Individual Matchups We Can't Wait to See in 2016-17 College Basketball Season
We root for teams in college basketball, but individual battles between elite players are what usually get us hyped leading up to games.
Had Michigan State and Oklahoma met in the 2016 NCAA tournament, there would have been an endless barrage of Denzel Valentine vs. Buddy Hield think pieces, and we would have voraciously gobbled them up. Even though Kentucky's Skal Labissiere had a dreadful freshman year, his matchup with LSU's Ben Simmons was all anyone could talk about before those two games.
With that in mind, we've pinpointed the 20 individual matchups that should generate the most buzz in the upcoming season.
Several of the best ones—Jayson Tatum vs. Josh Jackson and Markelle Fultz vs. Lonzo Ball, in particular—are duels between highly touted incoming freshmen. But we have plenty of veteran clashes on the list as well.
With one notable exception, each of these matchups is between players who play the same position and would actually be battling one another. Hield vs. Simmons was fun last year, but defense is half the battle, and those guys didn't defend each other.
Once paired, ranking boiled down to a fluid combination of NBA draft, Wooden Award and 2017 national championship implications. In other words, the more it matters in April and June, the more we need to watch it live.
20. Tacko Fall (UCF) vs. Aaron Menzies (Seattle)
1 of 20
Date: Nov. 26
The rest of the matchups are battles between individuals who figure to put up eye-popping numbers this season, but this one is just an old-fashioned spectator sport involving two of the biggest players in the country.
Central Florida's Tacko Fall was an internet sensation long before his freshman year and was recruited by dozens of Division I programs. The allure of the 7'6" center increased tenfold when the #FreeTacko campaign began in protest to the NCAA's attempt to rule him academically ineligible despite a great GPA and a major in engineering. Fall averaged 16.7 points, 13.3 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per 40 minutes as a freshman and should be headed for more playing time in his second season.
Seattle's Aaron Menzies isn't quite as tall at 7'3", but he's a giant compared to pretty much everyone other than Fall. Stuck behind 6'11" senior Jack Crook on the depth chart, Menzies only played 16.3 minutes per game as a freshman. He should become the go-to big man for the Redhawks this year.
Hopefully this one is more entertaining than last year's game between the nation's tallest men. After a photo frenzy at tip-off, Fall and UC Irvine's Mamadou Ndiaye combined for 11 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in an overtime game last November, so the bar isn't set particularly high.
19. Jack Gibbs (Davidson) vs. Jaron Blossomgame (Clemson)
2 of 20
Date: Nov. 17
Like Tacko Fall vs. Aaron Menzies, this one is a bit different from the remaining pairings on the list, as Jack Gibbs and Jaron Blossomgame don't even play the same position. The former is a combo guard who might lead the nation in scoring, and the latter is a power forward with three-point range who might do the same.
And that's what should make this game a delight. Gibbs and Blossomgame won't be going toe-to-toe on defense, but they ought to go blow-for-blow on offense, taking turns making buckets to keep up with each other.
Gibbs scored at least 34 points in a game seven times last season, topping 40 on three occasions. Blossomgame wasn't quite that prolific, but he did put up at least 22 points 15 times.
But because they play for teams that haven't won a single NCAA tournament game in the past five years, they're two of the more anonymous stars in the country heading into their senior seasons. In a nationally televised game less than one week into the season, this is the chance for both players to make early statements that they deserve to be be taken seriously this year.
18. Monte Morris (Iowa State) vs. Jordan Woodard (Oklahoma)
3 of 20
Date: Jan. 21 or Feb. 11
Monte Morris and Jordan Woodard are two peas in a pod. Both are excellent senior point guards who have played 105 games, starting nearly all of them. They play a ton of minutes, have averaged right around 11 points per game in their careers and are arguably the two most important players in the Big 12 this year.
That's largely because each one lost three starters from last year's roster and will be tasked with running the ship like never before.
Woodard has always had Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler to help him out. Morris had grown accustomed to a high-octane offense powered by Georges Niang and a rotating cast of former transfers.
But this year, it'll all be on them. Guys such as Oklahoma's Khadeem Lattin and Iowa State's Matt Thomas will be big factors, but whether the Sooners and/or Cyclones make the 2017 NCAA tournament will be up to their veteran ball-handlers.
Morris got the better of last year's three battles, accounting for 37 points, 11 assists and eight steals to Woodard's 23, 13 and six, but Woodard's Sooners won two of those three closely contested games. Look for them both to put up more points in this year's showdowns.
