DETROIT --
"I can do all things."
If you write that in black ink on your red Nike sneakers and step out onto the floor at the NCAA tournament, you'd better be able to back up words like that.
And so far, Stephen Curry has done just that. Davidson's sophomore guard is the unquestioned star of March Madness 2008, leading the Cinderella Wildcats out of a No. 10 seed to within a win of the Final Four with a trip of stirring upset victories over Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin. He has put up gigantic numbers in the process, averaging a tournament-leading 34.3 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting. In the second half of Friday night's Sweet 16 contest against the Badgers, he personally outscored the Big Ten champions, 22-20.
But for a player who's been putting up stats like a one-man team, Curry has been exhibiting the kind of perfect humility that's perfectly at odds with his shoe statement.
"It's nothing special that I do," remarked a shrugging Curry on Saturday, a practice day before the Wildcats' Elite Eight matchup with Kansas. "I just get screens from Andrew [Lovedale] and Thomas [Sander] and other big guys down low. … When I'm open, I get the ball, and I have a lot of confidence to shoot it. Nothing special that I'm doing."
The NCAA's twin tomes of history and records strongly disagree. Curry's 19 3s so far in the postseason have brought him up to 158 for the year, pulling him into a tie for the 21-year-old Division I record for triples in a single season with Butler's Darrin Fitzgerald. No player has had a higher tourney scoring average in nearly as long, not since Bo Kimble scored 35.8 in Loyola Marymount's 1990 Elite Eight run.
It would be easy for Stephen Curry to get caught up in the hoopla around his stellar tournament. But he's been quick to deflect all the glory.
"It's easy to give a lot of glory to yourself when you have a lot of success," Curry said. "And I could get into the mind-set that everything I'm doing is because of me. But I just can't think like that."
Davidson coach Bob McKillop saw a glimmer of that unselfishness when he first encountered Curry as a scrawny, 5-foot-7, 120-pound prep schooler. McKillop noted that Curry bore adversity then with the same level-headedness as the sophomore -- currently listed at 6-3 and 185 pounds -- has handled his current success.
"He had about nine or 11 turnovers in the first game I saw," McKillop said. "But I watched the way he responded to the turnovers. … He didn't try to come down the court and take a crazy shot hoping it would go in and that people would forget the turnover. He went to the bench and never hung his head. He patted his teammates on the back. I saw a lot of the ingredients there that you see today. … He's a great talent, but also a great young man."
He's also the young man who most basketball fans would now pick to shoot a 3 if their lives depended on one heave. Curry has been in "the zone" that many shooters talk about for the past few weeks.
"I don't really hear much," he said, describing the feeling of being in that zone. "No matter how many people are in the stands, it's the same exact feeling as if I was in the gym by myself. I just get into a groove that's just my own, you know? That's what it's like."
Stephen Curry has scored 103 points in three upset wins in this year's NCAA tournament. But as for the writing on his shoes, it's certainly not the product of a me-first mentality or an overblown ego lurking beneath a shell of false modesty. There just wasn't enough room on the sole to finish the quote.
"Oh, that," Curry said. "It's Philippians 4:13. 'I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.' It's always been one of my favorite Bible verses. … I realize that what I do on the floor isn't a measure of my own strength. Having that there keeps me focused on the game, a constant reminder of who I'm playing for."
And as the modest star's accomplishments grow, so too does his status as a basketball-playing role model. If Friday night's enormous crowd at Ford Field was any indication, there are already young children out there who aspire to be the next Steph Curry, kids who already own his No. 30 jersey.
"Don't play for anybody other than your family, or God, or whatever you believe in," Curry said when asked if he had any advice to offer. "It's easy to get caught up in playing for the crowd, trying to play a game you're not capable of. I found myself doing that a little bit in high school and early in my college career. I try harder not to do things that are over my head, not do anything too special. I'm more of a blue-collar guy."
But then the NCAA's brightest shooting star broke out into the grin that's been lighting up TV screens for the past two weeks.
"Well, I try to be."
Sunday, March 30, 2008
No Suprise: The hardest-working player in college hoops was the hero
By Andy Katz:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- North Carolina coach Roy Williams was walking back to the locker room and still couldn't get over the work ethic of Tyler Hansbrough.
Tyler Hansbrough scored a game-high 28 points."He spent two-and-a-half hours in the gym on our off day last Monday taking shots," said Williams, shaking his head in disbelief. What did you expect? Of course Hansbrough would be in the gym molding his craft on an off day.
Who did you think would take over the Elite Eight game against Louisville if not Hansbrough?
"I mean, he deserves every accolade and all the success he gets," said Louisville senior forward David Padgett after the No. 3-seeded Cardinals fell to top-seeded North Carolina 83-73 in a powder-blue dominated Charlotte Bobcats Arena on Saturday night. The victory sent the Tar Heels to the Final Four next week in San Antonio.
"I've never played against somebody who plays that hard, and the kid is just absolutely determined to be a great basketball player. And big-time players make big-time plays, and he made two big-time plays at the end of the game."
Of course he did. So, when Louisville mounted a comeback in the second half from 12 down to tie the game at 59, who broke the tie? Hansbrough.
"He's an All-American, and it showed tonight," said Louisville senior forward Juan Palacios. "The thing he did was make difficult shots, and that's what great players do. He took charge of the game when it looked like his team might be in trouble."
