Marvin Williams is a student too

The NBA's age restriction on who can enter the draft -- what we like to call the one-and-done rule -- has plenty of detractors.

The biggest reason, and perhaps the most logical, is the possibility for the athletes to make a sham of the term "student" athlete. Its not a secret that these kids don't have to go to class after the first semester, and its a pretty safe bet that a number of them take advantage of it.

But not every one.

Take Marvin Williams, for example. As a freshman, Williams was the sixth man on UNC's 2005 national title winning team. He left UNC after that season, becoming the 2nd pick in the NBA Draft. As he is about to enter his sixth season in the NBA, Williams is a wealthy man and about to get wealthier -- he stands to make $22 millions over the next three years. That doesn't mean he hasn't taken the time to better himself, and not just his bank account. Not only has Williams spent time in Senegal with the NBA's Basketball without Borders program, he has volunteered with the Special Olympics since he was a sophomore in high school, and recently hosted a bowling event for the program.

Oh, and how about this little diddy -- he's been returning to Chapel Hill during the summers to work his way towards a degree in African American Studies. He has just three summers to go before he earns his diploma.

And don't forget about Kevin Durant.

Durant spent this summer leading the United States to a gold medal in Turkey at the World Basketball Championships, but prior to this year, the former Longhorn would return to the University of Texas to work out with former teammates and (wait for it) take classes.

There are definitely kids out there that stop going to class once they enter the NBA Draft. I know two examples don't prove anything.

But before we assume that every talented basketball player looking to maximize their earning potential before their athletic ability goes away, remember that there are some kids that happen to be tall, athletic, and good shooters that do care about getting themselves educated as well.


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The BIAH Advent Calendar: Day 19

Yup, it is December. And as the temperatures outside drop, the heat is rising on college campuses across the country as basketball season kicks into full swing. But December is also a time to reflect on the past year. This December is special, because as we draw closer to the new year, we get closer to the end of the aughts. In the spirit of the holidays, we are going to celebrate the decade past by counting down the top 25 games, players, and teams of the last 10 years with the BIAH advent calender. Each day, we will be unveiling the next on each of our lists, culminating with our gift to you on Christmas Day: the best game, the best player, and the best team of the 2000's.

Here is No. 7:


2007 Oklahoma State vs. Texas: Two top 25 conference foes. Three overtimes. 208 points. Two stars going head to head. One of the best shots you will ever see. This game had it all.

Kevin Durant started the drama by hitting a three with under a minute left to cut the Oklahoma State lead to 70-68. After JamesOn Fleming hit 1-2 free throws, another freshman by the name of DJ Augustin hit a three to send the game into overtime. The first overtime ended in a flurry. After Kevin Durant scored to tie the game with 24 seconds left, OSU scored on an alley-oop finish by David Monds before DJ Augustin went the length of the floor to tie the game at 83.

The end of the second OT was just as exciting, as Durant hit a three to tie the game with a minute left. After walk-on Tyler Hatch scored to give the Pokes the lead, it looked like the Horns were in trouble after Boggan corralled a rebound, but an ill advised three from Monds and a dunk by Durant at the other end forced the third OT.

The third OT was much of the same. Durant finished an and-one layup to give the Horns a 103-102 with 10 seconds left, just the Horns second lead in the overtimes, but Boggans, who was 6-37 from three on the season coming in, buried a triple for the final score. AJ Abrams traveled and the Pokes won.



How many big shots were there in this game? How great was that atmosphere? How hard were those kids playing? That right there is why college basketball is so great. Keep in mind, this game was played in early January.


Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse: I know that Melo was a one-and-done kid, but the simple fact that he led the Orange to their first national title under Jim Boeheim is enough to get him into the top 10 of our list.

Melo was fantastic in his one season at Syracuse. He was a freshman that was the focal point offensively for a team that won a national title. How often to you see that happen? Melo averaged 22.1 ppg and 10.0 rpg en route to being named a second team all-american and first team all-Big East.

