Sizzling Scorers: Culver and Winston are Top Point Producers at 2019 Final 4
In 2016, Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, the nation's runner-up in scoring with 25.4 points per game, came close to duplicating one of the most overlooked achievements in NCAA Tournament history. In 1951-52, Clyde Lovellette of champion Kansas became the only player to lead the nation in scoring average (28.4 ppg) while competing for a squad reaching the NCAA tourney title game. Final Four luminaries averaging more than 30 ppg include Elvin Hayes (36.8/Houston '68), Oscar Robertson (33.7/Cincinnati '60 and 32.6/Cincinnati '59), Rick Mount (33.3/Purdue '69), Elgin Baylor (32.5/Seattle '58), Bill Bradley (30.5/Princeton '65) and Len Chappell (30.1/Wake Forest '62).
Lovellette, an 11-year NBA center who passed away two years ago, served as sheriff of Vigo County in his native Indiana (noted for raid on Terre Haute brothels). Michigan State (Cassius Winston/18.87 ppg) and Texas Tech (Jarrett Culver/18.86 ppg) fans would be ecstatic if the leading scorers among this campaign's national semifinalists "raided" the Final Four by joining Lovellette as the only other player cracking the 30-point plateau in the national semifinals and championship contest in the same season (33 against both Santa Clara and St. John's).
Hield was the first Final Four player since Georgia Tech's Dennis Scott to average in excess of 25 ppg. Only two other Final Four players notched higher scoring averages than Hield since the playoff field expanded to at least 32 teams in 1975 - Larry Bird (28.6 ppg for Indiana State '79 and Glen Rice (25.6 for Michigan '89). Culver and Winston join the following list of individuals in the last 29 years amassing the highest scoring average from a Final Four club since Scott's mark of 27.7 ppg in 1989-90:
Season Top Scorer Among Final Four Teams School Average 1989-90 Dennis Scott Georgia Tech 27.7 ppg 1990-91 Larry Johnson UNLV 22.7 ppg 1991-92 Christian Laettner Duke 21.5 ppg 1992-93 Jamal Mashburn Kentucky 21.0 ppg 1993-94 Khalid Reeves Arizona 24.2 ppg 1994-95 Bryant Reeves Oklahoma State 21.5 ppg 1995-96 John Wallace Syracuse 22.2 ppg 1996-97 Antawn Jamison North Carolina 19.1 ppg 1997-98 Antawn Jamison North Carolina 22.2 ppg 1998-99 Richard Hamilton Connecticut 21.5 ppg 1999-00 Morris Peterson Michigan State 16.8 ppg 2000-01 Jay Williams Duke 21.6 ppg 2001-02 Juan Dixon Maryland 20.4 ppg 2002-03 Carmelo Anthony Syracuse 22.2 ppg 2003-04 Ben Gordon Connecticut 18.5 ppg 2004-05 Sean May North Carolina 17.5 ppg 2005-06 Glen Davis Louisiana State 18.6 ppg 2006-07 Arron Affalo UCLA 16.9 ppg 2007-08 Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina 22.6 ppg 2008-09 Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina 20.7 ppg 2009-10 Jon Scheyer Duke 18.2 ppg 2010-11 Kemba Walker Connecticut 23.5 ppg 2011-12 Thomas Robinson Kansas 17.7 ppg 2012-13 Russ Smith Louisville 18.7 ppg 2013-14 Shabazz Napier Connecticut 18.0 ppg 2014-15 Frank Kaminsky Wisconsin 18.8 ppg 2015-16 Buddy Hield Oklahoma 25.4 ppg 2016-17 Sindarius Thornwell South Carolina 21.6 ppg 2017-18 Jalen Brunson Villanova 19.2 ppg 2018-19 Jarrett Culver Texas Tech 18.9 ppg 2018-19 Cassius Winston Michigan State 18.9 ppg