Who stretched the lead multiple times with pull-up jumpers, including two end-of shot-clock squared-up shots just inside the 3-point line pushing the lead to seven and then nine points in the final two minutes? Who do you think?
"Tyler Hansbrough made two shots that you prayed they were going to take, and it shows you what an All-American he is to make those shots because they were both challenging -- I was following the flight of the ball; he couldn't even see the basket," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said.
"First time I've seen him up close, and some pro team is going to be very lucky. I haven't seen a guy play every possession like that in a long time. I've never seen it, actually."
Who scored 20 of the Tar Heels' 39 points in the second half and seven in a row when the game was tied? Don't even ask.
"Tyler is a big-time player obviously, so you've got to find a way to give a player like that the ball to give him the opportunity to make those big-time shots like that," said fellow UNC junior Marcus Ginyard. "It says even more about Tyler, the fact that he's ready and the opportunity presents itself, he's there, and he's got the guts to knock the shot down."
The jumpers he hit Saturday, which helped him pour in 28 points on 12 of 17 shooting, weren't the same kind of shot as the loose-ball rebound, quick midrange jumper he made with 0.8 seconds left to beat Virginia Tech in the ACC semifinals in this same building on March 15.
Did that shot mean more to Hansbrough than the jumpers he hit Saturday night?
"I would say the jumpers tonight, definitely," said Hansbrough.
"That was a shot he had to shoot," said his exhilarated father, Gene Hansbrough, of the baseline jumper to beat Virginia Tech. "How about he beat [Louisville] with jump shots? That's the first time I've seen him beat anyone with a jump shot [in the flow of the offense]. I know he can hit the jump shot. I've seen him work on it all the time. He just squared up and shot it, just like he does a million times in practice. I'm glad he took it. I'm glad it went in."
What did you expect?
"Well, to be honest with you, I kinda felt like they were going in when they left," Gene Hansbrough said. "I was confident."
Of course he was.
Tyler Hansbrough showed more emotion after hitting the game-winning shot against the Hokies by running wildly up the court. Saturday, he was much more reserved in his celebration. He had the ball at the end of the game and, instead of hurling it to the rafters, he just handed it off to someone working the game. When he took his turn to cut a strand off the net, he walked up the ladder, trimmed the net and then politely waved to the crowd. He didn't dance with Danny Green down below, nor did he hoot or holler while running toward the locker room.
"This was just like winning a mini-tournament," Hansbrough said on his way to the locker room after being on the postgame news conference podium. Earlier at the news conference he said, "I feel like we want to accomplish more. Marcus [Ginyard] said something to me as we were walking in here: 'It feels like we did something big, but we can also do something bigger.'"
A year ago, Hansbrough was crushed when the Tar Heels fell short in the Elite Eight to Georgetown. He was determined to get back to this spot and beyond. He didn't want to become the hardest-working player, the national player of the year, the one everyone fawns over with good reason -- who never made the Final Four.
"I know it means a lot to get there and a great honor," said Gene Hansbrough. "He's worked so hard to get there. But he wants to win the championship. That has been his dream ever since he was a little kid."
Of course. What else would you expect from Tyler Hansbrough?
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- North Carolina coach Roy Williams was walking back to the locker room and still couldn't get over the work ethic of Tyler Hansbrough.
Tyler Hansbrough scored a game-high 28 points."He spent two-and-a-half hours in the gym on our off day last Monday taking shots," said Williams, shaking his head in disbelief. What did you expect? Of course Hansbrough would be in the gym molding his craft on an off day.
Who did you think would take over the Elite Eight game against Louisville if not Hansbrough?
"I mean, he deserves every accolade and all the success he gets," said Louisville senior forward David Padgett after the No. 3-seeded Cardinals fell to top-seeded North Carolina 83-73 in a powder-blue dominated Charlotte Bobcats Arena on Saturday night. The victory sent the Tar Heels to the Final Four next week in San Antonio.
"I've never played against somebody who plays that hard, and the kid is just absolutely determined to be a great basketball player. And big-time players make big-time plays, and he made two big-time plays at the end of the game."
Of course he did. So, when Louisville mounted a comeback in the second half from 12 down to tie the game at 59, who broke the tie? Hansbrough.
"He's an All-American, and it showed tonight," said Louisville senior forward Juan Palacios. "The thing he did was make difficult shots, and that's what great players do. He took charge of the game when it looked like his team might be in trouble."
Who stretched the lead multiple times with pull-up jumpers, including two end-of shot-clock squared-up shots just inside the 3-point line pushing the lead to seven and then nine points in the final two minutes? Who do you think?
"Tyler Hansbrough made two shots that you prayed they were going to take, and it shows you what an All-American he is to make those shots because they were both challenging -- I was following the flight of the ball; he couldn't even see the basket," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said.
"First time I've seen him up close, and some pro team is going to be very lucky. I haven't seen a guy play every possession like that in a long time. I've never seen it, actually."
Who scored 20 of the Tar Heels' 39 points in the second half and seven in a row when the game was tied? Don't even ask.
"Tyler is a big-time player obviously, so you've got to find a way to give a player like that the ball to give him the opportunity to make those big-time shots like that," said fellow UNC junior Marcus Ginyard. "It says even more about Tyler, the fact that he's ready and the opportunity presents itself, he's there, and he's got the guts to knock the shot down."
