It’s no secret that tonight’s heavyweight bout between Florida and Houston will revolve heavily around Walter Clayton Jr. (24.6 PPG in NCAA Tournament) and LJ Cryer (18.6 PPG in NCAA Tournament). As the lights have gotten brighter, both Clayton Jr. and Cryer have answered the bell. Clayton Jr. is coming off a 34 point performance against Auburn in the Final Four, while Cryer’s 26 point effort against Duke allowed the Cougars to keep the game close enough and win in the final seconds.
Both Florida and Houston get the majority of their offensive production from their guards, which also includes Alijah Martin (14.6 PPG) and Will Richard (13.2 PPG) for Florida and Emmanuel Sharp (12.8 PPG) and Milos Uzan (11.5 PPG) for Houston. Between each team’s trio of high scoring guards, tonight’s game will truly be a battle.
With both teams featuring consistent backcourt production, the Houston vs. Florida could very likely come down to which of the big men can have a bigger impact on the game. Here are each team's X-Factors for tonight's National Championship:
J’Wan Roberts, Houston
Roberts, a senior, is arguably the heartbeat of Houston’s team. His tenacity on defense has been a staple for Houston all year, and he was a driving force for Houston holding Duke to just one made field goal in over ten minutes during the 2nd half. He is a high motor player who constantly impacts the momentum in the game.
Roberts was questionable with an injury at the beginning of the tournament, yet he has been doing it all for Houston. Against Gonzaga, he had 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Against Duke, he had 11 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in 35 minutes played. Florida is one of the nation’s most prolific offenses, and the inside presence of Roberts could very well be the difference tonight.
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Florida has been an excellent rebounding team all year long, ranking 2nd in the nation with 541 offensive rebounds (13.9 ORPG). At 6’9’’ and 215 lbs, Thomas Haugh has been a big part of that effort, despite only starting in 5/39 games this season. He has been a spark plug off the bench, putting his body on the line to create 2nd chances for an already potent Gators offense.
Additionally, Haugh has turned it on from a scoring perspective in March. He did not average double digits during the regular season but is averaging 13.0 PPG in the NCAA Tournament. Against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight, Florida trailed by nine with less than three minutes left before Haugh nailed back-to-back three-pointers to cut the lead to 3. Despite being just a sophomore, Haugh has risen to the occasion, and his ability to stretch the floor and create additional possessions for the Gators could be the difference tonight.