Final Four 2013: Key Players That Must Redeem Poor Performances

Louisville and Michigan are heading to the national championship game, but not everyone lived up to expectations in the semifinals.

After losing to Wichita State for most of the game, No. 1 overall seed Louisville needed a big effort from Luke Hancock to take the lead and eventually win. Meanwhile, Michigan barely survived its matchup with Syracuse after nearly blowing a 10-point second-half lead.

Things will be tougher in the next round when both teams have to face each other. In order to leave Atlanta as champions, these squads will have to hope for better showings from these key players.

Peyton Siva, Louisville

While Russ Smith has gotten to the point in his career that you should trust almost every decision he makes, Peyton Siva has not earned that privilege.

The volatile point guard has the ability to be one of the best in the country at his position, but he has also cost Louisville games based on erratic play. Saturday was almost another example of that happening.

Siva had only three assists and made only one of his nine field-goal attempts. To make matters worse, he took five shots from behind the arc and missed all of them. 

This is a senior who made 29.2 percent of his shots on the season; he should know better than to keep shooting from deep. In fact, he is now 1-of-12 from three-point range during the NCAA tournament.

He must get back to being the distributing point guard who occasionally drives to the basket for a layup. Otherwise, Siva is just hurting the offense instead of helping it.

Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan

As a veteran player, Tim Hardaway Jr. has gotten to the point in his career where he can have a productive day even when he is not playing well.

The guard finished the game against Syracuse with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. The problem is that he needed 16 shots to get his points.

In the last two games, Hardaway has gone just 7-of-29 from the floor. This is not good no matter which team you are playing against.

Throughout the year, the junior has been the second-leading scorer on Michigan and one of the key contributors at that end of the court. However, his 12 missed shots in the semifinals are the most he has had all season.

It will not be easy to score against Louisville, but the junior must find ways to make it happen in a way that does not include chucking up bad shots. Driving to the basket and getting to the free-throw line might be a smart move for Hardaway if he does not regain his shooting form soon.

Gorgui Dieng, Louisville

Most people talk about the backcourt when discussing Louisville, but Gorgui Dieng is one of the most important players on the roster.

He is a great interior defender, and he finished the regular season second on the team in points per game, although neither his offensive or defensive skills were on display on Saturday.

The center scored zero points, only taking one shot all game. He has to be much more active against Michigan on that end of the court. At the very least, he has to be aggressive for offensive rebounds to create easy second-chance points.

On defense, Dieng was just as bad. He anchored a unit that allowed 13 offensive rebounds during the game, and the Wichita State guards were continually able to score near the basket with no one contesting a shot.

If this type of play continues into the national championship, the Michigan guards will destroy this defense.

Nik Stauskas, Michigan

Nik Stauskas' effectiveness is basically tied to his ability to make three-point shots.

Michigan's win over Florida in the Elite Eight turned into a blowout thanks to a 6-of-6 night by Stauskas from behind the arc. Against Syracuse, he missed all four of his shot attempts from downtown.

The freshman has the potential to be a very good all-around player, but 61 percent of his shots this season were from three-point range. His value is in his shooting, and that has to be much better in the next round.

Louisville is not going to allow a lot of easy looks at the basket. Their defense on the perimeter is one of the best in the country, and it is one of the main reasons the Cardinals are one game away from a title.

However, Stauskas must take any look he gets and make sure it goes into the basket; otherwise he will have a lot to think about over the long offseason.

Link to Printable PDF

Link to Live Bracket

Follow all the exciting NCAA Tournament action with March Madness Live

Follow @TheRobGoldberg