When he wasn’t airing out his abundantly hairy pits, former NBA player Dell Curry was canning treys; now his son Stephen is building his own legend.

There always seem to be those players that step up out of nowhere in the tournament. The guys who have you scratching your head while saying “Wait, who is this guy?” The 2008 head scratcher for many of you (myself included) is Stephen Curry of the Cinderella Davidson squad. In Davidson’s first two games against Gonzaga and Georgetown, Curry has almost single-handedly carried his team to victory. Against the Bulldogs of Gonzaga, he poured in a game high 40 points, and followed that performance with 30 points in Davidson’s upset of number two seed Georgetown. Wow.

So maybe you say the name sounds familiar. Probably true. His dad was Dell Curry, long-time NBA player and three-point specialist. Regardless, I’m sure Stephen Curry was not on too many Players-to-watch lists before the tournament started. But after scoring 70 points in two contests and leading his Wildcats to the Sweet 16, he is plenty well known now. He’s even being projected as a late first round, early second round pick in the NBA draft for his uncanny ability to knock down threes.

March Madness. Where the unknown become the known! [Of course, long-time readers of RotoRob know that we touted Curry in the lead up to last year's tourney.]

Super Sweet 16 (Game of the Week)

Washington State vs. UNC, Thursday 7:40 p.m. EST

Okay, call me a homer (it has to be obvious by now that I’m a Coug through and through), but regardless of my loyalties, this has to be one of the most intriguing games of the Sweet 16. You have the ultimate shutdown defense in Wazzu, and the ultimate high powered offense in UNC. Both teams have absolutely destroyed their first two tournament opponents. Here’s a brief recap of what happened in these teams’ first two games:

Wazzu looked shaky in its first round victory of Winthrop. And by shaky, I mean for a short 20-minute period in which the Cougars went into the half tied at 29. But that disappeared quickly as they outscored Winthrop 42-11 in the second half to win 71-40. Ouch. Talk about defensive prowess.

In its second contest, Wazzu never looked shaky against Luke Harangody and the high powered Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame jumped out to a 5-0 lead early on, but that would be its only lead in the contest as Big East Player of the Year Harangody was held to ten points for the game. Final score, Wazzu 61 Notre Dame 41. For those who are counting, that represnted only half of Notre Dame’s season average point wise.

On to UNC. The Tar Heels have not played a game in doubt yet, as Tyler Hansbrough and company steamrolled their first two opponents. After earning the right to get bitch-slapped by UNC by winning the play-in game against Coppin “A Feel” St., Mt. St. Mary’s was, as expected, bitch slapped. It was not a close contest as Hansbrough and Ty Lawson led the team with 21 points apiece in the Heels’ 113-74 victory. Wow. That’s scary good offense right there.

Many people thought UNC would get a much harder challenge from the tough SEC Arkansas squad. Nope. The Tar Heels once again scored in triple digits in a 108-77 victory, this time led by superstar guard Wayne Ellington. What is even better is the squad played everyone on their bench, with all 15 players seeing some action. Talk about a stacked team.

So why is this such a great game? Mostly because it is the best offense versus the best defense in the nation. But also because of the insane amount of future NBA talent in the game. UNC’s Hansbrough might potentially turn pro after this season, as may backcourt stalwarts Lawson and Ellington. All look to be first round picks. For Wazzu, Kyle Weaver hopes to continue to soar on draft boards with his defensive prowess, and what better an opportunity then to face the number one team in the tournament? Also, senior guard Derrick Low will look to continue a strong tournament and move up his draft status from mid second round to early second round selection.

The final reason it will be the best Sweet 16 game? Because I’m flying across country to see it, so damn it, it better be!

Happy bracket watching everyone.

[Note from the editor -- RotoRob has been a UNC fan since he started following college hoops many a year ago, so this matchup pits two of our staff's teams against one another. All I can say, Daniel, is you better watch your back, or else I will arrange to have extremely flat beer served at your next kegger. I might even confiscate your bong.]