Melo won a title in his only season in Syracuse.
(photo credit: Puerto Rico Herald)

We expect to get some criticism for having Melo rated this high after having played just one season, but think about this: Syracuse was a team that had just one junior and one senior on their roster, was led by two freshman and a sophomore, started the season out unranked, and was carried to a Big East regular season title and a national title by Anthony. How many other players, regardless of the number of seasons that they played, can make that claim.


2000 Michigan State: Michigan State in 2000 was a team loaded with back court stars. Led by the gutty Mateen Cleaves, who was arguably the best leader of the decade, the Spartans had three NBA players in their back court to surround him - Charlie Bell, Morris Peterson, and Jason Richardson coming off the bench.

The Spartans prided themselves on outphysicaling teams on the defensive end. They didn't have a front court full of big names, but the guys they did have could push you around, established position as well as anyone in the country, and hit the glass hard. They finished the season with a plus 11.7 rebounding margin.

Michigan State won both Big Ten titles before beating Florida for a national title.
(photo credit: MSU)

Michigan State went 32-7 on the season, winning both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles before winning a national championship.


No. 8: UCLA v. Gonzaga, Jameer Nelson, Maryland's 2002 team
No. 9: Barton v. Winona State, Blake Griffin, St. Joseph's 2004 team
No. 10: West Virginia v. Wake Forest, Juan Dixon, Kansas's 2008 team
No. 11: Kansas v. Memphis, TJ Ford, Syracuse's 2003 team
No. 12: West Virginia v. Louisville, Stephen Curry, and UCLA's 2008 team
No. 13: Gonzaga v. Arizona, Kevin Durant, and Florida's 2006 Team
No. 14: UConn v. Duke, Joakim Noah, and Duke's 2002 team
No. 15: Oklahoma State v. St. Joe's, Chris Paul, and UConn's 2006 team
No. 16: Gonzaga v. Oklahoma State, Ty Lawson, and Kentucky's 2003 team
No. 17: Duke v. Maryland in the 2001 Final Four, Deron Williams, and Gonzaga's 2006 team
No. 18: Duke v. Indiana, Mateen Cleaves, Gonzaga
No. 19: Syracuse v. Kansas, Dwyane Wade, UCLA's 2006 team
No. 20: Pitt v. Villanova, Michael Beasley, and Duke's 2004 team
No. 21: Duke vs. Maryland in the 2001 ACC Semis, Josh Howard, Arizona's 2001 team
No. 22: Marquette v. Kentucky, Tayshaun Prince, UConn's 2009 team
No. 23: Vermont v. Syracuse, Andrew Bogut, and Memphis's 2008 team.
No. 24: UConn v. Miami, Luke Harangody, and Kansas's 2003 team
No. 25: Drake v. Western Kentucky, Wayne Simien, and Louisville's 2009 team.


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The BIAH Advent Calendar: Day 13

Yup, it is December. And as the temperatures outside drop, the heat is rising on college campuses across the country as basketball season kicks into full swing. But December is also a time to reflect on the past year. This December is special, because as we draw closer to the new year, we get closer to the end of the aughts. In the spirit of the holidays, we are going to celebrate the decade past by counting down the top 25 games, players, and teams of the last 10 years with the BIAH advent calender. Each day, we will be unveiling the next on each of our lists, culminating with our gift to you on Christmas Day: the best game, the best player, and the best team of the 2000's.

Here is No. 13:


2003: Gonzaga vs. Arizona: This game took place when Gonzaga was yet to be considered a national powerhouse, which meant that the tiny school from Spokane competing with Arizona, who was considered an overwhelming favorite not just in the game, but to win the entire NCAA Tournament, was all the more impressive.

