Frank Kaminsky – C – Wisconsin Badgers (17.6 PPG, 8.4 BPG, 2.5 APG) – Kaminsky had one of his better games of the season in Sunday’s 68-49 win over Illinois, scoring 23 points on 11-of-16 shooting while grabbing 11 rebounds. The Illini had no answer for Kaminksy, and he came out strong, hitting eight of his first nine shots. His production has never really wavered all season, and it’s clear when watching the Badgers play that he is the center of everything they do on offense. Opposing teams have the unfortunate choice of either playing man on him, which he is often easily able to sneak by, or doubling him in the post, allowing for Kaminsky to pass out to an open teammate on the wing, if he chooses to not pull up from mid-range or go for a running baby-hook shot. Bottom line, he is the biggest difference maker playing for one of the nation’s best teams, and certainly the most efficient offense.
Jahlil Okafor – C – Duke Blue Devils (18.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.5 BPG) – The freshman big man has been incredibly consistent in his first and likely only collegiate season, and has really failed to have even one bad game. He was dominant against fellow Top-five member Rakeem Christmas in a win over Syracuse, posting a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds while limiting Christmas offensively. He wasn’t the prevailing factor against No. 15 North Carolina on Wednesday night, but did have the go-ahead basket with just over a minute left to put the Blue Devils up for good in their win, and finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds despite going 0-for-6 from the foul line. Okafor continues to display moves and footwork of a player several inches shorter than his 6-foot-11 frame, and has Duke primed for a deep tournament run as potential NBA lottery teams clamor over him.
D’Angelo Russell – G – Ohio State Buckeyes (19.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5.5 APG) – Russell has been on somewhat of a decline since his triple-double effort from the week prior, averaging 13.5 points on 30 percent shooting in his past two games. His performance last Wednesday against Penn State was okay enough, with seven assists to only two turnovers, and he was also an impressive 8-for-10 from the free-throw line. He was effectively shut down against Michigan State on Saturday, as the Spartans were able to keep him out of the lane, resulting in just two free-throw attempts for him while scoring 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Russell also missed five three-pointers in the game as he was forced to stay outside. It’s obvious that he is ready to go on to the next level, but games like that show that he still has much to learn when playing against defenses that are solely focused on him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0kYmODtN2A
Jerian Grant – G – Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17.3 PPG, 6.4 APG, 2.9 RPG) – The blow-out loss to Duke back on Feb. 7 has lit a fire under Grant. The senior has averaged 23.0 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.0 steals per game in the Irish’s two matchups since then, and has also played the entirety of both. His shooting has recovered as well, going 14-of-29 and hitting all 15 of his free-throws. Grant’s elevated play has Notre Dame back on the winning track, and he’s proven that they rely almost entirely on his play. When he is shooting at a decent clip and avoiding turnovers, the Irish are nearly unbeatable.
This pass is a perfect example of the type of play that has become routine for him this season:
Rakeem Christmas – F – Syracuse Orange (17.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.5 BPG) – The senior’s fairy-tale season added another chapter when he exploded for 29 points and eight rebounds in a huge win against No. 12 Louisville on Wednesday night. The effort was a nice bounce-back game after being somewhat limited by Jahlil Okafor in a loss to Duke on Saturday that saw him score 11 points on a season-worst 29 percent shooting. Christmas was on fire against the Cardinals, dominating in the low post while making 9-of-10 shots. His 11 makes out of 13 attempts from the free-throw line were both career-highs. Christmas also added four blocks, bringing his February average to 4.6 per game, which is highly impressive when considering that although he is a post player, he’s 6-foot-9. Christmas might be playing on a lame-duck Syracuse team that will not be participating in postseason play, but he’s definitely not performing like it.