March 26th, 2008
Categories: BASKETBALL, College sports, Daniel Olson, March Madness Preview, The Bench Warmer . Author: Daniel Olson . Comments: 1 Comment

Luke Harangody is an intimidating presence in the post. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey)

[Note from the Editor: This is the 1,000th post in the history of RotoRob.com. A quick thanks to all our readers, all our writers and the rest of Team RotoRob. Okay, enough blathering...on to some college hoops. By the way, stay tuned for our March Madness Preview, coming soon.]

If you see Luke Harangody in street clothes on the campus at Notre Dame, you might think he suits up for the football team. The 6′8″, 251-pound sophomore looks like a fullback or linebacker as opposed to a forward for the Fighting Irish’s tourney-bound hoops team.

Harangody was told coming into Notre Dame that he may never see any playing time and spend his career on the bench. But now, just a sophomore, he has proved everyone wrong and come up big. He currently averages 21 points as well as pulling down 10 boards per game in the tough Big East Conference. Despite Notre Dame’s loss to Louisville last Thursday, Harangody poured in an incredible 40 points on 16-for-28 shooting from the field. Just to make sure people knew there were more aspects to his game, he pulled down 12 boards as well. Before this contest, he had never made a three-pointer in his college career. But he stepped up and knocked down 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, helping turn what once seemed a blowout into a nail biter at the end.

While it is doubtful the impressive Harangody will go pro after this season, look for him to be even more of a force next season. If he can continue his hot streak behind the arc, he could be a more diverse version of Kyle Korver with more tools if he makes it to the league.

Team of the Week

For how much success the Gonzaga Bulldogs have had the last decade, there sure isn’t much talk about them from Spokane.

The Bulldogs wrapped up at least a tie of the West Coast Conference last week with a win over previously ranked St. Mary’s, and then followed that up with a thrashing over Santa Clara on Monday to finish their regular season at 24-6. Believe it or not, they finally re-entered this week’s rankings for the first time in over three months.

The Bulldogs are paced by Matt Bouldin, who is scoring 13 points per game and just poured in 21 in the win over St. Mary’s. But the real intrigue on the team is star guard Jeremy Pargo. His brother Jannero is already a back-up guard in the NBA to Hornets’ guard Chris Paul, and the younger Pargo hopes he can make it to the league as well. Pargo currently averages 11.8 points per game as well as a hefty 6.2 assists. While only a junior, don’t be surprised to see him bolt for the pros after having a successful campaign this season.

Who’s Hot

• Brook Lopez, C, Stanford: This 7′0″, 260-pound sophomore has been a tear all season in the Pac-10 with the only other centre in the ballpark being freshman sensation Kevin Love. Lopez is currently averaging 19.3 points per game as well as grabbing 7.8 boards a contest. After having to sit out the first nine games of the season due to academic probation, he has been making up for lost time. Against 22nd-ranked Washington State last weekend, Lopez poured in 25 points and added six rebounds, catapulting his team from an 11-point deficit at halftime to a seven-point victory. It is widely thought that he will go pro after this season, and draft projections have him as a high lottery pick. Look for Lopez to make an immediate impact in the NBA.
• Chris Kramer, G, Purdue: Kramer is an undersized guard at only 6′3″, but has been the defensive playmaker all year for the Boilermakers. Think of him as a defensive specialist. While Kramer only averages seven points per contest, his 2.3 steals per game is nothing to frown at. He is only a sophomore, so he has plenty of time to improve his offensive skills and, if he does, look for him to go to the league as a defensive specialist.

Who’s Not

• The Pac-10 Referees: It is widely known that the Pac-10 football referees are often off their game, especially after blowing the Oregon-Oklahoma contest a few years ago. But who knew the basketball officials were this awful as well? In Saturday’s Washington State-Stanford contest, the first seven foul calls of the game went against Washington State. After that, the next nine calls went against Stanford, including a technical on head coach Trent Johnson. Talk about lack of consistency. Let’s hope these Pac-10 refs don’t get to officiate the postseason and disrupt our viewing of our soon-to-be NBA stars.

