Saying Goodbye: Keith Benson

In this world of NBA Draft early entry and one-and-done freshman, it is difficult to become attached to a college star. They simply don't hang around long enough. But when they do, that player becomes the fan favorite. There is nothing like watching a kid develop from a overwhelmed freshman into star as a senior. Those are the players that the fans connect with.

We reached out to some of the blogosphere's best, and over the next couple of weeks we will be running a series of posts saying goodbye to some of the country's best seniors.

Our second installment of "Saying Goodbye" is on Oakland center Keith Benson and is being provided by Corey fromGolden Grizzlies Gameplan

Deep down, part of me hoped that Oakland's magical season and Keith Benson's rise as a mid-major darling were enough to convince someone else to head to the O'rena that evening to see the senior center for the final time. They, too, would see history in the making. Though Benson didn't break a coveted record that night, he did walk off the O'rena court as the most decorated player to ever come through the program. When they introduced him to the crowd before the game, the list of accomplishments they read off seemed to last an hour. Benson, who has a reputation as a bit of a quiet giant, took it all in stride, but one couldn't quite tell if he was embarrassed in the way that someone might be when a long list of their accolades is being read off, or if he was secretly grinning inside as to say "I told you so" to all of his doubters.

Throughout his five years at Oakland, one of which was a redshirt year, it's that mental aspect of Keith Benson, also known as "Kito," that has been his most polarizing trait. Folks often questioned his desire to win because he seemed so nonchalant in his early days, and once he started being talked about for his NBA potential, it seemed every scout or scouting service had something to say about his demeanor, his toughness, or his "motor."

As an impassioned fan, I live and die with every Oakland shot, and I know that Keith Benson has been there to fight for the rebound of every one of those shots if they didn't fall through the net. During his sophomore campaign, he came away with Oakland's go-ahead dunk in the waning seconds of the 2008 Summit League Tournament Championship. He would have gone dancing with his teammates because of that dunk had fate not determined that it was simply North Dakota State's year (thanks, Ben Woodside).

As a junior, Benson had two monster blocks in the final minutes of that same championship setting, which sealed Oakland's second ever trip to the Big Dance. One of those blocks, which will forever live as one of my favorite moments as a Golden Grizzlies fan, came on a play where IUPUI had a lone player in transition, and Benson flat-out denied him. And when he was in the conference tournament's final game again as a senior, he overpowered Oral Roberts' frontline to the tune of 28 points and 14 rebounds. He was active on every play, for all 38 minutes he was in the game.

When it mattered most, Keith Benson was Oakland's hero. He leaves the program as one of the winningest players in program history, and certainly as the most dominating and accomplished. He was never a showboat. Nor was he ever mopey. He was never in trouble off the court or on it. In fact, when he was T'd up earlier this season, a few friends and I wondered if we could ever remember Benson putting himself in a position to get a technical, let alone actually getting one. Benson simply came to play basketball. He made his team better, and in each of the three years that he was a significant contributor, his team made it to the conference tournament championship. In his final two seasons, he led Oakland to the NCAA Tournament. You don't accomplish those things, while never missing a game, without having a motor, some toughness, or a desire to win.

The funny thing about being a mid-major star is that it's not often said player is even celebrated much on his own campus. A few of my undergraduate years overlapped with Benson's, and I'm fairly certain there are probably more die-hard college basketball fans from around the country who know of his dominance and NBA potential than those on Oakland's campus. That's not necessarily a condemnation of OU's fanbase, but for a large commuter university in the suburbs, it's simply how things work.

But beyond potentially being Oakland's first NBA draft pick, Keith Benson will leave another legacy in Rochester. As the most dominant player on a team with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, he is the face of a program that more people, especially students, want to support. His accomplishments have brought on a new level of national interest in the Oakland program, landing his name and Oakland's in a number of respected publications or telecasts and on even more websites than one could count. More people know about Oakland than did before Kito arrived to campus, and by and large those representations of the university have been very positive.

For his efforts on the basketball court, Keith Benson will likely make a lot of money in the very near future. That's something us die-hard Golden Grizzlies fans are extremely excited about. Beyond that, Benson has helped raise the profile of not just the basketball program, but also the university. As an alumnus of Oakland U, where I had a great academic and social experience, that's a contribution I appreciate even more than wins on the court (well, maybe not). When a guy like Kyrie Irving leaves Duke, it's but a small footnote for a historic program and university. But when a guy like Benson departs from a school like Oakland, it's a very big deal.

The exposure a mid-major receives from such a player is invaluable. And because he's unlikely to get props for that impact, as but one of many Grizzly fans, I thank you, Kito.

Make us proud in the NBA!


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2011:Preston Knowles, Louisville