The jumpers he hit Saturday, which helped him pour in 28 points on 12 of 17 shooting, weren't the same kind of shot as the loose-ball rebound, quick midrange jumper he made with 0.8 seconds left to beat Virginia Tech in the ACC semifinals in this same building on March 15.
Did that shot mean more to Hansbrough than the jumpers he hit Saturday night?
"I would say the jumpers tonight, definitely," said Hansbrough.
"That was a shot he had to shoot," said his exhilarated father, Gene Hansbrough, of the baseline jumper to beat Virginia Tech. "How about he beat [Louisville] with jump shots? That's the first time I've seen him beat anyone with a jump shot [in the flow of the offense]. I know he can hit the jump shot. I've seen him work on it all the time. He just squared up and shot it, just like he does a million times in practice. I'm glad he took it. I'm glad it went in."
What did you expect?
"Well, to be honest with you, I kinda felt like they were going in when they left," Gene Hansbrough said. "I was confident."
Of course he was.
Tyler Hansbrough showed more emotion after hitting the game-winning shot against the Hokies by running wildly up the court. Saturday, he was much more reserved in his celebration. He had the ball at the end of the game and, instead of hurling it to the rafters, he just handed it off to someone working the game. When he took his turn to cut a strand off the net, he walked up the ladder, trimmed the net and then politely waved to the crowd. He didn't dance with Danny Green down below, nor did he hoot or holler while running toward the locker room.
"This was just like winning a mini-tournament," Hansbrough said on his way to the locker room after being on the postgame news conference podium. Earlier at the news conference he said, "I feel like we want to accomplish more. Marcus [Ginyard] said something to me as we were walking in here: 'It feels like we did something big, but we can also do something bigger.'"
A year ago, Hansbrough was crushed when the Tar Heels fell short in the Elite Eight to Georgetown. He was determined to get back to this spot and beyond. He didn't want to become the hardest-working player, the national player of the year, the one everyone fawns over with good reason -- who never made the Final Four.
"I know it means a lot to get there and a great honor," said Gene Hansbrough. "He's worked so hard to get there. But he wants to win the championship. That has been his dream ever since he was a little kid."
Of course. What else would you expect from Tyler Hansbrough?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
March Madness!!
Here are some stories for you to enjoy from ESPN:
*Joe Alexander of West Virginia has put in the time and effort that it takes to improve his post-up game.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?columnist=oneil_dana&id=3310386
*Quentin Thomas is the 3rd string point guard for the 1st seeded North Carolina Tar Heels. He has overcome many obstacles while playing college basketball.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?id=3309565
*Davidson's run to the Final Four!
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?id=3308381
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?id=3305521
*Wisconsin's 'grind it out' style has proven to be tough. They are a tough, well-coached team that believes in solid defense and great execution on offense.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?id=3307046
*Joe Alexander of West Virginia has put in the time and effort that it takes to improve his post-up game.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?columnist=oneil_dana&id=3310386
*Quentin Thomas is the 3rd string point guard for the 1st seeded North Carolina Tar Heels. He has overcome many obstacles while playing college basketball.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?id=3309565
*Davidson's run to the Final Four!
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?id=3308381
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?id=3305521
*Wisconsin's 'grind it out' style has proven to be tough. They are a tough, well-coached team that believes in solid defense and great execution on offense.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?id=3307046
Friday, March 14, 2008
No Obstacle Too Big
D-I player without right hand 'pretty inspirational'
by Jeff Goodman
January 25, 2008
CEDAR CITY, Utah - It was a conversation with which Dax Crum was all too familiar.
Southern Utah University coach Roger Reid had called Crum into his office. And Crum knew exactly what was coming.
"I told him he could come out for the team, but the chances of playing were very, very slim," Reid said. "In my mind, I didn't think there was any chance he'd ever play. No way."
However, a half season into Reid's tenure at the school, Crum, who was born without a right hand, has forced his coach into playing him significant minutes.
The 6-foot-2 senior guard logged a career-high 16 minutes, made a 3-pointer and slowed down Missouri-Kansas City's leading scorer, Dane Brumagin, for much of the second half in a 63-60 loss earlier in the month.
"I've coached this game for a long time and they ought to build a monument of him," Reid said. "Dax is all about defying the odds and playing for the right reasons."
Crum was born without nearly his entire right hand. Just a tiny finger sticks out of his nub and is barely noticeable. Crum's parents were given the option of transplanting a toe to act as another finger, but they declined due to concerns with post-surgical rejection.
It's crazy, but many opposing players, coaches and fans are often shocked when told of Crum's handicap after watching him play or practice. UMKC sports information director James Allen was completely unaware throughout the entire game. Southern Utah assistant Ron Carling's wife had no idea after watching Crum play for nearly three weeks.
"Honestly, you can't even really tell he has a disability," said Brumagin, who is averaging 18.6 points per game. "You've got to treat him like everyone else. He's playing Division I basketball and he's a good player. He was right up there with anyone else who has guarded me this year, but he's pretty inspirational. It's amazing."
Crum, 23, was nudged into playing sports by his father, Richard, a former star at Kirtland Central in New Mexico.
"Honestly, when Dax was born, I was angry with God," Richard Crum said. "How can you send me a one-handed boy when you know my sons are going to be athletes?
"But he's taught me that you can do anything," he said. "He's changed my life in so many ways."
