Guards or Big Men - Which is the bigger key?

An often debated topic going into the NCAA Tournament is which is the bigger factor for success, guard play or a dominate big man. Which do you believe is the bigger factor and why?

I'll start this off with, how many NCAA titles did Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal win?

 

I'd like to avoid your question because I don't know off the top of my head, but the last 4 titles have been won by Florida, Florida, NC, and UConn, all with big men who were playing great - Florida with Horford and Noah, NC with Sean May (and Marvin, too, I guess), and UConn with Okafor.

But they also had some great guard play - Green; McCants, Felton; Gordon...

Wow, really is a tough debate. The ability to hit a 3, though, is huge in college basketball, so I think I'll go with guards until someone can sway me the other way.

 

IMO, the gaurds always seemed so developed entering college while many bigs have just hit 7 foot or have in the past year or two. My picks goes to the gaurds just for that same reason.

 

Makes no difference.

Number of pros is the key.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Mar 17 2008, 05:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Makes no difference.

Number of pros is the key.</div>

Ding ding ding.

 

You can win with strong guard play and average big man play, but you can't get it done with a dominant big and shaky play from your guards. In the NBA, it's more important to have that dominant big, but in college, I think having a strong perimeter rotation is the most important thing. The college game is all about momentum and runs... three-point shooting and ball movement. With all the zones in the college game, it's much easier to contain a good big man than it is to contain two or three good guards on one squad.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Mar 17 2008, 05:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Makes no difference.

Number of pros is the key.</div>

1994 Arkansas
1995 UCLA
2000 MSU

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JCB @ Mar 17 2008, 06:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Mar 17 2008, 05:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Makes no difference.

Number of pros is the key.</div>

Ding ding ding.
</div>

Who had more pros, OSU or Florida last year?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Run BJM @ Mar 17 2008, 09:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Mar 17 2008, 08:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JCB @ Mar 17 2008, 06:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Mar 17 2008, 05:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Makes no difference.

Number of pros is the key.</div>

Ding ding ding.
</div>

Who had more pros, OSU or Florida last year?
</div>

Florida: Horford, Noah, Brewer, Chris Richard, Taurean Green

OSU: Oden, Conley, Daequan Cook, Jamar Butler (assuming he gets drafted which isn't guaranteed)
</div>

You are missing a few other guys that should get drafted as well as some overseas pros

 

Florida had Dan Werner. 'Nuff said.

How many players did each school have drafted last year? Florida had 5, OSU had 3. And 3 of Florida's were top 10 picks.

 

It's not 100% perfect, but number of NBA players is a lot more accurate as an indicator than whether a team's best player is a guard or a forward.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Mar 17 2008, 10:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>It's not 100% perfect, but number of NBA players is a lot more accurate as an indicator than whether a team's best player is a guard or a forward.</div>

You are changing the discussion. This isn't just about a team's best player.

 

Guards dominate the tourney almost every year.

 

Guards have been the key factor 8 times out of 10 in winning national titles. Just look at Stanford, they probably have the best or one of the best front lines in the NCAA, but theyr guard play is very very weak. I dont expect them to make it out of the second weekend.

In the tournament guards handle the ball in pressure situations, they feed the post, and more importantly they are usualy the ones taking the big shots due to not having to work to touch the ball as much as a big man. Guard play wins you titles.

 

There's a lot more good guards than big men in college. Who builds a college system around a dominant big man? Why? So it will work for the one year they are lucky enough to have one? What do you do the next year?

That's one reason I believe Jamie Dixon is one of the best coaches there is. He got his big man involved and got the whole team to buy into that while keeping his system in place and when the big man was gone his team hardly skipped a beat.

Even though there were a lot of talented players in last year's championship game, both teams' best player was a big man, so that can't be completely discounted as a factor.

 

What are players like Kevin Durant and Donte Green considered: big men or guards? I mean, they have the size to be big men, but they play like guards.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (pegs @ Mar 19 2008, 11:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>What are players like Kevin Durant and Donte Green considered: big men or guards? I mean, they have the size to be big men, but they play like guards.</div>

They both are perimeter forwards.

 

With UConn losing, while having one of the top centers in nation in Thabeet shows that big men dont seem to dominate like they should in the NCAA tournament. San Diego's starting center is 6'8 and couldnt win.

Whereas Stephon Curry's 40 points willed his team to victory. You just can guard that kind of talent, without him they wouldnt even be in the tournament.


Maybe teams just get so hyped up about the tourney that they forgot the talent they have inside

 

Big man who can hold down the post, is the key.