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The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament saw a handful of heroic performances, but only one hero.
This week's Ten for Tuesday celebrates them all.
10. Jared Homan, Iowa State: The Cyclones center should have been out of his league against North Carolina's Sean May and Marvin Williams, who combined for 44 points and 32 rebounds. Should have been, but wasn't. Homan surely played his way onto someone's NBA Draft board after emerging from that second-round loss with 19 points and 20 rebounds.
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Villanova's Jason Fraser not only survives but thrives against Florida. (AP) |
9. Andrew Bogut, Utah: No high-scoring prima donna, everyone's national player of the year beat Oklahoma with passing and defense. He had 10 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists against the Sooners, and held Kevin Bookout to four points in the Utes' second-round win. In the first round Bogut had 24 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks against UTEP.
8. Ronald Ross, Texas Tech: Possibly the most unheralded player in the tournament, the former walk-on had 28 points against UCLA and 24 against Gonzaga. Ross doesn't have half the talent of the Red Raiders' star last season, Andre Emmett, but is twice the player. Go figure.
7. Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati: The Bearcats center was stymied in the second-round loss to Kentucky, but he was Superman in the first round against Iowa: 22 points, nine rebounds, six blocked shots and his first two career 3-pointers.
6. Julius Hodge, N.C. State: Nobody fills the stat box like the Wolfpack's Hodge, who had 19 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in the first round against Charlotte. And nobody is as fearless, either. Hodge eliminated Connecticut from the second round by beating his longer, more athletic defender -- Rudy Gay -- to the rim for a three-point play.
5. Gary Johnson, Central Florida: The 6-foot-2 senior wouldn't let Connecticut get comfortable in the first round. The Huskies led by 19 in the second half, but Johnson brought UCF within 75-71 before falling short. Johnson had seven 3-pointers among his 29 points, and added six rebounds and five assists.
4. Mike Gansey, West Virginia: A St. Bonaventure survivor, the 6-4 junior transfer carried the Mountaineers past Wake Forest in the second round. Gansey scored 19 of his 29 points in the two overtime sessions. In the first round he did a little of everything to rally West Virginia past Creighton: 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals.
3. Germain Mopa Njila, Vermont: Mopa Njila recovered from a crushing turnover late in regulation to lead 13th-seeded Vermont past fourth-seeded Syracuse in overtime. Vermont had a chance to win in regulation until Mopa Njila stepped on the baseline while driving to the basket. In the final two minutes of overtime, he had a 3-pointer for a 56-55 lead, then a steal that led to a T.J. Sorrentine 3-pointer that made it 59-55. Vermont won 60-57, and Mopa Njila finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals.
2. Jason Fraser, Villanova: With teammate Curtis Sumpter sidelined by a knee injury, the 6-10 Fraser dragged his geriatric knees onto the court for 30 minutes against Florida, destroying the Gators with 21 points and 15 rebounds. With his history of knee problems, Fraser isn't someone you want on your fantasy team -- he played just 14 minutes and had two points in Villanova's first-round win against New Mexico -- which makes his performance against Florida all the more inspiring.
1. Kevin Kuwik, Ohio: The Ohio assistant coach left early Tuesday for Iraq, where he will complete the second half of his 18-month tour of duty with the U.S. Army. Kuwik, a captain in the Army reserves, used his 15-day leave to be with the Bobcats in the NCAA Tournament. He's the biggest hero on this list. The only hero, frankly.
