After a week without games, the Final Four matchups have been sliced and diced in almost every way. In the first game between rivals Louisville and Kentucky, the Cardinals’ stout defense hopes to disrupt a more talented Kentucky team with AP player of the year Anthony Davis. Sports Illustrated’s Luke Winn has an excellent graphic analysis of each Final Four team, and he highlights the offensive versatility of Davis:
Final Four 2012: Spotlighting Key Matchups And Advantages For Kentucky And Ohio State
According to SI’s charting, Davis has 47 offensive possessions in the NCAA tournament, and he’s averaging 1.191 PPP, down from his season-long figure of 1.358. His ability to alter his offensive identity from game-to-game, though, has only gotten better.
The ways Davis tries to score in the tourney have varied widely. Against Baylor in the Elite Eight, Davis had 13 possessions and was heavy on spot-up jumpers (four) and lobs (four). He posted up just once.
Kentucky coach John Calipari insists that Davis will be a three at the next level, and much of Winn’s analysis bolsters that notion and reiterates his outside skills on the offensive end of the floor.
The second game will feature a strength-on-weakness matchup when it comes to turnovers, as Ohio State guard Aaron Craft is one of the best in the country at forcing them and Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor has been one of the most turnover-prone guards in the tournament so far. Winn has two telling graphs that highlight these strengths and weaknesses, and he also drops this stat on Craft's defensive prowess:
This is my current favorite CraftFact: In the NCAA tournament, he’s accounted for 40.20 percent of Ohio State’s total turnover production. That includes 13 credited steals, 5.5 uncredited turnovers, one charge taken and one moving-screen foul drawn.
While the main focus will be on the inside clash between the All-Americans, Jared Sullinger of OSU and Thomas Robinson of KU, the second game will likely be won or lost in the backcourt.
For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville's Final Four foe, check out A Sea of Blue. For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.
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