The Final Four is no longer a destination solely for teams loaded with grizzled, experienced upperclassmen. Over the past five years, at least one team reaching the last Saturday of the season has featured a freshman – or freshmen – in a prominent role.
Ed Davis was that player for North Carolina last March. The rookie from Richmond, Va., scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the championship game against Michigan State, using the NCAA Tournament to spark big expectations for his sophomore campaign. Marvin Williams played a similar role for the Tar Heels in 2005 before moving on to the NBA after just one season with the program.
Freshman Derrick Rose was the catalyst for Memphis’ trip to the Final Four in 2008, while the first-year trio of Daequan Cook, Mike Conley Jr. and Greg Oden took Ohio State to the championship game in 2007.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute started for UCLA’s 2006 team, while fellow frosh Alfred Aboya and Darren Collison played significant minutes off the bench.
Which freshman has the best chance to be in a big spot at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis next March? Here’s our take;
Photo by Jim Redman
John Wall, Kentucky
John Wall, Kentucky
A Derrick Rose-type impact is not out of the question now that Wall has been given the green light by the NCAA following a one-game regular season suspension to be served Nov. 13. In fact, Kentucky fans expect it. The 6-foot-4 point guard did nothing to temper the excitement with 27 points and nine assists Friday night in an exhibition win over Clarion.
Xavier Henry, Kansas
Kansas is loaded with returnees from last year’s Sweet 16 team that won the Big 12 title, but that won’t keep Henry out of the starting lineup for the preseason No. 1 Jayhawks. The Putnam City High School (Oklahoma City, Okla.) product scored 14 points and grabbed five boards in Kansas’ 107-68 exhibition victory over Fort Hays State last week. The 6-6, 220-pound Henry could be the elite talent that Bill Self needed to put a very good team over the top.
Avery Bradley, Texas
Bradley, a national player of the year candidate last season at Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), could be the perfect backcourt complement to a talented Longhorn frontcourt that includes Damion James, Gary Johnson and Dexter Pittman.
Mouphtaou Yarou, Villanova
Corey Fisher, Scottie Reynolds and Corey Stokes give the Wildcats one of the nation’s top guard trios, but the departure of leading scorer Dante Cunningham left a question mark in the post for Jay Wright. At 6-10 and 250 pounds, Yarou should be the answer and will be happy to rebound and battle be the junkman while the stars on the perimeter make the Villanova offense go.
Kevin Jones, West Virginia
Jones gives Mountaineer head coach Bob Huggins a nice change-of-pace option playing behind the talented forward combination of Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks. Well-schooled by Bob Cimmino at New York’s Mount Vernon High School, the 6-8, 250-pound Jones popped in 21 points and snatched 10 rebounds in an exhibition blowout over Mountain State on Sunday night.
D.J. Byrd, Purdue
Byrd, a defensive specialist, seems to be carving out a role on a deep Boilermaker team that has big expectations after a Sweet 16 appearance last season. In exhibition play last week against California of Pennsylvania, Byrd led Purdue’s bench contingent with 11 points in 17 minutes.
Tiny Gallon, Oklahoma
The Final Four might be a stretch for the Sooners, but if sophomore guard Willie Warren develops into a full-blown superstar this season, maybe not. Jeff Capel will count on Gallon in the post immediately to help fill the void left by Blake and Taylor Griffin. Early returns are positive as the 6-9, 296-pound Gallon posted 10 points and nine rebounds in Oklahoma’s exhibition tune-up last week.
Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech
After winning just two ACC games last year and going 12-19 overall, the Yellow Jackets have a huge hill to climb just to get into the NCAA Tournament. But Favors – the nation’s top incoming high school recruit – should help a roster that already features some attractive talent get over the hump. An interesting season is in store for Georgia Tech fans as head coach Paul Hewitt confronts a do-or-die situation while leaning heavily on a talented crop of freshmen.
Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati
To the surprise of some (okay, many), Stephenson gained clearance from the NCAA last week and could be the final piece of the puzzle for a Cincinnati team expected to make serious strides in the Big East – and possibly beyond – this year. Finding a role that will please Stephenson while allowing standout guard Deonta Vaughn to continue to shine in a lead role will be key.
Alex Oriakhi, Cincinnati
Jim Calhoun may be seeing a little Emeka Okafor in Oriakhi, a 6-9, 240-pound presence in the post from Lowell, Mass. Oriakhi averaged 12.5 points and 15 rebounds per game in a pair of Connecticut exhibitions last week.