Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Darvin Ham, Texas Tech

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, hit us up on twitter @ballinisahabit or via email at contactbiah@gmail.com.

Darvin Ham, Texas Tech

I'm not going to lie, Darvin Ham was one of my favorite basketball players when I was growing up. It was a weird combination, I will admit. Ham is from Saginaw, MI, while I hail from North Haven, CT. Ham went to Texas Tech, and as most of you know I grew up a UConn fan. Ham played eight seasons in the NBA as nothing more than a role player, having his best season with the Bucks and winning a title with Detroit. I don't even watch the NBA. No, I became a fan of the "Ham Slam-wich" when he shattered the back board on a tip-dunk in Texas Tech's upset win over North Carolina in the 1996 NCAA Tournament, making the cover of SI in the process.



It wasn't always that easy for Ham, however. As a 14 year old, Ham was nearly killed after being struck in the jaw by a stray bullet in his neighborhood. He didn't even play basketball until his senior year in high school, after his father forced him to quit football because of his grades. Ham wound up at Otero Junior College, where Texas Tech coaches discovered him at a JuCo showcase.

Ham made an immediate impact with the Red Raiders, averaging 8.2 ppg and 5.4 rpg in his first season in 1993-1994. As a junior in 1994-1995, Ham's number went down a bit, but Tech won a share of the Southwest Conference's regular season title and advanced to the 1995 NIT. But his senior season is the one that everyone will remember. Ham averaged 9.1 ppg and 5.7 rpg for a Red Raider team that went 30-2, won both the Southwest Conference regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, which included the aforementioned upset of North Carolina.

When Ham left Tech, he was the furthest thing from an NBA prospect. 6'7" combo-forwards with out a post-move or a jump shot don't generally go in the lottery. But after going undrafted in the 1996 NBA Draft, Ham impressed the Denver Nuggets enough to offer him a contract. He spent most of the year playing sparingly for the Nuggets, seeing action in just 23 games, before being traded to Indiana in February of 1997.

The Pacers would eventually let Ham go, and he signed with Washington for the 1997-1998 season. Ham would finally get some consistent minutes with Washington, playing in 71 games and earning three starts. His numbers were unimpressive -- 2.0 ppg and 1.8 rpg -- which played a part in Ham's departure from the NBA.


He wasn't gone for long -- spending one season playing for Spain's CB Grenada -- before returning and joining the Milwaukee Bucks, where he would have his most productive seasons. In the 1999-2000 season, Ham averaged 5.1 ppg and 4.9 rpg while getting 21 starts. The following season, he started 13 games and in 2001-2002, Ham played in 70 games, averaging 4.3 ppg, but for the first time in his Bucks career, Ham missed the playoffs.

Ham would spend the next season with Atlanta before moving on to Detroit. Ham spent two seasons in Detroit, winning a ring in 2003-2004, his first season with the Pistons. Ham was the perfect piece for a Larry Brown team, as the legendary head coach was once quoted as saying "every team needs a Darvin Ham."

In 2005, Ham's NBA career ended, and he began a journey through professional basketball. In 2006, he spent time playing with Talk N' Text Phone Pals of the Phillipine Basketball Association, but after a disappointing finish and even more disappointing treatment while there, Ham decided to return to the States.

He had gigs as an analyst on Fox Sports Southwest as well as NBA TV, but in 2007 he returned to playing, becoming the third pick in the 2007 NBDL Draft to the Albequerque T-Birds. He played most of one season with the T-Birds, eventually getting traded to the Austin Toros. After getting a couple of opportunities with NBA teams during summer leagues and preseasons, Ham called it a career, becoming an assistant coach with the T-Birds in 2008.

Over the summer, Ham was named head coach of the T-Birds, which helped to bring about this fantastic t-shirt promotion. Ham's son, Darvin Jr., will play next season at D-II Northwood University.

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Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Julius Hodge, NC State

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, hit us up on twitter @ballinisahabit or via email at contactbiah@gmail.com.

Julius Hodge, NC State:

Coming out of basketball powerhouse St. Raymond's in The Bronx, Hodge was a can't miss prospect. A lanky, 6'7" wing that had the skills of a point guard. A McDonald's all-american and top five recruit nationally, Hodge eventually decided on attending NC State, where he would become one of my least favorite college basketball players.


As a freshman, Hodge had an immediate impact for the Wolfpack, becoming their second leading scorer -- and the ACC's leading freshman scorer -- at 10.7 ppg. With Hodge on the roster, and despite losing Damien Wilkins and Kenny Inge from the roster the year before, Hodge was able to help lead NC State the the NCAA Tournament and a 21-11 record in 2002, a big improvement on their 13-16 season the year before.

As a sophomore, Hodge really started to come into his own. He averaged 17.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, and 3.5 apg, and while NC State struggled to an 18-13 finish, the Wolfpack made a run to the finals of the ACC tournament, got an at-large bid to the big dance and Hodge earned a spot on the all-ACC first team. NC State was knocked out of the second round of the tournament, however.

Hodge's junior season was his best ever. The 18.2 ppg and his shooting percentages were the highest of his career. The 6.4 ppg and 3.8 apg he averaged were his best to night. It was enough to get Hodge a nod as a consensus second team all-american. But once again Hodge was bounced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

He decided to return for his senior season, and while Hodge saw his numbers take a hit, he firmly entrenched himself in the mind of every UConn fan in the country. In the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament, Hodge answered a game-tying bucket by Charlie Villanueva by making Rudy Gay fall, then picking up an and-one bucket at the rim when Ed Nelson tried to take a charge, sending the Wolfpack to the Sweet 16. It hurts to watch.

Hodge would go on to get picked by the Nuggets with 20th overall, but he was never really able to latch on in the NBA. He played just 14 games in 2005-2006, getting just 33 total minutes, before his season was cut short. In April of 2006, Hodge was shot when another car pulled alongside his on the highway in Denver at 2am, after Hodge had left a club. He was shot in the leg, but made it to the hospital in time and made a full recovery.

He wouldn't play anymore that season, and the following year bounced between the NBA and the NBDL, while also being traded midway through the season. The following summer he had a tryout with the Sonics, but ended up signing with Cimberio Varese in Italy in August of 2007.

Once again, Hodge spent the 2007-2008 season bouncing between teams. He transferred from Cimberio Varese to Legea Scafati, a fellow Italian Serie A member, before signing with the Adelaide 36ers later in the season. Once the 36ers season was over, he returned to the States to once again play in the NBDL.

Hodge got a shot with the Nets the following summer, but once fall came around, he was back in Australia with Adelaide. But after a dispute over payment, Hodge unceremoniously left the team. He would finish the season out in France with Besancon.

Hodge returned to Australia, playing for Adelaide's rival, the Melbourne Tigers. During his first trip to play at Adelaide on December 7th, Hodge spent much of the game being taunted and booed by the crowd. At the end, when the Tigers won, Hodge created quite an uproar by stamping on the 36ers' logo at center court (video here).

Next season, Hodge will head to China, where he will play for Guangzhou Free Man.
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Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, hit us up on twitter @ballinisahabit or via email at contactbiah@gmail.com.

Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont:

Taylor Coppenrath was a late bloomer in high school. The state of Vermont isn't exactly known as a hoops hot bed, and Coppenrath, who would eventually become the state's player of the year, didn't even make the varsity until he was a junior. Coppenrath would end up going to UVm, where he would have a great career.


Coppenrath took a redshirt in his first season at Vermont, meaning he didn't suit up for the Catamounts until the 2001-2002 season. It didn't take long for him to show what kind of player he was going to be, either, averaging 16.6 ppg and 7.0 rpg in his first season en route to earning second team all-America East honors. Vermont would win a share of the conference regular season title in 2002, but the Cats would lose to Maine in the semifinals of the conference tournament.

As a sophomore, Coppenrath would win the first of his three America East player of the year awards. Vermont was not near as successful in the regular season, finishing just 18-11 and 11-5, but the Cats would go on to win the America East Tournament before losing to Arizona in the NCAA Tournament. Coppenrath averaged 19.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg on the year.

