DG144

There are two more dread galleries to go in our look at College Basketball 2012-13, and both feature the month of March. Dread gallery #144 covers the first half of March, including action from the end of the regular season and the conference tournaments. For those players whose seasons ended with losses in their conference tournament, I'll include their stats for this season (unless I already did so in my dread news report).
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1. Sick sophomore David Rivers and C Andre Almeida of Nebraska pressure 7-0 C A.J. Hammons of Purdue during the 1st round of the Big 10 tournament at Chicago on Mar. 14. Rivers had 4 points and 6 rebounds before fouling out in 24 minutes as the Cornhuskers, seeded 10th after a 5-13 finish in the regular season, defeated 9th seeded Purdue, hanging on after nearly blowing a 48-39 lead to win 57-55.

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2. David Rivers battles for possession against F LaQuinton Ross during 1st half of a Big 10 quarterfinal game on Mar. 15. In his final game of the season Rivers had 0 points (one of four times he was held scoreless), 1 assist, 2 rebounds, and 3 fouls in 20 minutes. Nebraska finished at 15-18 with a 71-50 loss to Ohio State. Despite the ugly finish, it was a good season for Rivers, a huge step up from his freshman season when he scored only 20 points all season in 19 games. This season, after increasing his weight from a ridiculous 175 pounds to a still-skinny 191, the 6-7 Rivers became a key contributor for the Cornhuskers and figures to keep on improving in the seasons ahead.
DAVID RIVERS (2012-13): 33 games (17 starts), 25 MPG, 5.6 PPG, 40.9 FG%, 3.4 RPG
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3. Freshman F Brandon Taylor of Penn State and F Rodney Williams of Minnesota reach for a loose ball during 1st half at Minneapolis on Mar. 2. Taylor had 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots in 21 minutes as the Nittany Lions got blown out by the Gophers 73-44. After finishing in last place (2-16) in the Big 10, Penn State lost in the first round of the conference tournament to Michigan 83-66 to end up at 10-21 overall. Just the opposite of David Rivers, the 6-7 Taylor dropped weight before the start of the season, shedding 30 points to drop to 235. But despite the big body, Brandon prefers shooting from the outside: 112 of his 175 FG attempts this season were from 3-point range (he made only 32). He played in all 31 games this season (starting 18) and made my freshman all-America with dreads team, so I expect to be hearing a lot more from him in the seasons ahead.
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4. Sophomore G Estan Tyler, 6-1, 175-pound G for UMKC, drives against North Dakota State G Kory Brown during a 69-58 loss in the quarterfinals of the Summit League tournament on Mar. 10 as the Kangaroos finished the season at 8-24. Tyler, who I decided to welcome to the house (you might remember I was undecided when I did my First Look post back in January), had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists in his final game for UMKC. He's transferring to another school for his final two seasons, but we don't yet know which school it will be.
ESTAN TYLER (2012-13): 31 games (30 starts), 32 MPG, 11.4 PPG, 42.5 FG%, 2.4 RPG, 3 APG
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5. Northern Illinois freshman G Daveon Balls defends as Ball State G Marcus Posley tries to get to the basket on Mar. 9. I'm guessing that Balls was called for a foul here, because he picked up 5 fouls in just 20 minutes in the game. He also had 8 points and 2 rebounds in the Huskies' 53-51 loss. NIU's season ended two days later with a 45-44 loss to Eastern Michigan in the 1st round of the MAC tournament. Balls, who did not have dreads at the start of the season, showed promise despite even though NIU had a horrible season (5-25). I'm expecting a big improvement by him in the near future.
DAVEON BALLS (2012-13): 29 games (12 starts), 20 MPG, 3.3 PPG, 27.0 FG%, 2.0 RPG, 1.8 APG
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6. Junior F Reese Holliday of Toledo teams up with F Matt Smith to make it difficult for Northern Illinois G Mike Davis to score during MAC action on Mar. 5. Holliday shot just 1-9 from the field, finishing with 7 points and 5 rebounds in his final home game in a Toledo uniform in a 70-46 win over NIU. The Rockets finished tied for 1st in the MAC West at 10-6 and 15-13 overall but were ineligible for postseason play due to deficient academic progress. Holliday has been on my all-America with dreads team the last two seasons; but if he's going to make it three in a row, it will be for a different team: http://www.toledoblade.com/UT/2013/03/15/Reese-Holliday-leaves-program.html ..... Good luck Reese, and hope to see you somewhere next season.
