Now comes Oklahoma’s powerful Blake Griffin.
“Probably going to be the No. 1 pick in this upcoming year’s (NBA) draft,” Orange guard Jonny Flynn said. “He’s just so tenacious on the offensive end and the defensive end. He controls the game. He just really plays the game at his own speed. That’s what makes him good.”
Griffin stands in the way of the hardworking, third-seeded Orange and a piece of history for coach Jim Boeheim tonight. Boeheim could win his 800th game with a victory in this South Regional semifinal against second-seeded OU. The winner will play top seed North Carolina or No. 4 Gonzaga on Sunday.
As for No. 800, Boeheim, 64, isn’t thinking about reaching 900 or 1,000.
“I plan on finishing this year for sure,” he said.
Boeheim calls Griffin the best big man Syracuse (28-9) has faced this season. The best offensive rebounder and passer. In short, the best player.
That’s plenty of pressure for any player, let alone a sophomore. Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel isn’t shying away from the expectations. If anything, he’s heaping more onto Griffin’s shoulders to carry the Sooners (29-5) to their first 30-win season since 2002 and first regional final since 2003, when they lost to Syracuse on the Orange’s way to a national title.
Capel said he told Griffin he may have to wrap his arms around his teammates and bring them with him.
“This is where legends are made, and this is where legends continue to grow,” he said.
Griffin has played even better in the postseason than he did in winning the Big 12 player of the year award. He’s averaging 30.5 points and 15 rebounds in two tournament wins, and the leading national player of the year candidate has missed only seven shots.
Syracuse will counter Griffin with Boeheim’s 2-3 zone and a pair of 6-9 forwards in Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson.
That’s why Boeheim also is worrying about Griffin’s older brother, Taylor, and the Sooners on the perimeter. Willie Warren, Tony Crocker and Austin Johnson all shoot at least 34 percent from 3-point range.
Gonzaga relishes being back in underdog role vs. North Carolina
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Josh Heytvelt and his teammates are ready to turn back the clock - to when Gonzaga was the dark horse that seemed to come out of nowhere every March.
“It’s kind of nice to be the underdog,” power forward Heytvelt said. “Most of the season we’ve had the bull’s-eye on our back. There’s a lot of hype for (North) Carolina. The fans don’t expect anything but a championship from those guys.”
Gonzaga (28-5) was the higher seed for its first two wins in the NCAA Tournament. That’s about to change. Up next tonight in a South Regional semifinal is top-seeded North Carolina (30-4), the preseason favorite to win the national title and one of college basketball’s most storied programs. The Tar Heels are seeking their 99th NCAA Tournament win, which would break a tie with Kentucky for the most.
The Bulldogs have spent the last decade proving they can play with the big boys. Tonight they’ll be back in a familiar role.
“I’ll tell you what worries me. I think they’ve got a team full of leaders,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “You go through that whole team, and it’s guys that really do good things.”
Williams could say the same about his Tar Heels, who were in the Final Four in 2008 and have bigger goals in mind. Tyler Hansbrough is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s career scoring leader - and he wasn’t even this season’s ACC player of the year. That honor went to teammate Ty Lawson, the speedy point guard who’s been fighting a toe injury but expects to play through it.
