The first weekend of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is in the books. While the madness has been relatively tame by the standards set before this tournament, the quality of basketball is at an all-time high. The sport’s best were all on display this weekend, with many having fantastic showings. Let’s dive in and see who improved their standing the most with some winners and losers.
Winner: Tyler Tanner
It still bothers me that this shot somehow didn’t find the bottom of the net.
Beyond the obvious heartbreak of that shot nearly going down, the two games that Tyler Tanner had will certainly help make the decision about whether he goes pro or back to school that much harder. Yes, there are obvious questions about whether Tanner will hold up at the NBA level given his size. At 6’0” and just 170 pounds, naturally there are concerns. But you can’t deny Tanner as an athlete. He threw down 16 dunks this season, which is more than quite a few elite prospects.
Tanner has the skills and traits that would encourage you about his future. He’s an excellent steal artist and generally competes hard on the defensive end. At 2.4 swipes per game, it’s clear that his activity makes up for his height. On the offensive end, this guy was the hub of Vanderbilt’s offense, which was good enough to get them to the SEC Title game and nearly the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Tanner shot nearly 49% from the floor, including an outrageous 66% at the rim, which is remarkable for any guard, let alone a guy of his size. To top it off, Tanner shot 37% from deep and an elite 85% from the free throw line.
Tanner likely won’t be a lottery pick. But if the Mavericks were to jump in the order and take one of the wings early, taking Tanner in the late first round would be highway robbery. This kid has the goods.
Loser: Darryn Peterson
It wasn’t supposed to be like this, and yet maybe there’s no more fitting ending for this Kansas team than what happened to them on Sunday.
St. John’s had a 14-point lead deep into the second half, proceeded to blow it, and yet escapes alive due to a complete defensive meltdown by Kansas. Several things stick out from that final play. Not only did the point of attack defender get blown by, it was compounded by two players losing their minds. First, supposed NBA Draft prospect Flory Bidunga cluelessly follows Zuby Ejiofor to the perimeter instead of guarding the rim. But secondly, Darryn Peterson sticks with the corner instead of coming down to cut off penetration. That sort of disjointedness is unfortunately going to define the year for Peterson and Kansas.
In fairness to Peterson, I don’t know how much of this was out of his control. There were several great pieces from last week that went in depth about what happened with Darryn’s body this year, including a trip to the ER after having full body cramps. It sounds like he never quite got right after that, which is concerning since that happened eight months ago. The preseason undisputed number one pick will now likely not be that, which will leave us with plenty of questions as the combine nears.
Winners: The Michigan bigs
First and foremost, Yaxel Lendeborg is essentially college Lebron James. Look at this ferocious slam!
Lendeborg was great over the first weekend, showing off not only his strength on the interior, but his perimeter prowess. Yaxel knocked down four of his eight three-point attempts in the first two rounds, including a three-for-five game against Saint Louis. Plus, he has been elite defensively. Lendeborg’s real knock is his age, but folks, this is a phenomenal player.
That being said, for my money Michigan’s best player this weekend was Aday Mara. The 7’2” center averaged over 17 points per game, while also contributing six rebounds and a stunning 5.5 assists per game from the center spot. However, those numbers pale in comparison to the sheer impact he had on the defensive end protecting the rim.
Finally, Morez Johnson quietly went about his business, providing needed rebounding and slashing ability. When Michigan goes small with Mara on the bench, the duo of Johnson and Lendeborg provide them the ability to switch everything, which will be great to have in their back pocket against some of the athleticism they’ll see moving forward.
Overall, all three of these guys should be first rounders, and each of them did everything they needed to do this weekend.
Loser: Cam Boozer
Let’s not get carried away with this, but it was objectively not the best weekend for Cam Boozer and Duke. Boozer struggled at times against Siena, mainly on the defensive end. It was the first time I felt that people had really begun to question whether Boozer would be able to hold up on that end. It continued for much of the TCU game, as into the second half Boozer had more turnovers (3) than shots (2).
It’s a credit to Boozer that he still averaged nearly 21 points and 12 rebounds per game while not playing his best. However, for Duke to advance to the Elite Eight, Boozer will need to be at his best against an uber-physical St. John’s team. He’ll face off against Zuby Ejiofor, the Big East player of the year. It should be an outstanding matchup between the two big men.
Winner: All of us
I don’t think you could ask for a better Sweet 16. The games that we’re lined up for are just phenomenal, featuring several top draft picks and some incredible stories. Those games include:
- Arkansas vs Arizona: All of Darius Acuff hive better be prepared for a battle here. There might be no better equipped team to guard Acuff than Arizona, who features elite on ball defenders in Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley, plus an NBA caliber center in Mo Krivas.
- Illinois vs Houston: Keaton Wagler and the high-powered Illinois offense will face off against Kingston Flemings and the potent Houston defense. Sign me up for all 40 of these minutes. Depending on how things shake out, there’s a decent chance one of those two guys will be a Maverick three months from now…
- Duke vs St. John’s: Duke has made four straight second weekends, while the Johnnies are here for the first time since 1999. Boozer against Ejiofor will be must see, but whichever team gets the best guard play will advance.
That doesn’t even include Michigan State vs UConn, featuring two of the best coaches in the sport. Nor does it include Texas vs Purdue, where somehow Dailyn Swain, Sean Miller and his University of Texas Longhorns have slipped on Cinderella’s high heel. Plus, Alabama will face Michigan, Nate Ament and Tennessee will brawl with Iowa State, and the Big Ten’s two most unlikely representatives will face off in Houston, as Iowa will meet Nebraska.
This tournament always delivers, and this year is no exception. We’ve had a fantastic run, and it’s only just begun! We here at Mavs Moneyball will be here to guide you through, with a Mavs tilted angle for every important moment and player. We will see you Thursday night!
