New England’s NCAA Tournament Guide
After two nights of "first four" action the NCAA tournament gets going in full swing today and, of course, we have all of your New England specific coverage.
It begins on CoxHub.com, where in the latest collaboration with NERR we've gone through the T.V. schedule one game at a time to point out all the New England alums you'll see in this year's field.
Friday Viewing Guide (coming soon)
NERR analyst Mike Yagmin also has his own take on which former New England stars have the most at stake in the NCAA tournament.
YAGS' Point Forward
Aside from the most important result, whether their teams win or lose, a group of New England Prep alumni have a lot riding on their individual performances in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. From pro careers to college legacies to taking the proverbial next step, the future is bright for this group of studs whose amateur careers started in New England.
NBA Draft Position & College Legacy
Let's be honest. We're all victims of the Recency Theory to some extent. The last thing we see with our own two eyes tends to have an unbalanced effect on our current opinions. So when New London's Kris Dunn put together a disappointing 11-point (4-13 FG), 7-turnover performance in Providence's loss to Dayton in last year's NCAA Tournament, everyone may have second-guessed themselves as to Dunn's NBA readiness. Even Dunn took note and vowed to come back for his junior season as an improved, more efficient version himself. He's done just that.
Before a month stretch that saw Providence lose six of eight Big East games, Dunn was considered a lock for 1st Team All-American honors and had his Providence squad in line for a top-4 seed. Those losses ultimately affected their tourney seeding but Dunn and Providence may have righted the ship at the perfect time. Providence rolled off four straight before losing to Villanova in the Big East tournament. If PC can get a win over USC and battle valiantly against North Carolina, it will only add to Dunn's legacy as an all-time great Friar.
NBA Scouts, on the other hand, will be looking for the 6'4" Dunn to redeem himself under the bright tourney lights. Playing with poise, protecting the ball, and attacking weaknesses in an athletic but young USC defense will only help cement Dunn's status as a top-8 pick in the 2016 Draft. Dunn's athleticism and creativity have never come into question. A strong 1st Round performance that translates in the box score, followed by a strong showing against UNC, could vault him as high as #3 overall heading into individual workouts.
Dunn isn't the only New England product looking to cement their college legacy and their NBA Draft position. Maryland's Jake Layman, Kansas' Wayne Selden, Iowa State's Georges Niang, and Arizona's Kaleb Tarczewski will all be playing to improve both.
Selden, a 6'5" Tilton and BABC product, played in the shadow of Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, and Kelly Oubre during his first two seasons at Kansas, without being 100% healthy. He battled courageously and hardly missed any time but his performance was markedly effected by some nagging injuries. This year has been a different story. Along with Perry Ellis III, Selden is Kansas' emotional leader, bringing a Boston toughness and swagger to the court. He's also brought an improved jumper, the elite athleticism he showed so often during his prep career, and an attacking mindset that will be his calling card at the next level. Selden is currently on the NBA radar as a late-1st-to-2nd Round prospect.
Layman, a 6'9" King Phillip HS and BABC product, has always done what has been asked of him at Maryland. Most of the time that's meant defending the opponent's best offensive option, battling on the boards and creating from the wing. Layman's feathery jump shot, athleticism, and superb size have always kept him on the NBA radar. A strong performance can catapult the senior into the 1st round discussion.
Niang, another Tilton and BABC product, and Tarczewski, via St. Mark's and the New England Playaz, are in the same boat in terms of college legacy and future pro career. Neither of them have the sexiest measurables nor do they rank amongst the top prospects at their position according to most NBA Draft pundits. Neither has experience a ton of NCAA Tournament success over the last few seasons. They'll both play a huge part in their teams outcomes this week.
Niang and Tarczewski each provide some with dilemmas in terms of their overall NBA profile. What the pundits can't question and what actual NBA are guaranteed to see is Niang's elite basketball IQ, great vision, ability to handle the ball soundly at 6'8", and the potential for him to become a small ball center with improved conditioning and the right scheme. Tarczewski brings an abundance of athleticism to the table for a 7-footer and, while some will point to his short wingspan, nobody will doubt that his best basketball is still ahead of him like almost every 7' big man. Whether it's in the NBA or overseas, both of these young men have a professional basketball career in their future.
