POSTERIZED: Better late than never (Feat. Jared Cunningham)

I hate missing a dunk. I hate not knowing about it. I hate not being informed about it,. I hate not seeing it live or shortly thereafter. I also hate when #POSTERIZED isn't the first on the scene with video of the dunk, and hate when people don't recognize the efforts made by B.I.A.H POSTERIZED.

But I really hate it when I wake up in the morning to find out that a) Jared Cunningham had a NASTY reverse alley-oop jam, b) everybody else saw the dunk but me and d)everybody else got the video up before B.I.A.H did.

Yes, I have issues. But we're not hear to debate that. We're hear to marvel at Jared Cunningham's freakish athleticism and dunking ability.



Cunningham took the world by storm last season with his "Kiss the Sky" dunk. But since then, we haven't seen as many highlight reel dunks from him as we would like to. Because, I mean, wouldn't you want to see this guy dunk as often as Tony Mitchell? I know I would.

I guess this is the place in the post where I have to acknowledge my video sources. I mean, if I learned one thing from college it was this: Always cite your sources.

But it's funny because I've noticed that there are decent number of media professionals who commonly fail to cite their sources.

Seriously people, it's called a H/T. Start to use it.

(H/T Rush the Court, The Dagger, Deadspin, YouTube)


But was it as good as these?

Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Detroit, 12/12
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. UW-Green Bay, 12/11
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26












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Breaking Down: Jared Cunningham vs. John Jenkins

There is little question that John Jenkins is one of the best pure shooters in the country. As Luke Winn described him in a column today, "Jenkins is a gunner with a projectible NBA skill -- the ability to run off screens and drill threes with very little space between him and a defender." The standard cliche involving sharpshooters is that you are surprised when they miss, and there may not be a player in the country this season that proves that axiom more than Jenkins.

We saw Jenkins at his finest against NC State. He finished with 28 points on 10-16 shooting from the floor and 4-9 shooting from beyond the arc, including two jumpers where his toe was on the three point line. But against Oregon State, Jenkins was held in check. He had 14 points on 5-13 shooting and didn't even attempt a shot in the final 6:55 of the game.

"We don't just guard our man, we guard the other team," Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson said after the game. "We're focused on the guys that can hurt us and we try and make sure that everybody's aware of that. And we have Jared Cunningham, Ahmad Starks, Roberto Nelson and Challe Barton, who are four guards that I think I can put on anybody for some amount of time and hold them at bay."


While that sounds nice to say, the simple fact is that for the 71 minutes that Jenkins was on the court at the IZOD Center, the only person that had any chance of slowing him down was Cunningham. Jenkins only scored eight points when Cunningham was on the court: he scored an uncontested layup on a leak out, he hit a three early in the second half when Cunningham lost focus and helped down on a driver and he hit a three with 6:55 left in the game when Barton was forced to switch onto Jenkins when Jenkins beat him down court. The other two threes that Jenkins hit were when Roberto Nelson was guarding him.

In other words, Cunningham didn't allow Jenkins to make one shot in a half court setting when he was guarding him man-to-man. He also collected four of his seven steals by defending Jenkins closely coming off of screens and forced another ball to be thrown away when Jenkins tried to curl tightly off of a down screen.

"He's real good using those screens," Cunningham said. "He's a great player. The team told me to focus in on him and just to stop him early and try to force other players to score."

What Cunningham did best was keep Jenkins from being able to curl off of down screens. He's a terrific athlete with excellent anticipation, meaning that he was able to not only trail Jenkins closely, but he wedged himself between Jenkins and the screener.

