Saying Goodbye: Nolan Smith

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 eighth installment of the 2011 series is being provided by Seth Curry Saves Duke. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, I highly recommend you do: it's insightful, entertaining, and well-written. You can hit them up on twitter at @SCurrySavesDuke

Eight points. 3-14 from the field. Two assists. Six turnovers.

That was Nolan Smith’s line in the last game of his college career. While the Arizona Wildcats celebrated their resounding Sweet-16 victory, Nolan stood on the sidelines with a shattered heart. In the two awful hours preceding the end, he could be seen staring ahead, unblinking, those huge, brown eyes held open in white alarm. It was the unmistakable expression of fear. His own baffling inability, along with the Wildcat barrage, left him shell-shocked.

It was a moment to make you question the cosmic justice of the world. As an ending, this was absurd, obscene, and existentially cruel.

Nolan was the humble kid with the ubiquitous smile who returned to Duke because he loved the school and coveted a second national championship. He was the player whose sheer resilience and willpower altered the course of his college career, transforming him from a timid freshman who nearly left his school into the ACC Player of the Year. He was the owner of a newfound swagger that somehow never strayed into arrogance. He was the guy with a rare but wonderful sense of humor, the oddball with the soft, almost delicate voice. He was the shooting guard forced to learn a new position when Kyrie Irving wounded his toe, and who played the point so well that Duke won the ACC championship and earned a 1-seed in the west region. He was the cool, powerful warrior who suffered the loss of his father at a young age and created a spectacular career in the wake of the tragedy.

Players like Nolan Smith deserve a storybook ending.

Instead, it all broke down. As Arizona relentlessly revealed every weakness of an imperfect team, Nolan displayed an odd passivity. An unlucky beginning snowballed into a nightmare—a final performance so meek, and so aimless, that empathetic Duke fans everywhere longed for the mercy of the buzzer. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving was back at the point, running a one-man offense and proving to the world that yes, his draft stock should remain sky high. Coach K watched stoically from the sideline as his team floundered under the new leadership of an admittedly wonderful prospect who had, when you thought about it, only cheered in street clothes during the formative days of February. It was almost like witnessing a coup; King Hamlet toppled, and Claudius the usurper leading Denmark to ruin.

But as quickly as the shock of Nolan’s failure set in, it wore off. The whistle blew, the loss was final, and the legacy was intact. Today, these descriptions of his saddest hour must be forcefully dredged from the murky regions of memory, and to those deep realms they shall now return.

Because what we’ll remember about Nolan Smith is the greatness, and how different it was from other forms of greatness. We’ll remember the utter lack of machismo, a rare absence he replaced with joy. We’ll remember the way he attacked, the lethal crossover giving way to the slicing drive. We’ll remember the pure shot, devastating and beautiful. We’ll remember the wizened face, as though a mischievous old man had possessed the liquid body. We’ll remember the euphoria; the inspired genius of his better days.

And I’ll remember three specific games long after the sound of his name has faded in Durham.

1. Duke vs. Baylor, March 28, 2010, Elite Eight.

Nolan led the team with 29 points, including 17 in the second half, to save Duke from what had become its annual tournament fate—an early exit at the hands of a surging, athletic opponent. This game raised all kinds of red flags, in particular because it was being held in Houston before a hostile crowd. With four minutes left, Duke trailed by two and seemed to be wilting beneath the roars. History was repeating itself with horrible precision. Then Nolan scored seven straight points, Duke regained the lead, and fate was cheated. A week later, the journey he preserved in Texas ended in Indiana when Gordon Hayward missed a half-court shot.

2. Duke vs. North Carolina, March 5th, 2011.

On that night, Carolina triumphed at the Dean Dome by double digits. They were hungry for a victory, and their fans were admirably rabid. Duke would later beat the Heels in the ACC Tournament to secure the season series, but they had to endure a shellacking first. Still, standing amid a sea of powder blue in the upper decks, I did experience islands of pleasure in the swelling misery. These came courtesy of Nolan Smith, who scored 30 points and proved beyond a doubt that whatever the outcome, he was the best player on the floor. His quality prompted brief lulls in the Tar Heel noise machine, forcing the exultant fans to pause, momentarily, and consider how the hell someone could be that good.

3. Duke vs. North Carolina, February 9, 2011.

Carolina rode a series of strong victories into Cameron Indoor Stadium, and their excellence was on full display as they staggered the Devils and took a 43-29 halftime lead. In every sense, Duke had been outclassed. Then Nolan came out ablaze and scored 22 second half points, setting off a series of increasingly thunderous detonations that culminated in Duke’s best regular season victory in years. Along with Seth Curry, he shot the Tar Heels right out of the building.

