Gamecock legend Alex English talks Zion, makes NCAA Tournament picks

Friday evening, University of South Carolina legend and NBA Hall of Fame inductee Alex English will leave the comforts of his well-appointed home in Blythewood and head to Colonial Life Arena to see what all the fuss is about.

“I’m just so happy that Columbia has got Duke here,” he said, lounging in his home office surrounded by mementos and trophies from his 20-year basketball playing career, beginning at Dreher High School. “I’m going to the game.”

English will see a familiar sight at the arena, host of first round games in the NCAA Basketball Tournament’s East and South regional. His No. 22 Carolina jersey hangs in the rafters.

“I want to see Zion Williamson play,” the eight-time NBA all-star said of the Spartanburg resident and Duke phenom. “I’ve seen him on TV. He looks like the real deal.”

Duke will play the winner of Wednesday’s play-in game between NC Central and North Dakota State. And folks in Columbia will get to see him play again on Sunday, barring a historic upset.

But while English is impressed by Zion in particular and Duke in general, his pick to win the championship might surprise you.

He likes Florida State, he said, but it’s another state, No. 2-seeded Michigan State, that he is picking to win it all. The reason? Legendary coach Tom Izzo.

English compared Izzo to future hall of fame NFL coach Bill Belichick, in that he knows how to take away another team’s most potent weapon.

“Coaches are the one who people should be looking at, and not the talent on the floor,” he said. “You’ve got to manipulate the chess pieces to a checkmate. They know what they have to do to take away the other team’s strong suit and work down from there.

“Good coaches will make Duke beat them with three pointers,” English said. “They’re not great shooters, and there are great coaches out there that know that. And Michigan State’s coach is sharp. You take away their drive to the basket, keep them off the glass, beat them to the hole.”

The strategy won’t work with all opponents, especially one from Spartanburg with a sharpshooting guard named Fletcher Magee. Magee is two baskets from tying the all-time NCAA record for made three-point shots.

“You can’t do that with a team like Wofford,” said English, who ranks 18th on the all-time NBA scoring list. “They got a guy that can fill it!”