In this era of pace and space basketball, which is now considered position-less basketball, the traditional big man (center) has been forgotten.
Now the position is played by athletes who can shoot with range, pass, and handle the basketball as first priority. Post play is an afterthought.
Re-Birth Of The Big Man
Don’t tell that to Purdue’s Zach Edey, UConn’s Donovan Clingan and N.C. State’s D.J. Burns Jr. who are all throwbacks and have led their respective programs to next week’s Final Four in Glendale, Arizona.
For a basketball purist like myself, seeing the big man have an impact like these three have had is what makes the game so great.
Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing the three ball shot and the up and down game, but seeing the ball go into the post and playing through a big man is how the game was meant to be executed.
DJ Burns Takes Wolfpack On Improbable Run
Entering the ACC Tournament the Wolfpack had to win it in order to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. They did just that, becoming just the second team to win five games in five days (2011 UConn), a huge part of this run that now sits at nine games following the Wolfpack’s surprising run through the South bracket.
Burns, a true throwback who utilizes his burly 6-foot-10 and 275-pound frame with some of the best footwork you’ll see from a man his size has been unstoppable during the team’s run, averaging 17 points, six rebounds and four assists in the nine games including 29 in the regional final win over rival Duke. His play earned him the South Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.
Burns told reporters this in the aftermath of the team’s win over Duke.
“There’s been a total switch in our commitment.”
It’s the program’s first Final Four appearance since winning it in emphatic fashion in 1983 (on the dunk).
Purdue’s Zach Edey Leads Program To First Final Four In 44 Years
Not since 1980 have the Boilermakers made the Final Four. That changed on Sunday with their 72-66 win over Tennessee, a game in which Edey poured in 40 points and 16 big rebounds while attempting 22 free throws, twice as many foul shots as the entire Tennessee team got.
He also was named the Midwest Region’s Most Outstanding Player, averaging 30 points and 16 rebounds per game in the four games.
His play is the biggest reason why the Boilermakers are headed to the Final Four one year after losing to 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in the opening round.
Head coach Matt Painter told reporters this about how his team responded to the verbal abuse received since last year’s upset loss.
“We had to take it. Sometimes when you sit in it and you’re honest with yourself and you take it, some great things can happen.”
Donovan Clingan The Anchor For Huskies
With the Huskies seeking and the heavy favorites to become the first team to go back-to-back since the Al Horford and Joakim Noah-led Florida Gators, Clingan is their anchor on both ends of the floor. The 7-foot-2 lane stalker has developed into a pretty dominant two-way player for coach Danny Hurley’s guys.
His length has allowed him to average nearly nine rebounds and three blocks per game, while also contributing a solid 13 points per game. A stat that he’d likely lead college basketball in is altered shots if there was a stat for that. That ability helps the Huskies get out and run in transition, which they do better than just about anyone else in college basketball.
So as we prepare for the final weekend of the 2023-24 college basketball season, the return of the big man will play a huge role in determining which team has their one shining moment Monday night, April 8.
