Roberto Nelson became an internet sensation today.
The rising sophomore guard for Oregon State went viral today thanks to a dunk that happened in a pick-up game in Macedonia on OSU's "Beavers without Borders" trip. Nelson shattered the back board, pulled down the rim, and managed to break his own nose and cut himself bad enough to require 20 stitches in his face and arms.
Seriously, watch it. Unless you hate blood. Then don't:
There was about a minute left, we were up by at least 20, and Roberto were jones’n for a dunk. We got the board and were pushin’ it up the court, Garret was looking like D Wade, he drove the line and threw it off the back board- Berto jumped up.. caught the ball… over a Skopje player… threw the ball through the hoop, grabbed the rim….. and SHATTERED THE BACKBOARD!!! My boy Roberto Nelson #55 from Santa Barbara shattered the backboard. It was a vintage backboard from when the school was initially set up, and the other teams coach had warned us not to dunk but there Joe, Berto, and myself and a few of the other teams players had been dunking all game so we didn’t think anything of it. But somehow he hit the right spot and the glass rained down. We have video and photos of the bucket list item and will be posted ASAP. It was an incredible feat that every basketball player in the world dreams of doing, big ups to my man Berto! And a special shout out to Brendon Ziegler our strength and conditioning coach back in Corvallis!! All those weights and training are paying off B, we are breaking backboards and taking names out here in Macedonia!
After the Berto got some stitches and a memorable trip to a Macedonian hospital we headed back to the hotel. It was a memorable day with a legendary story.
Renardo Sidney missed 42 straight college basketball games.
Because of the illegal benefits that Sidney and his family had received while he was a prep, the NCAA ruled that, among other things, Sidney had to sit out for the first year and a half of his collegiate career.
When Sidney finally got eligible, it only took one game -- an 88-57 blowout loss to Virginia Tech in the Bahamas in which an out of shape Sidney had 12 points and 3 boards -- before Sidney got himself suspended again. After an altercation with a walk-on at a Bulldogs practice in Hawaii before the Diamond Head Classic started, Sidney was suspended for Mississippi State's opener against Washington State.
Sidney returned for a loser's bracket game against San Diego, and he played well. He went for 19 points on 7-12 shooting and six boards in just 20 minutes of play. MSU won 69-52. But after that game is when things got crazy. According to Doug Gottlieb, who was doing play by play for ESPN at the Diamond Head Classic, Renardo Sidney wanted to get by junior captain Elgin Bailey to get to the concession stand. Bailey was sitting with his legs on the back of the seat in front of him. Bailey wouldn't move, words were exchanged, and this happened:
Both Sidney and Bailey have been suspended indefinitely and were immediately sent home (on separate flights, I might add) by head coach Rick Stansbury.
The question that has to be asked now is what to do with Sidney. As Jeff Goodman correctly explains here, Sidney is not completely to blame for his actions. Yes, he was the one that threw the punches and that exploded in practice. He was responsible for his actions. But would he be behaving the same way if his enablers -- his AAU coaches, his Reebok reps, even his parents -- hadn't made him believe he was allowed to act this way because he is a "star".
Sidney is a supremely talented young man. He's 6'10", 275 lb with quick feet and a perimeter game. He's got everything that you look for in an NBA big man.
But at this point, Stansbury may be better off playing this season without Sidney. This is the third time this season that Sidney has been suspended -- one more than the number of games he has actually played in.
Stansbury gave this kid a chance when there weren't many other schools willing to take the risk. He got up every morning and did P90x workouts with him to try and help him get into shape. And he repays the coach how? By getting into fights in practice and then trading haymakers in the stands where ESPN cameras can catch the action?
Even without Sidney in the lineup, Mississippi State will likely be the best team in the SEC West. At some point, Stansbury needs to ask himself if a chemistry-killer with all-american talent is worth risking an entire season on.
Selby has been terrific in his two games with the Jayhawks, scoring 21 and hitting the game winner against USC in his first game and following that with 18 points, including 13 in the first half when he hit his first five shots of the game, in a win at Cal. The question with Selby is what role he will eventually play down the road. Right now, he's been more of a spot up jump shooter than anything. That's not really his game. He's more of a slasher. What does look clear at this point, however, is that Selby has played his way into the starting lineup.
Drew Gordon, New Mexico: 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 21.0 mpg
Three games into his Lobo career, and Gordon hasn't exactly had the impact that many expected. He's coming off the bench as Steve Alford tries to slowly integrate him into a team that has already had their rotation set. Gordon reached double figures in his first two games, including a 10 points, 7 rebound performance in a win over Colorado. But he shot 3-10 and fouled out in 23 minutes as Northern Iowa knocked New Mexico. He'll get better has he used to playing in Steve Alford's system.
Jio Fontan, USC: 16.3 ppg, 3.3 apg, 2.3 apg
Fontan has been terrific in three games for USC. You can see the stats he's put up, but its more than simply numbers. USC is playing their best basketball of the season. They were a couple of clutch Josh Selby jumpers away from beating the Jayhawks in Phog Allen Fieldhouse, and three days later went into Thompson-Boling Arena and beat Tennessee. As good as Josh Selby has been, Fontan may go down as the most valuable mid-season addition this season.
