Cleveland State Stuns Syracuse

Its only December, but I already have March Madness. Last night, perennial cinderella Cleveland State knocked off #11 Syracuse 72-69 with a stunning 60 foot buzzer beater from guard Cedric Jackson. Said third year Cleveland State coach Gary Waters:

"I have never been a part of one of those types of shots, I had my head down. I told my coaches we were headed for overtime. I didn't expect that to happen. Nobody in the house expected that to happen."

But the game shouldn't just be defined by one long shot. It was an excellent game which saw 16 ties and 15 lead changes. The game was tied at halftime, and Syracuse erased a 5 point deficit with just 26.5 seconds to play before Jackson stole the show. Syracuse fell to 9-1, while Cleveland State improved to 7-4.

I know its early, but Cleveland State is one of those "sleeper" teams I have in the back of my mind should they make it to the big dance. They haven't reached the tournament since 1986 (their only NCAA appearance in their history), but they made a strong run last year and earned an NIT berth. To be honest, they were snubbed last year after posting a 21-13 record. Cleveland State is definitely on my radar come March.

As a result of the buzzer beater, SportsCenter ran one of the best Top 10s in recent memory.

Top 10 Half-Court Heaves

The Most Exciting Player in College Hoops

The return of college basketball is always an amazing time of year. The passion, the determination, and the pride are what makes the college game so much more appealing to the fans than the NBA. All year we watch young stars showcase themselves to the NBA and try to run the table for the championship at the end of the year.

I personally root for UNC and I hate Duke. I always check to see how Penn is doing in the ivy league. Also, i follow some other cool teams and slowly fall in love with some new guys every year. In years past, Kevin Durant, Eric Gordon, Carmelo Anthony, etc, have been the guys that I couldn't get enough of and as this year moves forward, there is one player I'll be watching: Davidson's Stephon Curry.

You probably remember Stephon Curry from last year's March Madness, where he lead cinderella Davison to the elite eight and almost took down the eventual champ, Kansas in a heartbreaker. Unless you went to Davidson, you probably didn't see him coming. Now that the media has caught on, Curry has been getting some well deserved media attention too (here, here, here, and here).

Then to start this season, Curry has picked up right where he left off. Last night, he dropped 44(!) on Oklahoma with an array of drives and treys from all over the court. The most impressive points coming at the end of the game when he got a three off and in over monster freshman Blake Griffin. Davidson lost the game, but Curry made it a battle and must-see tv. Frankly, I'm embarrassed that I didn't list it on the side in our Must See TV This Week.

This season, Curry switched positions to play the point, partly because they lost their solild PG from last season and partly because it will improve his draft stock. He was slightly undersized for a SG and would be at a great disadvantage there in the NBA. But now, as a PG, Curry's stock is soaring up the draft board and his Davidson team is ranked #21 in the nation.

Stephon is a shoot-first guard, more of a combo guard in the model of Monte Ellis, Gilbert Arenas, or Dwayne Wade. Curry isn't as quick as Monte, but he has tremendous court awareness. Curry isn't the size of Arenas, but he is outstanding coming off screens and using his body to get in the right position to score. And Curry doesn't get to the rim like Wade, but he shoots the lights out from all over the court.

That sweet jumper is most impressive aspect of his game. Curry has a lightning quick release and can seemingly get his shot off anywhere at any time. Behind the arc, he is lethal from very, very deep. He never misses free throws and is one of the purest overall scorers in the country. Curry is wildly creative with ball in his hand and uses it to his advantage, scoring well with both hands.

Not only that, the kid showcases an award winning smile and appears to be a good, humble guy. Curry could have bolted for the NBA as a sophomore after last years March Madness showcase, but he chose to stay for his junior year and lead his teammates for another year. With Stephon Curry playing like he is, Davidson is now must-see tv everytime they play.