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7. Four of the 12 teams in the Big South had a player with dreads when the season began, and that total became five when Gardner-Webb G Tashan Newsome debuted his dreads toward the end of February. Here Newsome puts up a shot on Mar. 7 during a 71-57 win over Campbell in the Big South quarterfinals, a game in which he had 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. The Runnin' Bulldogs lost in the semifinals two days later. After two seasons at Mississippi Valley State and three at G-W, the 6-3, 200-pound Newsome finally decided to grow his hair during his senior season, first switching to braids in January before converting to dreads with only a handful of games remaining in the season. Of course, Newsome is a good enough player that his career might extend beyond this season.
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8. UNC-Asheville senior C Jon Nwannunu reaches for a rebound above F Karl Ziegler (#20) and F Michael Kessens of Longwood during a 1st round game of the Big South tournament on Mar. 5. On Feb. 8 UNCA was 9-2 in the Big South and on a 7-game winning streak. But from then on the Bulldogs went 1-6 the rest of the season, culminating in a disappointing 87-72 loss to last-place Longwood. Nwannunu had 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocked shots, and 2 steals in his final game in a UNCA uniform. After winning the Big South tournament the last two seasons, the Bulldogs finished with a 16-16 record after exiting in the first round this season.
JON NWANNUNU (2012-13): 32 games (23 starts), 19 MPG, 7.2 PPG, 53.0 FG%, 3.9 RPG
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9. Sophomore F Reco McCarter of Campbell throws a pass past Prebyterian G Khalid Mutakabbir during a Big South tournament first-round game on Mar. 5. McCarter had 9 points and 7 rebounds as the Camels, despite blowing a 17-point lead, advanced with an 81-73 win in overtime over Presbyterian.
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10. Reco McCarter dunks against F Kevin Hartley and G Jarvis Davis, cutting Gardner-Webb's lead to 24-12 with 8:01 to go in 1st half of Big South quarterfinal on Mar. 7. Hey Davis, watch it with those hands, buddy. McCarter had 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists, but Campbell's season ended at 13-20 with the 71-57 loss to G-W. Look for Reco in jersey #25 (the same number he had when he was at VCU) next season.
RECO McCARTER (2012-13): 32 games (18 starts), 24 MPG, 8.0 PPG, 45.6 FG%, 3.9 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 SPG
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11. Samford freshman G Russell Wilson played 22 minutes in a 1st round game in the Southern Conference tournament on Mar.8, and his only stats came here at the 11:20 mark of 1st half, as he steals the ball from G Stephen Croone and then goes down to hit a layup to give Samford their biggest lead of the game 16-10. But the Bulldogs lost to Furman and finished at 11-21. Wilson played in all 32 games and was a key contributor in his freshman season, averaging 21 MPG off the bench.
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12. Senior G Bobby Austin of Furman drives to the basket against Samford on Mar. 8. Austin was a big reason why Furman ended their 10-game losing streak. He scored 17 points in 34 minutes, including 2 FT with 11 seconds to play to clinch a 55-51 victory. But the Paladins' season ended at 7-24 and so did Austin's career the next day with a 74-60 loss to Appalachian State in the quarterfinals. Bobby, a 6th-year senior, played pretty well the last two seasons; but you wonder how good a player he might have been had it not been for the back injury that caused him to miss the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
BOBBY AUSTIN (2012-13): 31 games (25 starts), 7.3 PPG, 34.6 FG%, 3.1 RPG, 1.5 APG
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13. Freshman F D.J. Johnson of Kansas State steals the ball from Oklahoma State C Philip Jurick during 1st half of a Big 12 tournament semifinal game at Kansas City on Mar. 15. Johnson, who had 8 points and 7 rebounds in a quarterfinal victory over Texas, didn't score in 5 minutes against OSU, but K-State won 68-57.
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14. D.J. Johnson has the best view in the house, unfortunately, of this dunk by C Jeff Withey, giving Kansas a 22-13 lead late in 1st half of Big 12 championship game on Mar. 16. Johnson played just 5 minutes, finishing with 0 points and 1 rebound in K-State's 70-54 defeat. D.J. didn't play a lot of minutes this season (he averaged 9 MPG in 30 games as the Wildcats finished 27-8); but he was a prolific rebounder in the minutes he did play and appears to have a bright future in front of him.
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15. Xavier G Brad Redford beats junior G Jordair Jett to a loose ball during 2nd half on Mar. 6 at Cincinnati. Jett had 10 points and 7 rebounds, but Saint Louis saw their 11-game winning streak come to an end with a 77-66 loss in overtime to XU. But the Billikens won their next two to finish at 13-3 in the Atlantic 10 and clinch their first outright conference championship since winning the Missouri Valley 56 years ago.
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16. Senior G Freddie Riley dunks in his final 2 points of the game on Mar. 7, bringing Massachusetts to within 71-57 of Butler with 1:27 to play. Riley had a disappointing performance on senior night, scoring only 5 points (breaking a streak of 6 straight games in double figures) in 32 minutes in a 73-62 loss to Butler ..... But as it turned out, it would not be his final home game. 
