 |  |
 |
| Friday, December 13 Must-see TV: West, Austin in action By Jay Bilas Special to ESPN.com |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This game features two teams with Final Four potential squaring off in Madison Square Garden, both featuring Player of the Year candidates. Thankfully, Mississippi State's Mario Austin was finally cleared by the NCAA to play in this game, but only after the junior center served a six-game suspension for having done nothing wrong at all. The NCAA questioned Austin's eligibility to play as a freshman, which was two years ago, and after the NCAA Clearinghouse had cleared him to play. The initial eligibility standards are designed to help determine whether a student athlete is prepared to handle the rigors of school and sport, and by virtue of playing and staying eligible his first two seasons, Austin proved conclusively that he could do the work and play at a high level. The NCAA generally does good work and is fair, but its policy of "guilty until proven innocent" is getting tiresome, especially in a case where the potential problem was caused by the NCAA itself. How does Austin, who came back to school instead of going to the NBA after his sophomore season, get those six games back? Even if the NCAA did find that it was in error in declaring the kid eligible two years ago, he would have been eligible by now, anyway. Xavier's David West and Romain Sato are the two players Mississippi State most focus upon first. West is a multidimensional power forward who is a fanatical rebounder, an excellent shot-blocker, and a potent scorer. West is not just a low-post threat. He can face up and shoot the ball out to the 3-point line. He has also improved his footwork and movement without the ball, so much so that he is playing more on the perimeter and creating matchup problems. Sato is one of the most underrated players in America. He has great athletic ability, terrific range as a shooter, and the ability to attack the basket off the bounce. Sato is a great guard rebounder and requires a lot of defensive attention. The third crucial Musketeer doesn't get as much pub as West, or even Sato, but Lionel Chalmers runs the point and he is a key performer. When Chalmers is steady and balanced in his approach to running the team, Xavier can be special. Mississippi State is deceptively athletic, skilled and is a team with good size. It is unclear just how effective Austin will be in his first game back, but when sharp, he is a load to handle. Austin is an efficient scorer on the low block, and usually scores or gets fouled when he gets the ball inside. He is an improved rebounder and defender, and requires double teams, which can free up shooters Timmy Bowers and Michael Ignerski. Bowers is an excellent off-ball defender with active hands and an outstanding 3-point shooter. Ignerski is a versatile and skilled player who can shoot it.
Key Stats
What to Watch For
Other Games To Watch |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
