March Madness: This is the most random Final Four we’ve ever seen
USA TODAY Sports Paul Myerberg gives his first impressions of a wild looking Final Four.
USA TODAY
The men’s basketball Final Four has featured its share of marquee names over the years, from Magic Johnson and Patrick Ewing to Carmelo Anthony and Anthony Davis.
Then there are the unexpected stars, the X-factors, the role players who suddenly emerge into the spotlight for their – dare we say – shining moments. Who can forget Donte DiVincenzo, the reserve guard who shot his way to Final Four immortality for Villanova’s 2018 title team, or Luke Hancock, who did the same for Louisville in 2013?
This year’s quartet of teams isn’t exactly brimming with next-level talent, but all four semifinalists still have their go-to guys, the ones who’ll be expected to make the big plays. Every team needs its supporting cast to deliver as well in order to cut down the nets. Here’s a candidate from each of the Final Four squads to be the X-factor. They won’t necessarily wind up claiming Most Outstanding Player honors, but they could be major contributors during the big weekend.
Micah Parrish, G/F, San Diego State
The Michigan native and former Oakland University transfer has become a regular part of the Aztecs’ rotation. The 7.6 points a game he contributes are a bonus, and he led the team in scoring with 16 points against Furman in the second round. But his real worth will be at the defensive end as he takes his turn covering Florida Atlantic’s main scoring threats. His play will be critical to slowing down the Owls.
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Nick Boyd, G, Florida Atlantic
The Owls don’t have a primary initiator per se as they share the ball by design. But Boyd, a redshirt freshman from Garnerville, New York, has a team-high 92 assists. He’s the Owls’ fourth leading scorer at 8.9 points a game and connects at a nearly 40% clip from 3-point range, so he might need to look for his own shot a bit more against San Diego State’s stingy defense
Norchad Omier, F, Miami (Fla.)
He’s the fourth-leading scorer (13.3 ppg) for the Miami team that is heavily back-court oriented – more guards than Shawshank to quote a certain hoops pundit’s frequent tweets – but Omier is the inside presence the Hurricanes will need if they hope to keep up with UConn. He pulls down a team-high 10.1 rebounds a game despite going up against bigger post players most of the time.
Joey Calcaterra, G, Connecticut
Jordan Hawkins is by far the most prolific of the Huskies’ 3-point bombers. But Calcaterra can usually be counted on to deliver a couple of daggers from the arc off the bench as he did in the Huskies’ demolition of Gonzaga in the West Regional final. For the grad transfer from the University of San Diego who hadn’t had much success against the Zags – or UConn’s second-round opponent Saint Mary’s for that matter – this March Madness run with the Huskies has been especially gratifying.
