Ben Hansbrough headlines list of best undrafted college players

To appreciate how little stock NBA franchises sometimes put in a draft prospect's college production, consider this example for a moment.

Among the players selected Thursday night was a little-known former Connecticut center who averaged a mere 2.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in his brief 26-game college career. Not so fortunate was last year's Big East Player of the Year.

That the Lakers selected Ater Majok with a second-round pick yet Ben Hansbrough went undrafted has to be extremely frustrating for the ex-Notre Dame standout. Hansbrough averaged 18.5 points per game as a senior and shot 45.1 percent from 3-point range, but NBA scouts apparently thought the 6-foot-3 guard lacked the upside, quickness or athleticism to merit even a throwaway second-round pick.

The only good news for Hansbrough is he's far from the only highly successful college player not to be selected in this year's draft. Here's a look at a list of the top college players who were not selected Thursday night the same way first-team All-American Scottie Reynolds, Duke star Jon Scheyer and Kansas standout Sherron Collins all went undrafted last June:

1. Ben Hansbrough, G, Sr., Notre Dame

Comment: The second-team All-American worked out for six NBA teams, but he still didn't hear his name called Thursday night as many teams preferred to draft foreign players they could stash in Europe in the late second round. At least Hansbrough will have a teammate who shares his pain: Notre Dame forward Carleton Scott also went undrafted.

2. Jacob Pullen, G, Sr. Kansas State

Comment: If the NBA draft has taught us anything over the years, it's that there's no place in the league for an undersized shooting guard. The 6-foot Pullen averaged 20 points per game and showcased deep range and tremendous heart the past two seasons, but he lacked the vision and passing skills to play point guard, and the size and wingspan to play off the ball.

3. Austin Freeman, G, Sr., Georgetown

Comment: The Big East's Preseason Player of the Year lived up to his press clippings, overcoming diabetes to average 17.6 points per game and lead the Hoyas to the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately for Freeman, that did little to change NBA scouts' opinion that he lacked the athleticism or the quickness to thrive in the NBA as a shooting guard.

4. Talor Battle, G, Sr., Penn State

Comment: It's no mystery why a kid who averaged 20.2 points and almost singlehandedly willed Penn State to the NCAA tournament went undrafted: His height. Battle worked out for� six NBA teams the past few weeks to attempt to prove that stigma wrong, but there's typically just no place in the NBA for a 5-foot-11 shooting guard.

5. Malcolm Delaney, G, Sr., Virginia Tech

Comment: The lone member of the All-ACC First Team not to be drafted, Delaney was another who lacked the size to play off ball in the NBA. The 6-foot-2 Virginia Tech star averaged at least 18 points each of the past three seasons and raised his 3-point percentage to 40.8 last season, but NBA teams were unconvinced he could set up his teammates as a point guard.

6. Matt Howard, F, Sr., Butler

Comment: Back-to-back appearances in the national title game and an ability to maximize his limited physical tools were not enough for Howard to persuade NBA teams he had a place in the league. The 6-foot-8 Howard averaged 16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds and shot 39.8 percent from 3-point range, but he lacks the size and athleticism of most NBA power forwards and is nowhere near quick enough to play on the perimeter.

7. Kalin Lucas, G, Sr., Michigan State

Comment: A season-ending Achilles injury in the 2010 NCAA tournament didn't help Lucas' NBA stock, nor did his erratic decision-making as a senior. Six-foot-1 guards need to prove they can run the point to have any chance to make it in the NBA, but Lucas posted his lowest assist-to-turnover ratio of his career and shot only 42.8 percent from the floor, sealing his fate to become an undrafted free agent.

8. Rick Jackson, F, Sr., Syracuse

Comment: Considering the 6-foot-9 Jackson has sufficient size to play in the paint in the NBA and averaged a double-double as a senior, the NBA's lack of interest in him is more mysterious than some of the above players. He lacks elite athleticism and a mid-range game, and his conditioning isn't a strength, but typically there's a place in the league for someone who rebounds as well as Jackson.

Honorable mention: David Lighty, F, Ohio State; Dwight Hardy, G., Sr., St. John's; Corey Fisher, G, Sr., Villanova; LaceDarius Dunn, G, Sr., Baylor; Demetri McCamey, G, Sr., Illinois.

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CrossFit Blaze: We Burn It Down

“I found CrossFit through lifestyle being horrible, starting to want to lose weight, get in better shape,” says Jason Anderson, the co-owner of CrossFit Blaze in Naples, Fla. He says he started with bodybuilding and didn’t see much change in body composition until he altered his food intake. Then, Anderson found CrossFit. He looked into the program, watched the videos and was immediately hooked.

