The 2010s are almost in the rearview, which has led to an outpouring of "All-Decade" teams. While I've enjoyed perusing through that type of content, I feel like it would be unnecessary to make my own list.
So I thought it would be more fun to share about my favorite players to watch over the last ten years--but the only stipulation is they must come from outside of my alma mater, the University of North Carolina. Enjoy! First-Team De'Aaron Fox, G - Kentucky (2016-17) I'm gonna kick this off with some love for Big Blue Nation. Some fellow Tar Heel fans may call this heresy, but hear me out: we all know that John Calipari built his program through favoring talent and upside over experience and continuity. Up until about 2015, he dominated recruiting battles, collecting potential one-and-dones like they were TY Beanie Babies in the mid-90s (and he still wins his fair share today). If topflight talent flocks to Lexington year in, year out, they're almost always going to have at least one enthralling blue chipper. Also, spoiler alert: he might be not be the last Kentucky player on this list... During his lone year at Kentucky, Fox entranced me with his speed and his fluidity. Although he outran everybody on the court, he rarely lost control of his body. And it wasn't just his straight-line speed--his lateral quickness dropped defenders to the floor, while his combination of dexterity and explosiveness helped him finish through traffic. Throughout the 2017 season, draft-heads debated Fox versus UCLA's Lonzo Ball as the better pro prospect. Even though Fox outplayed him in two matchups (a loss in December in Rupp, a win in March in the Sweet 16), the Los Angeles Lakers selected Ball with the second overall pick, whereas Fox went to the Sacramento Kings at five...and I think it’s already safe to say LA made a mistake. Lastly, who could forget Fox's gut-wrenching post-game interview after the Cats fell to my Heels in the Elite 8? I know it's easy for me to say, since my team won, but seeing that much passion for the college competition from a one-and-done warmed my heart. Jevon Carter, G - West Virginia (2014-18) In the song “Middle Child” by J. Cole, the rapper depicts his role in the current hip-hop landscape. “I’m dead in the middle of two generations, I’m little bro and big bro all at once,” he spits. The lyrics imply that he followed in the footsteps of 90s/2000s rap legends Jay-Z and Nas, modeling his sound after them. However, he does not fit into the current trap and SoundCloud rap scene that started to boom in popularity halfway through this decade. But instead of feeling bitter about being “dead in the middle,” he views himself as a mentor to some of these younger rappers. In a way, I think Jevon Carter’s college career parallels these lyrics. When I envision Carter playing at WVU, I always picture him wearing clothes three sizes too big, kind of like Adam Sandler at a pickup game...okay, so his apparel wasn’t that oversized. But he's also mega-bald, which garnered him an innumerable amount of the contrived “he’s been in school 8 years” jokes. When you factor all that in with him being a four-year player in the physical, rugged, “Press Virginia” scheme, you can see how Carter gives off an old-school feel. But his offense fits seamlessly into the pace-and-space takeover that characterizes the modern game. Carter wasn't just some slow guard who compensated for athletic deficiencies by trying hard. Nor was he just a facilitator who assumed a small scoring role. In fact, for most of his last two seasons in Morganton, Carter was the offense for the ‘Eers. He easily got to his spots on the floor to pull-up off the dribble, he could splash a three in transition, and his stout frame enabled him to get to the rim at an efficient clip. You just don’t see guys who have the conditioning to pressure the other team’s best guard for 35+ minutes and rank among the highest in the conference in usage rate (8th in the Big 12 in 2018). When Carter was at West Virginia, he helped make the Big 12 the most exciting conference in the country, even with Kansas always winning the regular season. Marcus Smart, G - Oklahoma State (2012-14) Smart has carved out a nice career with the Celtics as a defensive specialist who can occasionally get hot on offense. However, he will likely never sniff an All-Star Game, regardless of how beloved he is by Boston. I think his