Durant the Right Thing
http://www.atomicsportsmedia.com/articles/654/1/Durant-the-Right-Thing/Durant-the-Right-Thing.html
Anthony Lopez
Anthony Lopez currently works in sports and entertainment television as a production assistant. He is a graduate of Rutgers University, where he saw the Scarlet Knights never achieve the glory they now claim to have. He is an aspiring actor, model, and humanitarian. His sole dreams in life are to witness a Jets Superbowl victory, date the Peruvian girl in Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift and put out a rap album produced by Dr. Dre.
By Anthony Lopez
Published on 11/21/2006
There are plenty of freshmen garnering high praise, but ASM's Anthony Lopez thinks Texas' Kevin Durant might be the best of the bunch.
There are plenty of freshmen garnering high praise, but ASM's Anthony Lopez thinks Texas' Kevin Durant might be the best of the bunch.
Durant the Right Thing
As the college basketball season begins and excitement grows, big-name freshman once again take their first steps at America’s finest b-ball havens.
With the exodus of young talent still defecting to the NBA, the opportunity for ballyhooed prep stars to make an impact is no longer a learning process, but a trial-by-fire program. For example, many hoop enthusiasts had been targeting the debut of Ohio State’s Greg Oden on the Big Ten stage since he was a junior in high school. With the face of a 30-year-old and an NBA body to boast, Oden was supposed to give Buckeyes fans an immediate low-post threat, but after suffering a wrist injury, is instead a reminder that high hopes can die fast even in the surest of investments.
One freshman who has quietly risen through the ranks as a possible incumbent to the hype, however, is a player who many people believe if the old rules existed, could have been the No. 1 player selected in this past June’s NBA draft. He may not have gotten the publicity of an Oden or an O.J. Mayo, but at 6-foot-9 227 pounds, you’d be hard pressed to find a more polished frosh in the nation than Kevin Durant.
Trained and molded at one of the most hallowed high school programs in the country at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, Durant went through the same tutelage as NBA alums Carmelo Anthony, Jerry Stackhouse, and Slam Dunk champ Josh Smith. Playing for a team blessed with prep princes, Durant was impressive as a junior, flying alongside McDonald’s All-Americans and now Tar Heel freshmen Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington. As a senior at Montrose Christian in Maryland, Durant averaged 23.6 points and 10.2 rebounds, drawing the courtship of basketball powerhouses such as UConn and North Carolina. With Lawson, his best friend, committed to the Tar Heels, and Ellington also in the fray, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Durant would add the cherry to the topping and give Chapel Hill one of its most highly anticipated freshmen classes in years. However, after all was said and done, the kid with the size-18 sneakers chose to take his act to Austin, and after the first four games of his Long Horns career, the Texas faithful are already beaming with optimism at the sight of Durant in burnt orange and white.
Averaging 22.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest, Durant has been anointed by head coach Rick Barnes as “the most talented player” he’s ever had. Premature as that statement may seem, his potential is being validated with each game and each personal encounter.
Praises are being sung not only about his persona on the court, but his work ethic beyond it. Take for example Durant’s summer. After finishing as Co-MVP of both the Michael Jordan Classic and the McDonald’s All American Game, complacency could have been an effortless transition for the Maryland native. However, instead of letting the elbow rubbing and sweet talkers fill his head that he was ready for the Big 12 tomorrow, Durant got together with Longhorns conditioning coach Todd Wright. Together they came up with a regiment that transformed Durant from a lanky 207 pounds to a Lebron-esque 227 pounds. In addition to bulking up, the freshman even found time to work on his game by training with Lakers guard and former Longhorn Maurice Evans. Not too shabby for a summer that easily could have been spent lollygagging or beaching it.
With so much scrutiny and positive feedback about the 18-year-old, and at such an early stage in his college career, it would seem almost too good to be true for the freshman to have no kinks in his armor.
“Kevin hasn’t played well yet,” Barnes said after their recent victory over St. John’s.
Although the NBA is arleady calling, Barnes’ protégé agrees.
“[Coming to school] is a blessing in disguise," said Durant. "I've learned so much. Imagine how much more I can learn in four more months.”
With the exodus of young talent still defecting to the NBA, the opportunity for ballyhooed prep stars to make an impact is no longer a learning process, but a trial-by-fire program. For example, many hoop enthusiasts had been targeting the debut of Ohio State’s Greg Oden on the Big Ten stage since he was a junior in high school. With the face of a 30-year-old and an NBA body to boast, Oden was supposed to give Buckeyes fans an immediate low-post threat, but after suffering a wrist injury, is instead a reminder that high hopes can die fast even in the surest of investments.
One freshman who has quietly risen through the ranks as a possible incumbent to the hype, however, is a player who many people believe if the old rules existed, could have been the No. 1 player selected in this past June’s NBA draft. He may not have gotten the publicity of an Oden or an O.J. Mayo, but at 6-foot-9 227 pounds, you’d be hard pressed to find a more polished frosh in the nation than Kevin Durant.
Trained and molded at one of the most hallowed high school programs in the country at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, Durant went through the same tutelage as NBA alums Carmelo Anthony, Jerry Stackhouse, and Slam Dunk champ Josh Smith. Playing for a team blessed with prep princes, Durant was impressive as a junior, flying alongside McDonald’s All-Americans and now Tar Heel freshmen Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington. As a senior at Montrose Christian in Maryland, Durant averaged 23.6 points and 10.2 rebounds, drawing the courtship of basketball powerhouses such as UConn and North Carolina. With Lawson, his best friend, committed to the Tar Heels, and Ellington also in the fray, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Durant would add the cherry to the topping and give Chapel Hill one of its most highly anticipated freshmen classes in years. However, after all was said and done, the kid with the size-18 sneakers chose to take his act to Austin, and after the first four games of his Long Horns career, the Texas faithful are already beaming with optimism at the sight of Durant in burnt orange and white.
Averaging 22.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest, Durant has been anointed by head coach Rick Barnes as “the most talented player” he’s ever had. Premature as that statement may seem, his potential is being validated with each game and each personal encounter.
Praises are being sung not only about his persona on the court, but his work ethic beyond it. Take for example Durant’s summer. After finishing as Co-MVP of both the Michael Jordan Classic and the McDonald’s All American Game, complacency could have been an effortless transition for the Maryland native. However, instead of letting the elbow rubbing and sweet talkers fill his head that he was ready for the Big 12 tomorrow, Durant got together with Longhorns conditioning coach Todd Wright. Together they came up with a regiment that transformed Durant from a lanky 207 pounds to a Lebron-esque 227 pounds. In addition to bulking up, the freshman even found time to work on his game by training with Lakers guard and former Longhorn Maurice Evans. Not too shabby for a summer that easily could have been spent lollygagging or beaching it.
With so much scrutiny and positive feedback about the 18-year-old, and at such an early stage in his college career, it would seem almost too good to be true for the freshman to have no kinks in his armor.
“Kevin hasn’t played well yet,” Barnes said after their recent victory over St. John’s.
Although the NBA is arleady calling, Barnes’ protégé agrees.
“[Coming to school] is a blessing in disguise," said Durant. "I've learned so much. Imagine how much more I can learn in four more months.”