With the Basketball season over for the Geoducks, it’s time to look back on some of the highlights and great performances of the season. But for those of you who aren’t especially familiar with the Cascade Conference or our beloved Geoducks, here’s a few NBA equivalents who’s games and highlights these players show aspects of.
Zach Randolph Bruiser Award: Elsie Dickens III
Zach Randolph, a prep-to-the-pros bulldozer of a forward, has played for numerous teams since entering the league. In the last few years he has finally found a home in Memphis for his smash mouth brand of basketball. Coming off the bench for most of the season, Elsie Dickens III was one of the most physical and imposing Geoducks whenever he was on the floor. He was regularly leading the team in rebounds, including a season high 14 against Oregon Tech. Whether it was out working opponents with brawn grabbing boards or flashing great athleticism and smarts while finishing a lob off with skillful layup, Dickens III showed that he was one of the most well-rounded forwards in the conference.
Larry Johnson 4-pointer Award: KJ Hong
Ask most NBA die-hards whom they think of when they hear “four-point play” and most will tell you Larry Johnson. During his time with the Knicks, LJ had a memorably clutch four-point play against the Pacers in the playoffs. KJ Hong, in a fantastic double overtime game against Northwest, had not one, but two four point plays back to back to keep the Geoducks in the game. He finished the game with 20 points, scoring 15 in the second half when the Geoducks dominated Northwest on the way to forcing an overtime. Though Hong was out with an injury for most of the second half of the season, his presence was greatly missed.
Jeremy Lin Midseason Takeover Award: Frankie Johnson
It seems like ages ago, but it was just last year that Jeremy Lin was forced into starting for the Knicks after Baron Davis was injured. He immediately took the league by storm with his scoring and playmaking. The Geoducks struggled with injuries this past season, but no one exemplified the team’s incredible talent in the depth chart than Frankie Johnson. Forced into the starting lineup mid-season, Johnson lead the team in scoring in eight of the final nine games while regularly racking up team highs in assists and steals. Johnson, a first year transfer student, will definitely be a fixture on the team going forward.
Charles Barkley Rebounding Award: Jessica Denmon
Standing at 6 foot 6, it would seem unlikely that Charles Barkley would be one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history. He routinely out-rebounded players over 7 feet tall. Jessica Denmon stands about a foot shorter than Barkley but had a similar effect on Geoduck games. Even playing in the backcourt and usually the shortest player on the court, Denmon brought in 7.1 rebounds a game, good for second-best on the team.
Kevin Love Double-Double Award: Danielle Swain
Two years ago, Kevin Love became an NBA superstar with a deft shooting touch and phenomenal rebounding skills which lead to him setting a modern NBA record of 53 consecutive double-doubles. The Geoducks own double-double machine, Danielle Swain, had a superb season, leading the team in scoring and rebounding to go along with a team high of nearly 2 blocks a game. From the very first game when she put up 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks against Puget Sound, Swain dominated the glass while regularly outscoring her counterparts.
Larry Bird Stat Stuffer Award: Sammi Clark
Though it may be apocryphal, but supposedly Boston sports writers invented fantasy basketball in the mid-80’s based on how thoroughly Larry Bird filled up his stat sheet. Starting point guard Sammi Clark had more than a few games where she was flirting with a triple double while putting up great numbers across the board. Whether I was running the offense or locking down the best wing on the other team, Clark was all over the court contributing no matter the situation.
By David Lukashok