“All of a sudden, it just came natural to me. It really felt like what I was, what we were doing, was right,” Anderson says.

Coming from a poor health background has given Anderson a unique perspective as a fitness coach.

“My journey also helped me help others with their journey,” he says.

CrossFit Blaze has grown through the support of its community members.

“I’ve tried to stay as true to the CrossFit methodology as I can because I believe in that organic growth,” he says. “Especially in a smaller town, that organic growth just happens because the word of mouth is so much smaller than a town like Miami, like Las Vegas, like L.A.”

Anderson’s advice to others thinking of opening their own affiliate is this: “Don’t do it alone because it won’t work.” He believes teamwork is key to managing all the facets of a burgeoning business.

10min 33sec

Additional reading: The Story Behind the Success by Jeremy Thiel, published Sept. 27, 2009.

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Winning the Open: Part 1

In 2010, former sprinter Dan Bailey won the Ohio Sectional after only a few months of CrossFitting. That performance was even more impressive considering the field included eventual 2010 Games winner Graham Holmberg and other top athletes. However, Bailey failed to place at regionals last year after a bad cramp took him out of contention for the top spots.

This year, Bailey has more CrossFit experience, and he’s going into the Central East Regional hot. Finishing first overall in the Reebok CrossFit Games Open, he notched his win by just one point over Josh Bridges.

Before the Open wrapped, the cameras were at CrossFit Legacy to catch Bailey’s preparation for the final workout. The Ohio resident shows how methodically he approached the Open workouts, and it’s clear ample preparation was key.

“There’s no questions going into Saturday. It’s like, ‘I’m ready. I’m prepared. There’s nothing else I can do. Let’s go do the workout,’” he says.

Unfortunately, Bailey’s 139-rep initial attempt at 11.6 was not enough to hold first place, but he says he’s not giving up that easily.

“To hang onto (the lead) for this long, I don’t want to lose it. Like, it’s just … that kind of internal fire,” he says.

21min 52sec

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Additional reading: Catching Up With Dan Bailey.

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Headlinin?: Ohio coaches unite behind Tressel fashion tribute

Making the morning rounds.

? Except for the major rules violations that derailed his career and reputation, he's just the kind of coach we all aspire to be. A coach from Solon, Ohio, has submitted a proposal to the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association asking all head coaches in the state to wear a white shirt and tie in honor of disgraced Ohio State coach Jim Tressel for the first week of games later this year. The gesture is intended as a nod to Tressel "for all he did to help (the OHSFCA) and high school football while he was the head coach at Ohio State," and is not mandatory. [Dayton Daily News]

? Another Devil down. Senior defensive end James Brooks, a two-year starter, is leaving Arizona State for "personal reasons." Brooks finished 2010 with 7.5 tackles for loss and not one but two blocked extra points at the end of the Sun Devils' improbable win over Arizona last November, but the impact of his loss is cumulative: Including ACL injuries to cornerback Omar Bolden and receiver T.J. Simpson in the spring, the Sun Devils are now down three senior starters since being anointed the early frontrunner in the Pac-12 South. [Arizona Republic]

? Denied. A North Carolina judge has rejected a request for injunction that might have allowed ex-Tar Heel defensive end Michael McAdoo to rejoin the team this fall, likely bringing McAdoo's college career to an official end. McAdoo was seeking the injunction as part of a lawsuit against the NCAA and the University of North Carolina challenging the NCAA's decision to declare him permanently ineligible for alleged academic fraud last year, a decision McAdoo's lawyer called "stubborn and inexplicable" despite some pretty compelling evidence to the contrary. [Raleigh News & Observer]

? And I was hoping they'd take it to the Supreme Court. In other legal news, the nation was denied the Trial of the Century Wednesday when San Mateo County (Calif.) prosecutors decided to drop criminal charges against Deshon Marman, the 20-year-old New Mexico safety who captured America's heart last month when he was arrested after refusing to pull up his baggy pants on a US Airways flight.