Game of the Week

UNC vs. Duke, Saturday, March 8, 9 p.m. EST

What’s not to love about the number one team in the nation (UNC) facing the number five team (Duke)? A scouts dream!

Watch National Player of the Year candidate Tyler Hansbrough take on Greg Paulus as this game decides who wins the ACC outright as both teams currently sit at 13-2 in conference.

You gotta love this rivalry, even if (like me) you actually hate both schools. (Do what I do, just wait until the second half with three minutes left and whichever team is losing, half-heartedly cheer for them.)

March 5th, 2008
Categories: BASKETBALL, College sports, Daniel Olson, The Bench Warmer . Author: Daniel Olson . Comments: 1 Comment

Reggie Evans, right, could be in jeopardy of losing his “The Collector” nickname if Dwayne Collins makes it to the NBA. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy)

The University of Miami (Florida) has always been known as a football powerhouse. The Hurricanes have rarely been known as a threat in basketball in the tough ACC, but after last week’s upset over Duke, maybe it is time to start recognizing their hoops program.

The ‘Canes were led by sophomore forward Dwayne Collins, who poured in a season best 26 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from the line, while pitching in with seven boards. Collins followed up his performance in the upset over Duke with a solid game of 12 points and six rebounds helping Miami beat Maryland to extent its ACC winning streak to four games. Collins stands at 6′8″ and weighs in at 232 pounds which is the perfect size for a college forward, and he has made it pay off in only his second year, averaging 9.6 points and 6.3 boards a game.

While Collins will need more time to develop in the college ranks, the Miami native already has the body and with improved skills, can be an effective bruiser in the NBA ranks. Think Reggie Evans but with a better scoring touch. Will Collins make it to the NBA and steal “The Collector” nickname from Evans? That would not be a stretch.

Team of the Week

I was going to ask how anyone could argue that the team was Tennessee, but now I think it should just be the state of Tennessee.

Formerly the No. 2 team in the nation, the University of Tennessee came into the FedEx Forum and upset the number one-ranked Memphis Tigers last Saturday. Not only did that lock the school in as the best team in the state of Tennessee, but it will almost assuredly give the Vols a No. 1 seed in the tournament.

Tyler Smith led the Volunteers with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists, continuing his season-long scoring barrage. The 6′7″ forward is currently averaging 13.5 points and grabbing 6.7 boards a game in the tough SEC. The senior leader, Chris Lofton, had an off game, going just 2-for-11 from the field and only contributing seven points, but don’t expect that to hurt his stock come NBA draft time.

But wait…last night, No. 14 Vanderbilt, behind Sean Foster, upset the new No. 1 Tennessee. So that being said, the team of the week is….the state of Tennessee? The union’s 16th state is currently taking a back seat to no one on the hardwood.

Who’s Hot

• Al Fisher, G, Kent State: This 6′1″ junior has led the Golden Flashes to a surprising 23-5 record capped by Tuesday’s upset over 23rd-ranked St. Mary’s where he poured in 28 points. While slightly undersized, Fisher has proved he can shoot, averaging 14.4 points per game while canning 83 per cent of his attempts from the charity stripe. If the draft happened today, Fisher would go undrafted, but he has one more year to improve his draft stock and could be a huge three-point threat in the association.
• Kyle McAlarney, G, Notre Dame: Another undersized guard at 6′0″, McAlarney proved he has a huge heart. The junior poured in 30 points including nine three-pointers in last week’s win over Syracuse, helping his Fighting Irish to a 21-5 record. He’s currently averaging almost 16 points per game, and shooting an insane 46.4 per cent from downtown. McAlarney will stay in school for his senior year, but look for his shooting touch to impress some NBA scouts and give him a shot to catch on as another deep threat in the league.

Who’s Not

• Greg Paulus, G, Duke: The director of Duke’s offense has struggled in his last three contests. The junior has sunk a mere 8-for-27 in his last three games, two of those being losses to Wake Forest and Miami. Paulus is averaging a modest 10.6 points per game, but will need to be much more accurate down the stretch for the Blue Devils to have a shot at the Championship.
• Brian Roberts, G, Dayton: The star for the Dayton Flyers struggled mightily against Xavier, going just 4-for-14 from the field as his squad lost 57-51. The senior is averaging a healthy 19.3 points per game and has only been held to single digits four times this season, but his Flyers have gone just 3-8 in their last 11 contests and must pick things up going into the tournament. And Roberts must pick it up in his last year of eligibility if he has hopes of making it to the pros.

