European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 31, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday March stars and Stipes Page 37 College hoops clash of titans big men Are centers of attention in tourneys final four matchup by Mark Long the associated press Urcla boasts two of the Best big men in the history of College basketball Kareem Abdulrab bar and Bill Walton Georgetown has three of its own to brag about Patrick Ewing Alonzo mourning and Dike be Mutombo any of them would fit right in with this years final four with Ohio states Greg Oden Georgetown Roy Hibbert and Florida Joakim Noah and Al Horn bad convening in Atlanta this weekend College basketballs Sig nature event has become a show Case for the country Best big men it could result in More Post action in the final four than anyone has seen since Ewing and hous tons Hakeem Olajuwon shared the stage in 1984 i think its going to get the game Back to where it used to be in having that Low Post threat Ohio state coach Thad Matta said wednesday the size of the Guys in this final four is truly Amaz ing Urcla with 6foot8 Forward Luc Richard mbah a moute tie teams top Post player Are considerably undersized compared to Oden Hibbert Noah and Hor Ford we Are by far the smallest team in this final four coach Ben Howland said but i think its great to see the big Man in col lege basketball hell see two saturday night Noah and Horn bad have Given the gators 335 a significant size advantage the last two sea sons they helped the defending National champions win 16 consecutive postseason games and and Vance to final four and a re match of last years title game against Noah and Horn bad combined for 30 Points 16 re Bounds and eight blocks in the first game our whole team had a prob Lem with Florida Howland said they thoroughly dominated us i dont think theres any secret about that Noah a 611 Forward and the son of Tennis Star Yannick Noah was the catalyst for the teams Back the hand didst work we disguised it we didst Tell any body that his right hand  move but i think that Hes really made a lot of Progress it just keeps getting a Little bit stronger everyday Hibbert could provide a Strong Challenge for Oden the 72 Junior has played Well in the tournament averaging 13 Points and 115 rebounds he also has 11 blocked shots nine assists and just four turnovers i think Well see saturday How they match up Georgetown coach John Thompson i said i think there both very Good play ers and something that people Are talking about because its not too often you have two Low Post Cen ters going against each other particularly this late in the tournament its even More rare to have four Post players in a final four a lot of times kids Are going right to the pros and not sticking David j freshman sensation Greg Oden has been a big Factor in Ohio states trip to the National semifinals of the Mcaa tournament around Thompson said a lot of times its because of influences of so Many Quality players in the Aba a lot of big Guys now Are shy ing away from the Post but we have Guys Here that like the fact that there Low Post players Bill Roy Hibbert celebrates a 9684 overtime Victory Over North Carolina that advanced Georgetown to the Mcaa tournaments final four title run in 2006 blocking a tour Namen record 29 shots he probably could have been the no 1 pick in last years Aba draft but decided to return in Hopes Florida would become the first team since Duke in 1992 to repeat As National champions Horn bad came Back too the 610 Center and son of former Aba player Tito Hor Ford has improved his game significantly developing Post moves and an out Side jumper making him Flori Das no 1 problem for defenders Ohio states top threat also Hap pens to be a Center Oden a 7foot freshman Sensa Tion propelled the buckeyes 343 into saturdays semifinal match against Georgetown he blocked the final shot against Tennessee in the regional semifinals to secure a on Point Victory then had 17 Points and nine rebounds in Only 24 minutes against Memphis to lift Ohio state to a spot in the final four Oden might have turned pro out of High school but ended up at Ohio state because of a new Aba Rule requiring that players be at least one year removed from High school before they enter the draft Oden has proven Hes ready for the pros and even said last week that everything is easy about col lege Hes averaging 154 Points and 95 rebounds shooting 61 per cent from the Field and has 100 blocked shots not bad for someone who missed the first seven games while recovering from wrist sur Gery then had to Wear a Brace on his right wrist and shoot free throws left handed the thing i enjoy about him is he gets better every Day Matta said the seven months that his hand was immobilized obviously set him Back when he came Joakim Noah 13 has been the face seasons particularly with his Stellar Jeff of Florida basketball the past two play in the Mcaa tournament on All 2008 escapes exclusive ends rebate hurry in to 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