We’ve all seen great players make it rain, but that’s for mere mortals. On February 10th, the morning after, a light dusting of white covered the ground in Durham. You can believe what you want—I say Nolan Smith made it snow.


More from "Saying Goodbye"

2011: Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech
2011: Josh Harrellson, Kentucky
2011: DJ Kennedy, St. John's
2011: JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
2011: Matt Howard, Butler
2011: Keith Benson, Oakland
2011: Preston Knowles, Louisville Continue reading...

Saying Goodbye: Malcolm Delaney

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 seventh installment of "Saying Goodbye" provides a farewell to Malcolm Delaney, one of the best players in the past decade to play four seasons and never make the NCAA Tournament. This post comes to you courtesy of the good people at Gobbler Country, the Virginia Tech SBNation blog. You can hit them up on twitter at @GobblerCountry

If you want to know what it was like watching Malcolm Delaney play for four years, just take a look at Virginia Tech’s regular season games against North Carolina and Duke this past season.

Against the Tar Heels, Delaney was superb, but when the game was on the line took an ill-advised three that ultimately cost the Hokies the game. Against the Blue Devils, he was absolutely atrocious for 35 minutes, then made a clutch three that gave Tech an upset of the nation’s No. 1 team.

It was a season and career of highs and lows for Delaney. And no matter what you want to say about his abilities, you have to admire guy who is always willing to take the last-second shot. You had to take the good with the bad with the kid.

Unfortunately for Delaney, there is one thing he’s going to be known for beyond the clutch makes-and-misses: He never played in the NCAA Tournament. Even though he gave the program several high points it hadn’t seen in decades, there will always be that asterisk affixed to his time at Tech.

Fair or not, Delaney shoulders much of that burden, which he shares with head coach Seth Greenberg. For every last-second make-or-miss on the Hokies’ Late-February-Early-March roller coaster there was Greenberg with another letter to the school paper imploring the students to support the team or claiming a grand conspiracy against Virginia Tech’s basketball team.

Whether by design or not, Greenberg’s grandstanding took the spotlight off Delaney and onto himself. But while a lot the frustrations Hokie fans have felt since an outstanding team (emphasis on team) made the tournament in 2007 can be blamed on Greenberg, there’s at least some that can be projected onto the team’s best player.

Virginia Tech under Greenberg has never really had a discernible offensive system or game plan and that was exacerbated with Delaney as the Hokies’ only real scoring option late in his career. That led to a lot of end-game plays that involved Delaney isolated at the top of the key with the other four Hokies standing around in wide-eyed wonder as Delaney dribbled around for the final 20 or so seconds of the game before committing a game-ending turnover or chucking up a low-percentage perimeter shot.

Things would have been different if Delaney hadn’t been forced to be Superman most of the time. Instead, as a point guard, Delaney had to compensate for a team during his senior year that was depleted by injuries, transfers and suspensions.

The result was an inconsistent team led by an inconstant star that found itself in the NIT for a fourth consecutive season. And that will be Delaney’s legacy. He never made The Tournament and he never made it to New York for the NIT semifinals and what limelight it provides to those who were uninvited.

When you take stock of Delaney’s career you have to weigh what was expected of him against what has come to be expected from a program that is used to one tournament appearance per decade. The Hokies don’t have much basketball history to speak of and Delaney is certainly one of the most talented players to come through Blacksburg in the last three decades.

The flip side is that Delaney was supposed to build upon the foundation that players like Coleman Collins, Jamon Gordon and Zabian Dowdell set with their appearance in The Tournament in 2007. Delaney’s career was supposed to end with three or four trips to the Big Dance, not zero.

So, there were two sides to Delaney. At his best he was a game-changer who was able to recognize when he was having an off night and distribute the ball effectively to those who were and was able to be cold-blooded in the clutch when all seemed lost for the Hokies.

At his worst he was a flopper who didn’t come close to making his teammates better and tried to do too much in the waning moments of close games.

As always, you had to take the good with the bad with Delaney. You have to be thankful for where the program is now compared to the early 2000s and at the same time wonder why he was never able to get the Hokies into the NCAA Tournament.


