Needs more minutes: Aly Khalifa
Aly Khalifa is the type of big man that fans love to watch. He is not a traditional scoring big man. In fact, he typically operates near the free-throw line extended, often playing at the top of the offense and helping initiate sets. Khalifa has an excellent feel for the game and consistently creates opportunities for teammates. Despite this, he currently sits behind both Sananda Fru and Vangelis Zougris on the depth chart.
Khalifa has played 20 minutes in a game just once all season and usually logs closer to 15 minutes per night. His game may not be traditional for a center—he averages only 1.9 rebounds—but he shoots 40% from three-point range. His real strength, however, is how his role in running helps run the offense. Khalifa is second on the team with 85 assists. That’s right—he’s a 7-foot center who ranks second on the team in assists.
While Zougris is a more traditional big man, he adds very little to the offense overall. He averages only 2.3 rebounds per game and commits roughly one turnover per game as well. Khalifa should play more in the NCAA Tournament because he can facilitate the offense and help the team produce both scoring opportunities and assists.