Richard and Valerie, who died of cancer a little more than three years ago, decided to go with shoelaces instead of taking the easy way out and buying Velcro sneakers for their son. Four-year-old Dax wasn't allowed to go to school until he was able to tie them on his own.
Once Dax figured it out, his two grandfathers were called into the room.
"Dax sat down in the middle of the floor and at the end, two old grandfathers had tears streaming down their eyes," Richard Crum said. "One of them, a World War II Navy veteran, said, 'You're my hero.'"
Not everyone was as supportive. Richard remembers one woman asking him to take his son away because Dax was scaring her daughter. Another wanted him to have Dax put his arm in his pocket. Little boys stared. Little girls squealed.
Richard and Valerie resisted hiding his handicap.
"It was an awkward situation," Richard said. "But for me to do it would have sent the wrong message."
Crum persevered, especially with his passion on the basketball court, where he earned all-star honors at BYU's camp when he was 12. However, the coach the following year hardly played Crum.
"They treated me like I was 3 years old," Crum said.
His father made certain that wasn't going to happen again. He took a teaching position at Kirtland Central and was also an assistant on the basketball team. When Dax wasn't in the high-school gym with his father, the two of them were in the nearby church working on his game.
Crum became a first-team all-state player at Kirtland Central, winning three state titles, and also starred in soccer, baseball and track. After either the second or third state crown, father and son just smirked at each other when the public address announcer asked everyone to give Crum a hand.
"The irony of it was huge," Richard Crum said. "I just nodded at Dax and he winked back at me."
Despite his success on the hardwood, there were no Division I suitors coming out of high school. He played two sports at Arizona Western Junior College while on a soccer scholarship.
Crum started the second half of his sophomore season for an Arizona Western team that was ranked No. 1 in the country and finished 31-3.
"When I first got there, it was 'good for him,'" Crum said. "Then I started taking some of their playing time and some of them weren't so happy. Nobody likes being beaten by the one-handed kid.
"There were some guys who loved me and others didn't think I deserved to be on the court," he said. "I heard guys saying, 'How good can you be? Dax took your spot.' I just let it go. I just go out and play."
After his two-year stint at Arizona Western, Crum turned down a D-I soccer scholarship at Dayton for an opportunity to play basketball as a walk-on at Southern Utah.
"I wanted to be a Division I basketball player," Crum said. "I wanted to do something that no one has done."
Crum played sparingly two seasons ago under former coach Bill Evans. He redshirted last season and wound up on the football team — as a kicker/punter who also played some cornerback.
Shortly after Reid, who spent seven seasons as the head coach at BYU from 1989-97, took the reigns, Crum decided he wanted to give it another try in his final season of eligibility.
That's when Reid did everything in his power to shoot down the idea.
"I don't blame him. Every coach I've ever had worries about the same thing," Crum said. "If I put him on the floor, are they going to take advantage of him? I wonder if I was coaching me, would I put myself in the game?"
Then Reid watched Crum outwork all of his teammates in practice.
It's a remarkable sight, how much passion and energy he displays when he's on the court. His nickname at Arizona Western was "The Pest." At Southern Utah, they've dubbed him the "Dax-inator" because of his unwavering defensive prowess.
"It's a good thing now," said Southern Utah assistant Austin Ainge, who played against Crum when he was a player at BYU. "I like it as a coach, but I hated it when he was guarding me.
"The amazing thing is he can still go right," said Ainge. "He finds a way. He's clever."
In addition to his pestering defense, Crum is somehow able to make shots with consistency. He rests the ball on his nub, uses his left hand to shoot and is a legitimate 3-point threat with a quick release. He rarely drops a pass and his teammates are unable to take the ball away from him in practice despite only having one hand to dribble the ball.
"To tell you the truth, I didn't know he had one hand for the first three days," said Southern Utah senior forward Tate Sorenson. "He handles himself pretty good and it's not just a charity case. He can play."
"He's the best perimeter defender we have," Carling said.
Crum is also extremely open and light-hearted. One time prior to a soccer game, he walked out for rock-paper-scissors, which would determine what team started the game with the ball. When both players threw out their hands, Crum tossed out his right hand and chuckled.
At times when he's dribbling the ball up the court, he'll hold up his hand with the one finger, smile and yell "Four" to call a play. Crum still gets a kick out of opposing players' reactions in the postgame handshake line.
"It's funny," Crum said.
"He's the first one to make a joke about it," Sorenson said.
The letters have come in from young children and adults. One man lost his arm in a farm accident and wanted to know how Crum does everything. Others want to know how he cuts steak or ties his shoes.
"It just takes me a little time to figure it out my way," Crum said.
Crum is married, has a 3.7 GPA and is working on his MBA. The plan is for him to go into the financial world for a while — at least long enough to support wife Ashley's medical schools bills — before he goes into coaching.
Crum, who worked three jobs until he was given a scholarship by Reid for the second semester, didn't get off the bench in eight of the team's first 13 games.
"The past three years have been rough," Crum said. "I haven't really played. I'll go into a game for one or two minutes, have a turnover and say, "Why am I doing this?'"
Crum knows the answer.
"You work for a couple years just to get a chance," Crum said. "Once you get a chance, it's like, 'Wow.' Just those 16 minutes against UMKC were worth it all to me. That's how much fun it is."
by Jeff Goodman
January 25, 2008
CEDAR CITY, Utah - It was a conversation with which Dax Crum was all too familiar.
Southern Utah University coach Roger Reid had called Crum into his office. And Crum knew exactly what was coming.
