2008 Woodie Awards
The Way It Is
Anticipating March Madness
Issue date: 2/22/06 Section: Sports
David Sons
Guest Writer
With March rapidly approaching, rabid sports fans such as myself, are forced to switch gears from the National Football League, to other sports to satisfy our caveman-like cravings for competitive entertainment.
March is most commonly known for NCAA Basketball and all the madness the NCAA tournament brings along with it. A time when the terms," Bracketology" and " Cinderella", become ever important in our daily lives. With NCAA basketball already in full swing, two stars have outshone all others, and look to lead their teams into college basketball history.
J.J. Reddick is to some, the savior and leader of Duke basketball, and to others, the personification of evil and perhaps the Anti-Christ himself. Reddick is in his last year at Duke, a 6-foot-4 senior guard with unreal range and perhaps the purest shot in all the land. Hate him or love him, J.J has propelled himself into the record books by becoming Duke's all-time leading scorer (2,557 pts) and has helped Duke to a 23-1 season. Reddick has averaged a career high 28.9 points per game this season, pile that on top of a (50 percent) field goal, (88 percent) free throw shooting and (44 percent) from long range, you have one of the deadliest shooters in NCAA history. Reddick has dropped 40 or more points on 3 separate occasions this season, including a mesmerizing 41 point game against then #2 Texas, in which Duke thrashed the Longhorns in Austin 97-66. J.J., however, does have a few things working against him. Reddick is by no means a phenomenal athlete, he works hard off of screens and pump fakes to get his shots each time he takes the floor. His defense is also exploitable and if he plans to go any further at the shooting guard position, Reddick must learn to clamp down on the other teams' weapon, not just involve himself in a shoot-out every night.
Adam Morrison is a name that was relatively unknown before the 2005-06 season. The 6-foot-8 forward, with shaggy hair and a moustache more commonly found in an 8th grade year book picture, has lead the Gonzaga Bulldogs to a 20-3 season and currently leads the NCAA in scoring, averaging 29.4 points per game. Morrison has found himself elevated from near obscurity last season to the national spotlight with comparisons to the great Larry Bird this season. Morrison, like Reddick, is an exceptional shooter, shooting (52 percent) from the floor, (79 percent) from the charity stripe and (46 pecent) from long distance. Morrison has scored 40 or more in 5 games this season alone, including 44 in a win over Loyola-Marymount.
Morrison, however, lacks on the defensive side of the basketball, at 6-foot-8 he will be required to guard bigger, stronger forwards if he plans to pursue an NBA career. His strength and post presence leave something to be desired.
Reddick and Morrison. Probably the number 1 and number 2 pick in any fantasy college basketball draft, and more than likely #1 and #2 in June's NBA draft. What separates the two? Not much on the stat sheet, but consider this. How many Duke players can you name? Now, try to name three Gonzaga players. Can you do it? My point is this, J.J. Reddick is on a team stacked with All-Americans and top recruits. If Reddick has an off night his teammates are there to pick up his slack. Morrison carries his team on his back, like an over- worked pack mule, night in and night out. You can make arguments for either player, but I guess this is what March is for.
Guest Writer
With March rapidly approaching, rabid sports fans such as myself, are forced to switch gears from the National Football League, to other sports to satisfy our caveman-like cravings for competitive entertainment.
March is most commonly known for NCAA Basketball and all the madness the NCAA tournament brings along with it. A time when the terms," Bracketology" and " Cinderella", become ever important in our daily lives. With NCAA basketball already in full swing, two stars have outshone all others, and look to lead their teams into college basketball history.
J.J. Reddick is to some, the savior and leader of Duke basketball, and to others, the personification of evil and perhaps the Anti-Christ himself. Reddick is in his last year at Duke, a 6-foot-4 senior guard with unreal range and perhaps the purest shot in all the land. Hate him or love him, J.J has propelled himself into the record books by becoming Duke's all-time leading scorer (2,557 pts) and has helped Duke to a 23-1 season. Reddick has averaged a career high 28.9 points per game this season, pile that on top of a (50 percent) field goal, (88 percent) free throw shooting and (44 percent) from long range, you have one of the deadliest shooters in NCAA history. Reddick has dropped 40 or more points on 3 separate occasions this season, including a mesmerizing 41 point game against then #2 Texas, in which Duke thrashed the Longhorns in Austin 97-66. J.J., however, does have a few things working against him. Reddick is by no means a phenomenal athlete, he works hard off of screens and pump fakes to get his shots each time he takes the floor. His defense is also exploitable and if he plans to go any further at the shooting guard position, Reddick must learn to clamp down on the other teams' weapon, not just involve himself in a shoot-out every night.
Adam Morrison is a name that was relatively unknown before the 2005-06 season. The 6-foot-8 forward, with shaggy hair and a moustache more commonly found in an 8th grade year book picture, has lead the Gonzaga Bulldogs to a 20-3 season and currently leads the NCAA in scoring, averaging 29.4 points per game. Morrison has found himself elevated from near obscurity last season to the national spotlight with comparisons to the great Larry Bird this season. Morrison, like Reddick, is an exceptional shooter, shooting (52 percent) from the floor, (79 percent) from the charity stripe and (46 pecent) from long distance. Morrison has scored 40 or more in 5 games this season alone, including 44 in a win over Loyola-Marymount.
Morrison, however, lacks on the defensive side of the basketball, at 6-foot-8 he will be required to guard bigger, stronger forwards if he plans to pursue an NBA career. His strength and post presence leave something to be desired.
Reddick and Morrison. Probably the number 1 and number 2 pick in any fantasy college basketball draft, and more than likely #1 and #2 in June's NBA draft. What separates the two? Not much on the stat sheet, but consider this. How many Duke players can you name? Now, try to name three Gonzaga players. Can you do it? My point is this, J.J. Reddick is on a team stacked with All-Americans and top recruits. If Reddick has an off night his teammates are there to pick up his slack. Morrison carries his team on his back, like an over- worked pack mule, night in and night out. You can make arguments for either player, but I guess this is what March is for.