2010 NCAA tournament look back: All-Tournament teams

Over the course of this week, we will be reliving once of the best NCAA Tournament's of all-time, and possibly the final one with a 65 team format.

NCAA Tournament MOP: Kyle Singler, Duke

Singler continued a trend that started six weeks ago. It took Singler a while to adjust to playing on the perimeter, but he really picked up his game over the final 15 games of the season. With the exception of the Butler game in the Elite 8, Singler was the best player for the national champion Dukies throughout the tournament, averaging 18.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 2.7 apg. He capped the season with a 21 point, 9 rebound, 5 assist performance against West Virginia in the Final Four, followed by a 19 point and 9 rebound performance against Butler in which he hit too many big shots to count. It may have helped lead to a national title, but the news isn't all good for Duke. This tournament may have also helped lead to Singler going pro.

Singler was Duke's MVP in the tournament.
(photo credit: ESPN)

First Team:

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State: Pullen helped carry the Wildcats into the Elite 8 with a couple of incredible performances. He averaged 22.8 ppg for the week, hitting just under 50% from three (17-36). But it was two performances in particular that stand out. Pulled scored 34 points in K-State's win over BYU, scoring 20 during a 41-21 first half surge by the Wildcats. Then Pullen scored 28 points, hitting innumerable big shots, as K-State held on to beat Jordan Crawford and the Xavier Musketeers.

Jordan Crawford, Xavier: Crawford was absolutely fantastic in his three games in this tournament. He had 28 points, including 17 in the second half and 11 straight as Xavier pulled away, to go with 6 boards and 5 assists in Xavier's opening round win over Minnesota. He put 27 points on Pitt in the second round before pouring in 32 points -- and a number of clutch buckets, including a 35 footer to force the second overtime -- before the Muskies lost to Kansas State in the second round of the tournament.

This shot forced the second OT in the tournament's best game.
(photo credit: ESPN)

Durrell Summers, Michigan State: It looked like Michigan State's tournament would be done when Kalin Lucas went down with a torn achilles at the end of the first half in the Spartans second round game. But Summers began to live up to his potential, taking over in the second half against Maryland, and then averaging 20 ppg over the course of the last weekend to send Sparty to the Final Four. All told, Summers averaged 18.8 ppg on the season.

Gordon Hayward, Butler: Its a shame that the lasting memory of this tournament for Hayward is going to be two missed shots in the final five seconds of the title game, because Hayward was great during the tournament. 15.8 ppg and 7.0 rpg, numbers that are more impressive when you consider the pace, the style, and the amount of scoring of a Butler game.

Omar Samhan, St. Mary's: Samhan struggled in the Sweet 16 against Baylor's size and athleticism, but that should take nothing away from what the big fella was able to accomplish against Villanova and Richmond in the first two rounds. He averaged 30.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg while shooting 75% from the floor. He also made quite a few friends in the media with his candid interviews and brash demeanor.


Second Team

DJ Cooper, Ohio: Cooper was only around for two games, but the freshman sure did make a lot of high major schools regret not recruiting him. In the two games, Cooper averaged 19.5 ppg, 6.5 apg, and 4.5 rpg while hitting 8-16 from three. In the upset over Georgetown, Cooper had 23 points, 5 boards, 8 assists, and hit five threes.

Louis Dale, Cornell: For all the talk about Ryan Wittman and Jeff Foote, Dale was quietly Cornell's best player, as he averaged 21.3 ppg and 4.0 apg in Cornell's run to the Sweet 16. Dale scored had 21 and 26 points, respectively, in upset wins over Temple and Wisconsin.

LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor: Dunn struggled at the beginning of the tournament, scoring just 13 points -- most of which came very late -- against Sam Houston State. But he took over after that, scoring 26, 23, and 22 over the next three games before the Bears were knocked out in the Elite 8.

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue: Johnson stepped up his game without Robbie Hummel available, averaging 19.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, and 3.3 bpg as the Boilermakers made a semi-surprising run to the Sweet 16.

Brian Zoubek, Duke: Brian Zoubek didn't put up great numbers in this tournament, averaging just 7.4 ppg and 10.0 rpg, including 4.5 offensive. But his presence was so much more than the stats he put up. It was defensively, it was the attention he was paid crashing the offensive glass, it was the screens he set. Zoubek probably earned himself an NBA paycheck in March.


Honorable Mention:

Jon Scheyer/Nolan Smith, Duke: Scheyer and Smith were both fantastic for the Blue Devils in the run to the title. Scheyer averaged 16.0 ppg, 4.0 apg, and 3.5 rpg while turning the ball over just 7 times. Smith averaged 17.7 ppg and 3.7 apg.

Shelvin Mack/Ronald Nored, Butler: Mack averaged 15.3 ppg while providing steady ball-handling and hitting numerous big shots for the Bulldogs in their run to the title game. Nored didn't score, but he was the guy responsible for guarding the opponent's best perimeter player, and did a fantastic job.

Ali Farokhmanesh, Northern Iowa: The UNI-Bomber didn't score all that much -- averaging just 14.0 ppg in three games -- but he hit game-winners against both UNLV and Kansas.