Coppenrath's junior year was memorable. He averaged 24.1 ppg and 7.2 rpg en route to his second consecutive POY award. But midway through the season, Coppenrath broke his wrist. He missed a number of games, including the first two rounds of the league tournament, but he would return for the Finals, and in a big way. Coppenrath went for 43 points and 13 boards as the Cats advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where they would get knocked off by eventual national champion UConn.

As a senior, Coppenrath teamed up with point guard TJ Sorrentine to become one of the best inside-outside combos in the country. Coppenrath averaged 25.1 ppg and 8.9 rpg, becoming a finalist for just about every national player of the year award. Vermont would have their most successful season in history, winning 24 games and both the America East regular season and conference tournament titles. They would earn a 13 seed in the big dance, drawing Syracuse in the opening round. The Cats, along with the help of Sorrentine's "parking lot" three, would upset the Orange before eventually succumbing to the Michigan State Spartans.

After graduating from Vermont, Coppenrath went undrafted. He briefly flirted with the idea of playing with Vermont's ABA team before making the move overseas. In his first season abroad, Coppenrath spent the year with the Greek team A.E.K. He would average 10.4 ppg and 5.3 rpg with A.E.K.

After the season, Coppenrath moved onto Italy, where he would suit up with Biella during the 2006-2007 season. Playing alongside former college hoopers Reece Gaines and Taquan Dean, Coppenrath would once again have a relatively mediocre season, averaging just 7.6 ppg and 4.8 rpg. After the year, Coppenrath was once again on the move, heading for Spain.

He's spent the last three seasons in the Spain's LEB Gold league, the Spanish second division. For two seasons, Coppenrath played with Meridiano Alicante, where he would average 10.5 ppg and 4.4 rpg in 2008-2009. Last season, Coppenrath spent the year with Melilla Baloncesto, averaging a European high 12.6 ppg and 5.9 rpg. It was enough to earn him a contract with C.B Murcia, the third LEB Gold team he will play for.

With Murcia, Coppenrath will be suiting up along side Michael Umeh of UNLV, Josh Asselin of Michigan, and Chris Moss of West Virginia.
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Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Luke Jackson, Oregon

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, hit us up on twitter @ballinisahabit or via email at contactbiah@gmail.com.

Luke Jackson, Oregon

Luke Jackson was a two-sport star at Oregon's Creswell High, playing basketball and baseball. But after winning the Oregon Class AAA player of the year twice (in 1998 and in 2000), leading his team to the 2000 state title, and becoming the fourth all-time leading scorer in the state (2,095 points), Jackson correctly made the decision to pursue basketball.


Jackson would head to Oregon, where the Ducks would struggle mightily his freshman season. Jackson would eventually work his way into the starting lineup, showing flashes of how good he could be. He averaged 7.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, and 2.0 apg, including a 14 point, 11 rebound, and 10 assist triple-double against Washington, but the Ducks finished the year just 14-14, winning only five games in Pac-10 play.

But that 2000-2001 Oregon team showed some potential, and they lived up to that potential in 2002. While Jackson was blossoming into one of the best all around players in the country -- as a sophomore, he averaged 16.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, and shot 40% from deep -- senior Fred Jones was turning himself into a lottery pick while fellow sophomore Luke Ridnour was slowly making a case as one of the best point guards in the country. Oregon would go on to win the Pac-10 regular season title and make a run to the Elite 8.

Jones would become a lottery pick after the season, but with Ridnour and Jackson still sharing a backcourt, the Ducks were still a dangerous team. After an up and down regular season, Oregon finally clicked during the postseason, winning the Pac-10 tournament and earning an eight seed. They were knocked out in the first round by Utah, but Jackson's 16.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, and 3.6 apg were enough to get him recognized with a second straight all-Pac 10 selection. He was the only player in the league in the top ten in points, rebounds, and assists.

Ridnour, who won the 2003 Pac-10 player of the year award, left early for the draft and ended up in the lottery, which meant that Jackson would finally become the focal point for Oregon, and he didn't disappoint on an individual level. Jackson averaged 21.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 4.5 apg, and shot 44% from long range to earn all-america first team honors. He recorded the second triple-double of his career against Florida A&M, making him just the third player (Jason Kidd and Loren Woods) in Pac-10 history to do so. A stat sheet stuffer, Jackson finished ranked in the top ten in nine different statistical categories in Oregon history, and became just the second player in Pac-10 history to amass 1,900 points, 700 rebounds, and 400 assists.

Gaudy numbers, no doubt. Gaudy enough to get the 6'7" lefty picked tenth by Cleveland in the 2004 draft. He lasted for two seasons with the Cavs, but was never really able to break into the rotation, playing in just 46 games combined. After the 2006 season ended, Jackson was traded with a bunch of cash to Boston in exchange for Dwayne Jones, essentially signifying his status as a draft bust, at least in the eyes of the Cleveland front office.

For what its worth, the "bust" label isn't completely fair, as Jackson has dealt with injuries, especially with his troublesome back which has required two surgeries.

Jackson would bounce around the NBA and the NBDL over the next three seasons. In 78 games over the course of three years playing with the Idaho Stampede of the D-League, Jackson averaged 15.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 4.0 apg while knocking down an impressive 43.6% of his triples.

It was enough to land Jackson a few cups of coffee in the league. He played three games with the Clippers in '06-'07 before joining Toronto later in the season. He performed well enough with the Raptors to earn a second ten-day contract and then a contract for the rest of the season. He was waived during the off-season by Toronto, but he caught of with Miami in December of the 2007-2008 season. He lasted 14 games and two months with the Heat before he headed back to Idaho and the D-League.

Heading into the 2008 season, Jackson had turned 27, and most teams realized that he had probably reached his full potential. After spending a year in the D-League without getting a shot in the NBA, Jackson decided to head abroad, playing for Carife Ferrara in Italy's top club league. He averaged 15.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg in his one season, good enough to earn himself a spot on this year's Atlanta Hawks summer league team out in Vegas.

Jackson didn't put up gaudy numbers in that summer league, but he did draw some praise for his smarts and his ability to keep the floor spread.

Arguably the biggest news regarding Jackson is that not only is he now married, but he is expecting a son in September. As of now, Jackson is still unsigned for the upcoming season, but based on this interview, it seems unlikely that he will be heading overseas with a newborn.

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Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Allan Ray, Villanova

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, hit us up on twitter @ballinisahabit or via email at contactbiah@gmail.com.

Allan Ray, Villanova

Hailing from the Bronx, Allan Ray is a product of the vaunted St. Raymond's program. He was a highly touted recruit, teaming with Julius Hodge to lead St. Ray's to a 2001 New York state title. Ray was named MVP of that game, but he missed much of his senior season due to a stress fracture in his right foot.


Despite the injury, Ray was considered a good enough prospect to become a member of Jay Wright's loaded 2002 recruiting class that also included Randy Foye, Jason Frasor, and Curtis Sumpter. Ray's contribution was felt right off the bat, as he went for 16 in a season opening loss to Marquette. Ray would go on to average 9.9 ppg, hitting double figures 15 times and finishing the season in the starting line-up.

As a sophomore, Ray turned into an all-Big East caliber player, averaging 17.3 ppg and 3.9 rpg. He was named third team all-conference as well as first team all-Big Five. While Ray was quickly becoming a star, the problem was that neither of those Villanova teams had all that much success. When Ray was a freshman, the Wildcats finished below .500, losing in the first round of the Big East Tournament as well as the first round of the NIT. During his sophomore season, Villanova wasn't much better, losing seven of eight to close out the regular season. They fared better in the postseason, making it to the semis of the Big East, but still missed the NCAA's, losing in the quarters of the NIT.

It was during Ray's junior season that the Wildcats started to show just how good that 2002 recruiting class really was. Blessed with one of the best back courts in the country, featuring Foye, Ray, Mike Nardi, and Kyle Lowry, Villanova went 21-6 during the regular season, winning their last seven regular season games to finish up 11-5 in conference play. After losing to West Virginia in the quarters of the Big East tournament, Nova got their first taste of the NCAA Tournament with this group, earning a five seed. They would knock off Danny Granger's New Mexico team in the first round before beating a Florida team that had yet to figure out how good their bench was. (Coincidentally, this would be the last time someone beat Florida in the NCAA Tournament until this season; the Gators would win the next two titles, the proceed to be NIT bound the two years after that.)

