’s Shan Foster and Davidson’s Stephen Curry. All of them are accomplished offensive players who can fill up a box score.
But the player who’ll have to carry his team more than anyone else is Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds. The sophomore guard can be a volume shooter and has struggled with turnovers lately (22 in his last six games), but he’s their most important player and for ‘Nova to have a chance, he’ll have to be great.
Is it a coincidence that he also plays for Wildcats (like Beasley, Curry and Crawford)? Call it kismet.