Game of the Week

Notre Dame vs. Louisville, Thursday, February 28, 7 p.m., EST

This game will help determine who will challenge Georgetown and Roy Hibbert for the Big East title. Notre Dame is currently ranked 17th and is led by McAlarney while Louisville sits just behind the Irish in the 18th slot in the country. The return of Cardinals’ centre David Padgett has been huge as Louisville has gone 13-3 since he’s come back. Watch this game not only to see the jockeying for position in the Big East, but also for a sneak peak at some future NBA players.

February 27th, 2008
Categories: BASKETBALL, College sports, Daniel Olson, The Bench Warmer . Author: Daniel Olson . Comments: 1 Comment

Lester Hudson has been doing it all for UT-Martin. (Photo: Tennessee-Martin)

The University of Tennessee-Martin is not exactly a powerhouse school, but it is a Division I program. Regardless of how little known the team is, Lester Hudson is letting himself be known. The 6′3″ junior guard from Memphis, Tenn., is averaging 25.8 points per contest, good for third in the nation. He is also pulling down 7.8 boards per game, an unheard of amount of rebounds for a guard.

If it were not for academic troubles out of high school, Hudson would have been a sure fire recruit to schools like Memphis, Florida, or another powerhouse. Instead, he landed at UT-Martin and he’s made a name for himself, registering the first ever quadruple-double in men’s history with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals in a contest against Central Baptist College.

Not impressed by his quadruple-double against a Division II opponent? Well, try this on for size: In his team’s first game of the season against currently ranked and undefeated Memphis, Hudson poured in 35 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. He also scored 36 points and had nine rebounds against Vanderbilt.

He has scored in double figures in every contest this season except one against Tennessee Tech where he just missed with nine points.

Hudson has helped his squad to a bid in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, while at the same time making a name for himself amongst the scouts.

Despite his monster stat line in his first year in Division I, Hudson is undecided whether he will turn pro or not. “I still think there are a couple more levels out there for me,” Hudson said. “I think I’ll probably be back next year, but you’ve also got to look at your opportunities,” he recently said. If Hudson does decide to bolt to the pros, keep your eye on him in the future and expect him to have an impact wherever he lands.

Team of the Week

The Purdue Boilermakers currently sit in first place in the Big Ten Conference. What? Yeah, I am shocked too! Currently ranked 15th, the Boilermakers are at 21-6 overall with a 12-2 conference record. They have three players who are averaging double figures, with the high coming from guard E’twaun Moore and his 11.9 points per contest. Despite last night’s loss to the inspired Indiana Hooisers (who were probably playing their last game for coach Kelvin Sampson), the Boilermakers still sit in a nice position with a weak final five conference games, meaning the Big Ten title should be theirs.

Who’s Hot

The expanded version of Who’s Hot and Who’s Not will return next week, but in the meantime, here are some players to watch:

Robin Lopez, C, Stanford
Jared Bayless, G, Arizona
A.J. Price, G, Connecticut
D.J. White, C, Indiana

Game of the Week

Tennessee vs. Memphis, Saturday, February 23, 9 p.m. EST

Chris Lofton and his Tennessee Volunteers travel to in-state rival Memphis to take on Joey Dorsey and the Memphis Tigers. This might be the last chance a team has to upset Memphis before the NCAA tournament, as the rest of its league schedule is less than difficult. The matchup pits a number one and a number two ranked team, the first such meeting this season. One thing is for certain, there will be plenty of NBA scouts at this one.