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
17. V.J. Beachem (Notre Dame) vs. Jonathan Isaac (Florida State)
4 of 20
Date: Jan. 18 or Feb. 11
Beyond the sheer explosiveness of both players involved, what's perhaps most intriguing about this matchup is that both V.J. Beachem and Jonathan Isaac figure to spend the bulk of the 2016-17 season playing somewhere other than their natural positions.
Both the Fighting Irish and Seminoles are lacking quality big men. With Zach Auguste gone, 6'5" Bonzie Colson is Notre Dame's leading returning rebounder. And while Florida State has plenty of options in Jarquez Smith, Christ Koumadje and Phil Cofer, not one of those guys has emerged as a clear go-to forward or center.
As a result, both Beachem (6'8") and Isaac (6'10") will likely play a lot of minutes at the 5, even though each would be more comfortable as a small forward—similar to the quandary facing Jabari Parker at Duke a few years ago.
Though he seemed to run out of gas late in the 2013-14 season, Parker made it work, and we trust these two will as well. At any rate, their teams will be in some trouble if they don't. Regardless of the height of the players on the opposing team that they'll need to defend, Beachem and Isaac will be expected to be among the primary offensive contributors for these ACC squads.
Whether they're able to get the job done may well determine just how historically great this conference can be.
16. Kelan Martin (Butler) vs. OG Anunoby (Indiana)
5 of 20
Date: Dec. 17
This list would be incomplete without an appearance from Indiana's OG Anunoby. His transformation from unknown recruit to elite defender with sick hops to maybe the most important sophomore in the country has been one of the most fascinating things to watch unfold over the past 10 months.
Once we remove Kansas' Josh Jackson (who appears near the top of the list) and North Carolina's Justin Jackson (we have a better Indiana vs. UNC pairing forthcoming), there was only one logical choice to match up with the Hoosiers small forward.
Butler's Kelan Martin is going to score a ton of points this season. He averaged 15.7 points per game last year, and that was with Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones accounting for more than 22 field-goal attempts per game. With those guys graduating, Martin should lead the Big East in scoring, if not the country.
But will he be able to score against Anunoby?
Given Butler's lackluster nonconference schedule, Martin ought to bring one heck of a scoring average into this battle. If Anunoby can keep him from scoring 30 points, though, the Hoosiers should have too much firepower for the Bulldogs to handle.
15. Edmond Sumner (Xavier) vs. Marcus LoVett Jr. (St. John's)
6 of 20
Date: Jan. 7 or Jan. 29
Outside of Tacko Fall vs. Aaron Menzies, Marcus LoVett Jr. is the one player on this list without realistic NCAA tournament aspirations. Never say never, though. There's a surprise team or five every season. But don't expect to see St. John's in any preseason bracket projections.
Though Xavier should be favored to dominate both of these Big East games, the individual battle at point guard figures to be a great one.
Edmond Sumner is the most NBA-ready player in this conference. In fact, Jessie Govan (Georgetown), Josh Hart (Villanova) and Sumner are the only players projected to be selected next June, according to Draft Express. And considering Govan and Hart are both frontcourt players, it's hard to find an equal for the electric 6'6" point guard.
LoVett might be the guy.
A partial qualifier who was only allowed to practice last season, LoVett was a top-100 recruit who was viewed as the beginning of the Red Storm's turnaround. He was head coach Chris Mullin's first major splash on the recruiting trail and should be a huge part of this team for however many years Mullin can convince him to stay.
This might be where we find out just how long the St. John's rebuild is going to take. If LoVett can hold his own with Sumner, the Red Storm might be a factor this year.
14. Melo Trimble (Maryland) vs. Jawun Evans (Oklahoma State)
7 of 20
Date: Dec. 3
If the respective teams were expected to be better, this might be a top-five matchup.
That's because, at their bests, Melo Trimble and Jawun Evans are two of the best combo guards in the entire country.
Trimble had a phenomenal freshman year two seasons ago, propelling Maryland to an unexpected No. 4 seed in the 2015 NCAA tournament. His three-point percentage suffered in year No. 2, but he was still the driving force of a Maryland team that spent most of the season ranked in the Top 10.
Meanwhile, Evans quietly averaged a remarkable 12.9 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game as a freshman. He also tallied 1.1 steals per game and shot 47.5 percent from beyond the arc. Prior to the injury that cost him the final 10 games of the season, few players were better, regardless of position or years of experience.
