Danny Granger

[Uncle Rico]

I was thinking about players in the Valley over the years who showed dramatic improvement during their time in college. Of course I thought of players such as Patrick O'Bryant, Darren Brooks, and Paul Miller. But in thinking about it, I'm not sure anyone improved more than Danny Granger.

Anyone who remembers Granger his Freshman year at Bradley couldn't have predicted he'd eventually be an NBA all-star, averaging 25 pts a game. I remember thinking he had potential to be very good, but not on the level he is now. He was absolutely brutal offensively if the shot was more than 5 feet out.

Just goes to show how much some of these young guys we have now can improve over their years in college.

[Txlen]

Good comment for people to remember who summarily dismiss some of these kids.

The point is, you just never know how things will turn out in a player's development, so don't be so hasty in thinking that a player will not be of benefit to the program.

Not all of the players will turn out to be NBA caliber players, by any means, but I have memories of players who were roundly criticized by many; yet, by the end up their career, we were glad that they stayed, rather than leaving like so many suggested early on.