Pittsburgh Steelers: Building perfect March Madness squad

Center- Cameron Heyward

Stephon Tuitt was originally the go-to pick for the center position, and for good cause, Tuitt stands as a big anchor in the paint at 6-6 and weighing every bit of 303 pounds. With over 34 inches of length to his arm, his length would have provided a great body to consistently snatch rebounds and block shots going to the glass.

However with this team, I believe the starting line-up needs a nasty, tough person in the middle to handle business inside. Not that Tuitt couldn’t do it, yet there’s a certain attitude that a smash-mouth center carries that I see more of in Cameron Heyward.

Heyward, to the knowledge of both myself and the internet, has experience playing basketball in high school, but didn’t stand out or earn any awards. That doesn’t matter though, as Heyward’s sole job would be to protect the rim at all costs. No easy dunks or layups, all points going inside are earned with elbows, shoves and intense stare-downs. Think early 90s basketball, and how the Knicks/Pacers played each other with a “no prisoners” mentality down low.

I’m fine with Heyward not showing up on the stat-sheet, simply because his impact would show on film instead. With the addition of Cam at the five spot, the Steelers starting five finds themselves with the following recipe for a championship run: An experienced point guard, a big  shooting guard who can score from anywhere, length and athleticism at the 3/4 spots and a hard-nosed center.

Head Coach: Mike Tomlin

It only makes sense given his close connection with his players and his leadership. Besides, who would get tired of hearing “The standard is the standard” or “We embrace the opportunity” in his press conferences?

Sixth Man: Antonio Brown

It’s important to note Brown dropped a cold 20 points in last year’s charity game played, mostly from shooting from outside the arc. With him constantly calling God, it wouldn’t hurt to have some divine help coming from the bench either.

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Team Manager: Vince Williams

The team manager is usually a responsible yet goofy person that generally gets along with the team, a role Vince fits perfectly. Williams is a easy-going person who would do a great job at rolling out the balls, eating peanut butter M&Ms on the bench making his players laugh and preventing Antonio from throwing the Gatorade cooler again.

With this dynamic squad, the Steelers would without a doubt be a one seed in a tournament, and much like there aspirations on the football field, the expectation is to be playing in the final game of the season, with smiles and confetti falling from the sky.