More from "Saying Goodbye"

2011: Josh Harrellson, Kentucky
2011: DJ Kennedy, St. John's
2011: JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
2011: Matt Howard, Butler
2011: Keith Benson, Oakland
2011: Preston Knowles, Louisville


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Saying Goodbye: Josh "Jorts" Harrellson

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 sixth installment of "Saying Goodbye" comes courtesy of Glenn Logan, the managing editor of the great Kentucky basketball blog A Sea of Blue. There are many Kentucky basketball sites to choose from, but you won;t find one with as much insightful analysis as A Sea of Blue. You can follow along with A Sea of Blue on twitter at @truzenzuzex

Saying goodbye is something Kentucky fans have become used to since John Calipari came to Kentucky, usually to players moving on to the NBA who have a lot of college eligibility left. In the case of Josh Harrellson, though, he is leaving as a senior who will have averaged less than 5 minutes per game throughout his Kentucky career, but made the most of them when it counted, helping lead Kentucky back to a Final Four his senior year for the first time in 13 seasons. Such players usually find themselves elevated into the pantheon of the unforgettable at Kentucky, and Harrellson is no exception.

Little was expected of Harrellson after 2009-10, whch saw him log only 88 minutes the entire season. Despite a reasonably impressive performance in the exhibition games in Canada last summer, Harrellson was expected to serve only as a backup for Enes Kanter.

As the Kanter battle for eligibility drew out into the season, Harrellson was the starter by default at the center position. He played serviceably early in the year, but was pretty much what Kentucky fans expected him to be – a big body that took up space, set screens and got a few rebounds, but little else.

Harrellson famously sent out an ill-advised Twitter comment critical of coach John Calipari’s lack of recognition of his 26 rebounds in the annual intra-squad scrimmage known as the Blue-White game. Calipari was very angry with that tweet, and considered dismissing Harrellson from the team. But after some thought, Calipari decided to ban him from using Twitter and require him to perform 30 minutes of extra conditioning prior to every practice.

As the season went on, Harrellson’s play got steadily better. Few noticed it at first, because of the many weaker teams Kentucky played in the early part of the non-conference schedule. As the schedule wore on, Kentucky fans began commenting on blogs and call-in shows about Harrellson’s solid play, but most UK fans expected him to be exposed in the closing game of the non-conference season against the Louisville Cardinals in the brand-new KFC um! Center.

What happened in the Louisville game was extraordinary. Instead of being dominated by Louisville’s much more athletic big men like Terrance Jennings, Harrellson had the game of his life, exploding for a double-double including 23 points and 14 rebounds. Kentucky thrashed the talented Cardinals in the series inaugural in their brand-new gym, and Harrellson was a major reason why.

By the time league play began, Harrellson’s stats, particularly his rebounding, began to be noticed. After about one third of the SEC season had passed, Harrellson was among the leading rebounders in conference, and had begun showing signs of development in other areas of his game, such as defense.

When the SEC Tournament came around, Harrellson was a genuine force in the paint. While not offensively gifted, his many put-backs and occasional fast-break points began to give his Wildcat teammates more confidence in him. The Wildcats began giving Harrellson the ball on offense, and Harrellson obliged by putting it in the basket.

Perhaps Harrellson’s greatest achievement would happen in the 2011 NCAA Tournament’s third round, where Kentucky went up against the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes. In that game, Harrellson played Buckeye star freshman Jared Sullinger to a virtual draw, allowing Kentucky to play without double-teaming Sullinger in the post, and forcing OSU’s great 3-point shooters to put up challenged shots. Mainly because of Harrellson’s play on Sullinger and some timely shooting from Brandon Knight, the #4 seeded Wildcats upset the #1 seeded Buckeyes and went on to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels to get to the Final Four, where they lost to the eventual champions, the Connecticut Huskies.

Harrellson’s remarkable play has become the stuff of legend in Kentucky. Kentucky Sports Radio bloggers famously nicknamed Harrellson “Jorts” in reference to the blue jean shorts he liked to wear in the summer, and Harrellson embraced that nickname. As any fan knows, there is nothing quite like a catchy nickname to help propel a player into the hearts and minds of Wildcats fans, and that’s exactly what happened to Harrellson.

As Harrellson’s days as a Kentucky student-athlete come to an end, he is suddenly a hot property among NBA agents due to his marketability, he has started his own commercial venture, Jorts55.com.

Harrellson will almost unquestionably play basketball for a living somewhere, a prospect that seemed as unlikely as winning the Powerball lottery at the beginning of this past season.

What a difference a year can make. From unplayable to unforgettable in 12 short months – it could only happen at Kentucky.


More from "Saying Goodbye"

2011: DJ Kennedy, St. John's
2011: JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
2011: Matt Howard, Butler
2011: Keith Benson, Oakland
2011: Preston Knowles, Louisville


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Saying Goodbye: DJ Kennedy

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 fourth installment of "Saying Goodbye" comes courtesy of Daniel Martin, a contributing writer for Johnny Jungle, the ever-popular St. John's basketball blog. You can hit them up on Twitter at @JohnnyJungleSTJ

Over the past four seasons, if there has been one mainstay for the St. John’s, a face of the program who has been the centerpiece of Red Storm basketball, it has been Pittsburgh native DJ Kennedy.