This was one of the most exciting games I've ever watched, which means there is no possible way for me to put the excitement and the drama into words. After Jason Gardner missed one of two free throws, Tony Skinner scored two of his career-high 25 points on a putback off of a missed Blake Stepp three to tie the game and force overtime. Arizona took an 87-84 lead in the first OT, but a Blake Stepp three tied it. After a jump ball, Gonzaga scored on the inbounds play to take a lead, but Luke Walton tied it up and forced the second overtime. Salim Stoudamire hit a three to put Arizona up 94-93, but Skinner answered with two free throws to give the Zags the lead back. But Stoudmire hit a floater with 2:09 left in the game to give Arizona a 96-95 lead, and no one else would score the rest of the way. Gonzaga missed four shots in the last two minutes, including an open jumper from Skinner and a five foot bank shot by Stepp off the rebound at the buzzer.

Arizona celebrates after surviving Gonzaga in the 2003 second round.
(photo credit: Reuters)

To get a feel for how good this game was, and if you have 25 minutes to spare, you can watch the last 10 minutes of regulation and the overtimes by going here.


Kevin Durant, Texas: Kevin Durant played just one season of college basketball, but that season was easily one of the most impressive of the decade. Durant averaged 25.8 ppg and 11.1 rpg as he was named national player of the year by basically everyone relevant outlet, but it was during Big XII play that Durant really broke out. During the conference season, Durant averaged 28.9 ppg and 12.5 rpg, including a 37 point (one of four games he scored 37 points in a game), 23 rebound performance against Texas Tech and a 29 point, 13 rebound game against Baylor in which he scored 24 second half points as the Longhorns overcame a 20 point deficit in the Big XII tournament.



Texas started four freshman in '06-'07, which was a large part of the reason that the Longhorns were knocked out in the second round of the tournament despite having DJ Augustin and Damion James on the roster with Durant. It was widely noted that head coach Rick Barnes rarely called out plays for his team, instead relying on his players to get the ball to Durant and allowing his natural talent to take over. Makes his numbers all the more impressive, doesn't it?


2006 Florida Gators: In 2006, Florida was unranked in the preseason, and rightfully so. After losing their top three scorers - Matt Walsh, Anthony Roberson, and David Lee - off of a 24 win team, the Gators leading returning scorer was Corey Brewer at 7.5 ppg. With a group of inexperienced sophomores leading Florida, not much was expected from Florida, and it stayed that way until a trip to New York for the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Florida would knock off both Wake Forest and Syracuse, and would continue to win their next 13 games, opening the season 17-0 and shooting up to 2nd in the national polls.

Florida went from unranked to the national title in 2006.
(photo credit: USA Today)

Florida struggled down the stretch of the season, losing six of their final 13 games, but they rolled through the SEC Tournament. During the NCAA Tournament, the Gators dominated, with their only true test coming in the Sweet 16 against Georgetown. The most impressive part? After winning the title, Corey Brewers, Joakim Noah, and Al Horford all decided to return to college for their junior season, despite their post-season performance shooting them up NBA Draft boards.


No. 14: UConn v. Duke, Joakim Noah, and Duke's 2002 teamNo. 15: Oklahoma State v. St. Joe's, Chris Paul, and UConn's 2006 team
No. 16: Gonzaga v. Oklahoma State, Ty Lawson, and Kentucky's 2003 team
No. 17: Duke v. Maryland in the 2001 Final Four, Deron Williams, and Gonzaga's 2006 team
No. 18: Duke v. Indiana, Mateen Cleaves, Gonzaga
No. 19: Syracuse v. Kansas, Dwyane Wade, UCLA's 2006 team
No. 20: Pitt v. Villanova, Michael Beasley, and Duke's 2004 team
No. 21: Duke vs. Maryland in the 2001 ACC Semis, Josh Howard, Arizona's 2001 team
No. 22: Marquette v. Kentucky, Tayshaun Prince, UConn's 2009 team
No. 23: Vermont v. Syracuse, Andrew Bogut, and Memphis's 2008 team.
No. 24: UConn v. Miami, Luke Harangody, and Kansas's 2003 team
No. 25: Drake v. Western Kentucky, Wayne Simien, and Louisville's 2009 team.
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Top 15 Freshmen

After watching John Wall on Wednesday night in the Garden, its safe to say that John Wall is far and away the best freshman this season, if not the best player in the country. But there have been some great freshmen over the years, so the next logical step is to ask who were the best freshmen of all time.

