Zeller's 20-22 line (which also included four blocks) was the fourth 20-20 performance in the last 30 years of the NCAA tournament. Great, great post players have left their mark on the NCAA tournament over the years, but only three of them did what Zeller did Friday night.
Even Zeller was impressed.
What's more impressive, what makes the feat even more meaningful for Zeller was the other three names. Here's the company Zeller joined with his game last night:
- Tim Duncan -- Considered by some (including myself) to be the greatest power forward to play the game. In 1997, Duncan scored 22 points and grabbed 22 rebounds against St. Mary's. Even more impressive was that Duncan put those numbers up against 7-foot-3, 345-pound center Brad Millard of St. Mary's.
- Joe Smith -- Smith never quite lived up to the hype of a No. 1 draft pick after he was taken by Golden State in 1995, but he played 16 years in the NBA. But during his senior year at Maryland, the year he was named the Naismith Player of the Year, Smith scored 31 points and brought down 21 rebounds in a tournament game against Texas.
- Hakeem Olajuwon -- One of the best centers to ever play in the NBA. Olajuwon went for 21 points and 22 rebounds in a 1993 tournament game against Louisville, the same year UNC beat Michigan for the NCAA title. Olajuwon played for Houston, then went on to have a great career in the NBA with the Houston Rockets.
Zeller's name included on that list says more than enough. Usually very humble, Zeller's first reaction when told about it was simply, "Dang."
To be fair, if there was a game for Zeller to post 20 rebounds in, it would be against Ohio. The Bobcats had one player taller than 6-foot-8, but he didn't start and he was still two inches shorter than Zeller.
Zeller attributed a lot of his success to his height.
"On the boards, I think that was a huge advantage we had," he said. "Being able to have John (Henson) and me down there, I mean, you're always looking for him and then I can sneak in and get one every once in a while. It was a great advantage for us."
Without Kendall Marshall, North Carolina was a different team. Fewer fast break points and a lack of offensive creation were just some of the problems the Tar Heels ran into. And by the looks of things in St. Louis, Marshall appears still very questionable for UNC's game against Kansas. Though, it is hard to imagine the point guard won't give it a shot with a Final Four trip on the line.
If Marshall doesn't play, UNC will need Zeller. The Tar Heels obviously can't have another 3-for-16 performance from Harrison Barnes, and it's not really likely that Reggie Bullock will be as clutch as he was Friday, but if UNC wants to beat Kansas, Zeller must be big again.
He has been North Carolina's most consistent player down the stretch and for much of this season.
Marshall said he's simply UNC's leader.
"The steps that he's made as a player each year, I mean, he's a senior," Marshall said. "He knows that this is his team. He wants to lead us and we have no problem letting him. The effort he puts in every day is just a testament to show what kind of player he is. I'm extremely happy for him.We wouldn't be where we are without him."
Zeller doesn't need 20 and 22 against Kansas to be effective, he just needs to do the little things he's done all year. For example, when Stilman White stole the ball in the second half and was pushing for a fast-break layup, Zeller followed him and gathered it once Ohio blocked White's layup. He cleaned up other messes too, like a few 3-point attempts from Barnes. If nothing else, Zeller's minutes showed how big his presence was in the paint against Ohio. He played 90 percent of the available minutes (40 out of 45). Williams took him out of the game and stuck him back in front of the scorer's table often within the same minute.
He was a difference-maker.
The center deserves plenty of love for his game against Ohio. Duncan, Smith, Olajuwon and now Zeller. It's incredibly impressive.
It won't come as easily against the Jayhawks' talented frontcourt, but UNC will likely need its steady big man even more Sunday. Right now, he's about the only certain thing for Sunday's game on the UNC end.