When David J. Kennedy first stepped onto the St. John’s University campus as a freshman, he was six months removed from winning a Pennsylvania Class AAAA state title with his Alma Mater, Schenley High School. Alongside teammate and current San Antonio Spur DeJuan Blair, Kennedy helped avenge a 2nd-place finish his junior year to win the championship in his senior season.
Arriving in Queens, Kennedy did not start out as the focal point, either. After an impressive freshman season by forward Justin Burrell, Kennedy looked to be the swing-man complement to another dominant big man down low. In his freshman year, Kennedy played 27 minutes per game, averaging nearly 8 points and 6 rebounds.

But, after a facial fracture sidelined Burrell, Kennedy had to step into the spotlight in his sophomore season. Playing seven more minutes per game, Kennedy nearly doubled his scoring output, averaging 13 points and almost 7 rebounds. He also began to show his ability to fill up every area of the stat sheet, adding 3 assists per game.

When the dawn of his junior year came, hopes were high and expectations, even higher. Coach Norm Roberts added four quality recruits to the existing class, including two juniors, Justin Brownlee and Dwight Hardy. Kennedy was cut out to be the leader from the outset and, though the team fell short of expectations, the 6’6” swing-man had the best season of his college career.

Averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, he gained a reputation as one of the most versatile players in the Big East. His length allowed him to not only attack the basket to score points, but he shot a career-high 38% from 3-pt range. When a first round loss to Memphis in the NIT ended the Johnnies’ season, Norm Roberts, who recruited Kennedy and the rest of this large senior class, was fired. Former UCLA head coach Steve Lavin was brought in to replace him.

Under the new Lavin administration, Kennedy moved from the spotlight to a complementary role, alongside Dwight Hardy and Justin Brownlee. His greatest contributions did not come in a starring role, but being a player who was a more-than-viable third option in Lavin’s offense.
His most impressive game came February 10th at Madison Square Garden against UConn, when he scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in an 89-72 victory.

Unfortunately, in the Big East Tournament against Syracuse, Kennedy went down with a knee injury early in the first half, an injury that cut his season short. The Pittsburgh native had successful surgery to repair the knee and now begins the 8 month rehab to come back.

Though he had to watch his team take part in the NCAA Tournament from the sidelines, DJ Kennedy’s mark on this program will be indelible. During the season, he passed St. John’s legend Walter Barry on the Johnnies’ all-time scoring list. He will be put down as one of the integral pieces that helped turn this St. John’s program around. Without David J. Kennedy and the rest of these seniors, the national Red Storm brand would not be what it is today, on its way toward the most recognizable in the country.


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2011: JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
2011: Matt Howard, Butler
2011: Keith Benson, Oakland
2011: Preston Knowles, Louisville


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Saying Goodbye: JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore

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 fourth installment of "Saying Goodbye" is being brought to you by Travis Miller of Hammer and Rails, the fantastic Purdue blog. You can follow the blog on Twitter at @HammerAndRails

This is a bittersweet goodbye, mostly because I always pictured this ending different.

First of all, Scott Martin and Robbie Hummel were supposed to be saying goodbye with these two, not playing for another year at separate schools. Second, It was supposed to be on the floor of Reliant Stadium with a National Championship trophy hoisted above them, cementing their legacy as the team that finally broke through at Purdue.

Instead we’ll remember JJ and Smooge, as Purdue fans call them, as great players that will forever be tagged with the “What If” moniker. They gave Purdue everything they had for four seasons, and for many schools a Big Ten Championship, a Big Ten Tournament championship, and two Sweet 16 appearances would be a great accomplishment. When tiny Butler, less than an hour away, plays in the two National title games these guys were supposed to play in, however, there will always be a what if.

What if Robbie Hummel’s knee doesn’t buckle on February 24, 2010 at Minnesota, derailing a team that was starting to look like a juggernaut with the return of Lewis Jackson from injury? With a healthy Hummel Purdue is a likely #1 seed and might have been able to walk to Indianapolis.

What if Scott Martin hadn’t turned traitor and transferred to Notre Dame after the 2008 season? Martin’s size and ability would have filled in quite nicely for Hummel, and he had a better freshman season than Johnson.

What if Hummel doesn’t tear his ACL again on the first day of practice, ironically as Minnesota was in town for football?