lack of NBA star power causes some to forget just how insane his career was at Oklahoma State. While in college, Smart displayed most of the skills that have caused him to stick in the League--the ability to guard four positions, the ballhawk mentality that racked up steals, and the versatility to stuff the stat sheet with boards and assists. But his tendencies to shoot too frequently and too inefficiently that hinder him in the NBA actually kind of worked to his advantage in college. Smart was a G U N N E R at Oklahoma State—he just made more of his shots. The college basketball world got its first taste of the Marcus Smart Experience in November of 2012, when Oklahoma State routed sixth-ranked NC State at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. His violent defense helped fluster NC State into shooting 36% from the field, and his 18 first half points gave the Cowboys a lead that they never relinquished. But really, most of my memories from Smart come from his sophomore year in Stillwater--a three game stretch in the non-con where he scored 39, 25, and 30 points against Memphis, South Florida, and Purdue, respectively, cemented his status as must-watch TV. Although Oklahoma State ended up not living up to expectations that year, Smart still delivered some classic moments. A prototypical Smart game occurred in a home victory over Kansas. On defense, the burly guard matched up with myriad Jayhawks, from forwards Jamari Taylor and Andrew Wiggins to point guard Frank Mason III. He played particularly menacingly off-ball, notching four steals in the contest. On offense, he started out 1 for 10 from the field, as Oklahoma State trailed by ten midway through the second half. But then, Smart connected on his next four baskets, hitting big shot after big shot and getting to the foul line. He still had that ugly jumper, but it helped the Cowboys pull off the upset. Also, shout out to the 2014 draft class that got slapped with the "Could this be the greatest draft class ever?" label--that never ends well. Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, Dante Exum, and Smart all received speculation that they could be franchise cornerstones--only JoJo has fulfilled that billing.
Grant Williams, F - Tennessee (2016-19)
I love Knoxville, Tennessee (I lived there my first four years out of college, from the fall of 2015 up until this past July). I love Charlotte, North Carolina (my hometown). Grant Williams represents both. The Providence Day product blessed the “Scruffy Little City” the last three years. As an unheralded three-star recruit, Williams showed up to Tennessee undersized in height and oversized in weight; but the big man left as a two-time SEC Player of the Year and a first-round NBA draft pick. Plenty of articles detailed his Franz Kafka-like metamorphosis to exchange excess pounds for stamina. But I must note—Williams retained enough bulk to bully his foes down low. Over the course of a game, he eroded his opponents, wearing them down until they had nothing left. Williams rarely looked gas late into the second half, still throwing his butt into his man to box out and snuffing out weaker guards who tried to get into the lane. But the main on-court trait that drew me to Williams was his ability to pass out of the post. Just one look at his cross court dimes soothe the weary soul. Tennessee finished the 2019 season ranked third in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metric; and they ran most of their sets through Williams. Oh yeah, he also never lost to Kentucky at home. That clip above comes from his last showdown against the Cats in Thompson-Boling. He also threw a transition alley-oop well behind the three point line during that same game. Patric Young, F/C - Florida (2010-14)
In Billy Donovan’s college hoops swan song, he deployed an absolute fiend in the post. Patric Young dunked almost everything on offense and locked down the paint on defense, all while leading the Gators to the 2014 Final Four.
I always held out hope that Young's brute power could help him stick on an NBA roster, even if it was just a limited role. Strengths gotta count for something. After all, pandemonium erupted on Twitter last year when Duke shared a preseason photo of their freshman Zion Williamson (you may have heard of him). Photoshopped or authentic? Was Zion really that yoked? Who really knew? Well, Patric Young did it first.