Villanova would eventually lose to UNC in the Sweet 16 on a controversial call. Despite being overmatched and playing with a four guard line-up -- star forward Curtis Sumpter had torn ligaments in his knee against Florida -- Nova was down three with under 15 seconds left when Ray, who was a miserable 2-14 from the floor in the game and went 3-32 for the tournament, drove to the basket and seemingly finished an and-one. But the ref didn't call a foul, instead whistling Ray for a travel. UNC would hang on to win by one. Regardless of his postseason struggles, Ray had a great individual season as well, earning second team all-Big East honors and leading Nova at 16.3 ppg.

While it was a disappointing end to the 2005 season for the Wildcats, Nova's performance without Sumpter -- who would miss the entire 2005-2006 season -- made them an instant favorite in 2006 utilizing that four guard line-up. Ray and Foye thrived as seniors, combining to averaged a whopping 39 ppg while leading Nova to a 24-3 regular season record and a Big East regular season title. After losing to Pitt in the Big East semis (and suffering a scary looking injury to his eye, although it kept him out less than a week), Villanova beat Monmouth, Arizona, and Boston College to advance to the Elite 8, where they once again ran into Joakim Noah, Al Horford, and the rest of the Florida Gators.

Despite being a first-team all-Big East selection and making several different second and third team all-america lists, Ray went undrafted in 2006. 6'2" guards that struggle to run the point and are volume shooters aren't exactly prime NBA prospects. Having said that, Ray signed with Boston for the 2006-2007 season, and was actually fairly successful. He averaged 6.2 ppg, started five games, and even broke 20 a handful of times.

After the season, Ray bolted for Italy, where he could stand to make a better living. During the 2007-2008 season, Ray played with Virtus Roma (there is a reason that name sounds familiar to american fans), where he averaged around 13 ppg in 20 regular season games. Ray also averaged 9.8 ppg in 15 Euroleague games.

The following season, Roma added an american guard by the name of Brandon Jennings to their roster. Ray played in 15 total games with Roma, seeing his numbers and minutes decrease, before moving onto Carife Ferrara, another team in Italy's top club league. With Ferrara, Ray played 15 games, averaging 15.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg.

After missing the entire 2009-2010 season rehabbing a knee injury, Ray recently signed with Sutor Montegranaro, his third Italian Serie A team. Montegranaro finished last season in the middle of the pack in Serie A, but as of now the only other NCAA player on the roster in Anthony Maestranzi who went to Northern Illinois.

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Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Jason Gardner, Arizona

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, hit us up on twitter @ballinisahabit or via email at contactbiah@gmail.com.

Jason Gardner, Arizona

Its hard to envision a high school senior having a more successful season that Jason Gardner did in 1999. Coming out of North Central High in Indianapolis, he led his team to the 1999 Class 4A state title. He was named player of the year in Indianapolis and Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana. He earned a spot on the both the McDonald's and Parade all-american teams. And he earned himself a scholarship from the Arizona Wildcats, also known as Point Guard U.


Gardner had big shoes to fill when he landed in Tucson -- Mike Bibby, the second pick in the 1998 draft, and Jason Terry, the tenth pick in the 1999 draft, were the two point guards that preceded Gardner -- and he did an impressive job as a freshman, starting all but one game and leading the team in minutes played. It was enough to get Gardner recognized as the national freshman of the year. That becomes more impressive when you consider that Arizona team had five other NBA players or draft picks on it. Unfortunately, that team lost as a No. 1 seed in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

As a sophomore, Gardner once again led the Wildcats in minutes played, leading a loaded Arizona team on a run through the NCAA Tournament. He scored 18 in a win over Illinois to send the Wildcats to the Final Four, and then put 21 on Michigan State as the Wildcats advanced to Lute Olson's second national title game. Arizona would go on to lose to Duke in the final, but not before the entire starting line-up, including Gardner, tried to capitalize on their tournament success. Five Wildcats declared for the NBA Draft, and four -- Gilbert Arenas, Loren Woods, Richard Jefferson, and Michael Wright -- stayed in the draft and were selected.

Gardner was the only one that returned to school, and as a junior he would have his best season statistically. Gardner would averaged 20.4 ppg -- in 38.6 mpg -- as he led a young, but talented, Arizona team to the Sweet 16. That young, but talented, Arizona team of 2002 turned into the loaded Arizona team of 2003. The Wildcats were so talented that Will Bynum -- current NBA point guard Will Bynum -- couldn't get minutes. For most of the 2003 season, Arizona was considered, along with Kentucky, to be the hands down favorite to win the national title.

The Wildcats were upset in the Elite 8, ending the career of one of the best point guards Arizona has had. Gardner was a three-time first team all-Pac 10 performer, and twice was named an all-american -- third team as a junior, and second team as a senior.

Despite his success as a collegian, Gardner was not selected in the 2003 NBA Draft. He did, however, find some success playing overseas. Gardner bounced around his first couple of seasons as a professional. He began his career in Slovenia, but spent less than half a season there before moving to BC Telindus Oosende in Belgium's first division. Gardner averaged 14.4 ppg in his two years in Belgium before he moved onto Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan in Israel. After one year in Israel, Gardner made the move to Germany, where he has been playing in the BBL, Germany's highest club level.

Gardner played one season with Telekom Baskets Bonn before signing with EWE Baskets Oldenburg, where Gardner has really flourished. In 2007-2008, Gardner averaged 13 ppg and 4.3 apg for EWE. The following season, Gardner was named MVP as EWE won the BBL despite finishing tied for second in the regular season. He posted a BBL career high of 13.6 ppg to go along with 3.7 apg in his MVP season.

This past season, Gardner missed two months early in the year, but managed to play in 29 games during the season. His numbers were down -- 8.6 ppg and 2.6 apg -- but much of that had to do with the talent on the EWE roster. Missouri's Rickey Paulding, Ohio State's Je'Kel Foster, Portland's Robin Smeulders, Bucknell's Chris McNaughton, Texas A&M's Josh Carter, and Georgetown's Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje all played with EWE in 2009-2010.

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Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Kevin Pittsnogle

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, hit us up on twitter @ballinisahabit or via email at contactbiah@gmail.com.

Kevin Pittsnogle, West Virginia

I still remember the first time that I ever noticed Kevin Pittsnogle as more than the goofy, 6'11" white guy on West Virginia that shoots threes and has tattoos. It was February 5th, 2005, and West Virginia looked like they were headed for another disappointing end to a season.

Did you know Cletus the slack-jawed yokel had a jumper?
(photo credit: Draft Express)

In Pittsnogle's first two seasons, West Virginia had finished below .500 in the Big East and missed the NCAA Tournament. The Mountaineers looked like they were going to buck that trend in 2004-2005 after starting out the year 10-0, but losing seven out of nine -- including a 2-6 start to Big East play -- seemingly wiped out that chance. To make things worse, D'or Fischer, West Virginia's starting center, was sick and unavailable on February 5th, meaning that Pittsnogle, the back up, would be getting the start.

Pittsnogle got winded early in the game, but once he caught his breath, Pitt didn't have an answer for him. He would finished the game with 27 points, including 8 in overtime, as West Virginia won the Backyard Brawl and sparked what turned into a fantastic finish to the season.

The Mounties would go 6-2 over their final eight regular season games, which was enough to get them to 8-8 in the conference. In the Big East Tournament, West Virginia made a run to the title game -- which included upsets of Boston College, the regular season champ, and Villanova -- before losing to Syracuse. And in the NCAA Tournament, the Mounties just missed a trip to the Final Four as a seven seed, playing two of the best games in recent tournament history -- their 111-105 double overtime second round win against Wake Forest, and the 93-85 Elite 8 loss to Louisville, which saw the Cardinals rally from 20 down despite West Virginia's 18-27 performance from three.

