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By Trevor, Section College
by Trevor Freeman
"I can't even explain him. He's scary."
I remember the first time I heard his name. Dick Vitale was hyping him up to be the next Larry Bird. This was before he was about to take the court at Madison Square Garden for the first game of his collegiate career. Imagine the pressure he must have felt. Imagine knowing that from now on, the only person you would ever be compared with is "The Hick from French Lick." The fact that this eighteen-year-old kid didn't seem fazed by it was the first sign of his future greatness.
"He's the best offensive basketball player since Carmelo Anthony. Not only that, Adam Morrison is a winner. He's relentless out there on the court." A lot of guys would have wilted under the microscope, which is big-time college basketball. Adam Morrison hasn't and he is in the midst of one of the finest years put up by a college hoops player in recent memory. Three times over 40 points. However, it wasn't just the fact that Morrison put 40 points on the board in these games. It was the caliber of opposition and the way he did it. Shannon Brown, Maurice Ager, and Brandon Roy all got their turns......and all of them were left in his wake. Eight times over 30 points. An average of 28.3 per night............why that's only 0.3 per night less than Larry Joe.....in 1979 It's not just the points though. It is the way this Gonzaga team rallies around him and the confidence they bring to the court because he's on it. When Gonzaga took the floor against UConn and Michigan State in Maui, they looked like they belong because they thought they belonged. It's because of Adam Morrison. The players, students, coaches, and fans of Gonzaga all bring a certain confidence to the table because they know they have the best player on the court in any gym they show up at.
"Every time he shot it, it seemed like it went in. You can't do anything about it." Adam Morrison has a complete game. He has range on his jump shot that extends well past the NBA stripe. When Morrison puts the ball on the floor, he is deceptively quick and seems to always be able to get to whatever spot he wants. The way he shoots the ball is so effortless and pure, which is why he seems to score at ease even with a hand in face. Plus, Morrison moves without the ball in such an intelligent fashion that he constantly seems to free himself even when you know he is the focal point of the other team's defensive game plans. Morrison also seems to want to take big shots. There's something to be said for a player who wants to be the Man.
1. Adam Morrison 6-8 220 SF Gonzaga Jr. There it is. On the preeminent mock draft site on the Internet, Adam Morrison sits alone as the first pick in the draft. If Adam Morrison chooses to leave Gonzaga this year and enter the NBA Draft, he immediately becomes the most important player to enter the NBA in recent history. What is my basis for that last statement? Adam Morrison is an American born, household name with the college basketball fans of America. Before early entries.......before Magic, Larry, and Michael decided to hang it up....the fans of the game of basketball use to watch the game at all levels. Over time though a chasm was formed amongst basketball fans. Now the game of basketball has three groups of followers. They are as follows: 1. College fans that have utter disdain for the NBA. 2. Pro fans who couldn't give two craps about college hoops until March rolls around. 3. A shrinking group of people like me who religiously watch both college hoops and the NBA. In no other sport is there a split like this. Outside of Bill Simmons, most pro football fans also watch college football. And vice versa. While they may prefer one style to the other, there are no snide comments about how the other game is played. In baseball, the college game never got enough traction to warrant people paying attention. Perhaps, it's the aluminum bats.....I don't know, but it never took hold. Basketball is the only sport where you have this divide. The last time it was really bridged was when Magic and Larry duked it out. There are a lot of people who attribute this split to the way the NBA Draft has played out over the years. When you had guys named Darko and Nikoloz getting drafted ahead of established college stars like Dwyane Wade and Tayshaun Prince it upset the average college hoops fan. However, the drafting of high schoolers named Ndudi and DeSagana over Josh Howard and Richard Jefferson sealed the deal. You can only give the fans of a game the middle finger for so long before they revolt.
"Any discussion of player of the year, should begin and end with Adam Morrison." The NBA has slipped. When Michael Jordan left the game the first time, it was still arguably the most followed professional sports league in America. Now it is in a dogfight with MLB for second place behind the NFL. It is because fans of the game of basketball became entrenched in the separate camps above. To get these fans back, the NBA needs a new charismatic star to emerge from the collegiate level. While Dwyane Wade is nasty, his personality is too subdued to be this guy. Carmelo Anthony has scuffled too much since he entered the league. Emeka Okafor doesn't have the game that makes the jaws drop. That's why Adam Morrison's success is important. Before Adam Morrison hits the NBA, he has a couple more stops. The WCC Championship and then the NCAA Tournament. If you like the game of basketball, but really only care about the NBA, I have but one request. On February 7th, flip on ESPN2 and watch when St. Mary's travels to the "New Kennel" to face Morrison and the Zags. Take a look at the best player college basketball has offered in years.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to e-mail me at trevor.freeman@realityfanforum.com. Story writing contestLog in or create an account to vote for this story!
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