(the photo of Young is definitely shopped)
Anyway, his career 49% free throw shooting highlighted his lack of touch, and he entered the professional ranks right when teams started going smaller and smaller. That kind of squelched any NBA chance he had; but Patric Young kept me interested in college hoops at a time in which my favorite team struggled through a down period. Second-Team (with much shorter blurbs) John Wall, G - Kentucky (2009-10) During my high school years, college recruiting essentially blossomed into its own sport. In the pre-Instagram era, my friends and I put the utmost value on being close to a TV whenever a top prospect announced his commitment. There are two recruitments I remember following the most closely: a defensive end from Rock Hill, SC, named Jadeveon Clowney, and a point guard out of Raleigh, NC, named John Wall. Wall exuded a rare mystique—his high school mixtape created a gold standard for highlight montages that none have marched, and his stardom seemed imminent. Also, during his recruitment, rumors circulated (at least around Charlotte) that he explicitly and verbally spurned Coach K, telling him that if he committed to Duke, the Hall of Fame coach would have to do things Wall’s way (still have no idea if that was true or not). This is a selection based as much on nostalgia as it is on entertainment—Kentucky was the biggest story in basketball that season. I remember lunch table debates over who would be a better building block in the league between Wall and teammate DeMarcus Cousins. I was always Team Wall. Russ Smith, G - Louisville (2010-14) Russ was the poster boy of the Pitino Press; he had the speed to nab a steal and torch defenders in the open court, his fiery persona mobilized his teammates (the 2013 Elite 8 game against Duke comes to mind), and the skinny dude had crazy bounce. Tyler Ennis, G - Syracuse (2013-14) During his year at Syracuse, Ennis made clutch plays look routine. But there’s one that sticks out to me the most. It was on a snow day in 2014, during my junior year of college. Carolina cancelled classes, and I was at Chapel Hill’s finest establishment, He’s Not Here. A group of students gathered around a TV to watch Syracuse try to protect their undefeated record by toppling Pittsburgh in the Pete. Pitt took the lead late, but Ennis had other plans.
I was convinced Ennis would be a stud in the NBA (He was not. He’s been out of the league for two years).
J.P. Macura, G - Xavier (2014-18) A few key factors can draw me to a player to whom I would otherwise feel indifference. 1. Someone who’s talented yet wears an unorthodox jersey number 2. Someone who’s a brash trash talker, but backs it up 3. Someone who sports an oddity of an accessory with his uniform. Macura got buckets with 55 across his chest. Macura ran his mouth nonstop and clapped back at people on Twitter. Macura wore sleeves his entire junior season, earning the nickname “JP Sleeves” from Mark Titus of the Titus and Tate podcast. Check, check, check. Rui Hachimura, F - Gonzaga (2014-18) I found Hachimura so intriguing just because of his unorthodox journey to Spokane. His freshman year, he spoke "30-40% fluent English" (per Wikipedia), but Zags coach Mark Few knew he could harness his explosiveness to develop a complete hooper. Hachimura flourished his junior year, earning First Team All American honors—I was particularly fond of his transition game. Honorable Mentions in No Particular Order: Gary Harris (Michigan State), Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Nathan Adrian (West Virginia), Ryan Spangler (Oklahoma), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Sindarius Thornwell (South Carolina), Ron Baker/Fred VanVleet (Wichita State), Thomas Bryant (Indiana), Melo Trimble (Maryland), Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Kris Dunn (Providence), and the Ty Jerome/Kyle Guy/DeAndre Hunter Trio (Virginia).
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I like the food on my Thanksgiving plate to converge into a mass of beige--turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy are really all you need. But nothing else in life should be that plain and monochromatic. For example, if you spent your holiday weekend watching David Blough and the Lions, or Taysom Hill gobbling up meaningless fantasy points, or a so-called "wild" rivalry week that really only featured one competitive game, chances are...you felt a little beige on Monday morning.