The Commodores love to run Jenkins off of double screens, and as you see here, Cunningham didn't give Jenkins any space around either of the screens, forcing Jenkins to catch the ball 35 feet from the basket, forcing a turnover. In the first picture, Jenkins is in the corner. In the second picture, he's running off of the second screen (click the images to enlarge):





In contrast, take a look at how much space Lorenzo Brown, a guard for NC State, gives Jenkins coming off of the double screen:





Jenkins isn't only a catch-and-shoot player. He's improved his ability not only to curl off of a screen and get to the rim, but to use his dribble to create an open look. In this clip from the NC State game, Jenkins hits the first of two back-to-back step-back jumpers:



But against Jared Cunningham, Jenkins wasn't able to use his dribble. In this clip, he ends up turning the ball over. It was the only turnover he had trying to beat Cunningham off the dribble, but it was also one of the only times he actually decided to try and beat Cunningham off the bounce:



These are just isolated examples of what happened in both games, but they are single possessions that represent precisely how each team as -- or, in the Wolfpack's case, wasn't -- able to defend Jenkins.
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11/21 College Hoops Week in Review: Jared Cunningham and St. Louis honored

Player of the Week: Jared Cunningham, Oregon State

There are quite a few impressive performances from the past week, but its impossible to look past what Cunningham did this past week. After a ho-hum, 17 point performance in 17 minutes against West Alabama, a non-Division I school, Cunningham exploded. He finished with 35 points against Hofstra and had 37 points in the Beaver's overtime win over Texas, arguably the biggest win in the Craig Robinson era. Cunningham shot 55.9% from the floor and got to the foul line a ridiculous 40 times, hitting 80% from the charity stripe. He also added 14 rebounds, five assists and three steals.

More importantly, however, is the fact that Cunningham seems to be embracing the role of closer for Oregon State. Against Texas, he was able to get to the paint on draw a foul at will, using his ridiculous quickness and athleticism to get by his defender. He also made an huge steal with 30 seconds left that allowed Oregon State a chance to tie the game in regulation. With Cunningham playing close to this level -- expecting him to score in the mid-30's every night is ludicrous -- Oregon State has enough talent on their roster to be considered a sleeper in a wide open Pac-12.



The All-They-Were-Good-Too Team

- G: Scott Machado, Iona: Machado was sensational in the Gaels' three games this week, averaging 15.5 ppg and 13.0 apg while committing just six turnovers. That's a 6.5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He also added 5.0 rpg. Momo Jones and Mike Glover will get the headlines, but Machado is that team's MVP.

- G: J'Covan Brown, Texas: There haven't been many players more impressive than Brown this season. In two games this week, he averaged 30.0 ppg, 7.5 apg, 6.0 rpg and shot 50% from the floor and 10-18 from three. The Longhorns were just 1-1 on the week, losing in OT to Oregon State.

- F: Tony Mitchell, Alabama: Mitchell was the best player for arguably the most impressive team of the week. He averaged 17.3 ppg and 9.5 rpg while adding 10 assists, five blocks, four steals, shot 50% from three and threw down too many thunderous dunks to count in a 4-0 week for the Crimson Tide.

- F: Doug McDermott, Creighton: The Bluejays have certainly lived up to expectations early in the season, and McDermott is the biggest reason why. He had 27 points and seven boards in a win at UAB and followed that up with 25 points and nine boards in a 23 point win against Iowa. He shot 63.6% from the floor and 5-7 from deep.

- F: Travis McKie, Wake Forest: Wake Forest is going to struggle this year, but McKie is without a doubt a bright spot. In two games this week, he averaged 24.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and shot 68% from the floor and 5-7 from three.

- Bench: Tyreek Duren, La Salle (23.5 ppg, 4.0 apg); Robbie Hummel, Purdue (20.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg); Kevin Jones, West Virginia (22.0 ppg, 16.5 rpg); Ramone Moore, Temple (19.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.0 apg); Mike Moser, UNLV (16.7 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 4.0 apg, 4.3 spg); Shabazz Napier, UConn (22 points. 12 assists, 13 boards vs. Coppin State); Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga (33 points, 9-13 threes, six assists vs. Washington State); Gerardo Suero, Albany (30.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg); Casper Ware, Long Beach State (28 points, six assists in win over Pitt)


Team of the Week: St. Louis Billikens

The Billikens had the single most impressive performance of the week on Sunday. With Washington visiting, St. Louis looked like the high-major program, getting up by 20 midway through the first half and pushing that lead as high as 30 in the second half. The Huskies battled back to make the final respectable -- 77-64 -- but the damage had already been done. Brian Conklin had 25 points and Kwamain Mitchell added 18 points in a dominating victory.