"I told him he could come out for the team, but the chances of playing were very, very slim," Reid said. "In my mind, I didn't think there was any chance he'd ever play. No way."
However, a half season into Reid's tenure at the school, Crum, who was born without a right hand, has forced his coach into playing him significant minutes.
The 6-foot-2 senior guard logged a career-high 16 minutes, made a 3-pointer and slowed down Missouri-Kansas City's leading scorer, Dane Brumagin, for much of the second half in a 63-60 loss earlier in the month.
"I've coached this game for a long time and they ought to build a monument of him," Reid said. "Dax is all about defying the odds and playing for the right reasons."
Crum was born without nearly his entire right hand. Just a tiny finger sticks out of his nub and is barely noticeable. Crum's parents were given the option of transplanting a toe to act as another finger, but they declined due to concerns with post-surgical rejection.
It's crazy, but many opposing players, coaches and fans are often shocked when told of Crum's handicap after watching him play or practice. UMKC sports information director James Allen was completely unaware throughout the entire game. Southern Utah assistant Ron Carling's wife had no idea after watching Crum play for nearly three weeks.
"Honestly, you can't even really tell he has a disability," said Brumagin, who is averaging 18.6 points per game. "You've got to treat him like everyone else. He's playing Division I basketball and he's a good player. He was right up there with anyone else who has guarded me this year, but he's pretty inspirational. It's amazing."
Crum, 23, was nudged into playing sports by his father, Richard, a former star at Kirtland Central in New Mexico.
"Honestly, when Dax was born, I was angry with God," Richard Crum said. "How can you send me a one-handed boy when you know my sons are going to be athletes?
"But he's taught me that you can do anything," he said. "He's changed my life in so many ways."
Richard and Valerie, who died of cancer a little more than three years ago, decided to go with shoelaces instead of taking the easy way out and buying Velcro sneakers for their son. Four-year-old Dax wasn't allowed to go to school until he was able to tie them on his own.
Once Dax figured it out, his two grandfathers were called into the room.
"Dax sat down in the middle of the floor and at the end, two old grandfathers had tears streaming down their eyes," Richard Crum said. "One of them, a World War II Navy veteran, said, 'You're my hero.'"
Not everyone was as supportive. Richard remembers one woman asking him to take his son away because Dax was scaring her daughter. Another wanted him to have Dax put his arm in his pocket. Little boys stared. Little girls squealed.
Richard and Valerie resisted hiding his handicap.
"It was an awkward situation," Richard said. "But for me to do it would have sent the wrong message."
Crum persevered, especially with his passion on the basketball court, where he earned all-star honors at BYU's camp when he was 12. However, the coach the following year hardly played Crum.
"They treated me like I was 3 years old," Crum said.
His father made certain that wasn't going to happen again. He took a teaching position at Kirtland Central and was also an assistant on the basketball team. When Dax wasn't in the high-school gym with his father, the two of them were in the nearby church working on his game.
Crum became a first-team all-state player at Kirtland Central, winning three state titles, and also starred in soccer, baseball and track. After either the second or third state crown, father and son just smirked at each other when the public address announcer asked everyone to give Crum a hand.
"The irony of it was huge," Richard Crum said. "I just nodded at Dax and he winked back at me."
Despite his success on the hardwood, there were no Division I suitors coming out of high school. He played two sports at Arizona Western Junior College while on a soccer scholarship.
Crum started the second half of his sophomore season for an Arizona Western team that was ranked No. 1 in the country and finished 31-3.
"When I first got there, it was 'good for him,'" Crum said. "Then I started taking some of their playing time and some of them weren't so happy. Nobody likes being beaten by the one-handed kid.
"There were some guys who loved me and others didn't think I deserved to be on the court," he said. "I heard guys saying, 'How good can you be? Dax took your spot.' I just let it go. I just go out and play."
After his two-year stint at Arizona Western, Crum turned down a D-I soccer scholarship at Dayton for an opportunity to play basketball as a walk-on at Southern Utah.
"I wanted to be a Division I basketball player," Crum said. "I wanted to do something that no one has done."
Crum played sparingly two seasons ago under former coach Bill Evans. He redshirted last season and wound up on the football team — as a kicker/punter who also played some cornerback.
Shortly after Reid, who spent seven seasons as the head coach at BYU from 1989-97, took the reigns, Crum decided he wanted to give it another try in his final season of eligibility.
That's when Reid did everything in his power to shoot down the idea.
"I don't blame him. Every coach I've ever had worries about the same thing," Crum said. "If I put him on the floor, are they going to take advantage of him? I wonder if I was coaching me, would I put myself in the game?"
Then Reid watched Crum outwork all of his teammates in practice.
It's a remarkable sight, how much passion and energy he displays when he's on the court. His nickname at Arizona Western was "The Pest." At Southern Utah, they've dubbed him the "Dax-inator" because of his unwavering defensive prowess.
"It's a good thing now," said Southern Utah assistant Austin Ainge, who played against Crum when he was a player at BYU. "I like it as a coach, but I hated it when he was guarding me.
"The amazing thing is he can still go right," said Ainge. "He finds a way. He's clever."
In addition to his pestering defense, Crum is somehow able to make shots with consistency. He rests the ball on his nub, uses his left hand to shoot and is a legitimate 3-point threat with a quick release. He rarely drops a pass and his teammates are unable to take the ball away from him in practice despite only having one hand to dribble the ball.
