2010 NCAA Basketball Tournament: Syracuse vs Gonzaga

Wes Johnson won Big East Player of the Year this season, although there was a bit of contentiousness surrounding the award.

There really is no argument against Johnson being the best player in the conference, especially in light of the fact that his one real competitor, Scottie Reynolds, performed a big fade near the end of the regular season. Johnson, the Iowa State transfer who has transformed coach Jim Boeheim's ballclub in 2010, is supremely talented and will one day (likely very soon) be cashing very big checks while on the roster of some NBA team.

That said, Johnson faded down the stretch this season. It was really no fault of his own. He was beaten up. Everyone saw the nasty fall he took against Providence midway through the Big East season, when his legs were taken out from under him as he went up for an alley-oop. Many were probably unaware that right around that same time, Johnson took an elbow against Connecticut that injured his thumb to the point that it was swollen twice its normal size.

Well, if there was a blessing in disguise for the Cuse's early exit in the Big East Tournament against Georgetown (in the quarterfinals), it's that it afforded Johnson a week to rest up, get healthy, and be ready to play this weekend.

On Sunday, it's safe to say Johnson was ready.

Johnson was as aggressive has he has been in a long time, finishing with 31 points and 14 boards as the Orange smacked perennial Cinderella Gonzaga, 87-65. And he did it while playing 40 minutes for the shorthanded Cuse. Tellingly, Johnson was shooting the ball with great confidence from long distance. That was the aspect of his skill set which was most centrally affected by his accumulated injuries. If this is the kind of shooter Johnson will continue to be in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, the Cuse will be extremely difficult to beat.

The Orange used a 25-11 surge to end the first half and put some space between themselves and the Zags, but it was Andy Rautins' individual 11-2 run to open the second half that put away Gonzaga.

Perhaps the most intimidating aspect of the Syracuse performance was its defense. The Orange frustrated the Zags on the perimeter, holding them to just 3-of-21 shooting beyond the arc. Gonzaga was able to get 38 points in the paint, but that will no doubt change once Arinze Onuaku is back in the lineup.

All in all, it's tough to argue against Syracuse being the best team on its side of the bracket... not just the West Region, but the whole half of the bracket including the Midwest Region as well.

What's Next:

A Sweet 16 date with Butler. The Bulldogs have struggled all year against teams with size, length and athleticism, and even without Mr. Onuaku on the court, that set of three characteristics describe the Orange to a T. That said, Butler is an intelligent team with some guys that can penetrate and other guys that can shoot. If anything, Butler proved in the opening weekend that it is not a team to be taken lightly.

NCAA Tournament Second Round - Syracuse vs Gonzaga

What's Next: