You know, I never considered myself a Boatright Shr.T.-hugger. Thought he was too wild as a freshman. Thought he was not team-player enough as a soph. Thought he was too much in conflict with Bazz for 1/2 the '14 season.
But my opinion of him changed drastically during our final run down the stretch and then into the finals.
This cannot be overstated - his defense wasn't just very good or exceptional - it was some of the best we've ever seen. The guy was like an angry yellow jacket in late September going after the ball handler like the guy had just dribbled on his nest. Every time I rewatch the tourni games I re-marvel at how much he shut down and disrupted the other team.
Go fish out Points in the Paint for MSU and Florida. The reason the numbers were so abysmal was Boat. No seriously. He was in the point's shirt at half court and never - not one possession - did he allow the other point guard to get comfortable or get very good position for entry passes. He was absolutely relentless.
And he was no slouch on O. Vs. Kentucky - a team of 4-6 NBA players, he was 5 of 5 from 2, missed a 3, 4 for 4 from the line, 4 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals. In 32 minutes. With an injury to his ankle late in the 2nd.
The problem with assessing how good Boat was last year and is this year is pretty much a Pippen phenomenon. He was playing next to the best player in the game, and he deferred, finally, and necessarily.
Is he top ten? I don't know. It seems very unlikely he'll get drafted top 10. But that's not the question, is it? It's not, "is he a top 10 NBA player in college?" Other guys may have more talent and more height and so on. But that doesn't make them better college players.
Put it this way - is there any way you'd take a Harrison over him? NO WAY. Just no way. And by all physical measures, those two are going to be "better" NBA players.
Energy, drive, defense, nerve, motor, quickness, . . . . Maybe not top 10. But I'd be very comfortable putting him top 20, and perhaps 15ish.
More importantly, there is no player I'd want running our team this year ahead of him - and that's not a Kobe-contract nod to his past accomplishments - it's simply the choice that I believe gives us the best chance of repeating.