Add Lynn Greer and Pepe Sanchez to the list of good Temple guards who did nothing in the NBA.
One of my pet peeves (the board will get to know them all, eventually) - is the disrespect for a players accomplishements at one level, because of a percieved failure at another - whether it be a high school player who doesn't make a major impact in college, or a college player who doesn't make it in the pros. Tho a lot of similarities, High School, NAIA, D-III, D-II, D-I, NBA and Euro Basketball are DIFFERENT animals. It's why a guy who wasn't a high school star can be a star college player, and why a STAR high school player doesn't make a big impact in college. But it shouldn't impact how he is perceived at the level he WAS successful.
I'm sure St. Johns fans know what I'm talking about. Walter Berry was the Wooden Award winner. The AP College Player of the Year in 1986. He was a GREAT college player. But because he WASN'T a star in the NBA, folks have diminished his accomplishments as a Collegiate. This happens a lot. For SJU there's Mel Davis. LeRoy Ellis - INCREDIBLE college players, who don't get the respect they're due when discussion of great college players comes around because of what they DIDN'T accomplish outside of college. Ask someone in their 50s about a guy named Mel Counts, and they'll tell you about a journeyman, gawky reserve center from the NBA. Ask someone in their SIXTIES, and you MIGHT hear about the Greatest Player EVER in Oregon College history (yeah - greater than Gary Payton) - the TWO time All American, Gold Medal Olympian - the guy who averaged 21 pts and 16 rebs as a Junior, and 27 pts and 17 rebs as a Senior, leading his team to the final four. A truly GREAT collegiate, who in LA is a joke - the player you cite when you want to denigrate someone, because of his years as a backup center for the Celtics.
And it works in reverse. I've had folks tell me Charles Barkley was a GREAT college player. They seem stunned when I point out that his BEST year at Auburn was 15 pts and 9 rebs. And they tend to look at me funny when my all time North Carolina team doesn't include a guy named Jordan - cause to put him there I'd have to omit either Billy Cunningham at SF or Charlie Scott at SG - and he didn't earn THAT till he played in the pros (27 pts 9 rebs, broke the color barrier at UNC for Scott, 26pts 16 rebs for the Kangaroo Kid, Cunningham) - and THAT'S leaving off Lenny Rosenblath, who gave them 27 pts and 11 rebs a game for his 3 year career. I CAN'T justify a 17pt 5 rebs 1.8 assist guy over them. Yes he won a title as a 13 pt frosh - with Perkins and Worthy - but couldn't get them back to the Final Four with Perkins gone....
Oh well. Meds are finally kicking in - 4:30 am - MAYBE I can get some sleep...