It’s not fair to totally judge JJ and Smooge on these "what ifs", however, Johnson emerged as the player he was this season (Big Ten Player of the Year) mostly because he had to. He became Purdue’s first consensus All-American in 17 years, and will have a banner for that feat hanging in Mackey Arena forever. Moore leaves Purdue third all-time in scoring, hitting a number of huge baskets as a steady producer all four years on campus. He was one of college basketball’s most underrated guards throughout his career, but he leaves as one of just five players in Purdue history to top 2,000 points.

Their career finale’s may not have turned out like Purdue fans pictured, but as individuals they could not have accomplished much more. Both will likely be in the NBA next season. Johnson is expected to be a first round pick, but Moore will likely be more of a second-rounder. That’s fine. The three current Purdue players in the NBA (Carl Landry, Brian Cardinal, and Brad Miller) all exceeded expectations, so Moore can follow the same path.

Purdue couldn’t be saying goodbye to two nicer young men, either. They will be missed.


More from "Saying Goodbye"

2011: Matt Howard, Butler
2011: Keith Benson, Oakland
2011: Preston Knowles, Louisville

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Saying Goodbye: Matt Howard

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 third installment of "Saying Goodbye" is on Butler's workhorse Matt Howard. It is being provided by Dave McConnell from the fantastic Butler blog Victory Firelight. You can hit them up on twitter at @ButlerVictory

When the name Matt Howard gets tossed around, it can tend to sometimes be a bit of a polarizing topic for those around the Horizon League – and even around the country. Yet for the Butler faithful, the name Matt Howard embodies everything that is exceptional and unique about the Bulldog program, its players and the way it goes about its business.

Sure, plenty of opponents have had their frustrations with Howard. You’ve heard him called a flop. You’ve heard that he plays dirty. He’s everything opponents love to hate about a guy who goes hard for a full 40 minutes and beyond. And that’s just one reason why Butler fans adore and appreciate him perhaps more than any other figure in the school’s history.

Even for those who put Howard on a pedestal, there were some trying times during his career. Most notably, an absurdly frustrating penchant for committing dumb and unnecessary fouls. The kind of fouls that had no affect on a play, the kind that only resulted in putting him on the bench when his value in being on the floor was of utmost importance. But this year more than any other, Howard grew up and grew out of that. He proved everybody wrong, just like he had done in different ways throughout his four years as a Bulldog.

It has been noted time and time again what a quirky, and even odd, individual that Howard is. From riding his bike around campus in sub-freezing temperatures to not giving a damn about his socks that Goodwill wouldn’t put on its shelves, Howard marched to the beat of his own drummer. But for all of his supposed pitfalls, those are exactly what helped him be a cut above the rest. It’s about more than basketball for Howard – part of the embodiment of everything good about the Butler program – evidenced by his three-time honor as an Academic All-America. And that was capped of this season by being named the 2010-11 NCAA Division I Academic All-American of the Year.

On the court, Howard was just as decorated. He arrived on campus as a freshman as a top-100 recruit by several scouting services and joined a senior-laden team while earning the recognition of Horizon League Newcomer of the Year. As a sophomore, Howard blossomed into a star – named the league’s Player of the Year, midseason top-30 for the John R. Wooden Award and first team Mid-Major All-American by FoxSports.com while leading Butler in scoring, field goal percentage, rebounding and blocked shots.

Howard’s junior year was maybe his toughest individually, although the team had arguably its most success during his four-year run, and he was still named first team All-Horizon. The aforementioned foul troubled plagued him as he sometimes struggled to fit in as suddenly the third offensive option behind budding studs Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack.

As a senior, and with perhaps lowered expectations by some, Howard showed his value to the team in ways that will never show up on the stat sheet. Simply put, with the team muddling away at 14-9 and gone from the nation’s conscience, Howard put the Bulldogs on his back and willed the team to a highly improbable run to a second consecutive national title game appearance. He was all the guts with little glory. And he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
The experts thought Butler would be crippled by the loss of Hayward to the NBA after the 2009-10 season. They weren’t entirely wrong, but the real test from the program will come next year when No. 54 is no longer in uniform.


More from "Saying Goodbye"
2011: Keith Benson, Oakland
2011:Preston Knowles, Louisville


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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
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Saying Goodbye: Preston Knowles

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.

Today, Card Chronicle says goodbye to Preston Knowles.

In a day and age where everyone with an above average ability to put a ball inside a hoop is reminded of how special they are at least a hundred thousand times before they graduate high school, Rick Pitino is a harsh dose of reality.

As hard as it may be to believe, the man who redefined modern fullcourt pressure and who took advantage of the three-point shot like no one before him has become old school.


Previous accolades and potential future earnings have zero bearing on this matter; if you come to the University of Louisville to play basketball, Rick Pitino is going to break you down. You're going to work harder than you're used to, you're going to be criticized more than you're used to, and, perhaps most shockingly to the 18-year-old in Adidas garb, you're not going to play or score nearly as much as you're used to.