"To tell you the truth, I didn't know he had one hand for the first three days," said Southern Utah senior forward Tate Sorenson. "He handles himself pretty good and it's not just a charity case. He can play."
"He's the best perimeter defender we have," Carling said.
Crum is also extremely open and light-hearted. One time prior to a soccer game, he walked out for rock-paper-scissors, which would determine what team started the game with the ball. When both players threw out their hands, Crum tossed out his right hand and chuckled.
At times when he's dribbling the ball up the court, he'll hold up his hand with the one finger, smile and yell "Four" to call a play. Crum still gets a kick out of opposing players' reactions in the postgame handshake line.
"It's funny," Crum said.
"He's the first one to make a joke about it," Sorenson said.
The letters have come in from young children and adults. One man lost his arm in a farm accident and wanted to know how Crum does everything. Others want to know how he cuts steak or ties his shoes.
"It just takes me a little time to figure it out my way," Crum said.
Crum is married, has a 3.7 GPA and is working on his MBA. The plan is for him to go into the financial world for a while — at least long enough to support wife Ashley's medical schools bills — before he goes into coaching.
Crum, who worked three jobs until he was given a scholarship by Reid for the second semester, didn't get off the bench in eight of the team's first 13 games.
"The past three years have been rough," Crum said. "I haven't really played. I'll go into a game for one or two minutes, have a turnover and say, "Why am I doing this?'"
Crum knows the answer.
"You work for a couple years just to get a chance," Crum said. "Once you get a chance, it's like, 'Wow.' Just those 16 minutes against UMKC were worth it all to me. That's how much fun it is."
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Life Lessons in Athletics
This great life lesson is courtesy of the Northern State Men's Basketball Team. This is what athletics is all about:
THE GAME
IT ALL STARTS WITH A LITTLE KID PLAYING OUT HIS HEROES PART WITH THE BIG PLAY.
THE HOURS OF ENJOYMENT SPENT BATTLING IMAGINARY PLAYERS BEGINS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE GAME.
THE ENJOYMENT CARRIES OVER TO CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT AND A GOAL TO BE THE BEST.
THE HARDWORK BEGINS TO PAY OFF WITH THE ADMIRATION OF COMPETITORS AND COACHES.
THE ATTENTION GROWS UNTIL THE BIG DAY, A COLLEGE COACH CALLS WITH THE OFFER OF A DREAM.
NOW THE TRUE TEST OF THE DEVOTION TO THE GAME- TOTAL COMMITMENT.
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR HALF-HEARTED EFFORTS NOW; EVERYDAY IS ALL OUT WAR JUST TO STAY IN THE GAME.
EVERYONE IS GUNNING FOR YOU; EVERYONE WANTS TO BE THE BEST.
AT THE END OF THIS THERE’S THE HOPE OF PLAYING WITH THE HEROES IN HIS DREAMS.
AFTER PLAYING OUT HIS DREAMS WITH HIS HEROES HE REALIZES THAT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF ALL A WAITS - LIFE.
HE MUST TRADE THE HARD COURT FOR THE OFFICE, BUT HE KNOWS THAT THE GAME HAS PREPARED HIM FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD.
HE KNOWS THAT ANY DREAM CAN BE REACHED AND ANY GOAL MET. THIS DRIVE TAKES HIM A LONG WAY FROM THE COURT WHERE ALL THOSE DREASM BEGAN.
THE HARDWORK AND CONFIDENCE INSTILLED THROUGH THE HOURS OF PLAYING THE GAME ARE EVIDENT IN HIS EVERY HABIT.
NOW HE REALIZES HOW WELL THE GAME HAS PREPARED HIM FOR THE BIGGEST GAME OF ALL.
HE KNOWS THERE IS NO CHALLENGE HE CANNOT OVERCOME WITH THE ABILITIES HE HAS BEEN GIVEN AND THE WORK ETHIC HE HAS BUILT.
LIFE HAS THE NEED FOR THE INTRICATE BALANCE BETWEEN WORK, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS MUCH THE WAY A TOTAL PLAYER NEEDS ALL THE SKILLS TO BE COMPLETE IN HIS GAME.
JUST LIKE THE GAME, IN LIFE HE CAN’T CONCENTRATE ON JUST ONE AREA HE MUST PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING AROUND HIM OR A COSTLY MISTAKE MAY BE MADE AND THE LOSS OF SOMETHING VALUABLE MAY OCCUR.
MUCH LIKE LIFE, THE GAME CAN BE PLAYED BY ONESELF, BUT MUCH MORE ENJOYMENT CAN COME FROM IT BY HAVING OTHERS AROUND TO SHARE THE LOVE TO THE GAME WITH.
THIS IS WHEN HE GAINS THE TRUE UNDERSTANING- ONLY IN LIVING LIFE CAN THE TRUE LOVE OF THE GAME BE ACQUIRED.
IT ALL STARTS WITH A LITTLE KID PLAYING OUT HIS HEROES PART WITH THE BIG PLAY.
THE HOURS OF ENJOYMENT SPENT BATTLING IMAGINARY PLAYERS BEGINS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE GAME.
THE ENJOYMENT CARRIES OVER TO CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT AND A GOAL TO BE THE BEST.
THE HARDWORK BEGINS TO PAY OFF WITH THE ADMIRATION OF COMPETITORS AND COACHES.
