Best and worst from the 2K Classic
With a 76-54 rout of SMU on Friday night, Michigan captured this year’s 2K Classic. Below is a look at the best and worst from the tournament.
TEAM THAT EXCELLED: MICHIGAN
In a four-team tournament thought to be very balanced before it began, Michigan proved to be a cut above. The Wolverines demolished Marquette in the semifinals and SMU in the title game, putting away both teams by halftime.
Having lost decisively to SMU the previous two years including a 24-point shellacking in Dallas last season, Michigan came out inspired on Friday night. Point guard Derrick Walton sank seven 3-pointers, tournament MVP Zak Irvin had his second straight 16-point night and the sometimes shaky Wolverines defense held the Mustangs to just 38 percent shooting.
Michigan’s dominance against two teams expected to contend for NCAA bids this year suggests the Wolverines may have been a bit undervalued. Expect to see Michigan make its AP Top 25 debut next week and perhaps assert itself in the Big Ten race this winter alongside Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue and Michigan State.
TEAM THAT GOT EXPOSED: MARQUETTE
All the optimism Marquette generated by outclassing Vanderbilt in its season opener vanished during a disheartening two days in New York. The Golden Eagles were never competitive in the semifinals against Michigan and let a win slip away in the third-place game against Pittsburgh, two losses that suggest Steve Wojciechowski’s third season may not be the breakthrough that he hopes it will be.
Turnover-prone offense and Marquette’s complete inability to defend Michigan’s pick-and-roll-heavy scheme enabled the Wolverines to put Thursday’s semifinal away quickly with a 27-7 first-half surge. The Golden Eagles then coughed up a 15-point second-half lead against Pittsburgh as their defense could not stop Michael Young or Jamel Artis and nobody besides backup guard Andrew Rowsey could score with any consistency.
What this suggests is Marquette may have a hard time ending its three-year NCAA tournament drought or finishing in the upper half of a strong Big East. The Golden Eagles’ lone remaining chances for quality non-conference victories come at Georgia on Dec. 4 and at home against rival Wisconsin on Dec. 9.
PLAYER WHO SHINED IN THE SPOTLIGHT: SMU’S SEMI OJELEYE
He transferred from Duke in search of more playing time four months before the Blue Devils won the 2015 national title. He arrived at SMU just in time for the NCAA to uncover academic impropriety and declare the Mustangs postseason-ineligible. Nothing has gone smoothly for Semi Ojeleye in college basketball, but at last now it’s his time to shine.
Ojeleye made the all-tournament team at the 2K Classic after averaging 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in a victory over Pittsburgh and a loss to Michigan. The powerfully built 6-foot-7 forward is now averaging 20.3 points and 9.0 rebounds so far this season, a huge reason why SMU is off to a solid 3-1 start.
With Markus Kennedy and Jordan Tolbert both graduating last spring, SMU needed Ojeleye to shake off the rust quickly from a 22-month absence from college basketball and emerge as its new frontcourt anchor. Ojeleye has exceeded all expectations, flashing both the interior muscle and perimeter shooting that once made him a consensus top 50 prospect when he signed with Duke.
PLAYER WHO SHRANK IN THE SPOTLIGHT: MARQUETTE’S KATIN REINHARDT
Maybe he’s simply going through an ill-timed slump. Maybe he’s trying to pressing to try to solidify his role on a new team. Whatever the explanation, Katin Reinhardt’s first four games in a Marquette jersey have not gone as planned.
Hailed as an impact transfer when he arrived from USC because of his outside shooting ability, Reinhardt is just 11-for-40 from the field and 5-for-17 from behind the arc so far this season. He was especially ineffective in the 2K Classic, where he missed 14 of the 16 shots he attempted and saw his playing time diminish as a result.
It’s vital for Marquette that Reinhardt begins hitting jumpers not only because of the need for him to space the floor but also because he brings little else to the table. The 6-foot-6 wing is an adequate playmaker and subpar defender who has also never averaged more than 2.8 rebounds per game his whole career.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him atdaggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