But will either be enough to get his team into the 2017 Big Dance? The Terrapins have a better shot, but this could be the game that puts the Cowboys into the conversation and makes more people appreciate how much talent Evans has.
13. Josh Hart (Villanova) vs. Caleb Swanigan (Purdue)
8 of 20
Date: Nov. 14
Josh Hart is a 6'5" guard who rebounds well. Caleb Swanigan is a 6'9" bowling ball who should dominate in the paint for a second straight season. On traditional rosters, these two guys wouldn't match up against one another.
But Purdue has 7'2" Isaac Haas to play center, making Swanigan its 4, and Villanova has a projected starting backcourt of Jalen Brunson, Phil Booth and Kris Jenkins, making Hart a 4 as well. In fact, with Omari Spellman academically ineligible to play this season, Hart may even spend some time at the 5.
You might think this to be a physical mismatch. However, let us remind you that Hart did a fine job of defending in the frontcourt this past season. Granted, he had more than a little bit of help from Daniel Ochefu, but veteran big guys such as Kamari Murphy, Perry Ellis and Brice Johnson struggled to get going against the Wildcats in the NCAA tournament.
Could he do similar things to Swanigan? Or will Swanigan be able to defend the much quicker Hart?
For both teams and players, it'll be an intriguing early look into what they'll be able to do on both ends of the floor this season. A lot will change between mid-November and late March, but one of these Final Four contenders is going to get out to a nice start with a quality win.
12. Thomas Bryant (Indiana) vs. Isaiah Hicks (North Carolina)
9 of 20
Date: Nov. 30
It's kind of hard to believe that either Thomas Bryant or Isaiah Hicks will be playing in 2016-17.
Along with frontcourt teammate Kennedy Meeks, Hicks was a McDonald's All-American in 2013. But unlike Meeks, who has started 77 games over the past three seasons, Hicks has been waiting a long time for a starting gig. With Brice Johnson out of the picture, he should become the primary power forward in his final year of eligibility.
Bryant is only a sophomore, but based on the freshman season he had—and the NCAA tournament game against Kentucky, in particular—most assumed he was more likely to be on the Indiana Pacers than the Indiana Hoosiers right now. Bryant almost certainly would have been a first-round pick this past June. Instead, he's back for one more year with hopes of avenging the loss to North Carolina that ended his freshman season.
It's almost impossible for Hicks to be any worse in the rematch than he was in the Sweet 16. He came off the bench and fouled out in just seven minutes of action, finishing with just four points, two rebounds and a turnover. He had an excellent year as North Carolina's primary frontcourt reserve, but that was far from his finest hour.
Expect the Hoosiers to attack him early and often in search of more whistles. In fact, it's probably safe to assume Indiana will generally feed its primary big man more than it did last year. Bryant made 70.7 percent of his two-point attempts, but he didn't take nearly as many shots per minute as Yogi Ferrell, Troy Williams or Max Bielfeldt did. But with those three guys gone, Bryant ought to join James Blackmon Jr. as the best scoring options on the roster.
11. Chris Boucher (Oregon) vs. Alec Peters (Valparaiso)
10 of 20
Date: Nov. 17
This is No. 1 on my list, but I admittedly have an unhealthy obsession with stretch 4s or 5s who can rebound and defend. They are for college basketball what baseball players are who can hit 25 home runs and steal 25 bases while also providing value with their gloves.
But neither Chris Boucher nor Alec Peters is a lock to be drafted after what will be their final seasons of collegiate eligibility, so we'll keep this gem out of the top 10 in favor of battles between guys who may be stars at both this level and the next one.
However, if you're the type who can enjoy college basketball without worrying about draft position (i.e. if Georges Niang vs. Perry Ellis and Kyle Wiltjer vs. Kyle Collinsworth were among your favorite individual battles last season), you're not going to want to miss this one.
As a junior, Peters averaged 18.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting 44.0 percent from three-point range. Literally hundreds of players have averaged at least 18.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game over the past two decades, but the only ones to do so while draining at least 80 three-pointers at a clip of better than 40 percent are Peters, Kevin Durant, Doug McDermott, Shane Battier and Denzel Valentine. That's solid company.
Meanwhile, Boucher became the first person since Seton Hall's Eddie Griffin in 2000-01 to record at least 110 blocks and 110 three-point attempts in the same season, making him even more of a unicorn than Peters.
