first of all, i want to apologize to Jack Lambert for not getting this posted sooner (like i had wanted). real life happens, and i am hopeful he doesn't hold my tardiness and lack of internet time against me too much.
East Region
#1 – Virginia – the surprise winner of the ACC, Virginia is led by senior combo guard Joe Harris. The undisputed leader of the team, Harris is second on the team in scoring, is a superb defender, and a solid passer and rebounder. He is one of the more versatile players in the nation, as he can play and guard any perimeter position at 6-foot-6. The Cavaliers frequently have one other White player in the starting lineup, 6-foot-11 forward Mike Tobey. The sophomore is long and bouncy (he leads the team in blocked shots) and has a bright future. Sophomore forward Evan Nolte is the only other White athlete who gets significant playing time for UVA, but at 6-foot-8 Nolte is instant offense off the bench.
#2 – Villanova – the only White athlete “good enough†to see the floor on a regular basis for the Wildcats is starting point guard Ryan Arcidiacono. The sophomore team captain is the engine that makes the offense go. But otherwise, there’s nothing to see here for a fan of White athletes.
#3 – Iowa State – head coach Fred Hoiberg has neglected to recruit players like himself to perform for the Cyclones, preferring instead to build his team by targeting transfers and ju-co players … all of whom are of a darker hue. Only one White player routinely sees the floor. Freshman shooting guard Matt Thomas, a part-time starter, is a strong outside shooter.
#4 – Michigan State – Under stellar head coach Tom Izzo, the Spartans are always a tough team to beat come March, and this year is no different. Sadly, this year’s installment only has one regular White starter in 6-foot-9 sophomore power forward Matt Costello. Long and athletic, Costello leads the team in blocked shots but rarely looks to score unless it’s off an offensive rebound. Freshman forward Kenny Kaminski, who has a terrific outside shot, gets a lot of playing time off the bench. 6-foot-7 shooting guard Russell Byrd is a strong defender and outside shooter, but he has been hampered throughout his career by injuries.
#5 – Cincinnati – the Bearcats don’t have a single White athlete who sees the floor. Much like the city from which they hail, this team is a cesspool of blackness.
#6 – North Carolina – the Tar babies are very aptly named. Oh, how head coach Roy Williams has fallen since his days of Kansas and Tyler Hansbrough! The only White athlete who occasionally sees the floor is power forward Jackson Simmons, and that only happens when the magical negroes on the roster get in foul trouble.
#7 – Connecticut – the Huskies have only a single White player who sees the floor. 6-foot-7 senior guard/forward Niels Giffey, from Germany, is one of the most efficient scorers in the country, shooting almost 57% from the floor and almost 52% from 3-point range. He’s also a solid rebounder and shot blocker, so one wonders why he’s spent most of his career sitting on the bench …
#8 – Memphis – the Tigers, surprisingly, actually have one White starter this season, a superb freshman power forward by the name of Austin Nichols. Nichols, the Atlantic Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, came on very strong in the latter stages of the season and has a brilliant future. Known early on mainly as a shot blocker and rebounder, he ended the conference season scoring in double figures in 6 consecutive games. The high-flying frosh is a player to keep an eye on in the future.
#9 – George Washington – the Colonials don’t look very much like their namesake, as only one White player is routinely in the starting lineup and only two more get minutes off the bench. Patricio Garino, a 6-foot-6 sophomore guard/forward from Argentina, is a versatile wing player with the ability to fill the stat sheet in a variety of categories. Post players Nemania Mikic and John Kopriva are allowed to come in off the bench and set screens and play defense when the “real†athletes need a break.
#10 – Saint Joseph’s – Halil Kanacevic is the only White player to see the floor for the Hawks, which is weird seeing as how he’s the team’s best player and one of the all-time greats in program history. Perhaps the coaching staff should recruit more players like the Atlantic 10 Championship’s Most Valuable Player? Otherwise, there is nothing to see here for fans of White athletes.
#11 – Providence – the black Friars only have one White athlete who regularly sees the floor. 7-foot junior center Carson Desrosiers leads the team in blocked shots and is a solid rebounder, but he is rarely allowed to shoot the ball.