The win pushed St. Louis to 3-0 on the season, but it did more than simply put a win in the record books. Don't, for a second, think that teams like Xavier and Temple didn't take notice of that score. The Musketeers and the Owls were considered by almost everyone to have a firm stranglehold on the top two spots in the Atlantic 10, but if St. Louis continues to play at this level, they are going to force their way into that conversation. This is a balanced team with more experience on their roster than you think; most of the young guys on the roster have already had significant big game experience. They defend well, they knock down their open shots and they have a legitimate star in Mitchell. I think its safe to say we've identified the sleeper in the league.



Teams Deserving a Shoutout:

Alabama: The Crimson Tide won the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in convincing fashion, pulling away from both Wichita State and Purdue late to take home the title. Alabama also beat Oakland and Maryland, and they did it with a stout defense. They press, make it difficult to get the ball over half court and force tough shots if you do break their press. Tony Mitchell and JaMychal Green form a mammoth front line, while Trevor Releford anchors a young but talented back court.

Creighton: The Bluejays improved to 4-0 this week thanks to a 10 point road with against UAB and a 23 point home win over Iowa. Doug McDermott has been playing like an all-american, but its truly been a team effort for the Bluejays; ten players averaged double figure minutes and seven are scoring between 6.0 and 10.3 ppg.

Iona: There is little doubt that, after their performance this weekend, the Gaels are going to immediately become the favorite to win the MAAC. Scott Machado looked like the second coming John Stockton at the point while five other Gaels averaged double figures. The Gaels lost by one to Purdue, but they responded by beating Western Michigan and drilling Maryland by 26.

Kent State: The Golden Flashes burst onto the national scene by going into Morgantown and knocking off West Virginia in their season opener, which just so happened to come on national television during the Tip-Off Marathon. There was no letdown from that win, either, as KSU beat Alcorn State their next time out.

Long Beach State: The 49ers went into the Peterson Events Center and beat down Pitt, keeping the Panthers from ever getting closer than six points during the second half. But they followed that up with an overtime loss to a decent (but probably better than you think) San Diego State team. An overtime road loss at a very, very difficult place to play shouldn't put a damper on the impressive performance LBSU had on Tuesday.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles have put together some impressive wins early in the season, but on Sunday they provided a bit of legitimacy to their play by pasting Ole Miss by 30. Their point totals so far this season? 91, 99, 95 and 96. Darius Johnson-Odom is averaging 20.0 ppg, Jae Crowder 18.3 ppg and Vander Blue 15.8 ppg.

Memphis: The Tigers have played one game this season, but it was a resounding win over a tough Belmont team. Memphis beat them 97-81, but it never seemed like Belmont was going to have a chance to get back into the game. The Tigers are impressively athletic, but we knew that. But will they be able to turn that athleticism into success on the basketball court. A one word over-reaction to a small sample size's worth of data: yes.

Mississippi State: Renardo Sidney is never going to be the star that we all want him to be and know he can be, but the Bulldogs don't need Sidney on the roster to be a tournament team this season. Arnett Moultrie is capable of being a scorer and rebounder in the paint, Dee Bost is a star at the point and Mississippi State's supporting cast is better than anyone gave them credit for. They knocked off two top 20 teams this week en route to the Coaches vs. Cancer title.

Nebraska: Don't look now, but the Cornhuskers are actually 3-0 on the season. They have a double overtime win over USC (which looks worse now that the Trojans have lost to Cal Poly 42-36) and knocked off Rhode Island by 20. Its not much, I'll admit it, but with the way Nebraska plays defense and the fact that they finally have a scorer at the point in Bo Spencer, who knows. Maybe this team puts it together enough to win some games in the Big 12 this year.

New Mexico State: The Aggies picked up a big win early in the season as they knocked off New Mexico at the Pit and followed that up with a 16 point win over rebuilding UTEP. Wendell McKines looks like he is healthy. He had 14 points and nine boards and held Drew Gordon without a field goal before going for 23 points and 13 boards against UTEP.

Northwestern: We need to keep the Wildcat's win in the Charleston Classic in perspective; they didn't beat a tournament team en route to the title. But there is something to be said for winning three straight games in that manner. John Shurna averaged 23.7 ppg for the week, including a 37 point performance in a comeback win over LSU, and Drew Crawford chipped in with an average of 24.0 ppg.

Oregon State: Are the Beavers all of a sudden a contender in the Pac-12? Its too early to say right now, but if they knock off Vanderbilt in the title game of the Legend's Classic, its a fair question to ask. Its not just Jared Cunningham, either. Devon Collier, Joe Burton and Eric Morehouse provide some size and athleticism inside while Ahmad Starks, Angus Brandt and Roberto Nelson give Craig Robinson some perimeter pop. This group plays hard and plays together. It will be fun to see what they can piece together.

Presbyterian: Presbyterian has one of the more uplifting stories to follow this year: after having their hearts broken when their class of redshirt seniors found out they wouldn't be allowed to participate in the postseason this season, they all remained at the school for their last year of eligibility. It paid off in a small way on Saturday, as the Blue Hose knocked off Cincinnati.

Providence: Might Ed Cooley have this Friar team competitive this season? They are now 3-0 on the year, including an 80-72 win at Fairfield this week. It will be interesting to watch, as Cooley is a defensive-minded head coach, but he has a team that is better suited to getting out and running the floor.

St. Joseph's: Next year was supposed to be the year for the Hawks, but St. Joseph's has been pretty impressive a few weeks into the season. They are 3-1 on the year, and while they did lost to Seton Hall, they've also knocked off Georgia Tech by 13 and beat a good Tulsa team on Sunday. Carl Jones and Langston Galloway may end up forming one of the most potent back courts in the Atlantic 10 this season.

Weber State: We said it in the preseason, but it looks like it may be coming true: Weber State is the best team in the state of Utah. They knocked off Utah State on Tuesday, getting 28 points from Scott Bamforth. But Bamforth isn't even the Wildcat's best perimeter player; Damian Lillard is. He showed it on Saturday, dropping 27 at UC Irvine.

Wisconsin: The Badgers are outscoring their opponents 222-105 this season. Granted, they haven't played anyone yet, but 105 points in three games? Is Wisconsin going to be a lockdown defensive team this year? More impressive? They are doing it while Jordan Taylor is doing nothing but facilitating and allowing his teammates to get comfortable in scoring roles.


Five Thoughts:

- The CAA is way down this year: There is no doubt that this is going to be a one-bid league this season. George Mason is playing without Andre Cornelius and has a couple of injuries, but that's not an excuse for a team that was supposed to be in the top 40 losing to both Florida International and Florida Atlantic. Drexel's start may be even more disappointing. After starting out the year with an 18 point win over Rider, the Dragons lost to Norfolk State before mustering just 35 points in a loss to Virginia. VCU struggled with both St. Francis (PA) and Western Kentucky while losing to Seton Hall and Georgia Tech. Delaware lost at Radford and James Madison lost at La Salle. The best moment of the season was without a doubt a 10 point loss that Old Dominion suffered against a worn-down Kentucky team. That's the same Old Dominion that was dropped by 17 against Northern Iowa.

The good news? There is clearly no favorite to win this conference, meaning that the CAA is going to be a lot of fun to follow this year.

- The Pac-12 is just as disappointing: Does anyone want to win this conference? We'll start at the top. Arizona is struggling to live up to the hype they had coming into the season as they battle youth at the two most important positions -- the post and the point. This group will be better if Josiah Turner gets his head on straight, but who knows when, if ever, that happens. Washington had some defensive issues in a few of their early non-conference games, and those issues were exposed by St. Louis on Sunday. The Huskies were absolutely drubbed by the Billikens, getting down by as much as 30 on the road. Oregon had their star freshman Jabari Brown leave the team, while Ben Howland struggles to deal with a team that has a) a WAC-level back court, b) a center that can't get in shape and c) a star that doesn't feel the need to show up to anything on time.