Watching those two guys go head-to-head might make my head explode.
10. Grayson Allen (Duke) vs. Dwayne Bacon (Florida State)
11 of 20
Date: Jan. 10 or Feb. 28
Finding a good one-on-one matchup for Grayson Allen was almost impossible. Kansas has some great options, but freshman studs Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum are a much more intriguing pairing than Allen and Devonte' Graham. You could make a case for Michigan State's Eron Harris, but we're not even sure if Tom Izzo knows what combinations of lineups he'll be rolling with for the first month with his young team.
But Florida State's Dwayne Bacon is a guy who can provide a good battle for the presumed preseason National Player of the Year.
Allen and Bacon only met once last season, though it was Allen's tripping incident with Xavier Rathan-Mayes that had everyone buzzing after the game. When FSU's 6'7" freshman guard was matched up against Allen, though, it was a problem for the Blue Devil. He finished the game with 18 points, but he needed 20 shots to get there—one of just three games last season in which Allen had more shots than points.
Bacon, meanwhile, finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, though he wasn't much more efficient than Allen was.
With Malik Beasley leaving early and Devon Bookert, Montay Brandon and Boris Bojanovsky all graduating, Bacon should be significantly more of an offensive focus for the Seminoles than he was as a freshman, making these two conference games among the most entertaining individual scoring duels we'll see this season.
9. Tyler Davis (Texas A&M) vs. Bam Adebayo (Kentucky)
12 of 20
Date: Jan. 3 or March 4
Though Kentucky is the only surefire NCAA tournament team in the conference, the SEC is where it's at for quality big men this year. We have Vanderbilt's Luke Kornet, Florida's John Egbunu, Georgia's Yante Maten and Arkansas' Moses Kingsley all in the running for conference first-team honors.
But we also have a pair of showdowns between Texas A&M's Tyler Davis and Kentucky's Bam Adebayo that should be must-watch television.
Much like Indiana's Thomas Bryant, Davis was an absolute stud as a freshman who wasn't utilized nearly enough but who is destined for a huge uptick in touches based on how many key players from last year's team left. In fact, Davis is the only returning starter for the Aggies and figures to become their go-to guy in 2016-17.
Kentucky also lost most of its key players from last season (What else is new?), but it is in fantastic shape, thanks in part to the addition of Adebayo. There has been a lot of buzz about Isaac Humphries and Wenyen Gabriel thus far in the preseason, but all signs and draft projections point toward Adebayo serving as the starting power forward for the Wildcats and anchoring a frontcourt that desperately needed a guy like him last year.
Davis and Adebayo both check in around 6'10" and 260 pounds. Against most opponents, they'll be able to push their way around. When Kentucky and Texas A&M lock horns, though, the battle in the post will look like a war between boulders.
8. Ray Smith (Arizona) vs. Miles Bridges (Michigan State)
13 of 20
Date: Nov. 11
There are quite a few intriguing battles between incoming freshmen, but this is the only one involving a redshirt freshman.
Arizona's Ray Smith was supposed to be a key piece of last year's rotation. Rated by Scout as the 16th-best player in the 2015 recruiting class, Smith might have started at small forward ahead of Allonzo Trier had he not torn his right ACL in October—this after missing his entire senior year of high school hoops after tearing his left ACL.
At this point, both the mystery and intrigue around Smith have surpassed the expectations we had for San Diego State's Malik Pope—who missed the bulk of his final two years of high school basketball due to leg injuries. If Smith is finally healthy, he could be a star and should be Arizona's primary small or power forward.
But will he hit the ground running on the first night of the 2016-17 season?
Will Michigan State's Miles Bridges?
Rated by Scout as the 14th-best player in this year's class, Bridges is a massive part of the expectations that the Spartans will open the year as a top-10 team. We're excited for the early glimpse into what he will be able to do in Tom Izzo's quest to replace Denzel Valentine, Bryn Forbes and Matt Costello.
7. Frank Mason III (Kansas) vs. De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky)
14 of 20
Date: Jan. 28
It has a long, impossible journey to catch up to the annual, late-December tradition of Kentucky vs. Louisville, but late-January Kentucky vs. Kansas should be a remarkable nonconference showdown for a second consecutive year. Both teams figure to open the season ranked in the Top 5, so this may well determine which one gets to be the No. 1 seed in either the Midwest (Kansas City) or South (Memphis) Regions.