THE ATTENTION GROWS UNTIL THE BIG DAY, A COLLEGE COACH CALLS WITH THE OFFER OF A DREAM.
NOW THE TRUE TEST OF THE DEVOTION TO THE GAME- TOTAL COMMITMENT.
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR HALF-HEARTED EFFORTS NOW; EVERYDAY IS ALL OUT WAR JUST TO STAY IN THE GAME.
EVERYONE IS GUNNING FOR YOU; EVERYONE WANTS TO BE THE BEST.
AT THE END OF THIS THERE’S THE HOPE OF PLAYING WITH THE HEROES IN HIS DREAMS.
AFTER PLAYING OUT HIS DREAMS WITH HIS HEROES HE REALIZES THAT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF ALL A WAITS - LIFE.
HE MUST TRADE THE HARD COURT FOR THE OFFICE, BUT HE KNOWS THAT THE GAME HAS PREPARED HIM FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD.
HE KNOWS THAT ANY DREAM CAN BE REACHED AND ANY GOAL MET. THIS DRIVE TAKES HIM A LONG WAY FROM THE COURT WHERE ALL THOSE DREASM BEGAN.
THE HARDWORK AND CONFIDENCE INSTILLED THROUGH THE HOURS OF PLAYING THE GAME ARE EVIDENT IN HIS EVERY HABIT.
NOW HE REALIZES HOW WELL THE GAME HAS PREPARED HIM FOR THE BIGGEST GAME OF ALL.
HE KNOWS THERE IS NO CHALLENGE HE CANNOT OVERCOME WITH THE ABILITIES HE HAS BEEN GIVEN AND THE WORK ETHIC HE HAS BUILT.
LIFE HAS THE NEED FOR THE INTRICATE BALANCE BETWEEN WORK, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS MUCH THE WAY A TOTAL PLAYER NEEDS ALL THE SKILLS TO BE COMPLETE IN HIS GAME.
JUST LIKE THE GAME, IN LIFE HE CAN’T CONCENTRATE ON JUST ONE AREA HE MUST PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING AROUND HIM OR A COSTLY MISTAKE MAY BE MADE AND THE LOSS OF SOMETHING VALUABLE MAY OCCUR.
MUCH LIKE LIFE, THE GAME CAN BE PLAYED BY ONESELF, BUT MUCH MORE ENJOYMENT CAN COME FROM IT BY HAVING OTHERS AROUND TO SHARE THE LOVE TO THE GAME WITH.
THIS IS WHEN HE GAINS THE TRUE UNDERSTANING- ONLY IN LIVING LIFE CAN THE TRUE LOVE OF THE GAME BE ACQUIRED.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Veteran Leadership: Kenny Smith & Sam Cassell
Kenny Smith talking on TNT:
Kenny Smith, the former Houston Rockets point guard and current TNT analyst, was talking about current Celtics point guard Sam Cassell being drafted by the Rockets in 1993 to possibly replace him. Things could have been tense, but Smith, the veteran leader, pulled Cassell aside and told him, “You never have to worry about me rooting against you when I’m on the bench, I’ll always have your back.”
The result? Both guards hit numerous big shots while leading the Rockets to back-to-back NBA Championships. Cassell said that it was Smith’s leadership that allowed him to mature so quickly.
Fast forward 10 years later. Cassell had just been traded to the Clippers when the team drafted Shaun Livingston, the point guard of the future who would eventually replace Cassell. Livingston was drafted out of high school so he didn’t play a lot his first year. However, by his 3rd year he was more than ready to play. So much so that he started to take a lot of Cassell’s minutes. Cassell, the veteran leader, pulled Livingston aside and told him, “You never have to worry about me rooting against you when I’m on the bench, I’ll always have your back.”
Just this last week, Cassell was signed by the Celtics to backup Rajon Rondo, the young, inexperienced 2nd year point guard out of Kentucky. Many NBA analysts, commentators, general managers, and talk show hosts have said that the Celtics needed to add a playoff-tested point guard because of Rondo’s lack of playoff experience. What could have been a tough situation for the young man was quickly dealt with by Cassell who immediately talked to Rondo. Cassell told him that he (Cassell) would take a back seat and do whatever he could to help the 2nd year guard out.
Now when Shaun Livingston and Rajon Rondo are veterans and past their prime 10-15 years from now, hopefully they can pass down the same lessons that Kenny Smith and Sam Cassell handed down to their young teammates.
Kenny Smith, the former Houston Rockets point guard and current TNT analyst, was talking about current Celtics point guard Sam Cassell being drafted by the Rockets in 1993 to possibly replace him. Things could have been tense, but Smith, the veteran leader, pulled Cassell aside and told him, “You never have to worry about me rooting against you when I’m on the bench, I’ll always have your back.”
The result? Both guards hit numerous big shots while leading the Rockets to back-to-back NBA Championships. Cassell said that it was Smith’s leadership that allowed him to mature so quickly.
Fast forward 10 years later. Cassell had just been traded to the Clippers when the team drafted Shaun Livingston, the point guard of the future who would eventually replace Cassell. Livingston was drafted out of high school so he didn’t play a lot his first year. However, by his 3rd year he was more than ready to play. So much so that he started to take a lot of Cassell’s minutes. Cassell, the veteran leader, pulled Livingston aside and told him, “You never have to worry about me rooting against you when I’m on the bench, I’ll always have your back.”
