Griffin vs Hansbrough? Probably not
Mar 29, 2009
I want Ali versus Frazier Sunday at the FedEx Forum, but the smartest thing that Roy Williams and Jeff Capel can do is not let that happen. Yes, I want Blake Griffin and Tyler Hansbrough to knock heads and elbows and play the way Chamberlain and Russell went after each other. One it would be great for the fans of college basketball and selfishly because I have a ringside seat for it. Yet I know the chance to go down to Detroit comes down to Oklahoma versus North Carolina, not a game of one on one.
The game will more than likely feature these match-ups: guarding Blake Griffin will fall to Deon Thompson, Ed Davis, Tyler Zeller and maybe help defense from Hansbrough and that is the right thing to do, and Oklahoma will counter with Taylor Griffin, Orlando Allen and maybe help defense from Blake Griffin on last year's National Player of the Year Hansbrough, which is the right thing to do.
There is a simple reason, neither Roy Williams nor Jeff Capel want to play long stretches of this game with their talented big men sitting next to them in foul trouble. The days of Ewing posting Olajuwon are gone the coaches need their best in the game and there are other bodies to play defense and pick up fouls. Still both players addressed the media today and acknowledged the others talent, just in different ways
Hansbrough told the assembled media that he doesn’t watch college basketball, a point that was backed up by his coach, Roy Williams. Williams told the story about how last weekend, instead of watching the tournament on the off day, Hansbrough was in the weight room. Hansbrough did talk about Blake Griffin’s numbers and how they command respect, and probably will lead to Griffin being named the player of the year this year.
Griffin admitted he has watch a lot of college hoops and a lot of Hansbrough. The Carolina forward is two years older than Griffin and of course playing for Carolina gives the Heels' number 50 more exposure than most, so yes the Sooner star is aware of Hansbrough and how hard he plays.
Both players said the right things, and of course that is to be expected. I asked Roy Williams how he plans to defend Griffin and said that he hasn’t really come up with a strategy yet, but it will be implemented today. Williams admitted that he is not one of those coaches that tinkers with the game plan, he is going to worry about what his team does and make a few adjustments.
Meanwhile, Coach Jeff Capel explained how no team in the nation can run with UNC, and hinted teams are foolish to try. The Sooners will run, but run when appropriate, which is why we won’t see Griffin vs. Hansbrough. Unlike his counterpart, Capel said they will try to come up with a change in strategy to work on limited the Heels transition which will make Carolina play in the half court and get the ball to Hansbrough.
Which leads back to the point -neither coach wants their big men to get into foul trouble.
It just isn’t prudent to hope the officials will let the teams play, and like I said this game is not about two players it will come down to the teams around them. We will be lucky if Hansbrough and Griffin go a few rounds, it will be more than likely to happen on switches or transition defense. As I sit here in my Memphis hotel room, fully understanding that should be how it plays out Sunday, it doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.