#12 – Harvard – the Ivy League’s lone representative in the Tourney features one White athlete in the starting lineup. (This isn’t a surprise, since the Crimson’s head coach is Tommy Amaker, and he’s darkened up every roster he’s ever been a part of.) Laurent Rivard, a 6-foot-5 senior shooting guard, is the team’s captain and a light’s out shooter from 3-point range. Two white athletes average double-digit minutes off the bench in forwards Evan Cummins and Jonah Travis.
#13 – Delaware – who knew this state had so many black people in it?!? In fact, the Blue Hens can only find one White person “worthy†of getting minutes for their state collegiate program. Junior shooting guard Kyle Anderson is the team’s top 3-point shooter and the token piece of White stuff at the end of this otherwise dark pile of crap.
#14 – North Carolina Central – how can a team made up solely of “phenomenal†black athletes be so bad? Well, it’s true.
#15 – Milwaukee – the Panthers start 3 White athletes, all of whom average double figures in points. Forwards Kyle Kelm and Matt Tiby are the team’s top rebounders, while small forward Austin Arians is the team’s top outside shooter. Sophomore forward J.J. Panoske is the team’s top shot blocker, and he sees a lot of playing time off the bench.
#16 – Coastal Carolina – there’s nothing to see here. Buh bye.
West Region
#1 – Arizona – the Wildcats start two White athletes. Junior point guard T.J. McConnell is outstanding at the lead guard spot, capable of either scoring or completely shutting down the opposing team’s best perimeter player. His assist-to-turnover ratio of better than 3-to-1 is phenomenal. He is perhaps the best point guard in the country that no one talks about. Sophomore 7-foot center Kaleb Tarczewski is quietly effective in the post in all phases of the game. He’s a solid rebounder, shot blocker, and scorer, though he is overshadowed by his “electric†teammates on the frontline.
#2 – Wisconsin – my pick to cut down the nets, the Badgers start 4 White athletes and have two more off the bench who see a lot of action. Wisconsin features a very balanced offensive attack, with any of 8 players capable of scoring 20 points in a given night. Frank Kaminsky, a 7-foot junior forward, is perhaps the most-improved player in the country. Deadly from 3-point range, the big man is much improved in all facets of the game and is the team’s top rebounder and shot blocker. Senior shooting guard Ben Brust is a very underrated athlete, averaging nearly 5 rebounds per game despite being just 6-foot-1, and he can beat you either spotting up or off the dribble. Sam Dekker, a 6-foot-7 sophomore wing, is perhaps the most physically talented player on the team. An explosive leaper, Dekker is at his best when he attacks the rim either to score or rebound, but he too often settles for floating around the perimeter. Junior combo guard Josh Gasser is equally adept at knocking down jump shots or running the offense. Off the bench, freshman point guard Bronson Koenig and freshman power forward Duje Dukan have shown flashes of potential but have yet to consistently handle the challenges presented by Division One opponents.
#3 – Creighton – led by the nation’s best player, senior forward Doug McDermott, the Bluejays rarely have fewer than 3 White athletes on the court at a given time. Their 3 White starters are the simply unstoppable offensive juggernaut McDermott, the deadly outside shooting power forward Ethan Wragge, versatile point forward Grant Gibbs, one of the top defenders in the country. Creighton has 4 White athletes who see regular action off the bench. Will Artino is an athletic but spindly power forward, Avery Dingman is a long but inconsistent option on the wing, and Zach Hanson is a powerful but unseasoned presence in the post. Freshman guard Isaiah Dierden was starting to breakout during the latter stages of the season before an injury sidelined him. Creighton isn’t very big in the backcourt and don’t have consistent scorers outside of McDermott and Wragge, nor are they a strong rebounding team. Still, they can score points in bunches especially when other teams don’t have the size to exploit their weaknesses.
#4 – San Diego State – the Aztecs only allow one White player to see the floor. Freshman wing Matt Shrigley provides offensive firepower off the bench.
#5 – Oklahoma – the Sooners have a terrific sophomore in rugged power forward Ryan Spangler. He leads the team with over 9 rebounds per game and in blocked shots while also being a capable scorer, averaging right at 10 points per contest. Senior sharp shooter Tyler Neal provides scoring punch off the bench from his forward spot. Neal was named co-Conference Sixth Man of the Year.
