As excited as I am for the Final Four this weekend, I know every hoops fan is secretly a little disappointed that we won’t see an odd ball squad like Miami, St. Peters, or Houston competing for a National Title. While this tournament has been full of Cinderella moments, we have four of the bluest of blue blood squads left standing. Game one on Saturday is between two, three time champs, Kansas and Villanova. Meanwhile the second Final Four game is features two of the biggest rivals in sports history, as the Duke Blue Devils take on the North Carolina Tar Heels. It’s going to be a blast.
While these games are going to be GREAT, I’m not here to analyze them; I’m here to build my starting five of players playing in the Final Four. This Is March.
The Guard Tandem
Having a good guard tandem is vital in the success of a squad and the two I picked out are the men to facilitate an offense and lockup the top of the key. My first guard is Tar Heel Caleb Love. Love is having a fabulous tournament averaging 18 points per game and 3.2 assists being the true leader of North Carolina. Bacot and Manek have been important players, but UNC wouldn’t thrive without Love running the show.
Loves ability to orchestrate an offense while also scoring at will is beyond impressive. Traditionally a guard is either going to score a lot or be more of a shot caller running the offense, but rarely both. Love on the other hand has mastered both talents, especially coming into March. I also picked Love because his offensive mind and play couples nicely with the ferocious defensive guard I picked to play alongside him.
Ochai Agbaji of Kansas will be a great second fiddle, the Robin to Love as Batman on this team because of his defensive prowess. Agbaji in the four games the Jayhawks have played in March is averaging 2 steals a game and tallied 4 blocks in a 66-61 win over Providence. His 6’5 frame makes a ridiculous matchup for any guard that he squares off with. He’s not a guy I’d want to drive to the bucket on.
While defense has been Agbaji’s specialty, he’s not too shabby on the offensive end. He’s averaging 12.2 points per game and really showed up against Miami when he dropped 18 points and drained 2 threes. Agbaji truly has been a March Madness jack of all trades and is the reason that the Jayhawks are rolling.
I do believe that the big man talent pool is deeper than guards, but this wasn’t easy to pick. I love Collin Gillespie and wanted to get him on this team, but I couldn’t deny how good Love and Agbaji are.
Our Tar Heel Sniper
Unconventional basketball is my favorite thing. Whether it’s small ball, big ball, point forwards, you name it, I love it. And for the small forward position I’m moving Brady Manek from power forward to small forward; let me explain before you angrily comment or tweet at @StudentUSports.
Maneks three point shooting in the tournament has been clutch thus far and moving him to the wing makes him a true shooting threat. The 6’9 bearded behemoth is shooting 49.1% from downtown in the tournament and went 4-6 from deep against St. Peters. Manek has been the Tar Heels leading scorer with 21.5 points per game to go with 8 rebounds a game.
What makes Manek so dynamic is his size with his quickness; another reason I want him at small forward. He’s a big body, 230 pounds, and can take contact that gets him to the line with some frequency making his game like lasagna; there’s lots of layers to it. Small forwards are typically the most dynamic players and Manek is this groups spark plug.
My Big Men Gettin’ Dirty
Back in my day of eighth grade Catholic youth hoops, I was a classic 5’8 bruiser in the paint that carried a stat line of 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 fouls.. So needless to say, I understand the importance of a good big. And there are a lot of good bigs playing Saturday. The big man position wasn’t an easy one to pick, but I finally decided on two forwards that I want scrapping down low.
Jermaine Samuels is a DOG. I watched the entirety of the Villanova vs. Houston game and while it was low scoring, Samuels was the lone bright spot of the Wildcats. The Franklin, MA native picked up a double double with 16 points and 10 boards. Through the tournament, Samuels is putting up great numbers; he’s averaging 17.5 points per game and 8.5 rebounds.
Samuels can stretch the floor very nicely, take any defender to the hoop and make it look like a piece of cake, that’s why he’ll be my power forward. Another reason I like Samuel for this position is how efficient he is from the line. In the tournament he’s shooting 85.4% from the line, 13-15. Samuels is a complete player with multiple dimensions to his game.
For my fifth and final starter, the cat I’m sticking at center is 6’10 Blue Devil, Paolo Banchero. Banchero has been a driving force in Duke’s success this tournament, (even more so than Coach K) as he leads the team in points per game with 18.5 and is second on the squad in rebounds with 7 a game. Another aspect of his play that is underrated is his passing ability. Banchero can stretch the floor and get the ball into his teammates hands to help them score as he’s averaging 3.75 assists per game.
Banchero has been scoring at will this tournament. Couple that with his size and he has been a matchup nightmare for anyone that’s had to guard him this year. I didn’t think Duke was going to make it out of the second round, and Banchero’s play has proved that completely wrong.
A big man duo of Samuels and Banchero would be unstoppable on its own; now factor in Love getting him the ball, Agbaji defense, and Maneks shooting. That’s a terrifying matchup for any squad, even the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers or the 2012 Kentucky Wildcats.
Every Good Five Needs a Sixth Man
Vinnie Johnson was instrumental in the Pistons winning two titles and Manu Ginobli came off the bench and was still a 2x All Star. A sixth man is vital to the success of any starting five. The sixth man that I thought would be a good fit for this Final Four crew was North Carolina forward Armando Bacot. Bacot was just on the outskirts of making the starting five, but I felt like Banchero, Manek, and Samuels were a better fit together.
Bacot has been an absolute demon on the boards in the Tar Heels first four games of the tournament as he’s averaging 15.7 rebounds a game and is playing great defense with 1.7 blocks a game. He could come off the pine to let Banchero or Samuels get a breather while also infusing some energy into the squad with a big block or an offensive rebound.
Oh yeah, and he’s a threat to score at any point. Bacot is averaging 16.5 points in the tournament and could easily be a starter on this team, but his electric play coming off the bench would be great for this team. A big time bucket or an elite stop can sway the momentum of a game.
Who’s Coaching the Squad?
I’ll be honest, I don’t care who coaches this group I’ve put together, I just don’t want Coach K on the bench. I’m sick and tired of his moronic retirement tour that’s supposed to be “about the kids” that clearly isn’t. I understand he’s a legend, but boy I cannot wait to see him not on the Blue Devils bench in 2023. Maybe that’ll make Duke more likable; doubt it, but maybe.