Friday, March 18, 2011

Round of 32 matchups to watch (East)

Kevin Jones and John Flowers vs. Terrence Jones
All three of these players have similar games, they're small fowards who play in the paint but can also stretch defenses with their shooting. Kevin Jones and Flowers are fringe NBA prospects, but Terrence Jones is a top ten pick. Jones has spent a lot of time as a small ball 4, using his shooting and ball handling skills to beat slower paint players. However, the two West Virginia forwards have the quickness to guard him on the perimeter as well as the strength to bang with him down low. It's a matchup worth watching to see if Jones can still excel with a less favorable matchup. The matchup of Kentucky's freshman guards (Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb) vs. West Virginia's tough peremiter defenders (Joe Mazzulla and Daryl Bryant) should also be a good matchup.

Harrison Barnes vs. Justin Holiday
Harrison Barnes has had an up and down season but is starting to put together more consistent production. He tends to shy away from contact settles for jumpshots too often. He'll be tested against Justin Holiday, one of the best wing defenders in the country. Holiday will be physical with Barnes and try to force him into shooting jumpers. Barnes is a good jump shooter, but if he wants to lead his team, he'll have to put the ball on the deck to open up offense for his team. It'll be big for Barnes to show what he can do against an NBA level defender.

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