Adam Morrison showed why he is a legit college basketball superstar who can will his team to victory virtually all by himself. Christian Maraker took advantage of the big stage to put his name right in the middle of NBA draft discussions. Joakim Noah and Al Horford toyed with South Alabama on the way to some intriguing stat-lines. And Gerry McNamara and Taj Gray came up extremely flat in what we now know were the last games of their college career.
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Adam Morrison, 68, SF, Junior, Gonzaga
35 points (11-21 FG, 9-11 FT, 4-8 3PT), 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers
Joe Treutlein
Gonzagas tournament life was hanging in the balance, on the verge of being upset by 14th seed Xavier, but Morrison would have none of that. The Zags were down eight with nine minutes to go when it seemed as if the entire Gonzaga roster other than Morrison was in foul trouble. In a situation where he had to take charge, Morrison did just that, scoring 14 in the final nine minutes, including some key shots down the stretch. Gonzaga hadnt led in the second half until there was 2:03 remaining, as Morrison casually hit a pull-up three pointer to put the Zags up by one. Over the next two minutes, Morrison hit 4 of 4 free throws, had a key defensive rebound, and assisted teammate J.P. Batista on a dunk, icing the game for Gonzaga.
Morrisons immense offensive repertoire was on full display, as he scored in nearly every way possible. He was hitting three-pointers, spotting or pulling up. He was taking it to the hole by both cuts and one-on-one penetration. He posted up, he pulled up for mid-range jumpers, and despite the mass of attention he received from Xaviers defense, still found a way to score 35 points. To do this, he pretty much never stopped moving without the ball. Morrison wasnt just scoring, though. He took advantage of his court vision, especially when double teamed, hitting cutters, shooters, and feeding the post. He did take a few forced shots, but even still, he had an incredibly efficient scoring night and was the sole reason Gonzaga won this game.
Morrison had a so-so showing on the defensive end, occasionally reverting to some lackadaisical tendencies. But in the second half and down the final stretch, his intensity was up and he was playing strong on both sides of the floor. Gonzagas zone defense (and the mediocre competition) veiled most of Morrisons problems with lateral quickness, though it will become more evident as the Zags move deeper into the tournament. But the Zags will only go as far as Morrison takes them. Morrison will need to play like this in every game from here on out for the Zags to stay alive. And knowing him, he will.
Morrisons immense offensive repertoire was on full display, as he scored in nearly every way possible. He was hitting three-pointers, spotting or pulling up. He was taking it to the hole by both cuts and one-on-one penetration. He posted up, he pulled up for mid-range jumpers, and despite the mass of attention he received from Xaviers defense, still found a way to score 35 points. To do this, he pretty much never stopped moving without the ball. Morrison wasnt just scoring, though. He took advantage of his court vision, especially when double teamed, hitting cutters, shooters, and feeding the post. He did take a few forced shots, but even still, he had an incredibly efficient scoring night and was the sole reason Gonzaga won this game.
Morrison had a so-so showing on the defensive end, occasionally reverting to some lackadaisical tendencies. But in the second half and down the final stretch, his intensity was up and he was playing strong on both sides of the floor. Gonzagas zone defense (and the mediocre competition) veiled most of Morrisons problems with lateral quickness, though it will become more evident as the Zags move deeper into the tournament. But the Zags will only go as far as Morrison takes them. Morrison will need to play like this in every game from here on out for the Zags to stay alive. And knowing him, he will.