It's not a coincidence that the attrition rate during the Pitino era at U of L isn't exactly sparkling. Though he came to Louisville as a 2-star recruit with zero other major scholarship offers, Preston Knowles is not an exception to this rule.

While there have been notable instances of praise - "I wish I could coach 12 Preston Knowles'" - Pitino wasn't nearly as quick to applaud the Winchester native's effort or progress during his first three years at Louisville as the Cardinal fans were.

On multiple occasions, Knowles has been described as being in Pitino's "doghouse," the most recent occurrence coming last spring. At various times, Pitino has criticized Knowles' decision-making, effort on the defensive end, and shot selection. Though Knowles has been widely-regarded as a lock-down defender since the moment he set foot on campus, a year ago Pitino referred to then-senior Reginald Delk as "the only above-average defensive player on the team."

But as with any particularly vexing test or trial, those who persevere and survive are eventually richly rewarded.

No one plays up his seniors like Rick Pitino. Once practice started last October, Louisville fans were bombarded with quotes like "Preston is the unquestioned leader of this team, everyone looks up to him," and "Preston Knowles will never have senioritis, he truly plays for Louisville, he's not concerned about his future." It's not that these words of praise aren't genuine, it's that their less-flattering predecessors were likely a tad overblown.

It’s not a stretch to say that Knowles’ departure marks the end of an era for the Louisville program.

Rick Pitino will welcome one of the nation's top recruiting classes next fall, and there's another one prepared to enter the fold 12 months after that. U of L will also bring in controversial, but highly talented, Wake Forest transfer Tony Woods, who will be eligible to see the floor once the fall semester of 2011 ends.

There is nothing wrong with going after the best high school talent in the country and certainly nothing wrong with landing a handful of those guys, but let's be honest, there's a dramatic change in climate coming.

With assistant coach Tim Fuller and Pitino doing what they're doing in the recruiting world, I'm not sure it's going to be possible for a story like Knowles’ - a two-star in-state recruit with one other scholarship offer (VCU) who becomes a senior captain and leading scorer for a Louisville team that nearly won the Big East Tournament - to happen again anytime soon.

And that's why what he did, especially in his final season, is so important. Look at this quote from Knowles on the day before his Senior Night game against Providence:

"As long as we win, I couldn't care less; my average can go down to four points and zero rebounds. As long as we win, I don't care."

The man has established himself as a teaching tool for years to come.

Pitino will always be able to talk about the two-star recruit who encouraged teammates to put egos aside for the betterment of the team (one which featured zero NBA-ready talent), and the remarkable results that followed. Perhaps more importantly, the current underclassmen have a model by which to self-govern the blue chip talent and egos about to hit the program.

Preston Knowles made his mark on the Louisville basketball program. He will be missed.
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Saying Goodbye: Chris Kramer and Keaton Grant

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, there is an attachment to that player that is difficult to explain. For me, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for guys like Kirk King and Khalid El-Amin, as I'm sure there is for any fan of any team.

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.

Today, Boiled Sports says goodbye to Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer.

In '09-'10, Purdue's basketball team saw major injuries to two starters, one of the season-ending variety. But, Purdue still won a share of the Big Ten title, was ranked in the top-10 for most of the season and went to the round of 16, thanks in large part to this year's senior class. Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer finished their careers at Purdue as the winningest class in Purdue basketball history with 103 wins. And their classmate, walk-on Mark Wohlford was a major contributor in the stead of the injured Lewis Jackson early in the season.

Chris Kramer and Keaton Grant got the Purdue program back to the top of the Big Ten.
(photo credit: AP)

Both Kramer & Grant were 3-star athletes, according to Rivals. Grant came to West Lafayette via Bridgton Academy Prep in Maine. He was offered by a slew of SEC programs who knew him from his HS career in Florida, but decided to come play for Purdue. Kramer was known in the AAU ranks for his athleticism and ability to defend and break people down off the dribble. He was also known for his exploits on the football field as he passed for over 1,300 yards and ran for around 1,000.

They both played a ton as Freshman, and honestly, they had to. Purdue's depth was depleted from a myriad of factors. But from the very beginning, they understood what Painter expected defensively. Many would argue the 4-time All-Big Ten Defensive Team member, Kramer was the face and embodiment of Matt Painter's club. His defense made him the most-beloved player on campus, and hated off of it. But at the same time, the more casual fan might remember CK3 best for his 15-foot shot from his knees in the NCAA tournament his freshman year. Keaton Grant also had some noteworthy shots, especially his sophomore year, as he shot 44% from behind the arc that season.