Pittsnogle played a huge role in West Virginia's turnaround. He is a two-guard trapped in a 6'11" body, which is perfect for the system that John Beilein likes to run. He could defend in the post on one end, but stand on the perimeter and allow the floor to be spread on offense. He flourished. The 27 points he scored against Pitt were a career high, and he proceeded to drop 20 five more times in the 2005 season. He had scored 20 points four times in his career prior to Feb. 5th, 2005.

Pittsnogle became a sensation. Its not often that you see 6'11" players knocking down 25 footers. He was the only player on that West Virginia team from the state of West Virginia, and the Mountaineer fans adored him. "Pittsnogled" became a part of our lexicon.

That success continued into Pittsnogle's senior season. He averaged 19.3 ppg and 5.5 rpg while leading West Virginia to another 20 win season and a trip to the Sweet 16. Unfortunately, the NBA didn't have much of a market for 6'11" jump shooters, and Pittsnogle went undrafted after his senior season in 2006.

Pittsnogle signed with the Celtics in July of 2006, but by October he had been released. He signed with the Pittsburgh Xplosion of the CBA, and became an all-star, averaging 23.5 ppg. He got a shot with the Cavalier's summer league team in 2007, but he did not make the squad, instead entering the D-League. Pittsnogle was also waived by a team in France in the fall of 2007.

During the 2007-2008 season, Pittsnogle started the year with the Austin Toros of the D-Leauge, where he averaged 7.6 ppg during the first 15 games of the year. He was cut in January, but the Albequerque Thunderbirds scooped him up. Pittsnogle flourished in Albequerque, averaging 15.7 ppg and 6.2 rpg.

After the 2008 season finished, however, Pittsnogle left basketball to be with his family back in West Virginia. He volunteered as an assistant basketball coach at the high school where he taught kids with special needs. (Read this fantastic profile of him from the New York Times. Its mandatory.) He tried to make a comeback, rejoining the Thunderbirds in 2009. He averaged 11.8 ppg over the first 28 games of the year, but on February 16th of this year, Pittsnogle left the team for "personal reasons", which was a thinly veiled way of saying he wanted to be with his family.

Pittsnogle may never be a professional basketball star, but the way he tore through college basketball in 2005 is something this writer will always remember.

Kevin Pittsnogle, you will be missed.


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Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Dee Brown, Illinois

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, hit us up on twitter @ballinisahabit or via email at contactbiah@gmail.com.

DEE BROWN

Dee Brown was one of the best high school athletes ever produced by the state of Illinois. As a quarterback, he started in the 2000 and 2001 seasons, leading Proviso East with 1,800 yards and 16 TDs as a senior. He was good enough to earn offers from Florida State and Nebraska, who were both good back then.


But basketball is where Brown excelled. He left Proviso East, a school just west of Chicago that has produced basketball talents like Shannon Brown, Michael Finley, Doc Rivers, Sherrel Ford, and Steven Hunter, as the all-time leader in points, assists, and steals. As a senior, he averaged 25.6 ppg, 5.8 apg, and 2.9 spg while being named Illinois' Mr. Basketball, a consensus top 20 recruit, and participating in both the McDonald's all-american game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

Brown ended up at Illinois, where he and fellow freshman Deron Williams made an immediate impact for the Illini. Brown was named second team all Big Ten in his first season as he averaged 12.0 ppg and 5.0 apg (which led the conference) to lead the Illini to a second place finish in the Big Ten regular season and a conference tournament title. As a sophomore it was more of the same, as Brown averaged 13.3 ppg and 4.5 apg while once again being named second team all Big Ten. The Illini made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, a game farther than they did in Brown's freshman season.

In his junior season, the Illini were absolutely loaded. Playing in one of the best backcourts in recent history, Brown averaged 13.3 ppg, 4.5 apg, and 1.8 spg while being named the Big Ten player of the year. The award is all the more impressive when you consider that both Williams and Luther Head, his back court mates, were first team all Big Ten selections. Illinois would stay undefeated until the final game of the regular season, when they lost to Ohio State at the buzzer. After winning another Big Ten tournament title, Brown helped lead Illinois to the national title game, where they lost to Roy Williams and the UNC Tar Heels.

After the season, Brown entered his name into the NBA Draft. But after breaking his foot in the Chicago pre-draft camp, he was forced to take his name out of consideration. He was a fringe first round pick, at best, before the injury. It may have been a blessing in disguise, as Brown was able to exclusively run the point his senior season (he shared duties with Williams his first three years). As expected, Brown was once again brilliant, finishing the year with career high averages of 14.2 ppg and 5.8 apg while being named a second team all-american and winning the Cousy Award. But with Head and Williams both in the NBA, he just didn't have the same talent around him. As a result, Illinois lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Washington.

Brown was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 46th pick of the 2006 NBA Draft. Brown made Utah's roster, where he was reunited with Williams. He played in 49 games as a rookie, but after the season, he elected to go to Turkey, where he spent the 2007-2008 season with Galatasaray Café Crown. Brown averaged right around 13 points and 5 assists in '07-'08, which was enough to catch the attention of the Washington Wizards, who signed Brown to a partially guaranteed two-year deal as insurance for the injury-plagued Gilbert Arenas and Antonio Daniels.

As luck would have it, both Arenas and Daniels got banged up early in the season, which pushed Brown into the starting role. He started the last 11 of the 17 games he played with the Wizards, but after Washington traded for Mike James and Javaris Crittendon, Brown was released. He was picked up by the Suns a few weeks later, but was let go once again after playing in just two games. Brown signed with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel-Aviv for the remainder of the 2008-2009 season.

Brown signed on with Air Avellino of the Italian League for the 2009-2010. Playing alongside former college hoopers DeMarcus Nelson (Duke) and Chevon Troutman (Pitt), Brown has averaged 15.0 ppg and 5.3 apg for a team competing for a playoff spot in the highest division of Italian basketball.

Last week, Brown made some headlines for an off-the-court incident. After getting into a car accident with Troutman, Brown was arrested for resisting arrest (sic). He took to his blog to defend himself:

First off I want to thank GOD for keeping both parties healthy and safe. But I would never put my hands on the police, I would never do anything to disrespect them. I feel so bad about the situation I think the language barrier is another thing in this story that people don't understand, they don't understand me and I didn't understand them. With that said, a lot of the story just don't seem believable and thats not my character a lot of things went on that night. I don't want to talk about the beating I took during the situation thats why they are saying I attacked them to cover themselves from the situation. Yes they put their hands on me, but again thats a side of the story you will not hear about...

Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: AJ Guyton

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

AJ GUYTON, INDIANA

AJ Guyton was a relatively unheralded recruit when he arrived in Bloomington as a freshman. 6'1" scorers are a dime a dozen at this level, and he wasn't even the best recruit at that position Bobby Knight landed in his 1996 recruiting class - Michael Lewis, who led the state of Indiana in scoring as a senior, was brought in to run the point.

(photo credit: Herald Times Online)

But Guyton made his presence felt immediately, as he was second on the team in scoring at 13.6 ppg en route to a Big Ten freshman of the year award. He became just the eighth Hoosier to notch 400 points, 100 assists, and 100 rebounds in a single season, and just the second freshman (along with Isiah Thomas - ever heard of him?).

As a sophomore, Guyton solidified his status as one of the best shooters in the country, knocking down 44% of his three's while averaging a solid 16.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 3.7 apg, enough to earn him 1st team all Big Ten honors. His junior season was more of the same, as Guyton averaged 16.0 ppg while hitting on 41% of this three's.

Some people expected Guyton to head to the NBA after his junior campaign due to the fact that Indiana's program was going through some turmoil. Luke Recker had just become the third McDonald's all-american to transfer out of the school during Guyton's playing days, the Hoosiers had not made it out of the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament in five seasons (and were coming off their best finish in the Big Ten with Guyton - a third place tie at 9-7), and the University was getting fed up with Bobby Knight's act.

But with Recker leaving, Guyton realized he would have a chance to show the NBA what he could do as "the man", and didn't disappoint. As a senior, Guyton scored 19.7 ppg while hitting 46% from the floor and 42% from three. He was not only named Big Ten player of the year, but he was also a 1st team all-american.

