Lots of people write about the most improved players in college basketball, and aren't those happy stories?
We don't do happy.
In honor of ex-Gator Brett Nelson, the patron saint of devolving basketball players, Ten for Tuesday presents this season's least improved players.
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| Patrick Sparks has lost some zip as a Kentucky senior. (Getty Images) |
2. Joe McCray, Nebraska: After a surprisingly good freshman season, McCray had hoped to play his way into the 2006 NBA Draft. But then he ate his way onto this list. The 6-5, 235-pound wing has seen his scoring dip from 15.5 ppg to 10.4, but not for lack of trying. Despite shooting 35.6 percent, he leads the Huskers in shots. As an added bonus, his assists are down and his turnovers are up. Well done.
3. Jeff Green and Brandon Bowman, Georgetown: Maybe strong games in the upset of Duke will get them going, because their combined drop-off has been baffling. After starring as a do-everything freshman, Green's numbers are down across the board, most notably scoring (from 13.1 ppg to 10.3) and shooting (from 40 percent on 3-pointers to 29.3 percent). Bowman's numbers have been dropping for years. From highs of 15.9 ppg and 8.1 rebounds as a sophomore, he's down to 11.9 and 5.5 as a senior. Part of that is the arrival of Green and the development of center Roy Hibbert. But only part.
4. Rod Benson, California: Benson had this nice career arc -- his scoring rose from 0.8 ppg as a freshman to 2.6, then 13.3 as a junior -- before going thunk this year. He's been slowed by injuries, including a knee ailment that will sideline him though mid-February, but his progression also was stymied by Leon Powe's return and DeVon Hardin's emergence. Benson, a 6-10 center, was averaging 6.3 ppg and 3.6 rpg -- down from 13.3 and 6.3 as a junior -- before undergoing surgery Friday.
5. Chris Hernandez, Stanford: We've never been as high on Hernandez as everyone else. And we've never been as down on Hernandez as we are right now. Granted, the talent around him continues to dip, but isn't a senior point guard supposed to make those around him better? It's not happening at Stanford, where Hernandez's production is at an all-time low. From career bests of 15.2 ppg (as a junior), 4.3 apg (sophomore) and a 1.86 assist-turnover ratio (sophomore), Hernandez is down to 12.5 ppg, 3.4 apg and a 1.34 ratio. You know what he is? An undersized shooting guard, forced to play out of position.
6. Alex Loughton, ODU: Another media darling -- look, everyone, he's Australian -- Loughton has been going in reverse for years. His scoring has dipped from 16.6 ppg as a sophomore to 14.1 as a junior to 13.8 this season. His rebounding also has fallen, from 8.7 to 8.2 to 7.4. Assist-turnover ratio? Down. Shooting percentages? Down. Blocked shots? Down. But he sure is Australian! And tall! Let's draft him in the first round!
7. Josh Boone, UConn: For someone with every motivation, including a national championship and the 2006 NBA Draft lottery, Boone has done bupkis. His numbers are down across the board: scoring (12.4 to 9.9), rebounding (8.4 to 6.6), blocked shots (2.9 to 2.2), field-goal percentage (60.9 to 56.3) and free throws (66.4 percent to 50.7 percent). Boone, a 6-10 junior, ought to return to school next season.
8. Marcellus Sommerville, Bradley: It's one thing to slump. It's another thing to slump selfishly. Sommerville, a 6-7 forward, has done the latter. His production is down from 17.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg as a junior to 14.4 and 7.1 as a senior. Worse, his assist-turnover ratio is at an all-time low. In 17 games, he has 10 assists. Yo, Marcellus, you're shooting 37.2 percent. Pass the ball.
9. Daryll Hill, St. John's: Recurring knee pain has caused Hill's struggles. At least, it better be the knee pain. After averaging 14.8 ppg as a freshman and 20.4 as a sophomore, he's down to 12.1. His 3-point shooting, a so-so 35 percent for two years, is an awful 15.4 percent. His drop-off means he won't enter the 2006 NBA Draft, unless he wants to follow Omar Cook and Erick Barkley into oblivion.
10. Aaron Brooks, Oregon: After a solid sophomore season (14.7 ppg, 4.6 apg, 37.1 percent on 3-pointers), Brooks has been mediocre as a junior: 11.7, 4.5 and 29.2 percent. Oregon has been mediocre with him.
TBA. Aaron Bruce, Baylor: Not being able to play a non-conference schedule hurts. Does that explain Bruce's enormous drop-off from last season? We'll see. As a freshman, he averaged 18.2 ppg and 3.8 apg, and shot 39.9 percent on 3-pointers. Four games into Baylor's abbreviated schedule, he's at 10.5 ppg, 3.0 apg and 32.1 percent.
