Jeff Borzello of CBSSports.com list a player from each team in the Final Four as the teams X-Factor and he says Dakari Johnson is the man for Kentucky. Here are the players from Florida, Connecticut, and Wisconsin. Florida: Dorian Finney-Smith, Connecticut: DeAndre Daniels, and Wisconsin: Nigel Hayes.
Borzello on Johnson.
Kentucky: Dakari Johnson
Johnson’s role and importance to Kentucky has grown exponentially in the NCAA Tournament. He took over Willie Cauley-Stein’s starting job during the regular season, and did have some good stretches in the SEC tournament – but he still took a back seat to Cauley-Stein. Now that Cauley-Stein is injured and likely out for the Final Four, Johnson has had to be a consistent player at both ends of the floor. He’s done a solid job the past two games, averaging 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds – including a 15-point, six-rebound effort against Louisville in the regional semifinal. Marcus Lee has moved into the backup role and played pretty well against Michigan, but Johnson is the guy at the center spot now.
And Saturday brings an absolutely brutal matchup for Johnson and Kentucky: Frank Kaminsky. The Wisconsin center has been unstoppable for most of the NCAA Tournament, scoring 19 points against both Oreogn and Baylor, and then dominating Arizona to the tune of 28 points and 11 rebounds in the Elite Eight. He’s capable of stepping out to 20 feet and knocking down 3-pointers consistently, putting it on the floor and going to the rim, or operating in the low block with his post moves. Johnson will have a difficult time defending him on the perimeter – and Lee will have a tough time on the low block. Kentucky has to try to limit Kaminsky’s ability to dominate both inside and out. Moreover, Johnson has to try to score down low and get Kaminsky in foul trouble.
Read Saturday’s X-factors: the Final Four hinges on these guys.
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