One thing that much of the Purdue family feels is that things simply don't come easily to this program and that might be why we, as fans, liked these two so much. They both fought through injuries and didn't miss many games, both did the little things and almost reveled in giving the spotlight to their teammates, and both were winners. Their four years in West Lafayette have gone too quickly, and they've helped repave the way for a bright future for Purdue basketball. Many Purdue fans are already excited about the '10-'11 season, and if Purdue achieves what many of us think they will, much of the thanks should be directed toward Kramer and Grant.

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Saying Goodbye: Scottie Reynolds

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, there is an attachment to that player that is difficult to explain. For me, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for guys like Kirk King and Khalid El-Amin, as I'm sure there is for any fan of any team.

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.

Today, VUHoops.com says goodbye to Scottie Reynolds.

Back in March of 2006, I am not sure I had even heard of Scottie Reynolds. Villanova was coming off of its best tournament run since the Rollie Massamino era, but the future was beginning to look blurry. Jay Wright’s first home-run recruiting class was graduating and in something of a surprise, star point guard, Kyle Lowry entered the NBA draft as a sophomore. Suddenly, an ultra-potent backcourt was looking rather sparse.

Scottie Reynolds had a phenomenal career for Nova.
(photo credit: ESPN)

Scottie Reynolds announcing his commitment gave Nova Nation it's first opportunity to exhale and look forward to the coming season. An All-American point guard swooped in to save the backcourt; and boy did he live up to our expectations.

We didn’t get the chance to be impatient with Scottie Reynolds. When he showed up on campus in fall of 2006, he became a sparkplug that made an immediate impact on the Villanova team. He was the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year; a scoring machine that could put up 40 points in Storrs against a Connecticut team that had given the Wildcats fits in recent years. Scottie was an instant legend.

Reynolds always had his critics, he was never a prototypical point guard, but nobody in Nova Nation should be happy to see him go. When Scottie Reynolds was on the court, anything could happen. He was a magician that made crowds hold their breath and wonder, “how will Scottie win this one?”

Statistically, his best year was his last one on the Main Line. In just over 30 minutes per game, Scottie Reynolds lead the Wildcats by averaging 18.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists, while connecting on 45.7% of his shots. He not only scored in droves, but did so with a level of efficiency that we had never seen from him before.

Five years from now, if you ask a Villanovan about Scottie Reynolds, you won’t hear about his field goal percentage in his senior year, however. You might hear a story about the time that he scored 30 points in the second half to carry his team back from a big deficit at Louisville. More likely, however, the first words out of a Villanova fan's mouth will be in reference to the shocking Final Four run of Scottie’s junior year.

Nobody will ever forget “The Shot.” In a hard-fought game against a Big East rival, a team that had been ranked #1 in the country during the season, Scottie Reynolds scored what may be the most amazing two points I have ever seen.

The game was close, but the mood was dire with just a few seconds on the clock and momentum seemingly lost. The ‘Cats needed to take the ball the full length of the court and score. They didn’t have the option of taking their time. The plan was to get the ball into Scottie’s hands and for everyone else to cross their fingers. Scottie got the ball around mid-court and proceeded to drive straight to the basket. Leaving less than a second on the clock, he took a difficult shot (his only real option) over Gilbert Brown, and after every heart in America skipped a beat, it went in.

From that moment onward, Scottie Reynolds was superman, and to a generation of Villanova fans, he was the greatest they had ever seen.

If anything was disappointing about Scottie’s career (other than the manner in which it ended), it was that he finished it just 21 points shy of the school record. For those who had watched him play for four years, it would have been a fitting tribute for him to take his place atop the all-time scoring list.

A better tribute, however, will happen when he is invited back to the Pavilion to watch his jersey be lifted into the rafters.

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Saying Goodbye: Stanley Robinson

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, there is an attachment to that player that is difficult to explain. For me, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for guys like Kirk King and Khalid El-Amin, as I'm sure there is for any fan of any team.

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.

Today, TheUConnBlog says goodbye to Stanley Robinson.

Stanley Robinson is one of my favorite players to don a UConn jersey in the past decade. He’s also one of my least favorite.

Robinson, or “Sticks” as we so lovingly call him, was part of one of the best teams in program history, helping the Huskies come just two wins away from cashing in on a Coach Cal five-year plan in 2009.

But he also played big roles on two of the most frustrating sports seasons I’ve ever had to endure.

