Watch out, Aaron Craft, the “T” word has been dropped on you.
Craft, whose last-second shot enabled a Buckeyes victory against Iowa State on Sunday, has been known more for his lockdown defense than his workmanlike offensive prowess. But that may have changed on Sunday with his beautiful arcing 3-pointer which took Ohio State to the Sweet 16.
The dramatic performance has so affected observers that a Tim Tebow comparison has hit the media.
“If he’s not one of your favorite players, then you don’t like college basketball,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said Monday, according to the Tucson Citizen. “He has that Tim Tebow quality.
“Tebow, at Florida, it wasn’t just his performance on the field, but who he was as a person, the leadership that he provided, the competitive spirit he embodied. It seemed to spread through Florida’s football team, and Aaron Craft does the same thing for Ohio State basketball.”
Miller’s comments certainly won’t help Craft among his detractors.
Still, the comparison is apt in a lot of ways. Like the Jets quarterback, Craft doesn’t seem to fit the parameters of his position. He’s not that quick, doesn’t score a lot of points. But he performs in the clutch, steps up in big moments, and displays leadership qualities.
Like Tebow, Craft is also accumulating a mass of people who dislike him, and who might accuse the media of overhyping the Buckeye, whose pesky defense makes him very easy for opponents to hate.
There are also a lot of questions about Craft’s ability to play at the next level.
But don’t expect that to slow down the hype machine, particularly if Ohio State makes it to the Final Four. For better or worse, the world might have found its next Tebow.
MIAMI: A person familiar with the situation says senior center Reggie Johnson had a minor surgical procedure in one of his knees yesterday and will not play in this weekend’s East Regional games.
The person says the 6-foot-10 Johnson, who averages 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds, did not accompany the Hurricanes to Washington last night but is expected to be able to play in the Final Four if Miami advances.
— With AP