Princeton gets some props

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When ESPN color commentator, studio analyst and basketball writer Jay Bilas released a list of "the most respected" college basketball players in the country today, I did not expect to see any Ivy Leaguers. I was wrong.

Halfway down Bilas' list is Princeton's Kareem Maddox, about whom Bilas had this to say:

Kareem Maddox, Princeton: A senior who has seen the depths and is now leading his team toward the Ivy heights, Maddox has worked hard to become a versatile player with the most unique skill set in the Ivy League. He can post it, handle it and drive it, and he is a very good passer. On the other end, Maddox can guard inside or on the perimeter and is a great teammate that will do whatever is asked of him, including coming off the bench.

I'm not sure where the "respected" part comes in here - Bilas defined a respected player as one who "is admired for more than just his talent and skill" yet raves about his talent and skills - but I can definitely confirm that he's right on in his assessment based on what I saw Feb. 8 in the Penn-Princeton game. Maddox jumps out on the stat sheet - he's averaging 13.2 points (on 59-percent shooting), 7.2 rebounds and 2 blocks per game - and jumped out to me when I watched him in person.

Looking at those numbers, I expected to see a traditional big man working down low. Instead, Maddox was a force inside and outside, continually facing up in the post and taking his man off the dribble. He filled the stat sheet against Penn with 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks. He only put up 8 points on 3-for-7, but it seemed like he could have scored much more with the way he could blow by Penn defenders at will. On other nights, Maddox has been on fire; he's already posted a 10-for-13, 8-for-12, 8-for-11 and 9-for-10 game this season. Most recently, he shot 8-for-10 and scored 23 points to lead Princeton past Cornell, 57-55, and improve the Tigers' league record to 7-0.

The point is, I don't know where this kid came from (he averaged just 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds last year), but he may be the frontrunner for the Ivy Player of the Year award, as there is no one in the league like him.