Cal has become the favorite in the league, and for good reason. Their top three -- Jorge Gutierrez, Allen Crabbe and Harper Kamp -- have been as good as anyone, and the Bears have been drilling team this year. The sleeper? Oregon State. The Beavers have a potential Pac-12 Player of the Year in Jared Cunningham and enough talent around him to make a run in a league that apparently no one has any desire to win.

- A battle in the Atlantic 10: Might the Atlantic 10 be better than the Pac-12? Let's think about this. Xavier and Cal are a wash, as its difficult to say that either is more than a top 20 team right now. While Temple lost to Purdue, they managed to knock off Wichita State is overtime and have one of the best perimeter attacks in the country. I'll give them the nod over Oregon State as of today. St. Louis just beat Washington, meaning that they can probably be considered better than any team that claims the No. 3 spot out west.

But its more than the success that the top of the league is having. La Salle knocked off a decent James Madison team a few days after taking Villanova to overtime. St. Joe's, as we mentioned, has gotten off to a very good start to the season. Duquesne nearly knocked off Arizona and followed that up with a win over Akron. UMass is 3-0 on the season. None of those teams had the preseason hype that St. Bonaventure, George Washington or Richmond did.

- Cincinnati got what they deserved?: The Bearcats dug themselves a bit of a hole with their non-conference schedule. Its one of the worst in the country, and it came to bite them on Saturday. Cincinnati blew a 15 point second half lead, allowing a Presbyterian that is so new to Division I that they aren't allowed into the postseason yet. The Bearcats are -- well, should be -- good enough that they won't have to be on the bubble this year, but if they lose to Xavier, their only real non-conference opponent (unless you count Georgia or Oklahoma as real), this group is going to see their tournament seed take a big hit.

- How long does Ben Howland have at UCLA?: Let's forget the fact that, for the fourth straight season, the Bruins look like they are a long, long way from the kind of program that is expected in Westwood. Let's forget that he's lost control of this team. Let's ignore the empty home games. Think about this: who would you rather have, any five that UCLA can put on the floor right now, or a starting five of Matt Carlino, Kendell Williams, Chace Stanback, Mike Moser and Drew Gordon. The latter group are all players that have either played for and transferred out of UCLA, or -- in Williams' case -- committed too UCLA and had his scholarship offer pulled. I'll take the second group in a heartbeat.


Games of the Week: Oklahoma State 90, UT-San Antonio 85 OT

This was an insane finish to regulation. UTSA, who advanced to the second round of the Preseason NIT on a 40 foot running prayer last night, used a 21-8 run last in the second half to open up a 71-60 lead with just 2:12 left. But Oklahoma State was able to crawl their way back into it as they forced some turnovers and got to the foul line. With 15 seconds left and down by six, freshman reserve Cesar Guerrero went the length of the court and scored on an and-one. After hitting the free throw, Guerrero stole the inbounds pass and buried a three to force OT:



Guerrero would scored eight points in the extra period, including back-to-back threes in the final two minutes to erase a four point deficit. On the game, he had 29 points while coming off the bench. Making the finish even crazier is that UTSA was only able to advance to this game when Sei Paye hit a running 25-footer at the buzzer to knock off Oral Roberts, a shot that has miraculously never had video make it online.

Purdue 91, Iona 90: Defense may win championships, but offense puts fans in the seats and eyeballs on the TV screens. And in this game, there was no defense played whatsoever. Iona threw every last punch that they had at the Boilermakers, taking a 90-88 lead with 33 seconds left when Momo Jones hit a 12 foot pull-up in transition. But at the other end, Robbie Hummel buried a three to give Purdue the lead back. After Jones turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, Purdue missed two free throws, but an Iona prayer from half court at the buzzer bounced off the back board.

Belmont 87, Middle Tennessee State 84 2OT: The Bruins nearly blew a game that they twice had taken complete control of. They were up 15 midway through the first half and eight with just 3:50 left in the game, but MTSU had a run in them. After taking a one point lead with just under a minute left, Ian Clark answered with a three for Belmont. But two free throws from Marcos Knight and a missed jumper at the buzzer from JJ Mann sent this game into overtime. MTSU took a five point lead in the first OT, but Kerron Johnson answered with seven points in the span of 1:30 to take the lead back. Laron Dendy forced OT with two more free throws, but Mann scored six unanswered midway through the second overtime to take firm control of the game.
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Jared Cunningham is fast becoming a star

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - Along with the No. 1 ranking comes expectation.