Regardless of whether the Jayhawks or Wildcats end up with No. 1 seeds, though, we'll be fascinated by this battle between their primary 1s.
Frank Mason III often goes underappreciated because he's been such a steady producer who isn't going to pop off for 30 points or 15 assists on any given night, but he has been one of the best point guards in the nation over the past two seasons.
De'Aaron Fox, on the other hand, is the type of explosive ball-handler who will be expected to put up crazy individual numbers from time to time. Against Kansas' three-headed monster of a backcourt, though, that will be a challenge.
In last year's game, Tyler Ulis had a field day, finishing with 26 points, eight assists and three steals in the high-scoring affair. Could Fox do something similar to Mason, or will the wily veteran school the young whippersnapper?
6. Malik Monk (Kentucky) vs. Donovan Mitchell (Louisville)
15 of 20
Date: Dec. 21
Speaking of nonconference games like Kentucky vs. Louisville, this year's battle in the Bluegrass State will feature two of the most explosive shooting guards in recent history.
Good luck finding anyone who isn't all-in on a Donovan Mitchell breakout season for the Cardinals. He posted modest numbers in limited minutes as a freshman, but it didn't stop him from throwing down a handful of thunderous, highlight-reel dunks. It came in spurts, but the immense potential that made him a 5-star recruit was on display often enough to support the theory that he will become Louisville's star player this year.
But Malik Monk has the hops to jump right over Mitchell, as he is arguably the biggest YouTube sensation of this year's crop of recruits. Monk is more than just a high-flying slammer, but we're hoping the stars will align here for some sort of unforgettable in-game dunk contest.
The number of SlamBall references in this game should be off the charts.
5. Joel Berry II (North Carolina) vs. Dennis Smith Jr. (North Carolina State)
16 of 20
Date: Jan. 7 or Feb. 15
If you're buying stock in Joel Berry II as North Carolina's best player and a legitimate candidate for the Wooden Award, this matchup could easily be No. 1 on the list. We had Berry at No. 2 on our list of ACC Player of the Year candidates, so we believe the junior point guard who averaged 14.8 points and 4.2 assists in nine postseason games last season could become the nation's most valuable player.
However, not everyone is of that mindset. ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman published a Wooden Award watch list of sorts in mid-September. He named 26 active players without any mention of Berry—or any Tar Heels, for that matter. In late July, The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre somehow managed to rank his 50 best players and 23 more players who "just missed" without including Berry.
Though those guys whiffed on the junior star for North Carolina, they both like the freshman stud for North Carolina State.
Dennis Smith Jr. is on the short list of contenders for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. A combo guard with explosiveness on par with what Russell Westbrook was doing at this age, Smith was regarded by some as the No. 1 recruit in this year's class prior to tearing his ACL in August 2015. (He was subsequently dropped to around No. 10 in the consensus rankings, though Harry Giles curiously wasn't given the same treatment after his second major knee injury.)
Unless Smith has the leg joints of Derrick Rose, the recovery time for an ACL is roughly six to nine months. Well it's been 14 months, and we can hardly wait to watch what he can do on that surgically repaired knee.
4. Nigel Hayes (Wisconsin) vs. Tyler Lydon (Syracuse)
17 of 20
Date: Nov. 29
Like Joel Berry II, Tyler Lydon turned a dominant stretch in the 2016 postseason into a spot on the fringe of the National Player of the Year conversation.
With Malachi Richardson, Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney each averaging more than 11 field-goal attempts per game, Lydon didn't get nearly as many touches as he deserved. But the shot-blocking stretch 4 was lethal when he did get the ball, shooting 54.2 percent inside the arc and 40.5 percent beyond it. All three of those guards are out of the picture now. Even with the addition of Nebraska transfer Andrew White III, Lydon should put up more impressive numbers than last season.
As should Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes, who had a brutally inefficient junior year compared to what he did as a sophomore. Case in point—it took him 15 shots and five turnovers to score 15 points when Wisconsin played Syracuse last December. That from the same guy who put up 25 points and one turnover on 11 shots in the 2015 Big Ten Championship Game.
When the bulk of his supporting cast left, Hayes became Wisconsin's obvious primary scoring option. And by the time Ethan Happ fully emerged as a go-to guy, Hayes looked every bit the part of a man who carried a team for months. With better established roles for the entire team heading into this season, Hayes should be able to settle in as a star once again.
