Hart Surgery: RedMo

By: Micah Hart

With the start of the Sweet Sixteen and the second round of the NCAA Tournament this weekend, two of college basketball’s brightest stars could conceivably be taking the court for the last time.JJ Redick, the senior sharpshooter and resident Public Enemy #1 for Duke University, and Adam Morrison, the (somewhat) mustachioed offensive genius from Gonzaga, have wowed fans all across the country all season long with their offensive heroics, staging a battle for the individual scoring title that has captivated the nation.

Currently, these two are on top of the world. Neither can do anything wrong in the eyes of their supporters, and even those who hate them (and there are many, especially Redick) begrudgingly admit their dominance.

Each has had a remarkable career so far and carved out a place for themselves in the annals of the history of college basketball.

And if I could offer each of them one piece of advice, it would be this: enjoy it while it lasts.

I may not know much, but I do know this - Redick and Morrison, in their entire lives, will never have it better.

As college basketball players, they have conquered their immediate kingdoms. To watch either of them play is to realize they are clearly the best players on their respective courts at all times. But once they leave the comfort of their dormitories, the fun is all over.

All they need to do is look at what has happened to Texas QB Vince Young to see what their futures have in store.

Not even three months ago, Young was the best player in college football. Coming off the performance of a lifetime and having led his team to the national title, he declared his candidacy for the NFL Draft.

It has been downhill for Young ever since.

Once considered a contender for the top pick, consistent negative press has some saying he may drop to the middle of the first round if not further (granted, his family will still be able to eat if this happens, but it’s still a shocking turn of events).

Questions about his throwing motion, his intelligence (let’s just say, based on his Wonderlic score, he probably isn’t high on Mensa’s recruiting list), and his choices (he eschewed going with a proven agent, hiring family friend Major Adams to tend to his affairs) have seemingly erased the memories of his dominant Rose Bowl performance.

Redick and Morrison, this is your life.

The people who praise you now will be only-too-happy to knock you down the second you leave your dorm rooms.

JJ, you averaged 28 ppg this year? So what. Can you guard Kobe Bryant?

Adam, you hit for 40+ five times? Who cares. What about your diabetes?

That’s not to say those questions aren’t warranted, nor are the jabs at Young without merit either.

But that’s my point. Despite the intense media coverage it generates and the passions it stirs, the college game is still inherently for fun. Though some college athletes go on to careers in their sport, a vast majority do not.

We celebrate events like the NCAA Tournament, where the thrill of victory and agony of defeat are clearly represented on the players’ faces. It is a much more visceral experience, both for the players and the fans.

In the pros, everything is different. The money changes everything. Sure, losing in the playoffs can be devastating, but several million dollars (not to mention the groupies) can go a long way towards easing the pain. We are constantly reminded of the business of sport. Adam Vinitieri was nearly synonymous with the New England Patriots - now he will kick for Indianapolis. Johnny Damon was famously an “Idiot” in Boston. Now he’s just another Yankee jackass.

But Redick will always be a Dookie, and Morrison is forever a Zag.

Athletes dream of the day they first step on the court in the NBA or catch their first pass in the NFL, and there are certainly perils to risking injury and finishing your eligibility.

But there is something to be said for enjoying your time while you have it. Matt Leinart realized this, and parlayed his senior year into an orgiastic feast for the senses. Or at least I like to think he did.

JJ Redick has no choice but to leave. As a senior, he will finish his college career in the next couple weeks no matter what. Adam Morrison is only a junior though. He has the option to return for another year of fawning fans and Dick Vitale whispering sweet nothings in his ear (or more likely, shouting them hysterically).

Should he stay or should he go? The smart money says grab what you can while you can.

But on the days when the media reports have Morrison sliding further and further down the draft charts (and trust me, those days will come), knocking him for his defensive skills and his lack of a quick first step, he will begin to miss the innocence of the college game, and yearn for the good ole’ days when he grew a mustache just to see how ugly he could make himself and still get laid (isn’t that the only explanation for it?).

As we watch JJ and Adam compete in the Big Dance for the last time, let’s take the time to appreciate them for what they are now and not worry about what they will or will not become.

Their time is now, and they should cherish it forever.

Just ask Vince.

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Micah Hart is an original contributor to the CSR, and works in sports media in Atlanta. Micah can be reached at micahbhart@yahoo.com. He reminds you to Hook 'em Horns.

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