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17. Despite being outnumbered, freshman F Jalen Robinson wins the battle for this rebound against Butler forwards Kameron Woods and Erik Fromm during a 1st round game of the A-10 tournament on Mar. 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn .....
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18. ..... But this time Robinson gets shoved aside as he battles for possession against Woods. Robinson was on the glass all afternoon, finishing with 9 rebounds along with 4 points in 23 minutes. But Dayton's season came to an end with a 73-67 loss to Butler. Similar to D.J. Johnson, Robinson showed big-time potential as a rebounder as the Flyers finished 17-14 in his freshman season. But unlike Johnson, Jalen played a lot this season, averaging 19 MPG and playing in every game. Look for him to become a strong player in the A-10 in the seasons ahead.
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19. Freddie Riley puts up a short shot in front of Temple F Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson during an A-10 quarterfinal game on Mar. 7. Hollis-Jefferson had a huge game with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. And Riley wasn't too bad himself with 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. UMass won 79-74 in what might be the final meeting in what arguably has been the A-10's best rivalry ever. Temple is joining the American Athletic Conference (the league formerly known as the Big East, that is) next season. 
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20. After a steal and assist by VCU G Melvin Johnson (#32 standing in lane), Freddie Riley gets back too late and can only watch as G Briante Weber soars to the basket for one of his famous slam dunks, capping an 11-0 run that gave VCU a 26-23 lead and forced UMass to call a timeout during 1st half on an A-10 semifinal on Mar. 16. Weber, one of my favorite players to watch, is a string bean at 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds; but with his 45-inch vertical leap, all of his dunks are highlight reel dunks. He scored 11 points in this game (a rare game in double figures for him). Riley scored only 3 points in 31 minutes. VCU advanced to the championship game with a 71-62 victory, relegating UMass to the NIT.
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21. Jordair Jett goes to the basket against UNC-Charlotte G Chris Braswell but misses the shot during 2nd half of an A-10 quarterfinal on Mar. 15. Jett finished with 0 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in Saint Louis' 72-55 victory. In the semifinals the Billikens defeated Butler for the third time this season to advance to the final against VCU .....
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22. ..... With 6:17 to go in 1st half and the shot clock running out, G Darius Theus tries (and fails) to draw a foul on Jordair Jett as he attempts a desperation 3-pointer. Theus was charged with a turnover instead of a FG attempt as the ball ended up in the hands of SLU F Dwayne Evans, who was credited with a steal. Jett finished with 4 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds as SLU added the A-10 tournament title to their regular season crown, defeating VCU 62-56. 
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With Lamar and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi finishing at the bottom of the Southland Conference, there were only two teams with dreads in the SLC tournament played at Katy, TX. And those two met in the 1st round of the tournament on Mar. 13.

23. Sam Houston State G Darius Gatson throws a bounce pass past Central Arkansas sophomore G Oliver Wells. Gatson did much more damage when he was shooting than when he was passing, hitting 6 3-pointers in the 2nd half. Wells did not attempt any shots in 17 minutes, finishing with 0 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist. For the season Oliver played fewer minutes per game this season (14) than in his freshman season (19) as UCA finished at 13-17; and he'll need to improve or he'll play even fewer minutes next season.
OLIVER WELLS (2012-13): 29 games (12 starts), 14 MPG, 2.4 PPG, 42.6 FG%, 1.3 RPG, 1.2 APG
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24. Senior F Jarvis Garner, a starter on my all-America with dreads team, drives against G Marquel McKinney, a drive that ended with him missing a jump shot. Garner missed 13 shots in the game, and made only 3.
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25. Junior F James Thomas puts up a shot between Jarvis Garner and G Robert Crawford. Thomas and Garner saw a lot of each other in this game.
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26. Here Garner tries to get in position to shoot as Thomas defends.
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27. And here Garner goes to the basket for a dunk as Thomas defends. Sad to say, but Jarvis couldn't even make this shot with 7:03 remaining in 1st half. Garner had some lousy shooting games this season, but his 18.8% in this one was his worst percentage in any game all season. He finished with 9 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in his final game in a Central Arkansas uniform. Thomas had 16 points (7-12 FG) and 11 rebounds. UCA upset Sam Houston State in football last fall; but it was all SHSU in basketball. The Bearkats won all three meetings, including the one the mattered the most, 69-63, to advance.
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28. Sam Houston State, which finished 5th in the SLC, took on 3rd seeded ORU in the quarterfinal round on Mar. 14, and James Thomas defends a drive by F Shawn Glover, a drive that ended with a missed jump shot with 14:21 remaining in 1st half .....
