NCAA UNDERGROUND weekly: Nic Moore &....

YOU DON’T KNOW (OR MAYBE YOU KNOW….) HOW GOOD IS…

G – Nic Moore (SMU)

Natural born leader. He’s leading this strange group of players into the top20 of the Nation. For sure he already led them at the top of their conference by winning at Tulsa, where nobody could so far, and at Houston.
Former Indiana High School star, he’s passing from “wild player with the ball always in his hands” to “Orchestra conductor” playing the right way under coach Brown, who knows his things about creative undersized player to be civilized… He’s got heart bigger than the state of Texas, other than a nice timing on his jumper release and a magnetic personality that is keeping the Mustangs together and with a winning record.

SPORTANDO-U. TEAM OF THE WEEK (UNRANKED TEAM)

G – Ryan Boatright (UConn)

Don’t sleep on the Huskies. They’re on a 3 conscutive W’s streak but, most importantly, their best players (Ryan) regularly over 20 and at a technical level of basketball never reached before. He’s answering to all the people saying his luck was playing alongisde Napier by shooting in the best way of his career for both volume and percentages (over 40% from threes).

G – Jordan Price (LaSalle)

A week over 30 points on average, with a double overtime vs VCU. The beard and his physical structure remind us someone we still don’t think we should mention here… but the way he kept LaSalle alive at VCU and won the game in double overtime with 34 points and 18 rebounds, makes difficult to keep the excitement under control. He’s got size, shooting touch but still not too focused on defense… only a sophomore.

G/F – Kyle Collinsworth (BYU)

You know we have feelings for this guy. He got into history of the NCAA by recording the 5th triple double of his career. Such individual goal is impossible to ignore, but even more interesting is where he’s leading his BYU team in conference. The Zags are up there and will be impossible to reach, but if you know something about NCAA basketball, we’re sure you know the Cougars are the team nobody wants to play when it’s gonna be “win or go home”.

F – Jerome Hill (Gardner-Webb)

Little Z-Bo. He’s a junior, he plays where no national TV arrives but he’s a clear college basketball cult player. 20-10 in conference are regular for him, has an upper-body that scares opponents, has quick feet and even if he’s not vertical always finds a way to release a shot with his left hand. He’s basically a center with great touch around the rime and the fact that he’s only, and maybe, 6-5  makes him even more intriguing to our eyes…

C – Tshilidzi Nephawe (New Mexico State)

From South Africa, 20-12 at UMKC this week, he’s with the Aggies thanks to Coach Menzies feeling for international talent, his precious network and the NBA Basketball without Borders of 2007 in Johannesbourg.
A foot injury kept him out for 12 games (6-6 Aggies record). Since his return, they’re 8-1 solid at the top of their conference. He’s oak-solid 6-10, not too vertical, but if you try to double him (and you need to at this level…) he knows how to find his teammate on the perimeter with the right timing. Can hit the jumper from 12-15 feet and goes strong at rebounds.

SPORTANDO-U. TEAM OF THE WEEK (RANKED TEAM)

G – Kellen Dunham (Butler)  

The miracle-man, both for the off-balance shots he keeps taking and scoring, and for where he’s bringing his Bulldogs. This week, with his usual 24 points vs DePaul he puts Butler only behind Villanova in the Big East. Tomorrow at the Hinkle Fieldhouse the Wildcats are arriving to face KD and friends. It’ll be a very hot afternoon…

G/F – Justise Winslow (Duke)

He had a note somewhere with all the names of Notre Dame players. Irish goes down by 30 easily at the Cameron and he pushes them all night long, scoring 19 points, getting 11 rebounds and signing the gap between the normal players and those like him. More and more, lottery pick….

F – Le’Bryan Nash (Oklahoma State)

Another NCAA mistery. The Cowboys beat in 48 hours two of the top 20 teams in America (Baylor and Kansas) not have a fifth of their talent. They rely on this tweener and on Phil Forte, who has a good shot anywhere passed the mid-court line. Nash has the sweetest mid-range jumper amongst big men (or similar) in the nation, is consistent and, if he gets the ball on high post, he can do a lot of damage. 18 at Kansas, 22 at Baylor are the weekly confirmations.

F – Kyle Wiltjer (Gonzaga)

A team in a mission. A mission called Kentucky, also incidentally this guy previous college career stop. The Zags, let’s say it, are pretty bored by their regular season. Kyle doesn’t seem to. He’s part of a very exclusive 40-50-80 club (3’s, FG and FT percentages) and goes 20 and 10 twice during the week. He’s also clearly a man in a mission.

F/C – Rico Gathers (Baylor)

We still don’t know what scares most… his frame going to the rim or his rebounds stats. There’s no competitive force against him in college basketball today. If he discovers how to score turning on his left shoulder, it gets officially ugly for everyone in Big12, and beyond… also this week, never under 15 rebounds.

Written by Marco Ridolfi