18.5 ppg | 2.6 apg | 5.2 apg
By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
This is the equivalent of choosing between a Ferrari or a Maserati, or between Cindy
Crawford or Elle McPherson. You can't lose.
Both Gaines and Wade are national player of the year candidates. Gaines is the more versatile of the two, but just barely, because he can play the point
guard position. He can pass the ball, and is a very good penetrator that can use his body well.
Last year, Gaines was the first Cardinal since Darrell Griffith to average over 20 points per game. This year, he is averaging
over 18 points while running the team's offense. Gaines is has worked to become a good shooter, and while he may not be a good 3-point shooter, he is an excellent open-court player who can get to the basket off the dribble.
Long and athletic, Gaines and is an outstanding defender. At 6-6 with long arms, he is tough to see over, and he can really move his feet. Gaines
usually takes the opposition's best scorer, anticipates well, gets to loose balls, and gets steals and deflections. He has active hands and feet,
and he is strong enough to bench over 300 pounds.
It's not just the points, rebounds, assists and steals that make Gaines a great player, it is his will and his leadership. Gaines is a winner who is the main reason that Louisville is back into the national fold. He simply will not let the Cardinals lose.
Louisville has had a nasty habit of falling behind in the first half of games, and Gaines
has been the guy that has keyed almost every comeback. Against Saint Louis,
Gaines had 28 points while his teammates were struggling, and almost pulled
out the game single-handed.
After the Cards' win over Tennessee, Vols coach Buzz Peterson spoke about how the Cardinals wore his team down, and how
Tennessee was just too tired at the end of the game to make plays. Gaines
played all 40 minutes of that game, and looked like the basketball
equivalent of Ernie Banks, fresh enough to play two.
Gaines should be more prominently mentioned
for national player of the year honors, but with Wade in the league, he may
not even carry home the Conference USA trophy as the top player. That's how
far Conference USA has come.
The best player in the league may wind up being the best player in the country.
|
|
21.5 ppg | 5.5 rpg | 3.9 apg
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Choosing Marquette's Dwyane Wade over Louisville's Reece Gaines will be the toughest vote for a conference player of the year award outside of the Big 12. Taking Gaines or Wade wouldn't be a problem. The question is who?
I'll go with Wade. He simply can do a bit more than Gaines. (Funny, my colleague to the left says the exact thing about Gaines).
Wade may not be the best ballhandler, but he can score in a variety of ways and he has taken the Eagles to the top of Conference USA. He's turned himself into a potential first-round pick in the NBA draft because of his overall scoring ability. His defense has improved and Marquette coach Tom Crean has the utmost confidence in Wade to take over any game situation.
Wade has also become a leader for the Eagles, maturing into the role over the past two seasons. He's a fourth-year junior, so he's in the same matriculating class as Gaines. He's likely gone to the NBA after this season, instead of sticking around for a fifth year.
Wade was ineligible as a freshman, but didn't sulk. Instead, Wade made himself into a big-time player with a tremendous work ethic. He has reportedly been a dedicated family man off the court and doesn't shirk his responsibilities. In fact, it probably has helped him organize himself on the court.
Wade has also become more vocal throughout the season. Following the win over Wake Forest last week, Wade joined Crean and acknowledged the Eagles' faithful at the Bradley Center. The two paraded around the court as if they had won the national title, but were just showing a sheer joy and pleasure in being a part of the program. Wade has helped resurrect the program and any credit that Crean is getting should also be shared with Wade. He has become the marquee player that Marquette needed to make the transition from also-ran to Conference USA and national contender.
Wade will be sorely missed when he leaves Marquette. But he won't exit without a possible deep run in the NCAA Tournament. His experience on the perimeter and in handling late-game situations should do wonders for Marquette's chances of lasting to the second or possibly third weekend in March.
Who knows? If he continues to stay hot he could take Marquette all the way to New Orleans and into April.
|