3. Ivan Rabb (California) vs. Austin Nichols (Virginia)
18 of 20
Date: Dec. 21
The nation's most important transfer against the player most likely to be taken first among non-freshmen in the 2017 NBA draft. Though no one expects California to be as good as Virginia this year, it doesn't get much better than this individual battle.
The last time we saw a healthy Austin Nichols on the court, he was doing ridiculous things. He had four games during the 2014-15 season with at least 12 points, seven rebounds and six blocks. He wasn't the most efficient scorer by any means, but it's hard to shoot better than 50 percent when opposing teams know you're the only player who can be trusted to put the ball in the hoop.
Nichols should flourish in Virginia's defensive system. Between Anthony Gill, Mike Tobey, Darion Atkins and Akil Mitchell, Tony Bennett has had some quality big men to anchor his pack-line defense in recent years—but nothing like Nichols. With his ability to turn away or alter shots, this might be Virginia's most efficient defense to date.
But Nichols will be put to the test by a few elite big men this season, and the first of those is Ivan Rabb.
Without a doubt, Rabb would have been a lottery pick if he hadn't decided to return for a sophomore season. Through an injury to Tyrone Wallace, Jaylen Brown's inefficiency and occasional slumps by Jabari Bird or Jordan Mathews, Rabb was the one steady force for Cal's best team in decades, even though he was the least utilized of those five players.
This year, however, he's the man. Whether he turns that into a nightly stream of 20-10 performances or folds a bit under the pressure remains to be seen, but Cal's 2016-17 hopes and dreams are pinned on Rabb and his ability to beat guys like Nichols.
2. Jayson Tatum (Duke) vs. Josh Jackson (Kansas)
19 of 20
Date: Nov. 15
The nation's No. 1 freshman small forward signed with Kansas. No. 2 on that list will be suiting up for Duke. Both Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum are unanimous top-5 freshmen and—depending on how concerned scouts are with Harry Giles' injury history—will likely be the first two non-point guards selected in the 2017 NBA draft.
If you're not seeing the parallels to Andrew Wiggins vs. Jabari Parker from three years ago, it's time to get your eyes checked.
Neither Jackson nor Tatum has been quite as aggressively touted as Wiggins and Parker were. Rather than comparisons to Kevin Durant and LeBron James, most have been comparing Jackson to Wiggins. And for as insanely talented as he is, Tatum hasn't even been the third-most talked about Blue Devil over the past six months.
For those reasons, the hype for this matchup hasn't even remotely approached what it was in 2013.
Give it a few more weeks, though. Duke will be the near-unanimous No. 1 team in the preseason AP Top 25, with Kansas likely checking in at No. 2 or No. 3. As we draw closer to the start of the season and people get amped for the Champions Classic, this will be the individual matchup everyone is buzzing about.
1. Markelle Fultz (Washington) vs. Lonzo Ball (UCLA)
20 of 20
Date: Feb. 4 or March 1
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has Washington's Markelle Fultz at No. 1 on his draft board with one month remaining until the start of the regular season, with UCLA's Lonzo Ball noted as the "top passer in the draft" with "unteachable vision."
Not since Derrick Rose vs. Russell Westbrook in the 2008 Final Four has there been a point guard matchup this juicy. And injuries permitting, we're guaranteed to get this one at least twice because two of the best freshman guards in the country opted to join opposing Pac-12 forces.
Though we're higher on UCLA (and probably lower on Washington) than most, these aren't games that figure to have much impact on college basketball's national landscape. If you want surefire lottery picks for favorites to win conference championships, Jayson Tatum vs. Josh Jackson is the one for you.
But if you like to be wowed by sheer athleticism and court vision, look no further.
The added benefit of Fultz vs. Ball is that they'll be going against each other in every single half-court set when both players are on the court. There will be plenty of times that Jackson and Tatum or Ivan Rabb and Austin Nichols battle it out in isolation, but not one of those players is guaranteed to touch the ball on any given possession.
With these point guards, though, you know they'll be going back and forth all night.
Rose and Westbrook combined for 47 of the 141 total points in the aforementioned gem. We're expecting more assists and less scoring in these two games, but we're also expecting to see two guys who know they're playing in front of dozens of NBA scouts with a chance to prove they deserve to be drafted ahead of the other. They should put on some remarkable shows.
Stats are courtesy of KenPom.com and Sports-Reference.com. Recruiting information is courtesy of Scout.com.
Kerry Miller covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @kerrancejames.
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
