Team Capsules Part 16

Villanova-(20-12, 9-9) I’ll be honest, I am a Jay Wright fan. I liked him at Hofstra with Speedy Claxton and I loved his Kyle Lowry, Allen Ray and Randy Foye led team at Nova. I still really like him but really couldn’t care less about him being young or handsome or having great hair (thank you that’s enough every announcer). But I didn’t think Jay Wright’s team should have been in the tournament this year. They needed one more win in the big east tournament or at least a decent showing and they got blown out by Georgetown. Surprisingly the tourney committee disagreed with me and gave them a 12 seed. Well now they are playing one of the hottest teams in the tournament in Clemson and are likely one and done.

The Good: Scottie Reynolds. Scottie has the ability to take over any game and is a wet shooter (not Ramon wet but still wet enough). They also are really athletic with everyone in their starting lineup being able to run the floor well and push the ball. They have some good shooters in the Corey’s (Fisher and Stokes) and they have had some pretty good wins this year in the Big East.

The Bad: Size and Experience. They don’t play anyone taller than 6’8 in their rotation and against a good big that is going to cost them. Experience wise they are the most untested team in the entire tournament. They have no seniors on their roster. They start two freshman and only have one player who played any time on the Foye team (Dante Cunningham). Because of their inexperience and going against a hungry Clemson team I don’t see this team doing well. But next year is another story.

The Verdict: Thank You see you next year. They will be back next year and will be a higher seed and more deserving that time.

Clemson-(24-9, 10-6) Goddamn Clemson why do you have to go and blow my cover. that’s what I said on March 10^th. Back when you were still hovering around the 7 or 8 line. But now you have to go out and show the rest of the country that you are really legit. Now I am at a loss for a sleeper. Anyway, Oliver Purnell has done a great job in building this formerly awful program into the third best team in the ACC this year (damn Tobacco Road).

The Good: 3 point shooters. Ogelsby fills the white shooter stereotype perfectly and along with K.C. Rivers they are probably the most lethal shooting tandem in the ACC (take that Scheyer and Paulus). Cliff Hammonds not to be outdone makes nearly two a game himself. Anyone of those three can get really hot and if two get going they are nearly impossible to stop. They have the trademark of a great team in 5 guys averaging in double figures and a 6^th whose really close (8.6). They are also great at rebounding. Rivers, James Mays and Trevor Booker all averaged over 6.4 rebounds a game. Hammonds is also a fourth year starter at point guard who rarely makes mistakes and is very trustworthy bringing it up.

The Bad: Free throw shooting. They were last in the ACC shooting under 60% in conference play and it lost them the ACC championship game against Duke (1 for 8 in the last two minutes). Three of their starters shoot under 60% and Hammonds shoots 46%. This could lose them a game.

The Verdict: I am on the bandwagon; they are defiantly in my sweet 16 it just depends if I feel gutsy enough to take them over Kansas.

Gonzaga-(25-7, 13-1) I used to hate Gonzaga (mainly because they beat my favorite St. Johns team with Reggie Jesse and Bootsy Thornton) but over the past couple of years I have flip-flopped on them like my name was John Kerry. Gonzaga is now one of my favorite teams year in year out. I am a huge fan of Mark Few and think he has one of the best jobs in the country where he is. About this team I am really conflicted. They matched the Zags up with Davidson. Before the tourney was selected I had said to my friend that I was going to take both of them far. Now I have to decide which one to let go. So here is my capsule of Gonzaga.

The Good: They are led at point guard by probably my favorite player in the country, Jeremy Pargo. Pargo was the WCC player of the year (8^th time in a row a Zag has won it) this year and I feel confident saying he is the best point guard in the Midwest region. When he is playing well Gonzaga can beat almost anyone in the country even on their home turf just like they did when they played UConn in New England. Off guard they have Matt Bouldin who is a great defensive player (and for those first timers tuning in and seeing his floppy hair he is not Adam Morrison). I feel they have more firepower off the bench than they do in their starting five. Off the bench they bring in Josh Heytvelt, Austin Daye and Micah Downs. Heytvelt (to the casual fan may be known as Shroomboy) but to me is remembered for his Preseason NIT last year, especially in the game where Heytvelt outmanned Tyler Hansbrough in Gonzaga’s win over UNC. Daye is 6’10 and probably the best shooter on Gonzaga. He weighs a buck-o-five but against the likes of Davidson’s bigs that wont matter since he can extend the floor. Downs was a McDonalds All-American who went to Kansas then transferred to Gonzaga, he can really shoot but is very streaky so we will know what to expect from him within his first 5 minutes in.

The Bad: Outside of Pargo they have no other point guards which means Jeremy can’t get into foul trouble. Also they are playing Davidson in Raleigh. Oh did I mention that Gonzaga’s game will be at 12 which will mean that they are playing at 9 am on their mental clocks. This game will truly test their wills.

The Verdict: I have toyed with this game back and forth. I like both teams and the 9 am mental clock is very tempting. But Davidson has become the trendy pick and I hate the trendy pick. I would rather go down rooting for one of my favorite teams than regret it so Gonzaga is my pick here.