Washington Wizards: 4 Players to Watch in the Sweet 16
By Ethan Smith
Brandon Clarke and the Gonzaga Bulldogs start off the Sweet 16 action Thursday night vs Florida State.
The whole Gonzaga team is fun, but Clarke is the one to really watch out for with this squad. His season averages of 17 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 69.9% shooting are impressive enough. But he’s turned things up even more in the tournament.
Through the first two games of madness, Clarke’s bumped up his scoring average to over 20 points per game thanks to his massive effort against the Baylor Bears. In the round of 32, Clarke completely took over, scoring 32 points and grabbing 8 rebounds en route to a victory and Sweet 16 birth.
But he’s so much more than just an offensive threat. In fact, his strength might be Washington’s biggest weakness: defense. Clarke averaged over three block this season and owned one of the nation’s best defensive box plus/minus ratings on his way to becoming the West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Clarke could help the Wizards address their wing depth and defensive issues, but he is a bit undersized and is older than most in the draft. There are concerns about Clarke, but with more good showings in the tournament, his stock could skyrocket.