One-and-done players are all the rage for two reasons: First, if you want to win quickly, those are the players who get it done fastest — Ohio State is led by super frosh Jared Sullinger, and Duke is considered a favorite because of impending lottery pick Kyrie Irving.
Second, for debate purposes.
Nothing gets the basketball blood boiling quite like detailing the shortcomings of college basketball because of players who exit early. Many want the NBA to add to the age limit already in place.
Yet in Denver on Saturday night, experience reigned supreme.
All four teams that played for spots in the NCAA’s Sweet 16 were an ode to recruiting good players and cultivating that talent.
Let’s start with the winners. BYU is led by seniors Jimmer Fredette and Jackson Emery. They start two seniors and two juniors.
Richmond starts four seniors. Their two best players — Kevin Anderson and Justin Harper — are seniors.
Morehead State started four seniors, and Gonzaga started one senior and three juniors.
“It just goes to show you how important experience is,” Richmond coach Chris Mooney said. “Obviously, these guys are talented. All the teams in the field are very talented.”
Every team in Denver was led in scoring by seniors — punctuated by the BYU combination of Fredette and Emery, who racked up a combined 50 points and 10 assists.
“It’s good to see how valuable it is,” Mooney said. “Having guys being able to play a lot of college basketball games, win a lot of college basketball games, and do it on the biggest stage.”
Jimmer Fredette sign interlude: “We came, We saw, We Jimmered”
NBA preview?
It’s rare that a battle of midmajors matches a pair of players with solid NBA hopes. Yet that was the case Saturday at the Pepsi Center, with Morehead State’s Kenneth Faried on one side and Richmond’s Harper on the other.
Both are big men. But they are players who are coveted for different reasons.
Faried is Dennis Rodman. He’s a nonstop motor of a player who gobbles up every rebound in his vicinity.
Harper is the technician. Screen. Fade. Pop. He can hit the midrange jumper or roll to the bucket for a strong finish.
Each coach was impressed by the other’s star.
“I like Harper,” Morehead State coach Donnie Tyndall said. “I think he’ll be a guy that will certainly get a good look from NBA people because of the ball-screening they do at the next level. He can pick and pop, make that 17- and 19-footer, which Kenneth doesn’t. But Kenneth does some things around the rim and athletically that Harper doesn’t.”
Said Richmond coach Mooney: “Faried, I think, is going to be a longtime NBA player. I think Justin has that ability too. I’m sure they’ll see each other a lot over the next couple of months as far as the predraft stuff.”
Jimmer Fredette sign interlude 2: “Jimmer, Party of 3”
Second time’s the charm
Richmond’s Dan Geriot is a patient man. He’ll take the points as they come and not fret when they don’t.
Thursday, the Spiders’ big man had no points. On Saturday, he rectified that as the Morehead State zone allowed him to find space enough to put in a very large 13 points to help Richmond advance.
“From the beginning, we kind of thought they were going to attack (Kevin Anderson) because of obviously his performance against Vanderbilt,” Geriot said. “(Morehead State) tried to cut him out and tried to make us beat them. I had to step up in that situation.
“Against Vanderbilt, I didn’t have any points, but I was able to screen the right guys, run the offense through that way. So, you know, however the matchup kind of presents itself, I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep us winning.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@
Five Questions
Dan Geriot, Richmond center
Q: Who do you pattern your game after?
A: When I got here, Coach (Chris) Mooney really emphasized some of the old Princeton centers, like Kit Mueller (Ivy League player of year 1989 and ’90). Coach Mooney said look at a few of Kit’s moves early in his career. … I kind of went off that my freshman year, and it worked. So I’ve continued with that.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: I’ve had a couple of people who have passed away in my life. I have a tattoo on my back for them. Before every game, I pray to them — my grandfather, my aunt, two uncles and my godfather.
Q: Part of game to work on?
A: My rebounding. I box out well, but driving to the ball, it’s kind of 50-50 sometimes, and that kills me.
Q: What would you change about college basketball?
A: I’ve been reading the different blogs about how the committee could pick the team. … Maybe something like a point system or the committee comes out with their 68 teams every two weeks instead of us guessing all the time.
Q: Best shot ever?
A: Opening game of my career at Richmond (2006 vs. East Carolina). We were down three with eight seconds left, and one of our guards made a guy fall at midcourt. He went down and drew a defender and kicked it to me, and I tied the game up and forced overtime. We won in overtime.
David Krause, The Denver Post
A family affair
Making dad proud.
Gonzaga freshman David Stockton knows the footsteps he’s following in, and embraces it. The son of retired Utah Jazz legend John Stockton, the Zags guard knows he can learn plenty from the old man.
“I try to emulate him because he is one of the greatest of all time,” the 5-foot-11, 152-pounder David said. “Every now and then, it’s fun to watch (his old tapes). Just the way he plays.”
John Stockton’s family roots run deep in Spokane, where he still lives. The 1984 Gonzaga grad was at the games Thursday and again Saturday night.
MORE FAMILY TIES
Keeps Eagles’ spirits high.
Morehead State coach Donnie Taylor had his 11-year-old daughter, Taylor, on the bench, along with assistant coach Wade O’Connor’s 6-year-old son, Collin.
Taylor cried tears of joy Thursday when the Eagles pulled off the upset against Louisville, and tears filled her eyes Saturday as Morehead fell to Richmond.
Wearing an Eagles T-shirt that read “Daddy’s Assistant” on the back and seniors’ names and numbers on the front and sleeves, a tearful Taylor hugged each of the starters when they came off the floor for the last time late in the game.
“It’s fun to have Taylor around,” senior Kenneth Faried said. “She’s a good kid.”
TONING IT DOWN
A win is still a win.
After the excitement of the 3-point win Thursday over Vanderbilt sending Richmond into a giant on-court celebration, the Spiders’ reaction after their 17-point win Saturday was more subdued. Said coach Chris Mooney: “I think because the margin was so large by the end of the game, (a big celebration) would have seemed a little trite.” David Krause, The Denver Post
Faried big kid on the block
Blocked out.
Rebounding star Kenneth Faried of Morehead State used his vertical leap to pull off the best block of the night. With Richmond forward Justin Harper driving the left side of the lane for a seemingly easy layup, Faried flew in and put his hand cleanly on the top of the ball, sending Harper horizontal, then crashing to the floor.
Jimmer’s late arrival.
BYU’s Jimmer Fredette didn’t score in the first 8 1/2 minutes of the game, but soon the shots started to fall. He finished with 34 points, hitting 7-of-12 3-pointers. The first 2-point shot he made was a layup with six minutes left in the game.
Owl has a rough shooting day
Fernandez struggles.
Temple’s Juan Fernandez, the hero of the win over Penn State, scored 14 points for the Owls but was just 5-of-16 shooting — 1-of-10 inside 3-point range — in a 71-64 double-overtime loss to San Diego State on Saturday.
Calipari tops Huggins.
Kentucky coach John Calipari secured just his second victory in 10 matchups with close friend and West Virginia coach Bob Huggins.
Gators oust Bruins again.
The second-seeded Florida Gators (28-7) eliminated the No. 7 seed UCLA Bruins (23-11) from the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last six years with a 73-65 victory. The Associated Press
