Le'Bryan Nash vs. Arsalan Kazemi
There aren't many players in the country with combination of strength, size, and athleticism as Le'Bryan Nash, at 6-7, 230 he's got elite hops and great length. He's still a work in progress on the offensive end, but his ability to just out-athlete muscle opponents makes him very effective at this level. Nash is very good in the post and draws a lot of fouls because of his ability to draw contact. However, luckily for Oregon, they have one of the few guys in the country that can match-up physically with Nash. Arsalan Kazemi isn't quite the athlete Nash is (not a knock on him), but he's every bit as big and strong. Kazemi is one of the toughest players in College Basketball, he is always hustling and can really crash the boards (9.5 boards a game). The battle between Nash and Kazemi, particularly in the post, should be fantastic. Nash is a first round draft pick, and he could really boost his stock with a good showing, especially against a guy like Kazemi, who could get a look in the second round himself, and at worst has a career in Europe ahead of him.
Big 12 POY Marcus Smart has the potential to be the top overall pick, he is the engine that makes Oklahoma State go, both as an emotional leader and as a playmaker from the point guard position. He runs the Cowboy offense and creates havoc on the defensive end. Smart is one of the biggest point guards in the country (6-4, 225), and he will have a big size advantage over Oregon point guard Dominic Artis (6-1, 185). Artis was injured part way through the season, and after he got hurt Oregon struggled. He's come back since then and the Ducks have picked it up again, however Artis is still clearly rusty. If Artis can get back to full strength for this game, it should provide with a very interesting matchup. Smart has the big size advantage, but it will be big to see if he can stay in front of the smaller, quick Artis. Artis doesn't put up huge numbers, but he makes the Oregon offense run smoothly and if Smart can disrupt him down, it will go a long way to push Oklahoma State to the next round. Oregon was woefully under-seeded so this will be a closer game than most expect. If Smart dominates and continues to make winning plays on both ends, it will help to solidify him as a top 3 pick.
Laurence Bowers and Alex Oriakhi vs. Colton Iverson and Pierce Hornug
Missouri and Colorado State are two of the top 4 rebounding teams, as far as rebounds per game, in the country, so you can expect a battle in the paint, and that battle will be at it's fiercest when Colton Iverson (6-10, 260, 9.8 rpg) and Pierce Hornug (6-6, 210, 9.2 rpg) goes up against Alex Oriakhi (6-9, 255, 8.6 rpg) and Laurence Bowers (6-8, 227, 6.2 rpg). Iverson is a load in the paint and can really score inside, and it will be up to Oriakhi to battle him in the paint, while Bowers will have to deal with Hornug's hustle, particularly on the offensive boards (4.2 per game). Bowers, Oriakhi, and Iverson all have potential to be second round picks in the NBA, but this matchup is really all about just watching big, strong guys battling in the paint, both on offense, defense, and the boards. College basketball is so guards based, and there will still be a lot of guard play in this time, but the amount of big man play in this game should excite those Shaqs-at-heart.
Doug McDermott vs. Cincinnati's defense
A finalist for POY and one of the best scorers in the country, Doug McDermott can score from anywhere on the floor and is a perpetual mismatch. A guy who can score in the post, yet still shoots 50% from 3 is extremely rare. McDermott did all that however, without facing a really good defensive team. Cincinnati is just that, they will slow down Creighton's fast paced offense to a crawl and grind them out on the boards. Cincinnati doesn't have NBA prospects, but they have guards who can get under McDermott on the perimeter and long, athletic forwards for when he posts up. If McDermott can have a big performance against a defense like the Bearcats, it could go a long way to boost his NBA status and prove that he's not just a product of competition. McDermott could come back next season and be a favorite for player of the year again, or make the jump to the NBA, which choice he makes will come down to this game.
Matthew Dellavedova and Stephen Holt vs. Joe Jackson and Geron Johnson
Memphis has the size and athleticism advantage in this game, but it will come down to the execution of the guards to see who will ultimately win. Joe Jackson has had a very good season, but with the exception of the Louisville game, he's struggled against every good team Memphis has faced this season. Jackson's backcourt mate Geron Johnson has really started to come into his own down the stretch this season, but he also struggled against quality competition. St. Mary's offers a different challenge than VCU and Louisville's press or Minnesota and Xavier's toughness, instead the Gaels, particularly Matthew Dellavedova and Stephen Holt, will force Jackson and Johnson to be disciplined, particularly on the perimeter as both are good shooters. Where the Memphis guards will particularly have to stay disciplined is in the pick-and-roll. Dellavadova is very good at running the St. Mary's offense and will pick Memphis apart if they don't stay in front of him and play disciplined. The best NBA prospect of these four is ironically Dellavadova, who has it all except the great athleticism, he could be picked up in the second round and at worst will have a long European career.
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