Taj Gibson, 6-9, Freshman, PF/C, USC
16 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, 0 assists, 4 turnovers , 7-12 FG, 2-3 FT
Jonathan Givony
Had Taj Gibson not been called for his 4th foul of the game with 12:25 left to go in the 2nd half, its very much conceivable that USC would have left the building with a win. North Carolina was down by 11 points at the time, and with Gibson on the bench, went on a 20-2 run, with numerous baskets in that span coming off offensive rebounds or inside the paint, where Gibson dominated the entire game until picking up his fourth foul.
North Carolina ended up squeezing it out, but no one should soon forget the clinic that Gibson put on them in the first 28 minutes of the game. He attacked UNCs future lottery picks with supreme aggression, putting the ball on the floor numerous times and blowing by Tyler Hansbrough thanks to his superb quickness. He also established great position on him in the post and showed some nice moves finishing, as well as absolutely cleaning up on the offensive glass.
Defensively, Gibson was just as active, denying Hansbrough the type of position hes been accustomed to getting his entire career, and instead forcing him to settle for mid-range jumpers rather than using his typical tenacity around the rim. Gibson also did a magnificent job as a rebounder, using his quickness and aggressiveness to neutralize UNCs height and talent advantage in the frontcourt, and showing excellent toughness and hands coming down with some very strong boards.
With 12:25 to go, Gibson had 16 points and 11 rebounds and looked to be on the verge of a breakout performance on the national level to go along with an incredible upset over arguably the most talented team in America. A quick foul on Tyler Hansbrough in the post sent him to the bench with 4 fouls, though, and Gibson only had 1 rebound to show for his effort over the next 12 minutes, along with the loss. He looked completely exhausted in the minutes he was on the floor down the stretch, and its hard to blame him considering how hard he played matching up with two phenomenal talents in Wright and Hansbrough. Gibsons fifth foul, a moving screen violation, caused his head coach Tim Floyd to lose his mind and throw his cards on the court for no particular reason, which essentially lost his team the game.
Only a freshman, well surely be hearing plenty more of him next season in the Pac-10, playing next to O.J. Mayo. There is surely a place in the NBA for a big man with his mindset, but hell probably have to round out his offensive game a bit more first, which he surely has the talent to do.
North Carolina ended up squeezing it out, but no one should soon forget the clinic that Gibson put on them in the first 28 minutes of the game. He attacked UNCs future lottery picks with supreme aggression, putting the ball on the floor numerous times and blowing by Tyler Hansbrough thanks to his superb quickness. He also established great position on him in the post and showed some nice moves finishing, as well as absolutely cleaning up on the offensive glass.
Defensively, Gibson was just as active, denying Hansbrough the type of position hes been accustomed to getting his entire career, and instead forcing him to settle for mid-range jumpers rather than using his typical tenacity around the rim. Gibson also did a magnificent job as a rebounder, using his quickness and aggressiveness to neutralize UNCs height and talent advantage in the frontcourt, and showing excellent toughness and hands coming down with some very strong boards.
With 12:25 to go, Gibson had 16 points and 11 rebounds and looked to be on the verge of a breakout performance on the national level to go along with an incredible upset over arguably the most talented team in America. A quick foul on Tyler Hansbrough in the post sent him to the bench with 4 fouls, though, and Gibson only had 1 rebound to show for his effort over the next 12 minutes, along with the loss. He looked completely exhausted in the minutes he was on the floor down the stretch, and its hard to blame him considering how hard he played matching up with two phenomenal talents in Wright and Hansbrough. Gibsons fifth foul, a moving screen violation, caused his head coach Tim Floyd to lose his mind and throw his cards on the court for no particular reason, which essentially lost his team the game.
Only a freshman, well surely be hearing plenty more of him next season in the Pac-10, playing next to O.J. Mayo. There is surely a place in the NBA for a big man with his mindset, but hell probably have to round out his offensive game a bit more first, which he surely has the talent to do.