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29. ..... Less than a minute earlier James Thomas tries to go the basket against ex-dread F Steven Roundtree but loses the ball out of bounds. I'm not sure, but according to the play-by-play I think Roundtree was called for a foul here. Thomas was held to 8 points (ending his streak of 9 straight games in double figures) and 3 rebounds, but SHSU advanced with a 58-55 upset of ORU.




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30. In the SLC semifinals against 2nd seeded Northwestern State on Mar. 15 James Thomas gets up a shot before F James Hulbin can block it, giving SHSU a 45-39 lead with 9:43 to play. James played 39 minutes, so perhaps he was a bit tired when he missed a FT that would have tied the game with 20 seconds to play. He finished with 11 points (4-11 FG) and 8 rebounds as the Bearkats' season ended at 17-17 with a tough 55-52 loss to Northwestern State. Thomas played well in his first season in a SHSU uniform after a transfer from junior college. I would have included him on my all-America with dreads team; but I didn't find out about him until after the season was over.
JAMES THOMAS (2012-13): 33 games (28 starts), 28 MPG, 9.6 PPG, 47.7 FG%, 5.8 RPG 
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31. UALR F Michael Javes looks to get rid of the ball before he can be tied up by Arkansas State junior F Kendrick Washington on Mar. 2 at Little Rock. Washington had a poor game, finishing with 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 fouls (including a technical foul) in 13 minutes. UALR avenged the 24-point whipping ASU put on them two weeks earlier with a 78-71 home victory.
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32. Kendrick Washington challenges a shot by Western Kentucky C Alexsejs Rostov during a semifinal game of the Sun Belt Conference tournament on Mar. 10 at Hot Springs. Washington, who had 6 points and 7 rebounds in the quarterfinals against Troy, went 0-5 from the field the next night, finishing with 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 turnovers in 12 minutes. Despite shooting just 34.6% from the field, WKU advanced with a 58-56 victory, ending ASU's season at 19-12. Washington was inconsistent in his first season in an Arkansas State uniform after a transfer from Houston. His good games were outnumbered by his not-so-good ones. Probably the most disappointing thing was that someone his size (6-7 and 274 pounds) shot so poorly. Hopefully he'll do better next season.
KENDRICK WASHINGTON (2012-13): 27 games (19 starts), 23 MPG, 6.8 PPG, 40.3 FG%, 4.6 RPG 
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33. Freshman G Josh Hagins handles the ball as G Malik Smith defends (sort of) during 1st half of an SBC quarterfinal on Mar. 9. Smith made a lot more noise on offense than defense, hitting 8 of 10 3-point attempts in the game and finishing with 25 points. Hagins had 3 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers in 26 minutes as UALR's season ended at 17-15 with a 69-54 loss to FIU. But Hagins had a very nice freshman season, and we should be hearing a lot more from him in the future. 
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34. Denver F Chris Udofia puts up a shot over junior G Cordarius Johnson of Louisiana Tech during 2nd half of a crucial WAC contest on Mar. 9. Udofia led the Pioneers with 18 points, while Johnson tied for the team lead with 9 points for LA Tech.
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35. Sophomore G Kenneth Smith tries to keep his balance as he drives against G Chase Hallam during 2nd half. Smith finished the game with 2 assists, 4 rebounds, and 6 points. As Louisiana Tech rolled along throughout the season undefeated in the WAC, they knew their toughest test wouldn't come until the end - at New Mexico State and at Denver, the 3rd and 2nd place teams, on Mar. 7 and Mar. 9. Well, the Bulldogs failed the test - spectacularly. After jumping to a 23-13 lead over NMSU, the Aggies finished the 1st half on a 30-11 run and went on to whip the Bulldogs 78-60, ending Tech's 18-game winning streak. Then with the WAC title on the line two days later, Denver thoroughly embarrassed the Bulldogs, jumping out to a 46-25 lead at the half and cruising to a 78-54 victory, resulting in a 2-way tie for the crown as the teams both finished at 16-2 in the WAC.
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36. Junior F Chris Anderson shoots, and misses, a short jumper against F Edrico McGregor with 2:51 to play, keeping UTSA's lead at 67-58 over Louisiana Tech in a quarterfinal game of the WAC tournament at Las Vegas. Anderson finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots in 16 minutes.  
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37. Cordarius Johnson can't hit the layup after being fouled by G Hyjii Thomas (#2) midway through 1st half. CJ made 1 of the 2 ensuing FT for a 19-13 Tech lead. But it just wasn't the Bulldogs' night. They shot just 32.4% from the field and were outscored 44-36 in 2nd half. Hard to believe, but UTSA, which went 3-14 in the WAC, sent the Bulldogs' to their 3rd straight defeat, 73-67. At 26-6, LA Tech had to settle for an NIT bid. BTW Denver also lost in the WAC quarterfinals, to 5-13 Texas State. 