Solid NCAA Tournament performances could allow all of these New England products to use the Recency Theory in their favor. Remember, it only takes one trusted scout or confident GM to fall in love with a player and give them the chance to fulfill a lifetime dream
Other NE products with a possible pro futures or college legacies they're looking to improve: AJ English, Iona/St Thomas More '12; Zack Auguste, Notre Dame/New Hampton '12; Jalen Reynolds, Xavier/Brewster '13; James Farr, Xavier/Maine Central Institute '12; AJ Edwards, Yale/South Kent '13
The Next Step
UConn's Jalen Adams got the hardest part of becoming a team leader out of the way with his solid late season performance and Big East Tournament heroics. Adams now has the trust of his coach and veteran teammates heading into the NCAA Tourney. The 6'3" point guard came to UConn after one of the most successful New England prep career, starring for Cushing Academy, Brewster Academy, and the New England Playaz AAU programs.
Winning is nothing new to Adams, as his alpha dog role in Brewster's 2015 National Championship run proved, but in order to take the next step he'll have to become more dependable with the ball on a game-to-game basis. Adams can use his explosiveness to expose a potential mismatch against Colorado's bigger lineup. As UConn's big men are battling with the strength of the Buffaloes offense, Adams will have the opportunity to use their defensive aggressiveness against them, kicking the ball out to UConn's other guards or capitalizing from deep while on the receiving end of passes from Daniel Hamilton and Rodney Purvis.
At Dayton, Scoochie Smith has become one of the cornerstones of coach Archie Miller's program. The 6'2" Putnam Science Academy alum has been a strong contributor since stepping on campus but has taken his production to new levels during his junior season. Smith is averaging almost 12 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds for the #7-seed Flyers. Personally, this writer believes Smith is prepped for a statistical jump in line with what former Northwest Catholic (CT) guard Aaron Jackson saw during his senior season at Duquesne. Smith will have an opportunity to jumpstart that senior campaign with a strong performance this week, starting with a matchup against Syracuse.
The 'Cuse have a NE product of their own who's looking to take the next step and become the focal point of his team's offense. New Hampton grad Tyler Lydon has shown glimpses of his potential through the regular season, stuffing the stat sheet with 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game for the Orange. But the fact that he's put those numbers up while shooting 49%from the field, 42% from 3, and 79% from the line, will put the 6'9" Lydon alongside some of the ACC's top returning players in '16-'17. A player of Lydon's size with a deep skill set aren't coming a dime a dozen, even in today's game.
While we're on the topic of abnormal size and skill, former St Andrew's star and current Notre Dame sophomore Bonzie Colson has redefined the way intelligent scouts look at the big men. At 6'5" with a 7'-wingspan, when his hands are vertical in a defensive position Colson is essentially a 6'9" post player with a the sturdy base and center of gravity a half foot lower than the player trying to post him up. Ask Golden State's Draymond Green how that works out for him. With fellow New Englander Zack Auguste departing after graduation and junior point guard Demetrius Jackson possibly exploring an NBA future, Colson can give coach Mike Brey a big man who can defend the post and drag opposing big men beyond the arch on offense. Surrounded by an endless array of Notre Dame snipers, Colson could be in line for huge jumps during his final two seasons in South Bend.
Other NE products looking to use the '16 NCAA Tournament as a springboard to a larger role next season: Justin Simon, Fr. Arizona/Brewster '15; Makai Mason, Soph. Yale/Hotchkiss '14; Andrew Chrabasz, Soph. Butler/Cushing '13
The Exception
Yale's Brandon Sherrod is just your average 6'6" former CT Gatorade Player of the Year who can rebound, attack the basket, explode off the bounce, and bang in the paint. He's just your average Ivy Leaguer who took a year long sabbatical after a successful junior hoops season to sing with the Whiffenpoofs, Yale's famous acapella group, and travel to 26 countries on every continent outside of Antarctica.
Yeah, Sherrod is the furthest thing from average. If the marketers and producers for the NCAA Tournament don't put a Sherrod-based segment on your television, there's been an egregious oversight somewhere along the line. Sherrod isn't just a role player either. Instead, he's played a key role in Yale's success this season and will be depended upon to keep Baylor's athletic big men off the boards in the 1st Round. The Stratford High School alum and former Choate post-grad is one of the best stories in this year's tournament and will be a future star regardless of the field he chooses.