Sticks was good for about two of these a game.
(photo credit: Hartford Courant)

The first of which was a bit understandable. When Rudy Gay, Josh Boone, et al. bolted to the pros following the 2005-06 season, purging the roster of virtually all of its talent, Robinson and seven other freshmen were forced to immediately fill the void. And, as you may expect, things didn’t go so well. The Huskies were painful to watch, and although Sticks was the highest-rated recruit in the bunch, he would average just 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game for a team that couldn’t make the NCAA tournament.

But despite being labeled a disappointment early on – earning the title of the world’s most consistently inconsistent player in the process – Sticks would eventually start to live up to his immense talent. After spending the first half of his junior season toiling away in a factory, picking up scraps instead of rebounds, Robinson gave the Huskies the spark they lost after Jerome Dyson’s injury; the then-junior averaged almost 15 points and eight boards in five NCAA tournament games.

But once Jeff Adrien, A.J. Price, and Hasheem Thabeet left the team, the spotlight was put squarely on Robison (and Dyson) again to be a go-to player. And once again, he simply couldn’t do it.

Sticks had by far his best season in 2009-10, averaging 14 points, eight rebounds and a block per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and yelling really, really loudly on monster jams. His play even catapulted him into the lottery on some draft boards. But the one thing – perhaps the only thing – he couldn’t and didn’t do was one of the big reasons UConn’s season ended in the NIT rather the NCAAs: lead.

No matter how good he was or will be, Robinson will never be the leader. And because of that, he’ll always have a bit of a black mark on his career, at least for me.

But the stuff he did do –- Shawn Kemp-like alley-oop dunks, getting tough rebounds, growing chinstraps, melting faces with his unnatural athleticism, impregnation -– he did better, and more impressively, than almost every UConn player that came before him.

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Saying Goodbye: Greivis Vasquez

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, there is an attachment to that player that is difficult to explain. For me, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for guys like Kirk King and Khalid El-Amin, as I'm sure there is for any fan of any team.

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.

Today, Testudo Times says goodbye to Greivis Vasqeuz.

Greivis Vasquez has had a rather amazing career, and not just in how well he played, but also how he was received. Up until the mid-way point of this season, there was a sizable contingent of Maryland fans that couldn’t stand him. In his junior year, his own fans were heckling him in a game Maryland was winning. Looking back on it, the fact that any Terp fan couldn’t get on the Greivis Vasquez bandwagon is shocking and absurd, almost surreal. Other fans have reason to both love and hate Vasquez, but everything about him is lovable for a Maryland fan, from his talent on the court to his overall swagger.

Greivis Vasquez will go down as one of the best in Maryland history.
(photo credit: ESPN)

Vasquez had quite the unique game. It’s difficult to explain – he was nearly as well-rounded as Evan Turner, had the passion of Gary Williams (about 40 years younger), and a swagger that matched John Wall. Sure, he wasn’t athletic, and yes, his jumper was off more often than on, but something about him made him unstoppable from time to time. His court vision was amazing, and he luckily subscribed to the Pete Maravich philosophy: “If I can get the ball to the man with a bounce pass or behind the back pass, what’s the difference?” He made his fair share of mistakes, but they were overwhelmed by the extraordinary and the breathtaking.

And that’s not even beginning to delve deeper into his scoring ability, which is better than anyone could haveve expected. He could hit any variety of runners in the lane, the majority being inordinately difficult shots that still fell with alarming accuracy. He was hit or miss from deep, but had a flair for the dramatic – if the shot was important, it was going down. You could bet on it.

Of course, his game itself is ancillary to the way he played it – his style, his personality, his competitiveness, his passion. In a way, the heartbreaking Michigan State game was his entire career in a nutshell – he simply wasn’t going to go out any way other than with a fight, and he put up an incredible one in those final two minutes. He left everything out on the court every single game, and would do whatever he needed to do to win games. If that required 11 assists, he’d dish them. If it required 30 points, he’d drop them.

Part of what endeared him so much to Maryland fans was that he really was a younger version of Gary Williams in every way. What stands out to most is his passion about the game, but what only Maryland fans can truly appreciate it is his dedication to Maryland itself. He didn’t just win for himself, or his teammates, or the fans – he seemed to feel a real connection to the university, the history, and the program itself. In a sense, he won for the University of Maryland and it’s basketball team as much as did for anyone or anything else. In the age of the one-and-done athlete or the job-hopping coach, that type of devotion is endearing.

I could talk all day about Greivis, mentioning everything from his antics (the Clemson mopping) to his off the court work (helping out with Justin’s Quest), but all that would be superfluous. What really matters about Greivis Vasquez has already been said, several times. Where he will go in the NBA with below-average athleticism is still to be determined, as is his legacy in the history-rich Maryland program. But one thing is certain: he will be missed, by all of college basketball.

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