Thankfully, Feast Week delivered us from sports tedium. With so many games to watch, the basketball action may been overwhelming (Virginia Tech's upset of Michigan State feels like five years ago. However, don't let that distract you from the fact that Stephen F. Austin beat Duke in Cameron Indoor); but the whirlwind of hoops provided both entertainment and insight. Three Man Weave and Busting Brackets provide some great recaps on the week. However, I decided to just share some thoughts on the biggest storyline and also touch on one team who's not getting enough love. 1. Michigan: Top 5 Team? This offseason, the NBA siphoned a load of talent from Ann Arbor--the Wolverines lost their two best offensive players (Jordan Poole and Ignas Brazdeikis) and their best wing defender (Charles Matthews) to the draft, while the best coach in program history (John Beilein) departed to take over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although many applauded the Juwan Howard hire back in May, the uncertainty of a first year college coach combined with the apparent lack of a scoring punch kept Michigan from gaining much preseason attention. (I ranked them #35 initially...before leaving them out of my final preseason poll). That was a mistake. No team did more for its resume during Feast Week than the Wolverines; they beat Iowa State, North Carolina, and Gonzaga to capture the title at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. It seems like Michigan materialized out of nowhere--so what makes them so good? For starters, even without Matthews, the Wolverines still deploy a top-15 defense according to KenPom. Senior big man John Teske has upped both his block percentage and defensive box plus/minus from a season ago. Against North Carolina, he put freshman Armando Bacot in a full-nelson, holding him to 3 of 10 from the field with three turnovers. As Bacot showed against Oregon the next night, he is an excellent post player. But Teske erased him with his strength and defensive instincts. The senior followed up that effort with another four blocks versus Gonzaga--against legitimate NBA prospects in Filip Petrušev and Killian Tillie. An ace at guarding ball screens, Teske almost always makes the right defensive read, and he senses where he needs to be to make a stop.
Teske (#15) block Gonzaga's Petrušev (#3)
But it's not just Michigan's defense that makes them scary--both Teske and fellow-senior Zavier Simpson look better than ever on offense, too. And the Wolverines' ancillary pieces on the wing play confidently and unselfishly. Junior guard Eli Brooks, sophomore guard David DeJulius, and junior forward Isaiah Livers are all converting over 44% (!!!) of their three-point attempts. Livers, in particular, has catapulted into a breakout season. As a "stretch-4" archetype, he can splash open jumpers and can put the ball on the deck to score in a variety of ways. Ironically, Juwan Howard and his staff laid siege on the Bahamas while Jim Harbaugh laid down (still in his Dockers, don't worry). This led to one of my favorite tweets from the weekend.
2. It's Time to Acknowledge Florida State as a Consistent Top-5 ACC Team. Since we started this blurb with my preseason miss on Michigan, I'm gonna pat myself on the back for being right about Florida State. I ranked the 'Noles 19th, due largely to their ability to pressure the ball and force opponents into mistakes--and Leonard Hamilton's team currently checks in with the third best defense in the country per KenPom. Lost in the shuffle of Maui and the Battle 4 Atlantis was a Florida State team that knocked off both Tennessee and Purdue in the Emerald Coast Classic. In those two games, they harassed the Vols into 21 turnovers and the Boilermakers into 24. Per Bart Torvik, the 'Noles are turning teams over at the 11th highest rate in the country. Senior point guard Trent Forrest deserves the bulk of the credit, as he needles the other team's ballhandlers once they cross half-court, refusing to allow an easy entry pass. But junior forward RaiQuan Gray (a preseason crush of mine) has progressed in his defensive aptitude. As a 280-pounder who can guard multiple positions, he undermines opponents' offensive schemes. He also notched four steals against Purdue.
Gray (#1) switches from guarding Purdue's big man Matt Haarms (#32) to their point guard Nojel Eastern (#20)
In addition, Gray also throws some jaw-dropping dimes (My apologies; I couldn't create a gif because the video is too long. Just click that link though). Start the man already, Coach! En route to a Sweet 16 run in 2017, Hamilton showed that he could develop highly-touted recruits like Dwayne Bacon, Jonathan Isaac, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes into a cohesive team. The Seminoles built on that momentum with an Elite 8 trip in 2018, and they haven't looked back. I buy them as ACC contenders and a perennial Top 25 team until further notice. |
AuthorRiley Davis Archives
June 2021
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Photo used under Creative Commons from MarsInOrbit