The Secret's Out
These guys could make all the difference
In the Final Four, it isn't always the popular stars who play best. Lesser-known and under-appreciated players often make the biggest impact.
Last season, UCLA beat LSU 59-45 in the national semifinal. The Bruins' leading scorer and rebounder in that win? Neither first-round NBA draft pick Jordan Farmar nor 2007 All-American Arron Afflalo. Unheralded freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute paced UCLA with a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds.
Mbah a Moute's scoring outburst was unexpected. But his importance to the Bruins should have been more widely recognized. All year, his rebounding prowess was critical to UCLA's success.
This season, four unsung heroes have made — or could make — similar contributions to their respective Final Four teams. Who are they?
Daequan Cook: Ohio State's freshman guard doesn't get nearly as much publicity as first-year starters Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. But when he's on the floor, he gets more touches than Conley.
Cook is the team's most accurate 3-point shooter (42.2 percent) and is surprisingly good on the glass (4.5 rpg). The former is essential to keep defenses honest against Oden, the latter to potentially hedge against Florida's terrific offensive rebounding.
After starting the season on a tear (18.9 ppg in the first eight games), Cook has gone cold. Ice cold. In March, he made only 12 of 46 field goal attempts. But given how good Ohio State has been with Cook in a slump, they'd have to be the favorites if he suddenly starts playing as well as he did in November.
Alfred Aboya: Even with Mbah a Moute, UCLA will be the worst offensive rebounding team in Atlanta. UCLA's sophomore forward, however, is far and away the Bruins' best asset on the offensive glass. Against Kansas, Aboya grabbed three offensive rebounds in 25 minutes of play. The rest of the Bruins managed only four the whole way.
Aboya also doesn't get enough credit for his physical, punishing style of play. The Bruins win with hard-nosed defense — and Aboya is one of their toughest players. Days before last year's game against Florida, for example, he broke the nose of Bruins center Lorenzo Mata in practice.
Aboya plays 17 minutes a game at center, Mata averages the other 23. In a field that includes Joakim Noah, Roy Hibbert and Oden, Aboya's presence becomes even more important. He gives the Bruins five fouls to throw at those dominant centers and ensures that the Bruins will have a rested big for the final stretch of every game. If not for Aboya, UCLA would have no chance in this particular Final Four.
Corey Brewer: Noah is Florida's biggest name and Al Horford will be the first Gator drafted in this summer's NBA draft. But Brewer is the most versatile and difficult to defend of Billy Donovan's players.
Brewer looks like a forward but can play like a guard. He shoots well from inside and out. Quick and athletic, Brewer is also consistent. He is the only Gator starter to score in double digits in all four NCAA tournament games.
On the offensive end, the 6-foot-9 Brewer will have a four-inch height advantage over UCLA's Josh Shipp. On the defensive end, he should frustrate the Bruins with his quick hands. Brewer averages two steals a game.
Jonathan Wallace: To a certain extent, Georgetown's junior point guard let the cat out of the bag with an all-tournament performance against North Carolina. In the Elite Eight, Wallace scored 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting. He made both of his free throws and 3-of-4 3-point attempts — including the game-tying bomb with 31 seconds remaining. Wallace also had seven assists and just one turnover.
Chances are Wallace won't similarly dominate a box score in the Final Four. But he will continue to makes great decisions. A patient three-year starter, Wallace sets the tone for the Hoyas on offense. Familiar with his both his teammates and the style of play preferred by coach John Thompson III, Wallace is very much an extension of Thompson on the floor.
He has improved his shooting percentage for both two- and 3-point field goals each season. In part, Wallace has become better through practice. But he has also become a better shooter by virtue of taking higher-percentage shots. Rather than force attempts, Wallace lets opportunities come to him — as they are prone to do with Hibbert and Jeff Green in the lineup.
1 votes
