Three players to watch in the Sweet 16
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 12:25 PM
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March Madness
Finding this year’s Stephen Curry is easy.
The player capable of single-handedly carrying his team deep into the NCAA tournament and wowing onlookers also happens to be the favorite for player of the year and the slam-dunk pick for No. 1 in this year’s NBA draft.
I mean, did you see Blake Griffin’s breakaway dunk against Michigan? Zach Novak is going to hear about that for the rest of his life.
Griffin, along with Louisville's Terrence Williams and North Carolina's Wayne Ellington, is one of three players who should have a superb Sweet 16.
Blake Griffin
Zach Long/AP |
Blake Griffin
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Griffin, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound bulldozer of a power forward, shrugged off everything the Wolverines threw at him, whether it was a double- or triple-team. His 33-point, 17-rebound performance carried the Sooners (29-5) into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003.
As an added bonus, it was his 28th double-double of the season, an NCAA D-I record.
After two games, Griffin leads all players with 61 points and is second with 30 rebounds. He’s hit 25-of-32 field goal attempts, good for a ridiculous 1.77 points per weighted shot.
“He’s a great player,” Michigan’s C.J. Lee said. “He showed it today, he’s been showing it all season.”
With No. 3 Syracuse looming, Griffin figures to continue his remarkable March. The Orange (28-9) feature an efficient, but undersized defense, made up mostly of guards and swingmen. A pair of forwards, 6-9 Arinze Onuaku and 6-9 Rich Jackson will have their hands full.
Syracuse could very well shoot past the Sooners, but it'll only be if it offsets another huge game from Griffin.
Terrence Williams
Matt Sullivan/Reuters |
Terrence Willliams
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Williams may be the game’s best all-around player. The Cardinals' 6-6 swingman averages 12.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2.4 steals an outing. Some games he’s likely to have more assists than shots, which is just fine for the Cards (30-5), who rely on their pressing defense to beat teams.
But lately, Williams has stepped it up a notch – especially on offense.
He’s not an efficient scorer. He hits about 47 percent of his shots, and about 38 percent from beyond the arc. Yet in tournament wins against Morehead State and Siena, Williams was remarkable, totaling 36 points, 24 rebounds and 7 assists and 7-of-13 from 3-point land. His 1.51 PPWS during the two wins was a nearly twice as efficient as he’s been on the season.
“He definitely stepped up,” said teammate Earl Clark. “I expect that from him. He’s our leader and he’s a great player, one of the best forwards in the country.”
Williams should be just as good in the Sweet 16 against No. 12 Arizona (21-13).
The Wildcats are the worst defensive team remaining in the tournament, according to kenpom.com. They allow opponents to shoot nearly 50 percent from the field, don’t force many turnovers and rebound poorly. Their biggest threat – center Jordan Hill – will be occupied by Louisville’s Samardo Samuels or Clark, leaving Williams free to do his thing.
If NBA scouts are smart, they’ll take note of how Williams plays against Arizona’s Chase Budinger, long seen as a better NBA prospect. Williams will be the guy leading Louisville into the Elite Eight, while Budinger floats around the 3-point line. There’s a reason Cards coach Rick Pitino relies on Williams for the big plays.
“Only he has that type of ability to hear a voice, perform it, get it, and do it,” Pitino says.
Wayne Ellington
AP |
Wayne Ellington
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The Heels’ 6-4 shooting guard has quietly put together a solid March. He’s averaging 19.8 points in the last six games (up from 15.4), including a 23-point performance against LSU in the second round. He’s hitting 58 percent of his shots and 51 percent from beyond the arc, good for 1.34 PPWS.
He’s long had one of the game’s sweetest shooting strokes, but struggled with his game earlier this season.
"He's a better all-around player, first of all," Roy Williams told the Winston-Salem Journal. "Early in the year he wasn't shooting the ball very well. I told him to take the ball to the basket, defend people and rebound. There was a stretch in ACC play that he was our second-leading rebounder. He was getting more rebounds than Ed Davis, Deon Thompson and Danny.
"I think he gained some confidence in that knowing that he's a very good player and his shot doesn't have to go in. That makes it a lot more pleasant when it does."
Ellington should have loads of confidence Friday against Gonzaga.
The Zags are 15th in adjusted defensive efficiency on kenpom.com, but are average when it comes to defending the 3, yielding 34.5 percent from beyond the arc. Opponents score nearly 36 percent of their points from 3s against the Zags, meaning Ellington will be one of the Heels’ main options.
Other players who rose to the occasion in the early rounds like Memphis' Roburt Sallie (35 points against Cal-State Northridge), UConn’s A.J. Price (47 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists in two wins) or Kansas’ Cole Aldrich (a triple-double vs. Dayton) aren’t as likely to keep thriving because their matchups or situations aren’t as favorable.
All three should have solid games, but don't expect anything amazing.
