Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Final Four Preview, Part Two

For a complete preview of the Final Four, click here.

Best Go-To-Guy
1. Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis: Due to the amount of ways he can score, he might be the best pure scorer remaining. He can finish around the rim, with both hands, and from the arc. Take Derrick Rose here, too.
2. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina: Is relentless around the basket, and physically overpowers defenders near the rim. He also has a nice mid-range jumper that he can knock down.
3. Kevin Love, UCLA: Very difficult to defend. He can score in the paint, but can also step out and hit a three-pointer if left open. Throw in his passing ability, and he is so tough to prepare for.
4. Brandon Rush, Kansas: The Jayhawks’ main weakness might be their lack of a go-to-guy, but Rush’s length and shooting ability are solid. He can also take defenders off the dribble.


Best Three-Point Shooter
1. Darren Collison, UCLA: Although he doesn’t look for his own shot very often, he knocked down 53 percent of his threes. He is so quick that defenders are usually forced to back away from him.
2. Mario Chalmers, Kansas: Brandon Rush has more of a reputation as a shooter, but Chalmers is the more consistent and more efficient of the two. He can knock down difficult shots from deep.
3. Wayne Ellington, North Carolina: One of the best pure shooters in the country, he has a terrific mid-range jumper and an outstanding stroke. He has proven that he can knock down clutch shots.
4. Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis: Although defenders normally have to back off him and he doesn’t have the reputation of a shooter, knocking down 42 percent is impressive from deep. Doneal Mack can also get hot.


Best Second Option
1. Derrick Rose, Memphis: Rose has the best combination of size, strength and skill of any point guard in the country. Is nearly impossible to stop from penetrating past his defender into the lane.
2. Darren Collison, UCLA: Due to his outstanding quickness and speed, defenders have a tough time keeping him in front of them. Throw in his three-point accuracy, and he is difficult to stop.
3. Wayne Ellington, North Carolina: When Tyler Hansbrough gets double-teamed, his first kick-out option is Ellington. If Ellington gets hot shooting the ball, he can really fill it up quickly.
4. Mario Chalmers, Kansas: Chalmers might be the guy who gets the ball in his hands late in games. He can penetrate into the lane as well as knock down late three-pointers from deep.


Best Coach
1. Ben Howland, UCLA: Prepares his team very well for any team they face. Is nearly impossible to beat when you give him several days to make a gameplan. Third straight Final Four for Bruins.
2. Roy Williams, North Carolina: Has a chance to win his second national title in four years. Has found different ways to win this season due to injuries and various lineup problems.
3. John Calipari, Memphis: Continues to get teams from outside the major conferences to the top of the rankings. His up-tempo, pressure system is difficult to stop once it gets going.
4. Bill Self, Kansas: Finally got over the hump and into the Final Four after failing in the Elite Eight several times. Despite a tremendous amount of talent, he has avoided chemistry problems.

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