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38. Freshman G Marcus Colbert of Montana State drives past G Paul Garnica during a quarterfinal round game of the Big Sky Conference tournament on Mar. 14 at Missoula, MT. Colbert had 5 points and 2 rebounds as the Bobcats' season ended at 13-16 with a 69-56 loss to Northern Colorado. Colbert made my freshman all-America with dreads team, so we should be hearing a lot more from him in the seasons ahead.
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39. Freshman G Greg Tucker of Northern Colorado is in pursuit as Montana G Kareem Jamar speeds up the floor after grabbing a defensive rebound late in 1st half of a Big Sky semifinal on Mar. 15. Tucker, who scored 4 points in the quarterfinals, had no points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal against Montana. Jamar starred with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists.  Playing on their home floor, regular season champ Montana jumped to an 11-0 lead. UNC hung tough, closing to within 41-38 with 13:06 to play before Montana pulled away for a 70-56 win. Tucker didn't play much early for the Bears, who finished 13-18; but got consistent (but not many) minutes as a role player during conference play.
GREG TUCKER (2012-13): 27 games (0 starts), 12 MPG, 2.0 PPG, 24.5 FG%, 0,8 RPG, 0.9 APG  
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40. Arizona sophomore F Angelo Chol only played 2 minutes in the Pac-12 tournament, but that was long enough to get this shot of him looking to get to the basket against the baby dreads of Colorado freshman F Xavier Johnson late in 1st half of a quarterfinal game on Mar.14. Chol scored 2 points, while Johnson had 11 points and 2 rebounds in 30 minutes. Arizona won 79-69 but lost to UCLA in the semifinals. Both teams made it to the NCAA Tournament.
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41. Morgan State senior F DeWayne Jackson rises above G Lamont Middleton (#30) and F Adrian Powell of North Carolina A&T as he throws a pass during 1st half of the MEAC championship game on Mar. 16 at Norfolk. In a tournament where the top four seeds all lost in the quarterfinals (including Norfolk State, which went 16-0 in the regular season), 5th seeded Morgan State found themselves in the driver's seat. Jackson played his heart out trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since his freshman season, but he didn't play quite well enough, finishing with 20 points (7-21 FG) and 7 rebounds. Sadly DeWayne ended his MSU career in tears after he missed two 3-pointers in the final 9 seconds, allowing NC A&T to take the championship 57-54, ending the Bears' 8-game winning streak. Hopefully we'll see DeWayne in a pro basketball uniform somewhere next season.
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In the OVC .....

42. Tennessee-Martin G Justin Childs defends against Austin Peay G Jeremy Purvis as the two juniors with dreads face each other on a possession on Mar. 2 at Clarksville, TN. These being photos from the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Purvis gets the face time and Childs doesn't. It was the last game of the season for Purvis, the 5-10, 150-pounder from Clarksville. He had 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. It was a strange season for Purvis. After becoming eligible on Dec. 18 he started and played at least 20 minutes in his first 13 games. But he spent a lot of time on the bench in APSU's final 8 games. He shot better from 3-point range (39.5%) than on 2-pointers. No telling what next season will be for Jeremy, as he tries to help the Governors improve on an 8-23 record.
JEREMY PURVIS (2012-13): 21 games (12 starts), 21 MPG, 3.2 PPG, 35.7 FG%, 1.9 RPG, 2.3 APG
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43. Justin Childs puts up an off-balance shot, but it is swatted away by F Chris Horton with 12:17 remaining in 1st half and UTM still scoreless. It was the 3rd blocked shot of the game already for Horton (he finished with 7) as Austin Peay jumped out to a 16-0 lead and led by at least 12 points the rest of the night. On a night nobody played well for UTM, Childs was on the floor for 26 minutes and had 20 points and 7 rebounds in a 91-58 defeat. But at 5-11 in the OVC, UTM moved on to the conference tournament, while 4-12 APSU did not.
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44. Here's some face time for Justin Childs - looking like a running back trying to pick up a 1st down as he drives past F Milton Chavis of Morehead State during a 1st round game in the OVC tournament at Nashville on Mar. 6. Childs had 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals in the final game of his first season in a UT-Martin uniform (after a transfer from junior college) as the Skyhawks finished with a 9-21 record.
JUSTIN CHILDS (2012-13): 29 games (18 starts), 25 MPG, 8.4 PPG, 36.7 FG%, 3.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.3 SPG
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45. G DeMarc Richardson tries to drive past senior G Devon Atkinson of Morehead State on Mar. 6. Atkinson finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists as the Eagles advanced with a 73-66 victory over UTM.