So when the new RPI was released and Oregon State sat at the top of the (inherently flawed) standings, it would only make sense that with it came a chance in attitude for the Beavers.

"That number, that's turning out to be the bane of my existence here," Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson said with a chuckle after the game.

And while its unrealistic to think that Oregon State is the best team in the country, there are expectations for this team this season. Not just from the media -- those pesky, little so-called experts -- and the fan base, but from within the program as well. The Beavers expect to win this year. For a team that finished 10-19 last season and has gone just 42-57 in Robinson's three-year tenure at the school, that's one of the biggest hurdles the Beavers will have to clear, simply believing they are going to win.


"When I started the season this year I said I like this team," Robinson said. "I like this team. And now you can see why. This is a tough group of kids. They just kept fighting, just kept fighting, and didn't give up."

Perhaps the biggest reason for Oregon State's early season success has been the play of star Jared Cunningham. A 6'4" shooting guard, Cunningham is one of the best defenders in the country. He routinely guards the best opposing perimeter player and is notorious in the Pac-12 for his toughness and effort level. Cunningham's collar is as blue as it gets. He has no problem mixing it up in the paint or diving on the floor for a loose ball.

But he's never had that issue, either. Where his game has really developed on the offensive end of the floor, where Cunningham is getting awfully close to having to be labeled a superstar. In Oregon State's 100-95 overtime win against Texas in the Legends Classic semifinals, Cunningham finished with 37 points and nine rebounds. This performance came just one game after Cunningham went for 35 points against Hofstra. On the season, he's now averaging 26.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 2.3 spg.

"He does everything for us," Robinson said. "He guards the best guy. He scores points. He makes assists. He makes his foul shots. The magnitude of what he had to do today, on this stage and in this tournament against this team, is big time. And it's getting to be a regular thing with Jared."

The difference is that Cunningham is beginning to show the signs of being a finisher. Against Texas, he made every big play down the stretch. He had seven points and an assist -- and the most important play of the game, stripping J'Covan Brown after he had corralled a long offensive rebound with 30 seconds left and Texas leading 80-78 -- in the last three minutes of regulation and added eight more points in overtime.

"I feel like I can be that decision maker in the end," Cunningham said. "That comes with confidence, and that comes with a lot of pressure on your shoulders, but I feel like I can take it on."

Cunningham is a freak athlete. When he wants to get to the rim, no one is stopping him. He shot 23 free throws on Friday night and made 20 of them. What Cunningham is still learning to do is how to be a basketball player. Everyone in the country has seen the dunk that he had against Arizona last season, but simply being able to make a play like that isn't going to make Cunningham a star anywhere other than Sportscenter's top ten.

What he needs to do is become a better shot creator and a better shot maker. He needs to not only be able to put the ball on the floor and draw a foul, he has to turn that into an and-one instead of just two shots. He needs to shoot better than 4-15 from beyond the arc. He needs to improve his handle and avoid turnovers. That takes time, and while Cunningham has absolutely improved in those areas, he still has so much room to grow.

And he just scored 72 points in back-to-back games. Think about that.

"Jared has evolved as a player since I saw him when he was a sophomore (in high school) and I was at Brown and trying to recruit him before he blew up," Robinson said. "He has just come a long way. The reason is because he is extremely receptive to coaching. He wants to get better and what you saw out there was a culmination of his hard work."

"We get to see it all the time out west."

Oregon State is much improved as a team this year, and its not only the play of Cunningham. Devon Collier, Eric Moreland, Angus Brandt and Joe Burton form an intriguing front line. Ahmad Starks and Roberto Nelson both knocked down some big shots tonight despite not playing their best game. This is a team with some potential that is playing much better as a single unit this season, but its the talent of Cunningham that drives this train. He's the engine that will determine how far this group goes.