February 20th, 2008
Categories: BASKETBALL, College sports, Daniel Olson, The Bench Warmer . Author: Daniel Olson . Comments: No Comments

Stefon Jackson has had to overcome a lot to get where he is. (AP Photo/Lance Murphey)

There are plenty of success stories of players in college basketball. Many have gone through trials and tribulations that most of us could not endure. UTEP guard Stefon Jackson is no different. Jackson constantly tells everyone how much he loves his grandma, and with help from UTEP administrators, he even has a web site called djloveshisgrandma.com. So why has his grandmother been such a rock for him during his college career? Jackson not only had to endure a broken jaw, suffered at the hands of his own teammate, who punched him during practice, but the murder of his brother and the death of his father.

Jackson almost quit basketball, but with encouragement from his family, specifically his grandmother, he continued on with the sport he loved despite his struggles.

Based on the way Jackson has played this year, it is probably a good thing he decided to continue. The 6′5″, 175-pound guard from Philadelphia has had a phenomenal year for UTEP, averaging 23.8 points per game (good for fourth in the nation) as well as pulling down 5.3 boards per contest. His efforts have helped UTEP to a surprising 14-8 record, giving the school hopes of making the NCAA tournament.

The junior guard has scored double figures in every game this season minus one against Texas Tech. He has also scored 30+ points in three contests this season. While he only shoots a modest 33 per cent from three-point range, his inside game and ability to rebound despite a slender frame gives him a great shot at the NBA. As of right now, Jackson has publicly said he would like to stay in college for his senior season.

Look for Jackson’s draft status to be contingent on how he performs his senior season, but if his current season is any indication, he will have no problem being a late first round to early second round draft pick.

Team of the Week

It was only a matter of time until Louisville began performing the way everyone expected. Well, getting its star players healthy also helped as the team has won its last three contests, with two of the wins being over ranked teams Marquette and Georgetown. A healthy David Padgett has clearly contributed to the teams’ success, as they went only 7-3 while he was injured.

The Cardinals are paced by junior forward Terrence Williams, who is averaging 11 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Talk about your do it all player. And who didn’t love Rick Pitino’s white suit for the school white out game versus Georgetown?

Who’s Hot

• Ryan Anderson, F, Cal: The sophomore forward is dominating the toughest conference in the land right now, the Pac-10. Anderson is currently scoring 22 points per contest while pulling down 9.9 rebounds, which equates to essentially a double-double every contest. He might be the best kept secret on the West Coast, and look for him to continue to make an impact as his Cal Golden Bears fight to make the NCAA tournament. It is still too early to tell if he might test the pro waters, but if he does he could be something special with his ability to stretch the defense while also pulling down boards on the defensive end.
• Brian Butch, C, Wisconsin: Butch does not put up gaudy numbers, but he is consistent and has helped his Badgers to a 19-4 record. He does the little things and is the senior leader on the floor for Wisconsin. Look for Butch, who is averaging 12.7 points and seven boards per contest for Wisconsin, to be a late second round draft pick, and an effective player off the bench in the NBA.

Who’s Not

• D.J. Augustin, G, Texas: Augustin is a sure thing first round pick whenever he decides to go pro. But as of late, his numbers have not helped his draft stock. The 6′0″ sophomore guard did nothing to help his Longhorns upset Kansas, as he went 1-for-13 from the field and did not score until there was 5:30 left in the contest. In his last five games, Augustin has shot 19-for-74 from the field. If he plans to go pro after this season and wants his stock to soar, he will need to improve his field goal percentage.
• Longar Longar, C, Oklahoma: The senior centre was averaging 13.2 points per contest while pulling down 5.9 boards before he broke his leg against Colorado. Now his senior season is likely finished, as well as the Sooners’ chances at the NCAA tournament.

Game of the Week

Wisconsin vs. Indiana, 7 p.m. EST, Wednesday, February 13

The battle between two of the top three teams in the Big Ten will showcase NBA prospects from Indiana in D.J. White and Eric Gordon against Wisconsin’s stars Trevon Hughes and Butch. Whichever team wins this contest stays in the hunt for the Big Ten championship while the other team’s hopes might be shattered.

February 13th, 2008
Categories: BASKETBALL, College sports, Daniel Olson, The Bench Warmer . Author: Daniel Olson . Comments: 2 Comments