Tweet
First team:
Trey Burke, Michigan
Victor Oladipo, Indiana
Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
Otto Porter, Georgetown
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State
Second team:
Jeff Withey, Kansas
Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State
Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA
Doug McDermott, Creighton
Seth Curry, Duke
Third team:
Russ Smith, Louisville
Cody Zeller, Indiana
Ben McLemore, Kansas
Allen Crabbe, Cal
Shane Larkin, Miami
On Kelly:
The Gonzaga big man is, without a doubt, the most improved player in the country. He was mostly a role player his first two seasons at Gonzaga, then redshirted in what would have been his junior season. Olynyk used that time away from game action wisely; he came back a much more polished, confident player this season. The 7-footer has posted an amazing 126.1 offensive efficiency rating this season while being a focal point in the Gonzaga offense. As a point of reference, since statistician Ken Pomeroy started keeping track of such things in the 2005 season, only two players in the country have exceeded that number as a high-usage player—Marquette’s Travis Diener and Utah State’s Spencer Nelson back in 2005.
The number that really counts: 69.3 percent. Don’t be fooled into thinking Olynyk padded his gaudy numbers against weaker West Coast Conference competition. In his seven games against teams from the six “power” conferences—Oklahoma, Clemson, Washington State, Illinois, Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State—Olynyk made 52 of his 75 field-goal attempts, a stunning 69.3 percent. He averaged 17.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in those seven games, despite playing just 24.3 minutes in those contests. And the Bulldogs went 6-1 against those seven foes, losing only against a then-undefeated Illinois squad.
What the numbers don’t tell you: Olynyk makes the Gonzaga offense flow. He can’t really be guarded one-on-one, but there aren’t any appetizing double-team options for opposing teams. Olynyk is an excellent passer for a big man, and fellow big men Elias Harris or Sam Dower are both shooting better than 50 percent from the field; they can’t be left alone. The opposing guards can’t sag down to double because Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell, Jr., are both outstanding shooters from beyond the arc.
The number that really counts: 69.3 percent. Don’t be fooled into thinking Olynyk padded his gaudy numbers against weaker West Coast Conference competition. In his seven games against teams from the six “power” conferences—Oklahoma, Clemson, Washington State, Illinois, Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State—Olynyk made 52 of his 75 field-goal attempts, a stunning 69.3 percent. He averaged 17.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in those seven games, despite playing just 24.3 minutes in those contests. And the Bulldogs went 6-1 against those seven foes, losing only against a then-undefeated Illinois squad.
What the numbers don’t tell you: Olynyk makes the Gonzaga offense flow. He can’t really be guarded one-on-one, but there aren’t any appetizing double-team options for opposing teams. Olynyk is an excellent passer for a big man, and fellow big men Elias Harris or Sam Dower are both shooting better than 50 percent from the field; they can’t be left alone. The opposing guards can’t sag down to double because Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell, Jr., are both outstanding shooters from beyond the arc.
Comment