#6 – Baylor – the Bears have the size and look of an NBA team, including allowing only one White player to see the floor. Senior shooting guard Brady Heslip is the second-leading scorer and one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation. Despite the anti-White recruiting habits of the program, this 6 seed is very dangerous.
#7 – Oregon – the only White player who is “worthy†of playing for the Ducks is bouncy sophomore forward Ben Carter. He comes off the bench when the “dynamic†affletes are in foul trouble or need a breather.
#8 – Gonzaga – regularly one of the most White-friendly programs in the country, this year is no different. The Zags feature a starting lineup that includes 3 White athletes and feature two more regulars off the bench. Gonzaga is led by dangerous (but injured) combo guard Kevin Pangos, who is capable of completely taking over games but has been hobbled by a variety of injuries this season. Point guard David Stockton, a former walk-on, has emerged as a scoring threat in the latter stages of the season and is a stellar passer and help defender. The problem with Gonzaga’s backcourt, however, is that they are very short. None of the three starting guards is over 6-foot-2. 7-foot sophomore center Przemek Karnowski is much improved from a year ago, averaging over 10 points and 7 rebounds per game, while also amassing a team-high 60 blocked shots. Off the bench, forward Drew Barham is a stellar 3-point bomber and athletic guard/forward Kyle Dranginis provides explosiveness attacking the rim and strong perimeter defense. This year’s version of Gonzaga basketball isn’t as tough as previous seasons, and they are very small outside of their two starting post players.
#9 – Oklahoma State – Sophomore shooting guard Phil Forte is the only White player who sees action for the Cowboys. Named the conference’s co-Sixth Man of the Year, Forte is one of the nation’s premiere outside shooters.
#10 – BYU – Frequently featuring an all-White starting lineup this season (although that changed toward the end of the year), the Cougars are led by Conference Player of the Year and scoring machine Tyler Haws. Haws is one of the nation’s top scorers, averaging over 23 points per game from the wing. The Cougars will be without Kyle Collinsworth, however, perhaps their best player. A 6-foot-6 forward-turned-point guard, Collinsworth leads the team in rebounds and assists and is second in scoring and steals. He is out due to injury. Talented but erratic point guard Matt Carlino will re-take his start in the opening lineup after being moved to the role of sixth man earlier in the season. Carlino is mercurial, able to take over games for either good (scoring and assists) or bad (horrid shooting and turnovers). Up front, BYU features the extremely talented freshman Eric Mikaand long but spindly junior Nate Austin, the team’s second leading rebounder and top shot blocker. Both are terribly foul prone, though, and there is absolutely no depth behind them. Skyler Halford emerged as a solid guard in the second half of the season, starting 13 games down the stretch. He provides solid ball handling, good decision making, and a capable scoring threat. BYU only has two non-White players who have seen the court this season.
#11 – Nebraska – there are exactly zero White players who apparently are worthy of playing for the Cornhuskers.
#12 – North Dakota State – the Bison feature 5 White athletes, including their two best players. Conference Player of the Year, the explosive 6-foot-7 combo guard Taylor Braun leads the team in virtually every category: scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals. Marshall Bjorklund is a powerful presence inside. Off the bench, Mike Felt, Jordan Aaberg, and bouncy sophomore Chris Kading all play significant minutes. The nation’s best shooting team (despite rarely shooting 3-pointers), NDSU shares the ball very well and plays terrific defense.
#13 – New Mexico State – there’s not much to see here. The only White athlete who sees meaningful minutes is 3-point specialist Kevin Aronis.
#14 – Louisiana Lafayette – there’s not much to see here, either. The only White athlete who sees meaningful minutes is sophomore guard Scott Wronkoski.
#15 – American – the Eagles start 4 White athletes and feature two more off the bench. Power forward Tony Wroblicky is the team’s best player and defender, though he may be most widely known for shooting his free throws one-handed. John Schoof is one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters. This would be a team to pull for, if they weren’t facing off against Wisconsin in the opening round.
#16 – Weber State – senior center Kyle Tresnak starts, but he is the only White player who regularly sees the floor for the Wildcats. Who would’ve guessed that a university in Utah couldn’t find any more White basketball players?