But the Hoosiers had another disappointing end to their season. Just days before they were to play Pepperdine, CNN/SI ran a piece where former player Neil Reed (who had transferred out of Indiana as a junior in 1997) accused Knight of choking him during a practice. As a result, sixth seeded Indiana was whipped by Pepperdine 77-57 in the first round.

A tape of the choking incident would later surface, and it eventually led to the demise of Bobby Knight. The timing of all this couldn't have been worse for Guyton. Instead of being remembered by Hoosiers fans as one of the best to come through Assembly Hall (he finished his career as the all-time leader in three's with 283 and 4th on the all-time scoring list with over 2,100 points), his name will forever be tied with the demise of Bobby Knight.

After college, Guyton was a second round pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, going 32nd to the Chicago Bulls. He ended up earning a two-year contract after an excellent summer league performance, and didn't disappoint in the limited chances he got - Guyton played in 78 games during the '01-'02 and '02-'03 seasons and averaged 5.7 ppg. He latched on with the Lakers during the '02-'03 preseason, but was cut prior to the season. He played two games with the Warriors that season, but was cut in December. After playing 30 games in the NBDL, Guyton eventually headed overseas.

Guyton bounced around Italy for the next three seasons, but prior to the '06-'07 season Guyton started having eye trouble. He played eight games in Croatia during '06-'07, but was forced to end his season early and was eventually diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes. He played in both Greece and Sweden late in the '07-'08 season, but according to Interperformances (the agency that Guyton has signed with), he did not play this past season, and has yet to sign with anyone for '09-'10.
Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Miles Simon

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Miles Simon, Arizona

After a standout career at Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei High School, Miles Simon enrolled at Arizona at the ripe age of 17 with moderate expectations. He had solid freshman (8.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.6 apg) and sophomore (13.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.1 apg) years, but it was during his junior and senior seasons that he solidified his standing as an Arizona Wildcat legend.

Simon had a trying, up-and-down junior year. It started in the spring of 1996, during Simon's sophomore year. There was some sort of mix-up regarding Simon dropping an algebra class, with the end result being that the class was never officially struck from his record. This caused Simon, who was a mediocre student at best, to become academically ineligible for the fall semester. During that fall semester, Simon passed all of his classes, but it still did not get his GPA up to eligibility standards. His last chance was to take a three-week Family Studies mini-course during the Christmas break and get an A, which would get him eligible. He succeeded (although there were some in depth investigations into whether or not his grades were tampered with), and joined the team after missing the first 11 games.

But that wasn't the end of Simon's troubles that year. He also battled a serious case of pneumonia, which put him in the hospital with a fever of 103 just three games into his return. In mid-February of that year, the car he was driving was struck on the driver's door in an impact strong enough to fling him into the passenger's seat. Despite all of that, Simon managed to average 18.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, and 4.2 apg in the 23 games he played, which is all the more impressive when you consider that team also had Mike Bibby, Jason Terry, and Michael Dickerson, among others. Arizona went 6-5 without Simon, which is part of the reason they were a #4 seed heading into the NCAA tournament. Arizona had one of the greatest NCAA tourney runs of all-time, knocking off three #1 seeds (UNC, Kansas, and Kentucky in the final, who just so happened to be, at the time, the three winningest programs of all-time) en route to the title. Simon was named the most outstanding player after scoring 30 in the Championship Game Catfight.

Simon decided to return to school and was named a 1st team all-american his senior year, posting averages of 17.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.7 apg. He was a second round pick (42nd overall) by the Orlando Magic, but only managed to see time in five games in 1998-1999 before being cut. Simon would bounce around for the next five years, playing in leagues in Israel, Italy, and Venezuela, as well minor leagues in the US (random fact - playing for the CBA's Dakota Wizards in 2001-2002, he was named League MVP, Playoffs MVP, and Newcomer of the Year). He had some tryouts with NBA teams (the Clippers in 2001, the Sonics in 2002), but was unable to latch on with them. After the 2002-2003 season, Simon suffered a horrific knee injury playing pick-up basketball - he tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus, forcing him to be sidelined for more than 12 months. He attempted a comeback in 2004, playing in Turkey before joining on with the Nuggets, but he didn't make it past their summer league team.

In 2005, Simon joined the Arizona program as an assistant. He was there until May of this year, when he was a casualty of Lute Olson cleaning house. He is currently coaching the senior team of LA's Pump 'N' Run Elite, which had Solomon Hill (Rivals # 28, '09), Tyler Honeycutt (#29, '09), Kendall Williams (#47, '10), and Tyler Lamb (#99, '10), among many others, on the roster at some point this year. As Gary Parrish details in this article, with the connections and relationships to talented high schoolers that Simon has, don't expect him to be out of the college ranks for long. Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now? (on Thursday): Omar Cook

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Omar Cook, St. John's

Omar Cook was supposed to be another in the long line of superstar New York City point gods. Cook was a McDonald's all-american his senior year Christ the King high school before heading to St. John's University in Queens. He only played for the Johnnies for one season (2000-2001), but he was fantastic for that one season. Cook not only averaged 15.3 ppg, but he led the Big East (and was second in the country) with 8.7 apg while averaging 2.3 spg. No one can argue that Cook was a great playmaker - he had the typical NYC point guard swagger and handle, being able to shake just about any defender while seemingly always finding the open man.

While Cook could always make the spectacular play, there were really two fatal flaws in his game - he too often would try to make the difficult play and end up turning the ball over (he averaged more than 5 turnovers in his one year) and he couldn't shoot (in 29 games, he shot 220 3's and only made 68, a crisp 31% clip). Still, he was talented enough for the Orlando Magic to take a chance on him with the 32nd pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, but his NBA career wouldn't last much longer than that. He was almost immediately traded to Denver, who would end up cutting him in training camp. Over the next four years, Cook would bounce around between NBA rosters and the Fayetteville Patriots of the NBDL. All told, he would be on the roster of (or signed for a short time by) - Dallas (2001), Boston (summer 2002), Orlando (training camp 2002), Indiana (training camp 2003), Portland (2003-04, played in 17 games), Charlotte (training camp 2004), and Toronto (2005, played in 5 games). Cook's NBA career totals were 22 games with averages of 1.7 ppg and 2.1 apg. During those four years, Cook also averaged 38 games a season for Fayetteville, scoring 10.1 ppg and handing out 7.4 apg.

After four years trying to make it in the NBA, Cook headed overseas. Cook bounced around Europe for a little while as well, playing for Dexia Mons Hainaut (Belgium), Samara (Russia), and Strausburg (France) during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. In 2007-08, Cook joined Red Star Belgrade of the Serbian League. Cook ended up playing in 43 total games with Red Star, with 14 of those coming in the ULEB Cup. Cook average 16.5 ppg, 6.5 apg, and 3.0 spg in Red Star's 29 Adriatic League games, and led the ULEB Cup by averaging 6.1 apg while also posting 15.2 ppg and 2.4 spg.

Cook apparently enjoyed his time in the Balkans, because during the summer of 2007, he applied for and was given a passport and citizenship in Montenegro. This is important for two reasons, especially dealing with FIBA's international regulations. For one, he will be able to compete internationally with the Montenegrin national team because he is a citizen of the country (kind of like what Becky Hammon did with Russia). But since he has a foreign passport and citizenship, he does not count as an american player (European leagues have limits on the number of americans allowed on a team's roster). This is a smart move by Cook, because it increases the number of teams that are able to sign him and thus increases his value as a player.

Cook recently signed a two year contract with Unicaja Malaga of Spain's top league, a team that reached the Euroleague during 2007-08. Joining Cook on Malaga is Marcus Haislip from Tennessee, Robert Archibald from Illinois, Thomas Kelati from Washington State, and former NBA players Boniface Ndong and Jiri Welsch. Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Pierre Pierce

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Pierre Pierce, Iowa

Pierre Pierce was as physically gifted as any player in the country during his three year stint at the University of Iowa. He was an explosive athlete with the scoring ability of a two guard but the handle of a point guard, and at 6'4" he was big enough that he could have been effective at either position in the NBA. He was also a tremendous defender both on the ball and off, with the toughness to mix it up inside on the boards. During his junior year in 2004-05, Pierce put up some fantastic numbers: 17.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.5 spg, while shooting 48% from the floor. But he only played 20 games that year because of some very serious off-the-court issues.