Honorable Mention: Shareef Abdur-Raheem, Johnny Dawkins, Penny Hardaway, Allan Houston, Larry Hughes, Bobby Hurley, Allen Iverson, Kevin Love, Stephon Marbury, Alonzo Mourning, Troy Murphy, Lamar Odom, Derrick Rose, Dwayne Washington, the Fab Five


15. Pervis Ellison, Louisville - 13.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.2 bpg

Ellison is on this list not because of his overall performance as a freshman, but a result of his incredible NCAA Tournament. He averaged 18 and 12 as the Cardinal beat LSU and Duke to win the 1986 title. He won the tournament MOP, and picked up the nickname "Never Nervous Pervis".




14. Shaquille O'Neal, LSU - 13.9 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 3.5 bpg

Shaq wasn't the force he would eventually turn into as a pro, but a large part of that was a result of sharing the court with Chris Jackson and Stanley Roberts. While the footwork and skill level wasn't there yet, the overpowering physical presence and athleticism was. He was the first freshman to ever post two triple-doubles.


13. Patrick Ewing, Georgetown - 12.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.2 bpg

Ewing's numbers look paltry in comparison to the rest of the players on this list, but from the second he stepped on the Hoya's campus, he was the centerpiece for John Thompson's aggressive defense. Ewing would lead the Hoyas to the 1982 title game, becoming the standard with which all defensive centers are now compared.




12. Michael Beasley, Kansas State - 26.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg

All Michael Beasley did at Kansas State was produce. He led the nation with 28 double-doubles, three 40 points games, 13 30-10 games, and 22 20-10 games; he set the Big XII single-game scoring record with 44 points in a loss to Baylor; his per game averages of 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds were Big XII records; he helped K-State beat Kansas in Manhattan since 1983; overall, he set 30 K-State and 17 Big XII single-season and career records.


11. Mark Aguirre, DePaul - 24.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg

Aguirre was a prolific scorer in his college basketball career, leading the Blue Demons to an upset win against UCLA as DePaul reached the 1979 Final Four, where they would lose to Larry Bird's Indiana State team.




10. Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech - 20.6 ppg, 8.1 apg

Teaming with Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver to form "Lethal Weapon 3", Anderson was the spark plug for a Yellow Jacket team that made it to the Final Four. One of a long line of NYC "point gods", Anderson hit one of the controversial shot to force overtime in the Sweet 16 against Michigan State.




9. Kevin Durant, Texas - 25.1 ppg, 11.4 rpg

Despite being built like a pipe cleaner, Kevin Durant dominated a physical Big XII conference to the tune of 28.9 ppg and 12.5 rpg in league player. Twenty times, Durant eclipsed the 30 point mark as a freshman as he was named national player of the year.


8. Tyler Hansbrough, UNC - 18.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg

Hansbrough kicked off one of the most debated careers in college hoops history with an all-american season as a freshman in 2006. He carried a Tar Heel team that was devastated by the loss of their stars after the Heels' 2005 NCAA title with a combination of skill and effort.


7. Bernard King, Tennessee - 26.4 ppg, 12.3 rpg

Teaming with TNT's own Ernie Grunfeld to form the "Ernie and Bernie Show", King dominated the SEC, winning the player of the year award as a freshman while being named an all-american.




6. Magic Johnson, Michigan State - 17.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 7.4 apg

Magic Johnson almost didn't go to Michigan State, opting for the Spartans over the Wolverines because Jud Heathcote would allow him to play the point. Good decision by Heathcote, as Sparty won the Big Ten title and reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament riding their 6'9" point guard.


