Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News writes about Marquis Teagues transformation this season and how it has been integral to Kentucky’s run to the Final Four.
Here’s an exerpt.
[LEFT][COLOR=#000000][FONT=sans-serif][I]When Kentucky meets Louisville in Saturday’s first Final Four semifinal, everywhere Teague will look he will see a Wildcats player at least as qualified to score as himself. That still is an adjustment for a freshman point guard whose previous experience consisted mostly of being the best player on nearly every team whose jersey he wore.[/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=sans-serif][I]“He’s gone from beginning of the year, basically playing at 100 miles an hour, making 100 hard plays and taking bad shots, to playing with unbelievable pace, making easy plays, and having great shot selection, picking his spot,” Calipari said. “And that happened over four months.[/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=sans-serif][I]Teague has had to deal with the expectations of fans and analysts who remember the line of superstars who preceded him in this position under Calipari: Derrick Rose to Tyreke Evans to John Wall to Brandon Knight. One after the other, their legacy defined how Teague would be judged.[/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=sans-serif][I]He almost certainly would be found wanting. Teague is not as powerful or as explosive as Rose; no point guard ever was. Teague is not as big and strong as Evans; few point guards are. Teague does not have the speed and body control of Wall. He is not as accurate as Knight with his jumpshot.[/I][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=sans-serif][I]The one skill he has over all of them, he doesn’t always get to use quite so much: passing. Some of that is his own challenge to learn when is the right time to deliver the ball. Some of that is Calipari not wanting Teague to take risks with an offense that doesn’t need them. A lot of that is opponents who’d rather take their chances with Teague attempting a layup or jumpshot than allowing him to give the ball to Anthony Davis, Terrence Jones, Darius Miller, Doron Lamb or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.[/I][/FONT][/COLOR][I][FONT=sans-serif][COLOR=#000000]
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For the rest of the article, click [URL=”http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2012-03-27/marquis-teague-kentucky-wildcats-final-four”]here[/URL].