In 2002, when Pierce was a freshman, he was charged with third-degree sexual abuse after an incident involving a then-member of the Iowa women's team. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, was given a deferred judgement and eventually had the incident expunged from his record. In January 2005, Pierce was involved in a similar, but more violent, incident. I'm not going to get into the details of the crime (they are pretty graphic), but essentially Pierce broke into the house of his 2 1/2 year girlfriend, threatened and assaulted her, and damaged the house and the belongings in it. Once then-Iowa head coach found out that Pierce was the main target of the investigation, he kicked Pierce off the team. In August of that year, Pierce pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary (which is a felony), assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, false imprisonment, and fourth-degree criminal mischief (all misdemeanors).

Pierce was sentenced to 2 years in prison, but ended up being released after 11 months because of good behavior and completion of the sex offender treatment program. He was released from prison in September of 2006, but still had to serve 49 months of probation, which would have ended in October of 2010. One of the terms of the probation was that he was not to leave the state of Iowa, where the crime was committed (it was later changed to the state of Illinois, because that is where Pierce's parents lived).

Pierce's time behind bars was not yet done. In the summer of 2007, he played with the Golden State Warriors summer league team, which just so happened to be in Las Vegas - probably not the best place be if you are on probation. He broke the terms of his probation numerous times (for things as small as downloading music and being on myspace to much bigger issues such as breaking curfew, going to a club without a chaperon, and "having sex with a woman he did not know the name of") and was sentenced to 30 days in prison in April of this year. He did, however, have some pretty impressive performances while he was playing in the summer league (read this TrueHoop post about him).

He didn't get signed to any teams that year (mainly because his probation would not let him), but this summer he signed with Hyeres Toulon Var Basket, a team in the top French basketball league, for $120,000. A week ago, an Iowa court decided to allow Pierce to break his probation and leave the country, which means that Pierce will finally be signed to a professional basketball team. With Hyeres Toulon, Pierce will be teaming with for Xavier Musketeers Drew Lavender and Anthony Myles, Austin Nichols of Humboldt State, and Darrell Tucker from San Francisco. Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Lonny Baxter

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Lonny Baxter, Maryland

Lonny Baxter bounced around Washington, DC as a high schooler. The Silver Spring native attended Richard Montgomery High School as a junior before transferring to Anacostia High School for his senior year. There, he led Anacostia to the DC city championship (where he was named MVP of the Finals after scoring 35 points and grabbing 12 rebounds) as well as the DCIAA championship (where he scored 30 points and had 8 rebounds in the championship game). He attended Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia for a post-grad year before moving on to Maryland.

Baxter had a great career at Maryland. He had a decent freshman year, averaging 6.8 ppg and 3.6 rpg, before becoming a first team All-ACC selection as a sophomore, posting career highs of 15.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg. As a junior and a senior, he would average very similar numbers (15.6 and 7.9, then 15.2 and 8.2, respectively), earning second team All-ACC honors both years. As a senior, he teamed with future NBAers Juan Dixon, Steve Blake, and Chris Wilcox to bring a national title to College Park.

Baxter was a second round pick in 2002, going 44th to the Chicago Bulls. He would play for the Bulls in 2002-03, seeing action in 55 games while posting averages of 4.8 ppg and 3.0 rpg. He would suit up for three teams in 2003-04. He played 14 games with the Bulls before being traded to the Toronto Raptors. He was waived after 36 games, but latched on with the Washington Wizards for the remainder of the season. All told, he played in 62 games, averaging 4.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg. Baxter was one of 19 players selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004 expansion draft, but wasn't signed and thus became an unrestriced free agent. He signed with the Atlanta Hawks in October of 2004, but was cut before the season started. He ended up playing with the Yakima Sun Kings of the CBA (who had drafted him in the CBA draft in 2002 out of Maryland), but ended up getting picked up by the New Orleans Hornets. He only managed to stay with the Hornets for four games before being cut.

In January of 2005, he headed to Europe, as he signed on with Panathinaikos in Greece, where he wasn't a starter but was a big factor in the team's 2005 Greek League championship. In 2005-06, Baxter played in 41 games with the Houston Rockets and Charlotte Bobcats, but only averaged a combined 2.9 ppg and 2.9 rpg. That would be his last season in the NBA. During the summer of 2006, Baxter ran into legal troubles. First, he was arrested on August 16, 2006, after firing two rounds from a glock handgun in the air two blocks from the White House (video of the arrest here). He would end up being sentenced to 60 days in jail. There were still more repercussions from that incident. The gun Baxter shot near White House was one of four that he shipped FedEx from Houston to College Park, with out notifying the shipping company that he was transporting firearms, which is a federal crime. In August of 2007, he would again be sentenced to 60 days in jail, as well as receiving two years supervised released and a $2,000 fine (Ed. Note: Baxter just so happened to major in Criminilogy and Criminal Justice while at Maryland).

The legal issues did not effect Baxter's playing career much. In 2006-07, he signed with Montepaschi Siena of the Italian League, where he averaged 8.0 ppg and 4.1 rpg to help his team win the Italian League title (players of note on that team - Joe Forte from UNC and Romain Sato from Xavier). Even after his second conviction, Siena wanted to renew Baxter's contract, but he decided to sign with DKV Jovenut in Spain for the 2007-08 season before eventually ending the year with Panionios in Greece. With Panionios, he averaged 10.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 10 regular season games, but upped that to 12.9 ppg and 6.5 rpg during the Greek playoffs. Panionios finished third in the Greek League, which qualifies them for the 2008-09 Euroleague, and Baxter's performance was enough to get his contract renewed for the upcoming year. He will team with former Kansas point guard Aaron Miles and former Pittsburgh forward Levon Kendall this year. Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Hollis Price

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Hollis Price, Oklahoma

Hollis Price did not have it easy growing up. Price was raised in the now-demolished Desire projects in New Orleans 9th ward (the same projects that Marshall Faulk grew up in), sleeping on his grandparents couch because his mom was in and out of his life, constantly battling drug addiction. From a young age, Price's grandparents instilled a work-ethic, a toughness, and a sense of worth in himself, which was only enforced when they enrolled him at St. Augustine High School (a high school which allowed corporal punishment, aka a paddling if you misbehave). Price failed off the team as a freshman, but eventually he was straightened out by the strict rules of St. Augustine's, the high school that produced NBA players Kerry Kittles and Avery Johnson. By the end of his sophomore year, Price was starting and during his senior season, he and Sooner teammate Quannas White led St. Augustine's to a state title.

Price was one of Kelvin Sampson's favorite players from day one, as Price epitomized the toughness and leadership that Sampson demands from his team and his players. As a freshman, Price worked his way into the starting line-up (20 of the last 21 games) thanks to his tremendous defensive ability (47 steals) and his point guard play (averaged 3.5 apg with a 1.9 a/to ratio), which earned him a spot on the Big XII all-freshman team. The Sooners reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. As a sophomore, Price developed into one of the best point guards in the Big XII. He led the team in assists (4.7), minutes (33.2), and steals (1.9) while also scoring 11.8 ppg. Price's toughness was on display during that season as he played through many aches and pains, none more so than the one he suffered in the NCAA tournament. In OU's first round loss to Indiana State, Price tore his triceps on the teeth of one of the ISU players, an injury that required three surgeries during the off-season, but returned later in the game. The injury was so bad, that given the severity of the tear, if it had happened only a few centimeters closer to the nerve, his arm would have been amputated (I didn't believe it either, but read this).

