Monday, March 13, 2006

Top 10 Backcourts/Frontcourts

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As we all know, guard play is what wins games in March. Teams need solid perimeter production if they want to make a deep run in the Madness. The following teams have the best backcourts in the nation:

1. Villanova: Randy Foye (20.1 ppg), Allan Ray (18.8 ppg), Kyle Lowry (11.6 ppg), Mike Nardi (11.4 ppg)
2. UCLA: Jordan Farmar (13.6 ppg, 5.3 apg), Arron Afflalo (16.6 ppg), Darren Collison (5.7 ppg)
3. Tennessee: C.J. Watson (15.3 ppg), Chris Lofton (17.3 ppg), JaJuan Smith (9.6 ppg), Stanley Asumnu (8.3 ppg)
4. Michigan State: Shannon Brown (17.6 ppg), Maurice Ager (19.1 ppg), Drew Neitzel (5.5 apg)
5. Connecticut: Marcus Williams (8.6 apg), Denham Brown (10.3 ppg), Rashad Anderson (13.2 ppg)
6. Ohio State: Jamar Butler (4.7 apg), Je'Kel Foster (12.4 ppg), Ron Lewis (11.3 ppg)
7. Iowa: Jeff Horner (13.7 ppg, 5.7 apg), Adam Haluska (13.8 ppg), Mike Henderson (48% 3pt)
8. Duke: J.J. Redick (27.4 ppg), Greg Paulus (5.1 apg), Sean Dockery (41% 3pt), DeMarcus Nelson (44% 3pt)
9. Iona: Steve Burtt (25.2 ppg), Ricky Soliver (16.2 ppg), Marvin McCullough (4.6 apg)
10. George Washington: J.R. Pinnock (14.9 ppg), Maureece Rice (12.3 ppg), Carl Elliot (4.0 apg, 44% 3pt)

However, teams with just guards do not usually make it to the Final Four. Rebounding and post presence are also keys to success. The following teams have the best frontcourts heading into March:

1. Connecticut: Rudy Gay (15.3 ppg), Josh Boone (10.6 ppg), Hilton Armstrong (3.3 bpg), Jeff Adrien (5.3 rpg)
2. Texas: P.J. Tucker (16.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg), LaMarcus Aldridge (15.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg), Brad Buckman (7.0 rpg)
3. LSU: Glen Davis (18.5 ppg, 9.9 rpg), Tyrus Thomas (9.3 rpg, 3.0 bpg), Tasmin Mitchell (12.0 ppg), Darnell Lazare (6.9 ppg)
4. Florida: Joakim Noah (13.8 ppg), Corey Brewer (12.5 ppg), Al Horford (11.2 ppg), Chris Richard (6.3 ppg)
5. North Carolina: Tyler Hansbrough (19.1 ppg), Reyshawn Terry (14.7 ppg), David Noel (12.8 ppg)
6. Georgetown: Jeff Green (11.9 ppg), Brandon Bowman (11.5 ppg), Roy Hibbert (11.2 ppg)
7. Memphis: Rodney Carney (17.5 ppg), Shawne Williams (13.4 ppg), Joey Dorsey (7.6 rpg, 2.0 bpg)
8. Boston College: Craig Smith (17.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg), Jared Dudley (16.5 ppg), Sean Williams (1.9 bpg)
9. Gonzaga: Adam Morrison (28.4 ppg), J.P. Batista (19.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg), Sean Mallon (6.9 ppg), Josh Heytvelt (4.0 ppg)
10. Alabama: Jermareo Davidson (14.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg), Richard Hendrix (8.0 rpg), Jean Felix (8.1 ppg)

3 comments:

  1. Tourney Fan in BostonMarch 14, 2006 at 11:21 AM

    How in the world do you logicaly conclude that Ohio State and Iowa have better back courts than Duke. It has to be a typo, because it doesn't seem to be what a rational person would believe.

    And since we are talking about Duke, how do you say that Memphis, Texas, and Boston College all are in the top ten in front courts, when Duke beat all of them (the Texas game was a joke) and Duke has easily the best all around low-post player in the nation in Shelden Williams (First Team AA, returning NDPOY, 18.4ppg, 10.3rpg, 3.7bpg, 1.8spg) and an unbelievable 6'10 extremely athletic power forward/center in Josh McRoberts (which was evident throughout the ACC tourney where he averaged 13ppg, 6.7rpg, 1bpg, and 1.7apg; the UNC game in Chapel Hill, and various other games throughout the season).

    Do I sense an anti-Duke bias in your article??

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tourney Fan in BostonMarch 14, 2006 at 11:23 AM

    Edit:

    And since we are talking about Duke, how do you say that Memphis, Texas, and Boston College all are in the top ten in front courts but then leave Duke out, when Duke beat all of them (the Texas game was a joke) and Duke has easily the best all around low-post player in the nation in Shelden Williams (First Team AA, returning NDPOY, 18.4ppg, 10.3rpg, 3.7bpg, 1.8spg) and an unbelievable 6'10 extremely athletic power forward/center in Josh McRoberts (which was evident throughout the ACC tourney where he averaged 13ppg, 6.7rpg, 1bpg, and 1.7apg; the UNC game in Chapel Hill, and various other games throughout the season).

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm not anti-Duke at all.

    I rank those backcourts ahead of Duke's because they are better all-around. Just because Redick is in the backcourt does not make it a very good complete backcourt.

    As far as frontcourts, just because Duke beat them does not mean they have a better frontcourt. J.J. Redick had a lot to do with those wins. If McRoberts played the way he did in the ACC Tourney throughout the season, I'd definitely have them in the Top 10.

    ReplyDelete