D3hoops.com: Notables

By Matt Florjancic
D3sports.com

WADSWORTH, Ohio -- At the beginning of the week, if someone would have said a 2007 Final Four rematch of sorts would take place and a last-minute alternate would get the call to participate in the second-annual Collegiate Basketball Invitational, the response may have been, "You're crazy."

On the first day of the Collegiate Basketball Invitational, an event where NCAA Division II, III and NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) men's basketball players get a chance to play in front of professional scouts, James Cooper from Wooster and Amherst's Andrew Olson met once again on the hardwood.

Instead of playing for a national championship berth, the two D3hoops.com First Team All-American guards were opponents in this three-day festival of basketball. Cooper won the battle, but his team lost the game. Olson's MBM Logistechs Team (1-1) defeated Cooper and Team Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital (0-2) 96-87.

The second-leading scoring in Wooster Fighting Scot history finished the nightcap with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He knocked down 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. When he was not shooting the basketball, Cooper handed out two assists, grabbed two steals and battled his way to a rebound.

"It's a little different," Cooper said of facing Olson one final time. "It's not as serious as the Final Four. It's all for fun here. I wanted to win it all. Obviously, we can't because we lost two games. Now, (I want) to have fun. That's what it's all about.

"It's crazy," Cooper said of the competition. "Everybody can shoot. Everybody can run. Everybody can jump. It's great competition here."

In his first game of the day, a 99-78 loss to the City of Wadsworth Team, Cooper scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and tallied three assists.

Olson was also consistent on the offensive end of the floor. The former Lord Jeff, who helped Amherst win 2007 National Championship, scored six points in each game. He earned three assists in the first contest and had five more in the second. Olson finished the first day of competition with nine rebounds.

"At first, you're overwhelmed with how great of an event this really is," said Olson. "Once you step on the court, then it's just basketball. We're all having a good time, trying to win games and we're all out here for the same reason.

"It's a great time," he added. "It's a lot lighter note to see some of these guys and actually talk to them. A lot of us, we realize the opportunity to potentially play basketball next year [is there]. That's a goal, but it's kind of a way to end your college career on a high note."

Aurora's Larry Welton joined Cooper on the Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital team for the two games. Welton averaged ten points and 1.5 rebounds on Day One of the CBI.

While Cooper and Olson were renewing a rivalry, another Division III standout had other plans for the week. A phone call and late travel arrangements allowed Southern Vermont forward Nick Harrington to play against the nation's elite. It also gives Harrington one final shot to impress domestic and international scouts.

"They called me Tuesday morning about 11:30 and said, ‘You've got to be here the next day,'" Harrington said. "They told me it was like good news, bad news. I said ‘That's both good news.' I missed practice because my plane came in late, but I got here and I played hard.

"There's a bunch of guys here who can really ball," he added. "I see why it's called the best of the best. It's almost like a McDonald's All-American game. Hopefully, come October, I should be in Europe somewhere."

Harrington made headlines earlier this season when he scored 37 points and collected 33 rebounds in an 88-77 home victory against Mitchell. He continued putting up impressive totals, tallying 26 points and 12 rebounds in his first two games at the CBI.

Troy Ruths from Washington U. and Guilford's Ben Strong were two other D3hoops.com First Team All-Americans who were selected to play in the event.

"It's been a lot of fun coming here and playing with players from other divisions," Ruths said following his second game of the day. "It's fun to get out on the court and really push it hard. I'm a different kind of play than this thing requires. We don't spread the floor at all. We really don't have good spacing. It's mainly for athletic slashers and shooters. I don't really fall into those categories.

"Coming into this, I wasn't really sure if I wanted to go play afterwards," he added. "I feel like I've accomplished everything I want to accomplish in basketball. I'm really just enjoying myself."

Ruths scored 16 points in his first game against the First Merit Team. He added 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting as Team Galaxy (0-2) fell to the Renacci-Doraty Chevrolet Team (1-1) 104-99 in Game Five of the day.

Strong took some time to adjust. After struggling in his first appearance, Strong showed why he was voted one of the five best players in Division III during the 2007-2008 season. The Guilford senior scored 14 points, collected eight rebounds and passed for three assists in the victory over Cooper and Team Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital.

Earlier in the day, Strong battled against the Louis Perry and Associates Team (1-0). In 22 minutes off the bench, Hardin-Simmons center Mardochee Jean scored 12 points and pulled in 13 rebounds in a 95-78 win over MBM Logistechs.

With some players trying to show scouts their ability to shoot from beyond the arc or soar through the air for highlight-reel dunks and offensive rebounds, Anthony Williams of Plattsburgh State wanted to carry the banner for Division III.

"It's real good competition," said Williams, a two-time State University of New York Athletic Conference Player of the Year. "I'm just out here trying to represent my school, the community and most of all, represent Division III.

"(I'm here) to show everybody that D-III basketball is a very competitive level and that we could play with these guys on the court. I think I'm showing that."