Price's junior year he was asked to change roles a bit, becoming more of a scorer than a point guard (mainly a result of the addition of former St. Augustine teammate and point guard White). While his assists dipped to 2.7 apg, his scoring increased to 16.5 ppg while also improving his overall shooting (43% to 46%) and his three point shooting (from 38 3's at 34% to 84 3's at 38%). He helped lead Oklahoma to the Final Four that year, where they lost to Indiana. Price was named MVP of the Big XII tournament as well as MVP of the West Region in the NCAA tournament. As a senior, Price's scoring again increased, to 18.0 ppg, as he led the Sooners to a #1 seed in the NCAA's. They reached the Elite 8, where they lost to eventual National Champions Carmelo Anthony and the Syracuse Orange. Price was named a second team all-american by the AP and a first team all-american by the USBWA and the Sporting News.

Price didn't get drafted that summer, but managed to latch on with the Cleveland Cavaliers summer league team, although he he didn't make their roster. He ended up signing with Le Mans in the French league, where he would play for two seasons, averaging 13.4 ppg and 5.4 apg in 2003-04 and 12.3 ppg and 4.0 apg in 2004-05. Both years, the team reached the ULEB Cup, although Price did not play as well (11.5 ppg and 7.7 ppg, respectively). In the summer of 2005, Price played with the Rockets summer league team (as he would in 2006) but, again, nothing would come of it. During the 2005-06 season, Price played with Alba Berlin where he averaged 15.0 ppg and 5.0 apg and again reached the ULEB Cup, but once again struggled at the end of the season, averaging just 12.9 ppg and 3.0 apg in ULEB play. In 2006-07, Price played for Caja San Fernando in the ACB (Spain), where he averaged 10.8 ppg and 3.6 apg.

Last year, Price signed with Lietuvos Rytas in Lithuania, where he averaged 8.7 ppg and 3.0 apg during the Lithuanian season, but Rytas reached the Euroleague, where Price was the sixth leading scorer at 16.9 ppg. During the season, however, Price was a victim of a racially motivated attack. Apparently, at 10 pm on Nov. 26th in Vilnius, Price was jumped by three skinheads, thrown to the ground, and beaten before bystanders broke it up. Price didn't sustain any serious injuries, but was limited to just eight minutes in his next game.

Price has signed with Dynamo Moscow of the Russian League, where he will be teamed with former Minnesota Golden Gopher Ariel McDonald, Travis Hansen from BYU (remember the bleached blonde guy?), and former NBA players Bostjan Nachbar and Jannero Pargo. Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Luke Recker

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Luke Recker, Indiana/Arizona/Iowa

Luke Recker was living the dream. As a McDonald's and Parade all-american and Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 1997, Recker had decided to stay home and attend Indiana to play for coach Bobby Knight. As a freshman in 1997-98, he ended up being second on the team in minutes while averaging 12.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 2.9 apg and also leading the team in steals with 48. Recker was named honorable mention All-Big 10. He was even better as a sophomore, when he increased his scoring output to 16.1 ppg, which was enough to get a nod as 3rd team All-Big 10.

But that's when the dream turned into a nightmare for Recker. As a schoolboy legend, he was expected to follow in the footsteps of guys like Steve Alford and Damon Bailey, leading the Hoosiers for four years. But Coach Knight's style of play was not conducive to the way Recker played. Recker was a shooter that liked to get out and run the floor and make plays (for example, his biggest knock had always been his man to man defense, but he still managed to average more than 1.5 spg for his career). Bobby Knight's Hoosier teams played at a slower, more deliberate pace, which Recker felt hindered his ability to showcase his talents for the NBA. So Recker decided to transfer to Arizona to play under Lute Olsen. The decision to transfer was not an easy one for Recker, as he became public enemy #1 in Indiana basketball circles, although to this day he still maintains he decision to leave IU had nothing to do with Knight's aggressive demeanor and everything to do with basketball.

But just weeks before he was to go to Arizona, Recker was in Colorado with his high school sweetheart, Kelly Craig, and her family. One night, on the way home from a carnival, the car Recker and Craig were riding in was struck head on by a drunk driver in a pick-up (he also side-swiped the pick-up in front of them, which was carrying 11 people, 9 in the bed of the truck). All told, 14 people were seriously injured and 1 died. Recker almost lost his left ear, sliced his temporal artery, had a gash running from his ear and along his jaw down to his neck, and he crushed his left wrist and thumb. He needed more than 200 stitches to close him up, and would probably have ended up bleeding out had a nurse not happened to drive by minutes after the accident.

Craig broke her neck and severely bruised her spinal cord, leaving her paralyzed. She was able to gain some mobility back in her shoulders, left arm and wrist, and some feeling in her legs, but she will be in a wheelchair the rest of her life. Craig's brother was left in a coma with permanent brain damage. Recker never played a game for Arizona, as he decided to transfer closer to his family and the Craigs, instead attending the University of Iowa where he would play for former Hoosier Steve Alford (it is rumored, mostly among IU fans, that Recker left because he would have been stuck behind Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson, two pretty decent players). Recker was able to get a waiver from the NCAA which allowed him to be eligible at the beginning of the 2000-01 season. This caused Recker to be even more despised in the state of Indiana, and during the only game he actually played in Bloomington, he was taunted the entire game, scoring only eight points in a 79-51 blow-out loss. One sign a fan held up said Indiana's Most Wanted, with a picture of Recker next to a picture of Osama Bin Laden.

Recker had a great year as a junior, averaging 18.1 ppg while hitting almost three 3's per, but was only able to suit up for 18 games because of a fractured knee-cap. He came back in 2001-2002, and led the Hawkeyes with 17.1 ppg while earning third team All-Big 10 honors. During the Big 10 tournament his senior year, Recker hit two consecutive game winners, the second of which came against Indiana.

Recker, who was a better than average athlete before the accident and the knee injury, never was really able to gain that athleticism back, and thus went undrafted after graduating. He played 34 games for Asheville in the NBDL in 2002-03, averaging just 8.9 ppg off the bench, before he decided to head over to Europe. He signed with Benetton Treviso in April of 2003 (for those of you that read WWATN, this should sound familiar) but he was released before ever playing a game. He then signed with Roseto in Italy in August, where he averaged 17.2 ppg. In 2004-05 he played with Girona in Spain, where he averaged 15.2 ppg, but only played in 19 games before being released. He spent the 2005-06 season with Livorno in Italy, averaging 14.5 ppg. Finally, in 2006, he landed somewhere for more than a year as he signed with Bilbao Basket in Spain, where he averaged 14.5 ppg in 2006-07 and 11.2 ppg in 2007-08. He will play for them again in 2008-09 alongside former NBA draft picks Fran Vazquez and Frederic Weis (yes, that Frederic Weis), and former Minnesota Golden Gopher Quincy Lewis. Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Wayne Turner

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Wayne Turner, Kentucky

Despite being a McDonald's all-american coming out of tiny Beaver Country Day School, Wayne Turner never put up superstar numbers at Kentucky. In fact, he has mediocre career averages of 7.7 ppg and 3.3 apg. Turner was known more for his defense (UK career leader in steals), his play-making ability (4th all-time at UK in assists), and his leadership than for his scoring. But more than anything, he was a winner, as his three NCAA Finals appearances and two NCAA championship rings can attest. Turner is actually the NCAA's career leader in games played (he broke Christian Laettner's record of 148) with 151.

Turner's first season in Lexington was the 1995-96 season. Despite joining one of the most talented teams of all-time (nine guys from that team played in the NBA, and the back court consisted of Tony Delk, Derek Anderson, Ron Mercer, Jeff Sheppard, and Anthony Epps), Turner was able to break into the rotation, averaging 14 mpg and 4.5 ppg and even starting eight games due to some injuries. Kentucky won the national title that year, the first of three consecutive title game trips for Turner and the Wildcats. Turner still was not a full-time starter as a sophomore, but he increased his averages to 22 mpg, 6.6 ppg, and 3.0 apg. He also developed into one of Kentucky's best perimeter defenders, using his outstanding quickness to harass opposing point guards as he helped guide a UK team that lost Delk, Sheppard, Antoine Walker, and Walter McCarty back to the Finals, where they lost to Arizona in overtime. Turner was named to the NCAA all-region team. Turner picked up his second championship ring as a junior, when he averaged 9.3 ppg and 4.4 apg and helped ease the tensions during Tubby Smith's first year, the first time UK had a black head coach. Turner's leadership to this team is exemplified by the fact that they were the first team in over 20 years to win a title without a lottery pick or a 1st team all-american (you have to love Wikipedia). Turner was named MVP of the SEC tournament and MVP of the South Region. As a senior, Turner averaged 10.5 ppg and 3.9 apg en route to being named 3rd team all-SEC, but Kentucky only reached the Elite 8 before being knocked out of the NCAA's.