Just this last week, Cassell was signed by the Celtics to backup Rajon Rondo, the young, inexperienced 2nd year point guard out of Kentucky. Many NBA analysts, commentators, general managers, and talk show hosts have said that the Celtics needed to add a playoff-tested point guard because of Rondo’s lack of playoff experience. What could have been a tough situation for the young man was quickly dealt with by Cassell who immediately talked to Rondo. Cassell told him that he (Cassell) would take a back seat and do whatever he could to help the 2nd year guard out.
Now when Shaun Livingston and Rajon Rondo are veterans and past their prime 10-15 years from now, hopefully they can pass down the same lessons that Kenny Smith and Sam Cassell handed down to their young teammates.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Once again, fighting through obstacles!!
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1200&u_sid=10275151
Great story on Falls City Sacred Heart guard Drew Huppert who has lupus, a chronic disorder in which the body's immune system begins attacking its own organs.
Great story on Falls City Sacred Heart guard Drew Huppert who has lupus, a chronic disorder in which the body's immune system begins attacking its own organs.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
4.8 - Tyus Edney 1995 NCAA Tournament
Point Guards take note on how quick Tyus Edney gets the ball up the floor!
Team USA All-Access: Kobe's Workout
Big offseason coming up for the Titans! Here is a clip of Kobe Bryant working out.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Message from Coach Hueser
Dear Seniors,
They say there is “Joy in the Journey.” And I agree. It seems like just yesterday the McCook Bison were defeated in the State Tournament and I was saying good-bye to a great team. It was a very sad day for me and my family.
The following day I went to UNL’s old Coliseum to watch Sy play in the MIT basketball tournament and playing on the adjacent court was a group of young Predators. Four of which I believe are sitting in here today. As I watched you play I was very apprehensive about the future. The waters were uncharted so to speak.
I had no idea five years later we would be where we are today. Not only have we become the best team in Titan history, but one of the best teams in the state. But not without a price, right? No sacrifice. No victory. You guys are the cornerstones of “T-Ball”. Your hard work and enthusiasm has been priceless.
Think of the hundreds of mornings we’ve spent together over the years working on your skills. Think of the hundreds of practices we’ve grinded out striving for excellence. Think of the many weeks of T-Ball camp over the summers. Hotshot contest. Dribble tag. Ravenna. Coach Beranek. Think of the many summer league games and QT stops afterwards. Think of Going UP! and the price paid to become bigger, faster and stronger. Think of the many team meals and time spent together off the court. For example, our team trip to Coach Simpson’s lake.
All for what? To win at a silly game? Maybe, but it’s so much more than that. I believe the silver lining lies in what you and your teammates have become. Today and forevermore you are defined by our Titan Creed:
A Titan always strives to be a great teammate!
A Titan always plays hard, smart and together.
A Titan is not boastful in times of success and perseveres through times of hardship.
A Titan is not easily angered or intimidated.
A Titan is passionate and plays with enthusiasm!
A Titan is courteous, unselfish, and not envious of others.
A Titan never leaves anyone behind, thus, he is trustworthy and full of love.
A Titan is disciplined and always performs the mundanities of excellence.
A Titan is patient, because he knows he must endure trials and tribulations.
Most of all, a Titan is proud! He is a champion because he does all the things required of a champion.
This is our creed, and it is who we are.
May God bless you and Christ coach you!
Coach Hueser
They say there is “Joy in the Journey.” And I agree. It seems like just yesterday the McCook Bison were defeated in the State Tournament and I was saying good-bye to a great team. It was a very sad day for me and my family.
The following day I went to UNL’s old Coliseum to watch Sy play in the MIT basketball tournament and playing on the adjacent court was a group of young Predators. Four of which I believe are sitting in here today. As I watched you play I was very apprehensive about the future. The waters were uncharted so to speak.
I had no idea five years later we would be where we are today. Not only have we become the best team in Titan history, but one of the best teams in the state. But not without a price, right? No sacrifice. No victory. You guys are the cornerstones of “T-Ball”. Your hard work and enthusiasm has been priceless.
Think of the hundreds of mornings we’ve spent together over the years working on your skills. Think of the hundreds of practices we’ve grinded out striving for excellence. Think of the many weeks of T-Ball camp over the summers. Hotshot contest. Dribble tag. Ravenna. Coach Beranek. Think of the many summer league games and QT stops afterwards. Think of Going UP! and the price paid to become bigger, faster and stronger. Think of the many team meals and time spent together off the court. For example, our team trip to Coach Simpson’s lake.
All for what? To win at a silly game? Maybe, but it’s so much more than that. I believe the silver lining lies in what you and your teammates have become. Today and forevermore you are defined by our Titan Creed:
A Titan always strives to be a great teammate!
A Titan always plays hard, smart and together.
A Titan is not boastful in times of success and perseveres through times of hardship.
A Titan is not easily angered or intimidated.
A Titan is passionate and plays with enthusiasm!
A Titan is courteous, unselfish, and not envious of others.
A Titan never leaves anyone behind, thus, he is trustworthy and full of love.
A Titan is disciplined and always performs the mundanities of excellence.
A Titan is patient, because he knows he must endure trials and tribulations.
Most of all, a Titan is proud! He is a champion because he does all the things required of a champion.
This is our creed, and it is who we are.
May God bless you and Christ coach you!
Coach Hueser
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