He's a tough kid, one that's going to do whatever he can to help his team win.

Even if its at the risk of his future as model.

"Jared is a handsome guy and he's always worried about his looks so I was more worried about that," Robinson said when asked about the elbow that Cunningham caught in the overtime that split open his lip. "I wasn't worried about him coming out of the game. He is a warrior. He looks slight but he is wiry strong and he's a huge competitor so he wasn't coming out of the game."

"I saw the blood and was a little worried," Cunningham said, "because I didn’t want it to get on my jersey because I wasn’t coming out. I stayed out on the court and was able to make some big plays."
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2011-2012 Season Preview: Top Dunkers

This is an interesting year for the crop of elite dunk specialists. While it certainly won't be a "down year" in the world of POSTERIZATION, there is no household-name leading the charge. With the departure of Derrick Williams and Travis Leslie to the NBA, and the season-ending injury for Missouri's Laurence Bowers, we are still looking for our superstar dunker, but there are certainly a solid group of guys who could fit the bill.

But maybe that is what's great about the slam dunk. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere. Did anybody expect Indiana's Tom Pritchard to jump that far? Did anybody know Drew Gordon could extend his arms that far? and heaven forbid, did Bill Raftery expect Jerome Lane to "Send it in" quite like that?

By now you should all be aware that B.I.A.H is the foremost expert in the field of college basketball dunks, slams, jams, rim-rockers and gym-jammers. If you need more proof, just. check out our POSTERIZED page at the top.

During the 2011-2012 season, B.I.A.H will be the only place you need to visit for all the above-the-rim action.

Rodney Williams - 6'7" forward, Minnesota

Of all the candidates on this list, I believe Sir Rodney as all the tools to finish the year as the best dunker in this class. If you aren't familiar with Mr. Williams, then you should be ashamed of yourselves. No member of this list as as much highlight footage as Sir Rodney. He threw down at least three #POSTERIZED-worthy dunks last year, all of which was completely different and unique. He drives the the basket hard, has explosiveness off of one or two feet, and can finish in a variety of fashions. Williams' isn't known for flashy fast-break finishes, but if the Golden Gophers swing the ball quickly on offense and find Williams in the corner, look out, because an open baseline path to the basket quickly turns into a runway for the "Rodney Williams Express Shuttle", now making stops in Duluth, St. Cloud and Red Wing, Mondays through Fridays.











C.J Fair - 6'8" forward, Syracuse

You wouldn't think C.J. Fair is a six-foot-eight forward based on the way he moves up and down the floor. The Syracuse sophomore is long and athletic and can get up in a hurry. It's quite possible that he's the best dunker in the Big East, and he always plays with intensity and a smile on his face. Plus, he knows how to get Dickie Simpkins excited, and that's always entertaining to see.







Andre Roberson - 6'7" guard, Colorado

It could be argued that Roberson is the most athletic player in the country. His freshman campaign was overshadowed due to the presence of Corey Higgins and Alec Burks, but with those two players gone, Roberson should be the center of attention for the Buffs. Like C.J. Fair, Roberson is long, lanky, and can get up in a hurry. If you give him a lane to the basket, he will make you pay, just ask Jacob Pullen.









Mitchell Watt - 6'10" forward, Buffalo

The Buffalo big-man will be this season's resident power-dunker. He is not a guy you want to stand in front of when he gets the ball in the high-post. Watt isn't necessarily a "hulking" power forward, but he has a big frame and long limbs to boot. Watt sparked a viral phenomenon with his heel-flick reverse jam at the 2010 Midnight Madness, and even helped to market the 2011 Midnight Madness event at Buffalo. But don't think that he is just a novelty act. This guy can dunk, and you certainly don't want to be on the wrong end of it.









Shay Shine - 6'2" guard, High Point

You don't expect six-foot-two guards at a low-major schools schools to be able to posterize people as badly as Shay Shine does. Shine is 6'2" and he made SportsCenter's Top Plays TWICE, for dunking over 6'10" centers. It's not like Shine just dunked over these guys, he straight-up put them up on a wall like a FatHead. Sure, he hasn't shown off too much creativity, but if you can mean-mug a guy who has eight inches on you, us fans don't care much for creativity.