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46. Devon Atkinson, a reserve on my dread all-America team, takes a jump shot in front of Tennessee State senior G Tashan Fredrick, a starter on my dread all-America team, during an OVC quarterfinal game on Mar. 7. Fredrick had one of his more productive games with 4 points and 3 rebounds. Atkinson finished with 5 points, 7 assists, and 5 fouls in 23 minutes in his final game in a Morehead State uniform. MSU won both regular season meetings between the teams but couldn't win the one that mattered the most, finishing at 15-18 with an 88-75 loss to TSU.
DEVON ATKINSON (2012-13): 33 games (33 starts), 28 MPG, 7.6 PPG, 41.8 FG%, 1.5 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.2 SPG
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47. Tashan Fredrick can't keep F J.J. Mann from driving past him, as Coach Williams looks on from the TSU bench, during an OVC semifinal on Mar. 8. TSU handed Belmont one of their 2 OVC losses when they last met on Feb. 14; but it was a different story this time as Belmont won 82-73. Belmont went on to defeat Murray State in the championship game one day later. Fredrick had 0 points and 3 rebounds in 17 minutes in this game then had 2 points and 2 rebounds in the final game of his career on Mar. 19 as TSU lost at Evansville 84-72 in the 1st round of the CIT to finish at 18-15. We'll take one last look at Tashan in DG145, but most likely his playing days are all over.
TASHAN FREDRICK (2012-13): 28 games (17 starts), 14 MPG, 1.9 PPG, 31.7 FG%, 1.3 RPG
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48. A pair of 6-4 guards go at it in a CAA quarterfinal game on Mar. 9 as sophomore Marcus Thornton of William & Mary tries to score against ex-dread senior Devon Moore of JMU.
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49. Marcus, come on man, this is no way to play defense. Thornton and Moore had a hard time stopping each other. They both shot 8 for 12 from the field, with Moore finishing with 20 points and 8 assists.
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50. Marcus Thornton and F Rayshawn Goins both try to scoop up a loose ball. Thornton tried his best, finishing with 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, but JMU outscored W&M 23-11 in the final 9:30 of the game to win 72-67, sweeping the three meetings this year and ending the Tribe's season at 13-17. Still it was an outstanding sophomore season for Thornton, who was a 2nd team all-CAA selection. The Tribe's win total improved from 6 to 13, and they'll have an excellent chance for a winning season in 2014.
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51. Wichita State senior F Carl Hall, with the mostly reduced dreads, and teammate Cleanthony Early double team C Gregory Echenique of Creighton in the showdown for the Missouri Valley regular season title on Mar. 2 at Omaha. Led by star F Doug McDermott (15-18 FG, 41 points), Creighton burned the nets to the tune of 70.2 % FG shooting (33-47) and rolled to an MVC-clinching 91-79 victory. Hall had 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists as the Shockers finished at 12-6 in the Valley, second to Creighton's 13-5.
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52. Carl Hall outfights F Christian Kirk (#42) and G Anthony Downing of Missouri State for a rebound during a MVC tournament quarterfinal game at St. Louis on Mar. 8. Hall finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, his 7th and final double-double of the season, helping Wichita State advance with a 69-59 victory.
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53. F Jackie Carmichael of Illinois State cheats to keep Carl Hall from blocking his shot in the MVC semifinals on Mar. 9. Carmichael (22 points) and Hall (16 points on 7 of 10 FG shooting) led their teams in scoring. Carl also had 8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots as Wichita State advanced with a 66-51 victory.
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54. Carl Hall gets one of his 4 blocked shots in the Missouri Valley championship game, rejecting F Doug McDermott during 1st half on Mar. 10. One week after that debacle in Omaha the Shockers held Creighton to 41.5% shooting, including 5 for 13 by McDermott. But it did no good because the Shockers shot even worse, 23 for 67 (34.3%). The result was a 68-65 Creighton victory.
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55. Carl Hall walks off after having his second weekend in a row ruined by a loss to Creighton. Hall was a 2nd team all-MVC selection this season; but as you probably know by now he was ineligible for my all-America with dreads team. With Wichita State making it all the way to the Final 4 of the NCAA Tournament, DG145 would have been loaded with photos of Hall. But Carl was ineligible for DG145 too. That's because, sadly, he said goodbye to his dreads about a week after this loss to Creighton. Even though Hall finished the season dreadless, I really enjoyed watching Carl have success in his two seasons with Wichita State - success that likely would not have happened if not for modern medicine. Please click on the link below for a story from the New York Daily News that explains how Hall's career in a WSU uniform almost didn't happen.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/wichita-state-star-hall-thrives-heart-condition-article-1.1303208
Good luck to you, Carl. Hopefully you'll be able to have a pro basketball career in the years ahead.
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After finishing in 11th place in the ACC with a 5-13 record, Clemson faced 6th seeded Florida State in the 1st round of the ACC tournament on Mar. 14 .....

