Dartmouth opponent spotlight: Pattman picks up where he left off

The last few years have been anything but consistent for Dartmouth basketball.

The Big Green have finished everywhere in the standings from third down to last, with Ivy League records ranging from .500 to .071.

And when the current seniors began their careers, Terry Dunn was not yet the team's coach.

For the last four years, there has been one constant in Hanover: Leon Pattman.

Pattman has been the Big Green's brightest star in what has, for the most part, been a series of dark years for Dartmouth hoops.

In his freshman campaign, Dartmouth ended up a miserable 1-13. But by any other measure, it was a successful season for Pattman. He averaged 28.7 minutes, led the team in scoring with 13.2 per game, and missed leading the team in rebounding by .1 per game.

The rest of the conference took note of the freshman from Memphis's accomplishments: He earned Ivy League rookie of the week six times, including four weeks in a row, and walked away with Rookie of the Year honors.

A groin injury late during his freshman year forced two missed games and slightly reduced minutes, but cost him almost all of his sophomore season.

After four games that year, the nagging injury caused the reigning rookie of the year to leave the team, stunning Dartmouth basketball fans. It was an unfortunately timed loss for the Big Green: They had won seven Ivy League games, including five straight - their most promising chance at the Ivy title in years.

But after the season, with his injury on the mend and Dartmouth looking a bit more like a legitimate contender, Pattman returned to the court.

And the current season may be his most successful yet.

After missing the first six games to a sprained ankle, Pattman quickly got back into the swing of things. Besides his team-leading 16.8 points per game - among the league's best - he is near the top of Dartmouth's stats in rebounding, steals and assists. Pattman's .451 three-point shooting percentage is also along the top in the Ivies.

This is also possibly the best opportunity yet for a strong year for Pattman to coincide with a strong year for his team. Dartmouth dropped its first six games - the ones that Pattman missed - then went six of seven. The Big Green have dropped three in a row since winning two of their first three league games, but with the parity in the league this year, there's still a significant chance for a top-half finish.

If the Big Green do accomplish this, Pattman will undoubtedly be a big part of it.

Of late, Pattman has looked particularly dangerous as a versatile scoring threat, shooting just around .450 from both two- and three-point range.

Regardless of the strength of Pattman's play, Dartmouth will be a severe underdog tonight against the Quakers.

If Pattman's on his game, though, he certainly has the potential to make the Quakers work for their win. Or he might even earn one himself.

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