5. Ralph Sampson, Virginia - 14.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 4.6 bpg

Sampson, despite not being named to the first or second all-ACC team, was named first team all-america as he led the conference in rebounding and blocked shots as UVA won the 1980 NIT title. At 7'4", Sampson was one of the most intimidating interior presences in college basketball history.




4. Wayman Tisdale, Oklahoma - 24.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.5 bpg

Tisdale was Blake Griffin before there was a Blake Griffin. As a freshman, Tisdale was named Big Eight Conference player of the year and was named a first team all-american, the first freshman to do so after they were allowed to play again (the '71-'72 season).




3. Fly Williams, Austin Peay - 29.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg

There have been few talents like Fly Williams in the history of college hoops, who twice scored 51 in a game as a freshman. His 854 points as a freshman was a record, only topped by LSU's Chris Jackson who had the benefit of a three point line. Williams was the biggest reason that Austin Peay reached their first ever NCAA Tournament in 1973.


2. Chris Jackson, LSU - 30.2 ppg, 4.1 apg

Hands down, Jackson (who changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) was one of the best scorers college basketball has ever seen. Lightening quick with a deadly cross over and range for days, Jackson would lead LSU to the NCAA Tournament while setting the record for points scored by a freshman, a record which still stands. He was the first freshman named SEC Player of the Year.


1. Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse - 22.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg

This was, in reality, a pretty easy choice. Anthony was the centerpiece offensively for a Syracuse team that won the national title. He was named second team all-america and first team all-Big East as well as being named the 2003 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.


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Durant's Number to be Retired

College basketball's one-and-done rule has had quite an effect on the game. Sometimes, it seems to turn out well (Memphis and Ohio State's championship game runs, Kansas State's one year return to prominence). Sometimes, it doesn't turn out so well (I bet Tim Floyd will be wishing that OJ Mayo went the Brandon Jennings route post-high school as he receives the NCAA's sanctions). Sometimes, it changes how jerseys are retired?

Kevin Durant, who put up ridiculous numbers in his one season at Texas, will become the second longhorn to have his number retired, alongside TJ Ford. Don't get me wrong, he had a fantastic season in Austin, but is one year enough to get your name in the rafters? Texas does not have the basketball tradition of a Duke or a Kentucky (or their football team), but still, they have been on top of the Big XII under Rick Barnes, and they did have seven guys on NBA rosters last year.

So, without further ado, here is my criteria for getting a number retired. In order to be eligible for number retirement, you must qualify for at least one, preferably more, of these criteria.

-You play 3-4 years at the school, setting career records there, while earning all-conference and all-america honors, playing for teams that competed for conference championships. Usually, these are your fan favorites and the most despised by your rivals - the Shane Battiers and Gerry McNamaras and Tom Coverdales.

-You are the best player, the leader, and the face of a team that reaches the Final Four (or wins a title for the schools with more basketball tradition). This is where Carmelo Anthony, despite playing just one year, gets the nod.

-You have a pretty good career, but you have one defining moment, one incredibly memorable shot or play, that will get replayed during every NCAA tournament. By itself, this moment isn't enough to get your number retired, but if you are a borderline candidate, it is enough to get you over the hump. See Mario Chalmers, Keith Smart, or Tate George.

-You win a national player of the year award. It is enough for UNC, but, again, I don't think the award is enough in itself.

-The last measure is, god forbid, an unforeseen tragedy that ends your career (or your life) and makes you an inspiration for future players. Hank Gathers, RIP.

Durant is a tough call, in my opinion. He had a fantastic freshman season, especially in Big XII play, and won player of the year honors. But his team finished third in the conference, lost in the conference tourney finals and in the second round of the NCAA's (all of that with DJ Augustin on the team), and they actually had a better season last year playing without him.

So what's my verdict? Give it to him. Because, in reality, does any one really care? Continue reading...