56. Sophomore G Rod Hall goes to the basket for an uncontested dunk but misses it with 13:57 remaining in 1st half. Hall hit just 1 of 4 shots from the field in the game.














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57. Rod Hall drives to the basket between G Aaron Thomas and ex-dread F Terrance Shannon. I'm not sure, but I think this is a shot of when Hall was fouled by Shannon with 9:29 remaining in 1st half.
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58. Terrance Shannon goes up to reject the layup attempt by Rod Hall during 2nd half but doesn't get credit for it because G Michael Snaer is called for a foul on the play. Hall finished the night with 7 points and 5 assists in 34 minutes. After losing their regular season meetings to FSU by 5 points and 3 points, Clemson lost this one by (what else?) 4 points, 73-69, as their rally from a 68-55 deficit with 2:00 to play fell just short. The Tigers finished with a 13-18 record and will begin next season on a 7-game losing streak. Will Hall still be in the starting lineup when next season begins? We'll see. No doubt Coach Brownell likes Rod for his defense, but he's got to do more offensively.
ROD HALL (2012-13): 31 games (30 starts), 30 MPG, 5.7 PPG, 43.7 FG%, 2.5 RPG, 3.5 APG
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59. Sophomore G Levi Randolph of Alabama defends against Georgia G Sherrard Brantley at Tuscaloosa on Mar. 9. Randolph finished the afternoon with 7 points and 3 rebounds. After keeping their fans on the edge of their seats right until the very end of almost every SEC home game this season, what would you expect the Crimson Tide to do other than this in their regular season finale? ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aOTJnWMQmo ..... The 61-58 victory gave the Tide a 12-6 finish (tied for 2nd place) in the SEC and gave them a 1st round bye in the SEC Tournament.
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60. Levi Randolph takes on the Tennessee defense - and loses - on this play early in 1st half of an SEC tournament quarterfinal game at Nashville on Mar. 15. G Armani Moore gets credit for the blocked shot, with F Jarnell Stokes (#5) and G Trae Golden also defending.
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61. G Jordan McRae hits the deck, and Levi Randolph crashes into the media table after trying to keep the ball from going out of bounds.
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62. Levi Randolph is fouled by G Josh Richardson to stop the clock with 1:11 remaining and Alabama leading 56-48. Levi led Alabama with 15 points and added 5 rebounds as the Tide advanced with a 58-48 win over Tennessee.
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63. Not deterred by what happened against Tennessee, Levi Randolph once again drives into the teeth of the defense late in 1st half of SEC semifinal on Mar. 16. And once again he gets his shot blocked, this time by Florida G Michael Frazier, with C Patric Young also defending. A jump ball was called, with Alabama keeping possession. This was the only shot Randolph missed all day. Unfortunately he took only two other shots, finishing with 5 points and 4 rebounds. In desperate need of a victory, the Crimson Tide fell short, losing to the Gators 61-51. The next day the Tide found out their 21-12 record was good enough to be a #1 seed - in the NIT, that is.
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64. East Tennessee State junior F Hunter Harris tries a reverse layup against Stetson C Adam Pegg but misses during 1st half of a quarterfinal game in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament on Mar. 7 at Macon, GA. Harris missed his first 5 FG attempts in the first 15 minutes of the game and said forget it, trying just one more shot the rest of the game. His teammates didn't fare much better, as the Buccaneers shot a frigid 25.4% from the field (15-59) for the afternoon. Harris had 1 point, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals as ETSU ended their season at 10-22 with a 67-46 loss to Stetson.
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65. FGCU began their Atlantic Sun tournament (how else?) with senior G Sherwood Brown shaking his dreads during the huddle before tipping off against North Florida in the quarterfinals on Mar. 6.
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66. Sherwood Brown puts up a short shot over North Florida forwards Charles McRoy (left) and Andy Diaz. Despite shooting just 4 for 14 from the field, Brown finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds, and the Eagles advanced with a 73-63 win over UNF. Sherwood did much better in the semifinals, hitting 8 of 15 for 18 points in a 72-58 win over Stetson. 
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67. In the championship game on Mar. 9 against Mercer Sherwood Brown hits an easy layup during 2nd half. Playing on Mercer's home floor, FGCU began the 2nd half with a 16-7 run to take a 54-43 lead. Then after the lead was cut to 58-53, Brown scored 10 points during a 19-7 run that put the Eagles ahead 77-60 with 6:03 to play. The final was 88-75, with the Eagles dealing Mercer their 1st home loss of the season and scoring the most points allowed by Mercer all season.
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68. After the game Brown turns his dreads loose and spends a little time celebrating with his mother, Angela, and his father, Sherwood Sr.