Jon Kreft, Florida State: 2.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 8.0 mpg
Its been a long road for Kreft, a 24 year old, 7-foot junior center, but after stints in both prison and at Chipola Junior College, the former five-star recruit has finally made it to the D-I ranks. His impact, however, has been a bit muted early on. Florida State has a deep and talented front court, and its not a surprise that it is taking a mid-season JuCo transfer a while to really make an impact. But in watching Kreft, its clear that his skills are still there. Florida State is 4-1 in Kreft's five games, including a third place finish in the Diamond Head Classic. With starting center Xavier Gibson out with a sprained knee and a broken hand (suffered in the same, scary fall) don't be surprised if Kreft starts to play a bigger role.
Maymon finally got a passing grade in his bowling class and was cleared for Tennessee's game at Charlotte. Unfortunately, his addition coincided with the Volunteer's collapse. Tennessee has lost one point decisions to both Charlotte and USC before barely squeezing out a win against Belmont. Maymon has been rebounding well in his limited minutes, but the versatile forward is still finding his role in the offense.
Roberto Nelson, Oregon State: 8.5 ppg, 15.5 mpg
Nelson has been inconsistent in his first four games with the Beavers. He scored three points in a win over Texas Southern and four points in a loss to George Washington, but he also had 13 in a loss at Montana and 14 in a win over Illinois-Chicago. Right now, Craig Robinson is trying to work Nelson into the rotation, but with how much the Beavers have been struggling this season, maybe its time to start allowing Nelson to play a bigger role.
Echenique has proven to be a competent addition to the Bluejays. Playing just 19.7 mpg, Echenique is averaging 11.3 ppg and has given Creighton a shot blocking presence. Combined with Antoine Young and Doug McDermott on the perimeter, along with Kenny Lawson inside, Creighton has a team that might be able to compete with Northern Iowa and Wichita State for the MVC title. Now, the question becomes whether or not Gregg McDermott can find a way to use Lawson and Echenique at the same time.
Olex Czyz, Nevada: 7.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Czyz, a Duke transfer, has played three games with the Wolfpack since joining the team. He's started, but unfortunately he hasn't been the savior. Nevada is 1-2 since Czyz became eligible, with a win over Portland State and losses to Arizona State and Washington by 30. Even with Czyz, Nevada appears to be a long way from competitive in the WAC.
Mike Holmes, Coastal Carolina: 13.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg
The South Carolina transfer has been just as good as expected. Holmes is averaging 13.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg in three games, including wins over both LSU and East Carolina. The Chanticleers are once again the best team in the Big South, and with Holmes on the roster, they can boast a high-major caliber post player on their roster.
Alex Legion and Dominique Ferguson, Florida International: 11.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg, 10.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg
Legion, whose collegiate career has taken him to both Kentucky and Illinois, has scored 11 points in each of his first two games with FIU, while Ferguson, a top 50 recruit that was unable to get academically eligible until the second semester, had 10 in his debut against Florida A&M. The addition of these two, along with Erick Ferguson and Marvin Wright, makes FIU yet another dangerous team in the Sun Belt. Continue reading...
Nothing was expected from Oregon State in the '08-'09 season, but they surprised quite a few people as they went 18-18 on the year, winning the CBI and going 7-11 in the Pac-10 (which was seven more conference wins than they had the season before).
As they returned five of their top six scorers this season, there were some who thought that Craig Robinson's team may be a sleeper in the Pac-10.
But the Beavers have struggled a bit in the early going. They've started the season just 6-5, which includes losses to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Sacramento State, and Illinois-Chicago. A big reason is that OSU is not getting the same production from guys like Roeland Schaftenaar, Calvin Haynes, and Lathen Wallace, whose numbers have all regressed from last season. As a result, the Beavers, who like to play at a slow pace as it is, have struggled to put points on the board at time. In their five losses, they have averaged 54.2 ppg and have yet to break 63 points. In contrast, they are averaging 70.5 ppg in their six wins.
To be fair, no one thought the Beavers a contender even in their own conference, but it is still safe to say the Beavers have played below expectations.
Perhaps the biggest reason is that OSU has yet to put their full team on the court.
The star of Craig Robinson's recruiting class, 6'4" off-guard Roberto Nelson, has yet to be cleared by the NCAA. Nelson is a scorer, and as we mentioned, OSU needs all the points they can get.
Nelson may be inching closer to gaining eligibility this season, however. On Friday, he was cleared by the NCAA to participate in practices.
"He can do everything as if he's a redshirt," coach Craig Robinson told the Corvallis Gazette-Times. "He can come to home games and be with the guys, go in the locker room, be a part of the team. Before, he was like a student on an unofficial visit. He couldn't eat with the guys, he couldn't do anything with the guys. Now he can take advantage of the dormitory and the meal plan and all that kind of stuff.
"He practiced (Friday) for the first time and it was evident that he can help us, so it's a good feeling but it's even better for Roberto."
But is it too late?
In other words, is it worth using up a year of Nelson's eligibility when he will only be competing during Pac-10 play? He still has the option of redshirting. Oregon State looks to be building a program under the tutelage of Robinson, and assuming he can continue his successful recruiting, the Beavers may be a much better team in what would be Nelson's fifth season in Corvallis than they do this year.
The issue holding up Nelson's eligibility are some online classes that he took while in high school.
"[The NCAA] went through his high school courses," Robinson told the Corvallis Gazette-Times. "They went through all of his on-line course and they probably looked at every single one and all the work he did in it to make sure that it was kosher and came down to the decision that what he needs now is a higher score. Then once he gets a certain score, he'll be able to play."
Here's a mixtape of Nelson from his high school days:
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