The Final Four is set and we have our list of players to watch out for come this weekend
This year’s tourney has been one for the ages and with the Final Four going down in Indy come Saturday, under the radar prospects will soon turn household names whereas teams that reigned supreme all year, will see their season come to a demise. It’s March Madness, more importantly, the Final Four and this is what it is all about. That said, Source Sports came up with a couple players playing in this year’s Final Four that you should pay attention to when you watch the games this weekend.
(Photo by Newsobserver)
First up, Justise Winslow of Duke University. Now yes, it’s a given that Quinn Cook, Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor are in fact the front runners of the team. That is true, but the one player who has risen to occasion and played above and beyond for the Blue Devils has been Justise Winslow. The swingman has undoubtedly shown he is pro ready averaging, roughly 14 ppg so far in the tournament and evolving into a more focal player on the squad during tournament time. The 6-foot-6 225 Houston product has slashed and defended his way to the top of pro scouts lists and come this weekend, will once again show his offensive and defensive prowess against opponents.
The whole Kentucky Team should be focused on come this weekend. The first team to go undefeated and potentially win a title since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers, this team has the necessary ingredients for a championship team and John Calipari should be content. With three players in DraftExpress’ top 25 rankings in Karl Anthony-Towns, Willie Caulie-Stein and Devin Booker and two in the top 50 in Trey Lyles and Dakari Johnson, the Kentucky Wildcats are looking like shoe-ins for the NCAA title. With match-up problems practically at every position, the Wildcats make it incredibly hard for opponents to score in the paint let alone in transition with their uptempo-playing style.
Frank Kaminsky is a household name, we get it, but Sam Dekker is turning into a pro player right before our eyes with every slash to the basket he makes. The 6 foot-9 junior is legit and can bang, defend, attack and completely flourish in every facet of the game and it’s quite remarkable. A complete threat when on the perimeter, Sam Dekker’s ability to get to the basket and finish is absolutely amazing not to mention, his highly coveted role as one of the Badgers best defenders is a piece of his game that has NBA scouts raving and ranting. He’s definitely a player you should pay attention when watching the Final Four this weekend.
Going from an unknown to complete stud this postseason has been the story for Michigan State’s Travis Trice. Completely taking over the wheel this tournament, the combo guard has a scoring sense matched with a creative knack for getting his team involved which is making the dreams of making it to the championship a potential reality. If averaging 17 ppg a game in the tourney wasn’t enough, the guard’s ability to get to the basket, draw fouls and most of all close out games is a reason why he needs your attention.
Talk sports, hip hop and more with drew on twitter @AndrewSomuah