If you watched Monday night's championship game, you probably noticed Okafor's daunting presence looming in the paint all night. I had watched a few UConn games this season and was impressed by the big man, but not awed. I envisioned him in the NBA as too thin to be a bruising power forward and too short to be a center. His defense was clearly superior to his offense, but was that only because he was defending small, less talented college players? The way Okafor stood out in his regular season games was the same way LeBron James stood out in high school (or so I thought). Was he a player playing at the wrong level and standing out only because of this misplacement? We've seen how King James has excelled against NBA competition, but how will Okafor fare inside the paint against physical frontcourt players?
After Monday's game, I have new respect for Okafor. Granted, he's not Tim Duncan (although I did hear that comparison numerous times this weekend). Why is he not Duncan? Well, when Duncan was at Wake Forest, the offense ran through him, just like it runs through him in San Antonio. We can't say the same for Okafor; he gets most of his points off offensive rebounds or from running the floor. He's a good post player and has good leaping ability, but he's not the center of attention for opponents' defense-he's the center of attention for their offenses.
Crediting Okafor for only two blocks was a farce. Every time Georgia Tech took the ball to the hoop, Okafor somehow altered the shots. The Yellow Jackets were forced to double pump, pump fake and throw up unnecessary circus shots to avoid mighty Emeka's reach. If you watched Georgia Tech's previous tournament games, you know that Jarrett Jack, Will Bynum and company love to take the ball to the basket. Against UConn, it was the wrong game plan.
However, it was not Georgia Tech's guards' penetration that cost them the game. It was the Yellow Jackets' inability to get Luke Schenscher involved in the offense. I know people will say that Schenscher was shut down and rendered ineffective by Okafor, but it was actually Georgia Tech's guards that made Schenscher ineffective. The pick and roll that the Yellow Jackets had used so effectively throughout the tournament disappeared in the final game. Instead of dishing off to the big man underneath on drives to the basket, the guards forced up tough shots over Okafor. Schenscher got the majority of his points and shots off offensive rebounds (he had seven in the game) and barely got any looks in the set offense.
Critics will point out that Schenscher could not defend the quicker, stronger Okafor and claim that he was a defensive liability for Tech. However, Tech never really gave him a chance. Even instituting a zone with Schenscher in the middle may have been the answer. But we'll never know. Instead, people will look only at Schenscher's numbers (nine points, 11 rebounds) and compare them to Okafor's night (24 points, 15 rebounds) and superficially conclude that Okafor won the battle. Unfortunately, most people won't realize that Schenscher's teammates and coaches didn't allow him to fight back.
Due to the April Fools issue, Spring Break and the NCAA Tournament, I haven't had time for a baseball preview column. You all know what it would say though: The Red Sox will win the AL East, then win the ALCS, then beat the Cubs in the World Series. I know my columns are predictable, but that's what the readers love about me, my obnoxious Boston bias. So instead of writing a preview, I'll just mention a couple things to look for this season.
Fewer Home Runs: Many guys around the league look significantly slimmer this season. Don't think it doesn't directly correlate to the current BALCO controversy. In addition, this looks as though it could be the year of the pitcher. There are numerous young pitching stars around the league who are just waiting to have breakout seasons. Good pitching and fewer steroids means one thing: less scoring. Although this may hurt baseball in the short term, it will be great for baseball in the long term. With guys like Schilling, Johnson, Maddux, Glavine and Clemens getting into their late thirties and early forties, baseball needs a new influx of Woods, Priors, Becketts and Peavys.
AL East not-so-powers: The AL East is the unanimous choice as toughest division in baseball. Every team in the league (except maybe the Yankees) has made significant improvements in the offseason and it'll be interesting to see what transpires. The Orioles have upgraded their hitting considerably, but their pitching staff may be one of the worst in the league, at least experience-wise. Who knows though, they could surprise people. The Blue Jays have the reigning AL Cy Young winner and one of the most underrated offenses in the MLB. Young stars Vernon Wells, Eric Hinske, Josh Phelps and Reed Johnson will complement all-star Carlos Delgado. The D-Rays are the team that everyone believes could have the biggest improvement this season. With an extremely young and talented lineup and an experienced manager, Tampa Bay could wreak havoc in the East. The Rays have one of the quickest outfields in the game with Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford and Jose Cruz, Jr. and may be the team to beat in three or four years.