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69. Being a senior, Sherwood Brown gets first dibs cutting down the net after FGCU's first ever A-Sun tournament championship. Sherwood scored 16 points (including hitting 4 for 5 from 3-point range) and had 11 rebounds in the championship game and was named to the all-tournament team. With their 24-10 record in a supposedly weak conference, the Eagles were seeded #15 in the South regional of the NCAA Tournament.
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70. In one of his rare appearances on the court for Wright State this season, freshman F Jacoby Roddy looks to shoot against Youngstown State F Kamren Belin during Horizon League action at Dayton on Mar. 2. With WSU way out in front, Roddy tied his season high with 7 minutes played and scored a season high 6 points as the Raiders routed YSU 72-45. Jacoby played only 31 minutes all season, finishing with 10 points (3-8 FG), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 blocked shot. Although I'd love for him to remain with Wright State, I can't argue with his decision to transfer to a junior college for next season. Hopefully we'll see him back at a Division 1 school in 2015. 
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71. Just when it looked like I wasn't going to be able to find any pictures of Nate Henry this season, I saw this one on the Chicago State website of the 6-2 junior guard taking his turn cutting down the net after a 75-60 home victory over Houston Baptist in the Great West Conference championship game on Mar. 16. Pictures of Henry are hard to find because he almost never plays. After playing 13 minutes last season, he played even less in 2012-13 - a total of 10 minutes. And he's still looking for his first points in a CSU uniform. His stats for this season were 0-2 FG, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers in 6 games. His value to the team is that he's a good student. According to his bio on the Cougars' website, it sounds like he's a star in the classroom. With the NCAA emphasizing academic progress, you need players to graduate; and apparently that's not going to a problem for Henry. 
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72. Youngstown State G DJ Cole drives to the basket against Loyola freshman G Jeff White en route to scoring the winning basket with 2.5 seconds to play in a Horizon League tournament 1st-round game on Mar. 5. After Loyola tied the game at 60, YSU cleared the lane and let Cole go one-on-one. White got no help and couldn't stop Cole from scoring the game-winner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yntxNggRVYI
White had 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists in the game, playing a season high 36 minutes. But he'll have the memory of Cole hitting that shot with him all offseason. White, a HS teammate of Jacoby Roddy, will not be transferring like Roddy. He played well enough to make my freshman all-America team; and no doubt his best at Loyola is yet to come. 
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73. DJ Cole finds it a bit tougher to score in the Horizon quarterfinals against Wright State three nights later as he encounters 6-9 sophomore F Tavares Sledge and 6-6 F J.T. Yoho on his way to the basket. Having just loss to Wright State by 27 a week earlier, Youngstown State likely wasn't too excited about seeing the Raiders again so soon. After trailing by 18 early in 2nd half, the Penguins closed to within 56-53 with 3:36 remaining, but WSU held on to win 66-59.
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74. Tavares Sledge puts up a short shot against Detroit F Nick Minnerath, but misses, in a Horizon semifinal game on Mar. 9. For the second straight game Sledge had 0 points and 3 rebounds; and for the second straight game the Raiders advanced, this time with a shot at the buzzer to defeat Detroit 56-54.
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75. Tavares Sledge defends a shot against Valparaiso F Ryan Broekhoff during the championship game of the Horizon League Tournament on Mar. 12 at Valparaiso, IN.
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76. Tavares Sledge tries to draw a charging foul on G Erik Buggs as he puts up a shot in the lane during 2nd half. No foul was called either way. I'm betting that Buggs hit the shot - he was 9 for 13 from the field and scored 22 points. Playing on the home floor of the top-seeded Crusaders, Wright State fell behind 28-14 late in 1st half. But then Valpo started turning the ball over - again and again - 25 times overall. And all of a sudden Wright State took the lead and extended it to 50-44 with 5:37 to play and appeared to be pulling away. Then, just as suddenly, the Raiders ran out of gas. Or the wheels fell off. Or whatever cliche you want to use. They didn't score again until there were 8 seconds to play, after Valparaiso had gone on a 16-0 run. Sledge played one of his better games and was on the floor for most of the 2nd half, finishing with 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. But there would be no trip to the NCAA Tournament after a wild 62-54 defeat.
At 21-12, Wright State accepted an invite to the CBI and won twice before losing in the semifinals. Sledge didn't play much and had his dreads reduced for at least two of those games. For a basketball player, Tavares' dreads are really long. I keep worrying that one day I'm going to tune in to a game and they won't be there anymore. Hopefully he plans on keeping the dreads growing for the rest of his career. But I'm bracing myself for the worst.
TAVARES SLEDGE (2012-13): 34 games (23 starts), 17 MPG, 4.1 PPG, 42.1 FG%, 4.1 RPG