Get Herald RSSNormally, being a fan of someone with a '70s-style porn star mustache is a stretch. However, when it comes to Adam Morrison, the swingman from Gonzaga, one cannot help but love his mustache, as well as everything else that goes with it.
This season, two players are dominating the debate for college basketball's player of the year. One of them is the aforementioned Morrison. The other is J.J. Redick, the Duke two-guard who has seemingly been playing college ball for a thousand years.
It seems to be a dead heat between the two, but I will not even try to argue which man deserves to end up on top. What I will tell you is that Morrison will make a considerably better pro than Redick will.
I am not a Duke fan myself, but I have to give credit where credit is due. When Redick first arrived on campus in fall 2002, he was completely one-dimensional. All he did was park himself behind the arc and wait for someone to penetrate and kick the ball out to him.
The memories of that Redick have long faded, nearly erased by his level of play today. He has steadily improved each year and is clearly saving his best for last. He is averaging 27.8 points per game this season, shooting 51 percent from the floor and 44 percent from beyond the arc. He has scored 40 or more points three times this season, most recently against the University of Virginia on Sunday when he put up 40 on just 13 shots.
Redick is no longer that stand-still jump-shooter that we became accustomed to seeing. He is much better at creating his own shot, can run off screens all day and is absolutely deadly from the free-throw line if you try to crowd him on defense.
Having said all that, something about him still makes me wonder whether he'll be a good professional. First off, he doesn't have ideal size or athleticism for the NBA, which is moving toward bigger, faster, more athletic two-guards and could create match up problems for him. Although he is incredibly adept at running off screens and seems to never slow down, he would probably be the first to tell you that he has never been the most athletic guy on the floor.
And while his 6'4" stature would be more suited to playing point guard, his minimal ball-handling skills would prevent a change in position. What then separates him from another former Duke standout shooter, Trajan Langdon? Langdon had all of the same attributes that J.J. has and he lasted less than three seasons in the NBA.
While J.J. can create his own shot on the college level, it will be much more difficult for him to do so in the NBA. Scouts have already questioned his ability to score against superior defensive players in college. If you go back to Duke's game against Memphis, Rodney Carney, another future NBA player, completely shut him down in the second half. The athletic Carney is listed at 6'7" and has very long arms - the type of player that Redick will have to face night in and night out in the pros.
It comes down to whether J.J. is willing to accept a role as a catch-and-shoot, stand-still, three-point shooter. He has always been the focal point of Duke's offense, which has been built around getting him the screens he needs to get open looks. I think he will have a nice career in the NBA being a Steve Kerr-type who plays about 25 minutes a game and just fires up three-balls.
On the other hand, Morrison is an old-school throwback type of player that you love to see play. It may be unfair to do this, but I feel like I have to. He actually compares very well to Larry Bird. I am not just saying this because he is gangly, white and a good shooter, but because his game actually reminds me of Larry Legend.
He is about the same height as Bird. He has the same sort of floppy hair. When you see him, you think to yourself, "this kid can't be that good," but then, like Bird, he makes you a believer by dropping 40.
Like J.J., he can run around screens all day. He never stops moving and appears to be going full speed all the time. He is averaging 29 points per game - tops in the nation. He is also averaging six rebounds, shooting 52 percent from the floor and 41 percent from behind the three-point line.
People say J.J. is tougher because he has to deal with every team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is far superior to Gonzaga's West Coast Conference, guarding him intensely night in and night out. That is an argument I just don't buy. Do you think teams playing against Gonzaga are focusing their defense on J.P. Batista and Derek Raivio? Hardly. Teams that play Gonzaga are solely interested in trying to stop Morrison and their efforts have been to no avail. And while it is true that the ACC is better than the WCC, just ask Michigan State, Memphis and Washington, who Morrison dropped 43, 34 and 43 on. That's just how good he is.
Unlike Redick, Morrison has quite an array of shots. He has perfected the one-hand runner as well as his baseline jump hook. Also, he plays very well with his back to the basket, something that J.J. doesn't even attempt to do. The diversity of his offensive game is something that he can bring to the table at the next level, and the diversity of J.J.'s game may not necessarily be there in the NBA.
Morrison is also someone who can create his own offense for himself and for others without a screen. You can just give him the ball at the top of the key, tell him to make a play, and he will. J.J.'s ability to do that has improved, but he has a lot of difficulty creating his own offense without a screen.
He also boasts the size that J.J. lacks. Morrison is a legit 6'8", which gives him the ability to shoot over and post up on shorter defenders. He's more athletic than people give him credit for.
J.J. has the potential to be a solid player in the league for 10 years or so, but Morrison has the potential to be a star. He's definitely still on the up, so who knows how good he can be? When he came to Gonzaga, he was the 290th-rated recruit according to Scout.com. Now, he is the best player in the nation. And even if you don't like him, you have to admit, that really is a gorgeous mustache.
As much as Assistant Sports Editor Justin Goldman '07 loves the mustache, he really likes everything that goes with it.
