Smallest Man On the Court, Comes Up Big

When I tuned in last night to (1) Kentucky at South Carolina, I did so because I hadn’t seen them in a little while and I wanted to seee how their 4 potential 1st round picks in this June’s NBA draft were doing. PG John Wall and F/C DeMarcus Cousins did not disappoint, both having great games. While F Patrick Patterson and G Eric Bledsoe were both relatively quiet, they flashed talent that has NBA scouts salivating. Even with 4 potential lottery picks on the floor, the most impressive player and the guy who couldn’t be stopped was South Carolina’s PG Devan Downey.

Wall stands 6’4″ and is the prototypical size for an NBA point guard. And despite being a true freshman, Wall is one of the front runners for Player of the Year and easily considered the best point guard in College Basketball. His backup/back court mate Eric Bledsoe is 6’1″ and is thought of as potentially the 2nd best point guard in the nation. Last night though, it was pretty evident who the best point guard on the floor (in the nation) was, Devan Downey. Downey stands at just 5’9″ (I’m going to go out on a limb here and say he’s probably more like 5’8″), but could not be stopped by the bigger Wall or Bledsoe, one of whom was on Downey all night.

Downey went for 30 points last night, and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Downey’s stat line doesn’t tell the whole story, as he literally carried the Gamecocks on his back to a 68-62 upset over the number 1 ranked team in the nation. His drive and determination were 2nd to none, and his heart made up for any size disadvantage on the court. Overall it was one of the gutsiest performances I’ve seen on a basketball court in quite sometime. While this might be the highpoint in the Gamecocks season this year, I hope people will take notice of Downey and look past his size and see just how good he is.

Now I know a 5’9″ (5’8″) point guard is unlikely to make it in the NBA, no matter how many times he can’t be stopped by Wall/Bledsoe (or any other guard in the country). But Downey should be an exception to that standard. Someone should draft Downey come June, and whoever does could get great value out of the 2nd round pick. He may never be a star at the next level because of his size, but his heart will allow him to play in the NBA.  Downey won’t be the biggest player on the court, but he’ll play like it, if you give him the chance.