Turner never really found a home as a professional. In the 1999-00 season, he landed with the Celtics summer league team and actually made the team, but only managed to play in 3 games before being waived. He eventually signed with the Cincinnati Stuff of the IBL for the remainder of the season. The next year he was on the Pacers summer league team then signed with Turkey's Kombassan Konya, but was cut before he played in any games. His next career choice took an interesting turn, as he signed with the Harlem Globetrotters. At the time, the Globetrotters had decided to start playing exhibition games against NCAA teams, and signed a couple of former college players (Alex Sanders from Louisville was another one) to try and compete. On Nov. 27th, 2000, Turner gained the dubious distinction of being on the Globetrotters team that had their 1,270 game winning streak snapped with a 72-68 loss to Michigan State.

In the summer of 2001 he played with the Knicks summer league team, then split the year between Fillattice Imola (Italian Series A, his best pro ball yet), the Dakota Wizards (CBA), and the Florida Sea Dragons. In 2002-03, it seemed like Turner had finally landed somewhere he could succeed. He signed with the Townsville Crocodiles of the Australian NBL, and proceeded to average 19.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, and 5.1 apg. But the night before Turner was to return to Australia for the 2003-04, he was arrested for gun possession and possession of a high-capacity magazine (he had a Glock 9mm with 12 live rounds in the car). There were two passengers in the car, each of which had an open beer and one of whom had weed. As a result, Turner had his passport taken away, and was cut by Townsville eight days later (NOTE: Does anyone know what ended up happening? I spent an hour trying to figure it out before giving up).

Over the next four years, Turner bounced around Europe and local minor leagues, playing a few games here and there. The highlight is probably when he signed with TEC Spirou Charleroi (Belgium) in 2005-06, where he played limited minutes but reached the ULEB Cup. In 2007-08, he went back to the Aussie NBL, where he signed with the New Zealand Breakers, but 11 games in he suffered a season ending injury. According to Australia Basket, Turner is currently unsigned for the upcoming season. Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Khalid El-Amin

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Khalid El-Amin, UConn

Khalid El-Amin arrived at UConn in 1997 after having one of the most lauded high school careers in Minnesota history - he won four state titles, three player of the year awards, and was named a McDonald's all-american. Despite being built more like a fullback then a point guard (5'9", 200 lb), El-Amin exploded on the scene as a freshman, averaging 16 ppg on his way to setting the UConn freshman scoring record and being named Big East rookie of the year.

Through his high school and college career, El-Amin gathered a reputation as a leader and a winner. At UConn, he was always the guy that defenses (and fans, most road games resulted in "doughboy" chants) keyed on. He still remains the face of the 1999 championship team that also had NBA players Jake Voskhul and Rip Hamilton.

El-Amin's crowning moment as a Husky came after he led UConn to an upset victory over the heavily favored Duke Blue Devils in the 1999, when he went to the announcers and yelled "We shocked the world!!". El-Amin scored the final four points of that game to give the Huskies the title. UConn lost a lot of talent from that championship team, and although El-Amin probably had his best statistical year as a junior (16.0 ppg, 5.2 apg, 1.7 spg), UConn was knocked out in the 2nd round (partially due to his severely sprained ankle).

After his junior season, El-Amin turned pro and was taken with the 34th pick by the Chicago Bulls. He started 14 games, averaged 6.3 ppg and 2.9 apg, and was named to the all-rookie team, but he was not resigned by Chicago at the end of the 2000-01 season. After bouncing around between the Miami Heat and two D-League teams, El-Amin started to pursue his career overseas, signing with French team Strasbourg in January of 2002, where he averaged 12.8 ppg and 4.9 apg. El-Amin spent the next season in Israel playing for Maccabi Ironi where he averaged 19.7 ppg and 4.9 apg.

The next two years he spent playing for Besiktas Istanbul in Turkey, where he won back-to-back player of the year awards averaging more than 20 ppg and 5 apg each season. He then moved on to Azovmash Mariupol in the Ukraine, where he averaged 19 ppg, 4 rpg, and 4 apg over the course of two seasons, including in 2006 when Azovmash won the Ukrainian championship and El-Amin was named player of the year and finals MVP. In 2007 he signed with Turk Telekom, another Turkish team, where he won the Turkish basketball league title and played in the ULEB tourament. For the season, he averaged 17.5 ppg, but increased that to 19.7 ppg and 3.6 apg in the ULEB. His most memorable game of the past season came when his Turk Telekom team beat spanish phenom Ricky Rubio's Joventut team 96-94. El-Amin and Rubio went toe-to-toe, with El-Amin putting up 33 points and 5 assists while Rubio scored a career high 29 points with 10 assists.

El-Amin will be heading back to Azovmash for the 2008-09 season, where he will play along side Dijon Thompson from UCLA, Marc Salyers of Samford, and Rodney Buford from Creighton. Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Trajan Langdon

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Trajan Langdon, Duke

Trajan Langdon was another one of those Duke guys you love to hate. Coming out of Alaska, where he was three-time state player of the year, Langdon was not only a Mickey D's all-american headed to Duke and named high school student-athlete of the year, but he was also a sixth round pick of the San Diego Padres in 1994 (he even played minor league baseball for three summers during college, making it as high as low A ball).

Langdon went on the have a fantastic career for Duke. He became only the fourth freshman (at the time) to average double figures under Coach K, putting up 11.3 ppg. Langdon started to develop a reputation as a cold-blooded shooter (hence the moniker the Alaskan Assassin) during his freshman campaign, as he would have his best games during Duke's biggest games, including a 23 point, 6 three-pointer outburst in the final regular season contest at UNC. He had to redshirt the 1995-1996 season due to lingering knee and ankle problems, but came back with a vengeance to average nearly identical numbers the next two years (14 ppg, 2.5 3's per) while taking home first-team ACC honors both seasons. 

Langdon's senior season was his best. His was named first team all-america after averaging 17.3 ppg and 3.3 3's per while shooting 44% from deep. He would carry Duke all the way to the Finals, and despite his two miscues costing Duke the title, Langdon was selected by the Cavs with the 11th pick in the 1999 draft. He never could find the success in the league that he had in college because, despite being a terrific shooter, he couldn't create his own shot and had the defensive ability of a barcalounger. He hung around for three seasons (his rookie contract), but never averaged more than 6.0 ppg.

Langdon did, however, find success playing overseas, where he continued his winning ways. Langdon bounced around Europe for a while. His first stop was with Benetton Treviso in 2002-03, where he averaged 15.9 ppg in Italian League play, winning the Italian League title, and then 14.8 ppg in Euroleague play. The next season he spent in Turkey with Efes Pilsen, where he led them to a TBL title and went on the average 14.6 ppg in the Euroleague. The following summer, he got a tryout with the Clippers, but feeling like he wasn't given a chance, Langdon headed back to Europe, where he signed with Dynamo Moscow. There, his team failed to qualify for the Euroleague, but they did reach the ULEB, where Langdon averaged 14.4 ppg.

During the 2005-06 season, Langdon decided to head across town to play for Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow (a team whose biggest supporter is none other than Vladmir Putin). Langdon has been with CSKA since, and recently signed a contract that will keep him there through at least 2009-10. CSKA would win three Russian championships over the next three years, as well as two Euroleague titles ('06 and most recently '08, and they lost in the '07 finals). He was named to the all-Euroleague second team in 2005-06, was a first-team selection in 2006-07 and 2007-08, and won Finals MVP in CSKA's championship run last season. Next year, he will team up with Terrence Morris from Maryland, Erazom Lorbek from Michigan State, and JR Holden from Bucknell (Side Note: Holden actually pulled a Becky Hammon and is currently on the Russian national team). Continue reading...