"My belief is if we took this into a courtroom with 12 members of our community on our jury, they would tell me, 'Come on guys, you have more important things to spend your time on,'" District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the Associated Press. "And I share that view." Obviously, those 12 members of the community aren't the kind who leave comments on the Internet. [Associated Press]

? A bell tolls in Atlanta. Georgia Tech expects to receive a notice of allegations today for unspecified NCAA violations. Tech is barely removed from the end of its last run-in with Big Brother, when it was hit with significant scholarship losses in the 2005-07 recruiting classes for playing 17 ineligible players in 1998-99, which wasn't uncovered until 2003. [Atlanta Journal Constitution]

? Overseeing the Pac-10's worst offense really pays off. UCLA will pay Norm Chow $500,000 in 2011, according to newly released university documents, even though Chow is now calling plays in Utah. With the half-million buyout from the Bruins and a $550,000 salary in his new gig, Chow will bring in more than any other offensive coordinator in the country this year, and more than twice as much as UCLA's new coordinators ? Mike Johnson on offense and Joe Tresey on defense ? combined. [Los Angeles Times]

Quickly? Nate "Yes That Montana" Montana pleads guilty to DUI in his newly adopted state, Montana. ... West Virginia offensive lineman Josh Jenkins is out for the season with a lingering knee injury he suffered in the spring game. ? Georgia defensive end Derrick Lott will be out four to six weeks after suffering deep lacerations to his leg in a scooter accident. ? Another oversigning complaint in South Carolina. ? Jeff Tedford on his relationship with Willie Lyles. ? And what's so ridiculous about - - -

Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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Accomplishment of a 10-Year Goal

“I think I am a good testimony to the fact that CrossFit … no matter when you start, you’ll see at the least 10 years of adaptation,” says Greg Amundson, the “original firebreather.”

Sevan Matossian catches up with Amundson to talk about CrossFitting for a decade. Amundson is a 10-year veteran of the CrossFit program, and he is still improving.

“I train harder now more than ever,” he says. “My capacity, my fitness, has immensely increased.”

According to Greg, he has even remained injury-free.

“All it takes is a little bit of appreciation for the fact that these workouts are designed to humble the world’s greatest athletes, and when you can realize that, when you can approach a workout with that knowledge and scale it for your level, it’s the world’s safest fitness program,” he says.

Amundson says he always strives to make PRs, but no one can break records all the time.

“If we find ourselves plateauing in one area, shift focus,” he says.

Amundson cites CrossFit’s Sports Series as a great opportunity to grow your fitness.

“We can be improving in our fitness for the rest of our life,” he says.

11min 37sec

Additional reading: Forging Elite Leadership by Greg Amundson, published April 18, 2011.

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Warming Up With Rory and Nick

HQ’s Rory McKernan and Aspen CrossFit’s Nick Massie show how to train an injured elite athlete safely.

CrossFitter T.J. Gulla is a world-class snowcross athlete who has been injured and needs some targeted mobility work and a thorough warm-up. Watch these coaches in action as they work with the injured athlete and provide new training tips anyone can use to spice up their warm-up and mobility routine.

In Part 1, McKernan takes Gulla and a small group through a series of stretches including lunges, groiners, deep squats, boot strappers, under-the-fence shifts, inchworms, active downward-dog yoga poses and various leg raises.

In Part 2, Massie takes Gulla through a series of mobility exercises to target his specific needs.

“This is mainly myofascial treatment, where we’re going to just kind of loosen up the fibers around the muscles, the myofascial fibers,” Massie says. Massie uses a technique that has been developed by Kelly Starrett, the supple leopard behind MobilityWod.

Massie target’s Gulla’s hips, quads, groin and IT bands. Then he moves Gulla onto his back for some “informed freestyling” using balls and foam rollers for Gulla to target specific tight spots in his shoulders and back.

“Manage the pain and move around to where it feels like you’re accomplishing something,” Massie says. “It’s like a super-deep massage, but you’re doing it yourself.”

9min 25sec

Additional reading: Stretch for Optimum Performance—Before the WOD by Gus Patel, published March 9, 2011.

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Beyond the CrossFit Games: Part 3

Hilary Achauer explains how Matt Lodin used the Reebok CrossFit Games Open as rehab.

It happened in the middle of Nasty Girls, an infamous WOD that is 3 rounds for time of 50 squats, 7 muscle-ups and 10 135-lb. hang power cleans. Matt Lodin was at the end of the second round, coming out of a muscle-up. As he landed, he felt a sharp, eye-searing pain in his left knee and collapsed to the ground. He tried to get up and move on to the power cleans, but he couldn’t straighten his leg.

Matt went to the doctor the next day and got the news. He had dislocated his patella and shredded the meniscus in his left knee. The only option was surgery—disappointing news only a month before the CrossFit Games Open competition.

“When the doctor told me I needed surgery, I had to figure out if I was going to hold off and go through the Games without the ability to fully extend my knee or lose some conditioning and hope to be fully recovered by regionals,” Matt said.

Once the CrossFit Games Open schedule was revealed as a six-week, worldwide competition, Matt made his decision:

“I was going to get my surgery done when the Open started and use the six weeks of competition as my rehab.”

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