Matthew Kredell broke into the Daily News in 1998, working part time
at the paper while going to USC. The basketball team’s Elite Eight
run in 2000-01 was USC’s athletic highlight in his time at the
school, when the football team was stuck in the Paul Hackett-era.
After graduating in 2001, he started writing for the Daily News full
time. He’s in his second year covering USC, which coincides with the
rise of the program. He’ll take credit for the success, though Tim
Floyd may have more to do with it. A third-generation Los Angelean,
he grew up reading the Daily News while at El Camino Real High School
in Woodland Hills.
Young's draft status
After leading USC in scoring over the first two NCAA Tournament games, Nick Young's NBA stock is on the rise.
Previously thought of as a borderline first-round selection, Young now projects as going ninth overall to Minnesota on the Web site nbadraft.net.
``I haven't seen that, I've just been concentrating on practice,'' Young said. ``But hopefully I can improve on that. The more national attention we get, the more everyone is in the spotlight.''
While that prediction may be high, there is no doubt that Young has helped himself in March. With plenty of NBA personnel in attendance Sunday to watch Texas forward Kevin Durant, Young scored 22 points.
Though he went up high for a slam dunk that put an exclamation point on the game during USC's 19-3 second-half run, his most impressive play for scouts likely was when he came up to grab a rebound over Durant in the lane and made a quick turnaround jumper.
North Carolina is another team with top draft prospects in forwards Brandan Wright, Reyshawn Terry and Tyler Hansbrough, meaning Young will be in the spotlight again Friday.
But after going through tough times at USC, including a last-place finish in the Pacific-10 Conference two years ago as a freshman, Young is too ecstatic to be in the Sweet 16 to be thinking about draft status right now.
``Me and Gabe (Pruitt) have been talking about this all day, that it hasn't hit us yet that we're really in the Sweet 16,'' Young said. ``The Trojans are in the Sweet 16.''
Young, who played high school ball at Cleveland High of Reseda, didn't have any family make it to Spokane, Wash., last weekend. However, his father Charles, mother Mae and brother Terrell have made their plans to be in East Rutherford, N.J., for Friday's game.
Comments
first and foremost... nbadraft.net is garbage.
but i do agree with the fact that Nick's stocks are on the rise. i really hope he stays one more year. the lineup of pruitt, mayo, young, gibson, and jefferson are just down right scary.
whatever his decision, i will give him full support.
ps. good job on the blog matthew. keep em' coming.
Posted by: wordup | March 21, 2007 3:13 AM