Tuesday, April 1, 2008

2008 NCAA Tournament All-Underdog Team

With this year's Final Four set as four number one seeds the upsets are done for the rest of this college basketball season.  The clock has struck twelve for this year's cinderella teams, but here is my first annual All-Underdog Team of the 2008 NCAA tournament.  This list consists of players from teams that pulled off at least one upset this year and proved pivotal to their squad.

MY STARTING FIVE
Stephen Curry - #10 Davidson (guard)
Steph Curry is the one that everyone has been talking about and rightfully so; he has been something special, especially as of late.  In his four games in the NCAA's Curry averaged 32 points per game along with 5.7 three pointers.  He took big shot after big shot and until late in the Kansas loss a lot of these shots fell for him.  NBA Draftee, anyone?

Scottie Reynolds - #12 Villanova (guard)
In Villanova's two big wins Reynolds averaged 23 points per contest on over 50% from the field.  Don't forget that the 'Cats were down big in their first game against Clemson and Reynolds was a big part of the second half comeback.

Tyrone Brazelton - #12 Western Kentucky (guard)
Brazelton scored 79 points during Western Kentcuky's three tourney games including a career-high 33 points in the Hilltoppers' exciting 101-99 first round win over favorite Drake.  Brazelton stayed consistent during the tournament and contributed in almost every statistical category.

Sonny Weems - #9 Arkansas (forward)
Weems really hadn't played well since the beginning of March for the Razorbacks, but that all changed when he took the court against the #8 seeded Indiana Hoosiers.  In Arkansas' first round win he managed to rack up a career high 31 points on an amazing 12 of 14 from the field.

Gyno Pomare - #13 San Diego (forward/center)
Junior player Gyno Pomare had a great tournament with 42 points on a 77% field goal percentage in San Diego's two games in the NCAA.  He was also a big part of containing the #4 seed Connecticut Huskie's forward line.

THE RESERVES
Michael Beasley - #11 Kansas State (forward)
Nothing in the tournament changed for Mr. Beasley as he was himself averaging a double-double in K-State's two tourney games.  Simply put, Michael Beasley can have an off game, and yet still accumulate numbers that would be other guys' best career games; that's how good he is.

Kenny Hasbrouck - #13 Sienna (guard)
Hasbrouck really took charge of Sienna's big upset over #4 seeded Vanderbilt.  In the first round win, he scored 30 points and sank all ten free throws that he shot.  He was also a big reason that the Sienna Saints were able to hang tough with Villanova for so long in the second round.

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