Deuce Bello - 6'4" forward, Baylor

The Baylor freshman has yet to posterize anybody on the college stage, but you can't browse mixtapes on YouTube without stumbling over a highlight reel of Bello's spectacular dunks. He's been mentioned as being one of the top-20 dunkers in THE ENTIRE WORLD. that's ridiculous considering he's barely a freshman. But from the looks of the Moonlight Madness event in October, I think it's safe to assume that Bello will become a frequent visitor to the B.I.A.H POSTERIZED series.









Tony Mitchell - 6'6" forward, Alabama

Tony Mitchell is only six-foot-six, yet plays like a bruising power forward who can run the floor like a speedy point guard. He has a nice blend of power, speed and technique. Alabama's fast break execution is very entertaining to watch, and Mitchell is a key reason why. With the departure of Georgia's Travis Leslie, Mitchell should be considered a candidate as the best dunker in the SEC.











Jared Cunningham - 6'4" guard, Oregon State

he had arguably the best tip-jam of the 2010-2011 season. His dunk was so unbelievable that Kevin Calabro, the play-by-play announcer, literally blew a gasket. Sure, he only had one highlight-reel play last season, but Sweet-God, it was out of this world. Cunningham is long, lean, has some serious hops, and he continues to improve every time we see him play. But the scary thing is that Cunningham is going to be even better this season. Don't be surprised if you see his name on the Pac-12 All-Conference First Team at the end of the season.





Kenny Gabriel - 6'8" forward, Auburn

Yes it's true, Auburn is terrible at basketball. But, the Tigers do feature one of the best big-man dunkers in the country in Kenny Gabriel. It's likely that you didn't see him play last year because, like I mentioned, Auburn sucks. But if you see Auburn on TV this season, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the six-foot-eight rocking the headband and arm-sleeve, elevating to the rim.







LeBryan Nash - 6'7" forward, Oklahoma State

Like Deuce Bello, LeBryan Nash has yet to log a poster-dunk at the collegiate level, but we have more than enough evidence to indicate that he will be a frequent member of B.I.A.H POSTERIZED. Nash is big, strong, and has a serious vertical. But he's not just a power-dunker. He can get creative, and sometimes, that creativity will make a good dunk great.







Honorable Mention:
Terrence Jones - 6'9" forward, Kentucky
Thomas Robinson - 6'10" forward, Kansas
Darius Johnson-Odom - 6'2" guard, Marquette
Pierre Jackson - 6'2" guard, Baylor
Kyle Kuric - 6'4" guard, Louisville
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POSTERIZED: Now that's a tip-dunk

There's nothing better than a good tip-dunk.

Except maybe a great tip-dunk.

And this is a great tip dunk.



Jared Cunningham just propelled him to the top of the "tip-dunk of the year" leaderboard. He got full extension, propelled himself off an opponents shoulders, and dunked over four players.

Plus, listen to that call. Pair that guy with Gus-Jeezy and you've got gold, solid gold.

UPDATE: We here at B.I.A.H have spent numerous hours debating if this is in fact the current "Dunk of the Year". We still aren't sure. But we are 100% sure that PbP-man Kevin Calabro has locked up "Call of the Year". That is, well, until Gus-Jeezy get's the pipes going in March.

Was this better than the previous entries

POSTERIZED - Langston Morris-Walker
POSTERIZED - Chris Wright and Juwan Staten, Dayton
POSTERIZED - D.J Stephens, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Reeves Nelson, UCLA
POSTERIZED - Kendall Marshall and John Henson, UNC
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Joe Jackson, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
POSTERIZED - CJ Fair, Syracuse
POSTERIZED - LeBryan Nash
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Marcus Jordan, Central Florida
POSTERIZED - Lorenzo Brown, NC State
POSTERIZED - Tai Wesley, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Trent Lockett, Arizona State, and Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Brandon Paul, Illinois
POSTERIZED - Jordan Hamilton, Texas


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