Final Four teams a study in contrasting styles

Florida coach Billy Donovan has his hands full preparing for Shabazz Napier and Connecticut in the Final Four, but he couldn't help but look across at the other side of the bracket.

Kentucky, with its waves of athletic freshmen against defensive and deliberate Wisconsin -- yeah, that's going to be interesting to watch, even for a coach with more pressing things on his mind. "It should be a great game," Donovan said during a conference call involving the Final Four coaches yesterday. "Two -- I think in a lot of ways -- contrasting styles."

Contrast. This year's Final Four is full of it.

Kentucky has relied almost entirely on freshmen (again), while Florida followed a road paved by seniors.

The Gators' middle is muscular, anchored by lane bully Patric Young. Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky is a 7-footer who is just as comfortable outside the three-point line as he is on the low block.

The Badgers' shot clock is more like an hourglass, offensive spacing and precision cutting setting up the perfect shot. The athletic Wildcats barge their way past opponents, getting out on the break or flying in for rebound slams.

Even the coaches have divergent paths: Donovan and Kentucky's John Calipari are Final Four regulars; UConn's Kevin Ollie and Wisconsin's Bo Ryan have crashed the party for the first time.

Ryan, 66, finally is in the Final Four after so many attempts that fell short.

Ollie has never been this far; he's been a head coach for only two seasons. He does have plenty of experience, though, having played for 11 teams during 13 NBA seasons before ending up in Storrs.

"I always prided myself as being a coach on the court," Ollie said.

The contrast in big men runs the spectrum in this year's Final Four.

Florida's Young is built like a 6-9 bodybuilder, using his strength to bull opponents out of the lane and get to the rim. Kentucky's Julius Randle is of a similar barge-past-them mold, though with more of a face-up game, and UConn go-to big man DeAndre Daniels can shoot, slash and soar.

On the far end of the big-man spectrum is Kaminsky. A lanky 7-footer, he uses his length to score around the basket but also has good shooting touch from outside the arc and an ability to find gaps in the opposing team's perimeter defense.

"Kaminsky for them is a unique player just in the fact that with his size, he can step away from the basket and shoot threes, he obviously can post up and score around the basket," Donovan said.

With so many contrasts -- styles, players, coaches -- there's plenty to talk about.