Sweet 16: Best Frontcourts and Backcourts

BEST BACKCOURTS:

Offensively: Duke Blue Devils

There are a lot of very good back courts in the Sweet Sixteen this season, but there is not a better offensive back court than Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith. What separates Scheyer and Smith is how complete each player is. Both can play either the one of the two. Both can knock down threes. Both are capable of putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim. Both can make plays and find assists. Both are capable of going for 25 on any given night. Duke does not get much offense out of their front court outside of Kyle Singler. The Blue Devil bigs are better than in years past, but they are still mostly offensive rebounders and guy that will finish around the rim. Duke relies heavily on those two to produce offensively, and that pressure will only increase in the Sweet 16 as they face Purdue.


Defensively: Andy Rautins, Brandon Triche, and Scoop Jardine - Syracuse

The Orange zone is as good as it has been under Jim Boeheim. They have length, they have size, and they have athletes. But perhaps the key to their zone this season has been the play of these three at the top of the zone. Rautins, Triche, and Jardine are all big, strong guards. They make it very difficult not only to feed the ball into the high post, but to move the ball around the perimeter. They tip passes, force turnovers, and lead the Orange's transition game. These three set the tone for the Syracuse defense.


Who I want in the last five minutes: John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky

Is really anything I need to say about these two? John Wall may very well be the most talented player in the country, regardless of position. He has already proven the ability, and the desire, to make plays in the clutch. Eric Bledsoe could very well be a lottery pick when he decides to go to the NBA, and he is playing some of his best basketball of the season right now. He, too, has proven the ability to hit big shots as a freshman.


Most Underrated: Jordan Crawford, Terrell Holloway, Dante Jackson, and Mark Lyons - Xavier

Xavier's back court has everything you can ask for. Jordan Crawford, while at times a bit inefficient, is one of the most dynamic scorers in this tournament, proving it with the 55 points he scored in the first two rounds. Terrell Holloway is a steady point guard that can makes plays, make FT's, and won't make mistakes. Mark Lyons is a nice change of pace to Holloway, as more of a streaky scorer but is capable of putting up points in bunches. Dante Jackson is a tough defender and a knockdown three-point shooter. They don't get the fan fare of some of the major conference teams, but there is a reason that Xavier is in the Sweet 16 right now. These guys can play.


Hottest: Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente, Kansas State

The Wildcats relied all-season long on the offensive ability of their talented back court, and those two stepped up their games in a big way last weekend. In the two games, Clemente averaged 18.0 ppg and 4.5 apg while Pullen scored 24.5 ppg -- including 34 against BYU -- while hitting 9 of his 18 threes. Kansas State doesn't get a ton of scoring from the rest of their roster, meaning they rely on their back court just that much more. When the two are playing well -- like they were this weekend -- K-State is going to be a tough team for anyone to beat.


Coldest: Korie Lucious, Durrell Summers, and Chris Allen - Michigan State

The Michigan State back court is beat up. Kalin Lucas is out with a torn achilles and Chris Allen is battling a foot injury. That leaves sophomore Korie Lucious and junior Durrell Summers ... Mike Kepler? Austin Thornton? To be fair, Lucious and Summers are both talented players, and both of them come into the Sweet 16 with their confidence soaring. As good as Summers and Lucious have been in the tournament, if you are Tom Izzo, do you want to rely on two guys who have proven nothing but their inconsistency this season?


BEST FRONTCOURTS

Offensively: DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Perry Stevenson, Daniel Orton - Kentucky

There really is no other choice here. DeMarcus Cousins is the single most unstoppable force in the entire country. He's big and strong enough to establish position wherever he wants it, and believe me, you are not moving him off the block. He has soft hands, a soft touch, and nimble footwork to go with a variety of post moves. Patrick Patterson is an all-american on the block his first two seasons, has added a jump shot this year, and is now playing a role for this team. Perry Stevenson and Daniel Orton would probably start for 95% of the team's in the country. Seriously, there is no discussion here.


Defensively: Quincy Acy, Ekpe Udoh, Josh Lomers, and Anthony Jones - Baylor

Lets just put it out there -- Baylor is not a great defensive team. They play a 2-3 zone, but it is no where near as good as the one Syracuse plays. They don't force turnovers, they allow too much penetration, and they give up too many good looks on the perimeter. That said, their defense would probably be much worse if it wasn't for the guys they have waiting at the rim. With Ekpe Udoh leading the way, this group block shots as well as anyone in the country. Granted, they may have many more opportunities due to their porous perimeter defense, but without guys like Udoh and Quincy Acy there to defend in and around the basket, Baylor certainly wouldn't be playing in the Sweet 16.


Who I want in the last five minutes: Da'Sean Butler, Kevin Jones, Devin Ebanks, Wellington Smith, and Cam Thoroughman - West Virginia

To be fair, a large part of this is because I am considering Butler as a small forward -- his natural position -- as opposed to where he has been playing for much of the season. And Butler, as we have learned six different times this season, may very well be the best clutch player in the country. But there is more to this front line than just Butler. This is a versatile group of guys. They defend, they rebound the ball -- especially on the offensive end of the floor -- and they can all knock down a jump shot. One thing to keep in mind, as well, is the 1-3-1 zone this group has been playing this year. Bob Huggins has been using it at the end of games, and the length and athleticism of the Mountaineers front line -- who play out on the perimeter in the zone -- is the reason it is so effective.


Most Underrated: Jordan Eglseder, Adam Koch, Lucas O'Rear, and Jake Koch - Northern Iowa

All the talk about the Panthers has been Ali Farokhmanesh and his ability to knock down a game-winner. While the shot against Kansas was one of the best tournament moments I can remember, focusing on it ignores how well the Panther front line played, and has played all season long. Jordan Eglseder is a mountain of a man with a feathery soft lefty shot. He size allows him to hit turnaround and jump hooks over just about anyone, and he even showed off his range by knocking down two threes against Kansas. The Koch brothers -- Adam the senior and MVC player of the year, Jake the freshman -- can do a little bit of everything. They can shoot, they can score inside, they can rebound, they can defend. And then there is Lucas O'Rear. O'Rear doesn't exactly look like a basketball player. He's stocky, he's unathletic, and he has a bit of a fro and big, ole' mutton chops. But he provides the Panthers with toughness on the glass and the defensive end.


Hottest: Omar Samhan and Ben Allen - St. Mary's

Enter Samhan. Samhandled. Samhanized. If anyone has emerged as the face of this 2010 tournament, it is Omar Samhan. He's about as unique of a player as you will come across, from the ears that stick out to the gut to the inner-lip tattoo to his quotable press conferences. It also helps that he has probably been the MVP of the tournament thus far. Samhan is a bit of a throwback post player. He's not going to knock down jumpers or step out on the perimeter and try to dribble by you. What he does is destroy any and all defenders on the block with a treasure trove of post moves. Don't believe me? Do the 30.5 points and 9.5 boards he averaged during the opening weekend convince you?


Coldest: Matt Howard, Willie Veasley, Gordon Hayward, and Avery Jukes - Butler

Butler doesn't have a great front line by any stretch of the imagination. Matt Howard has been a bit of a disappointment this season, struggling to avoid foul trouble all season long. Howard did not play well in either of the first two games, and played just 18 minutes against the smaller Murray State Racers as Butler went small for much of the second half. Gordon Hayward may be the tallest Bulldog on the court, but he is a two-guard at heart. But he has still struggled in the two games, shooting just 6-21 from the field, 1-10 from three, and averaging just 12.5 ppg. Butler is going to need Hayward and Howard to play well if they have a chance against Syracuse.