Rowan Kavner
LOS ANGELES – It’s NCAA Tournament time, and the Clippers have a long list of players who know what it’s like to participate in one of the most anticipated sporting events in the year.
Some players got multiple shots at making long runs, while others didn’t get any taste at the tournament. In total, though, 11 current Clippers players got to take part in the NCAA Tournament while they were at college.
Glen Davis’ LSU Tigers got as far as the Final Four, knocking out J.J. Redick’s Duke Blue Devils in Redick’s senior season along the way. Big Baby still remembers what the feeling was like to nearly take LSU, which hadn’t gone to a Final Four since 1985-86, the entire distance.
“It was just such an awesome experience, especially when people don’t think you’re going to get there,” Davis remembered.
Head coach Doc Rivers said he likes watching the tournament, and even if he can’t see as many games as he’d like to while the Clippers try to close the regular season out strong, he likes seeing the passion of the college athletes.
“If I have a day off, I like watching it,” Rivers said. “It’s just about the excitement and the pure emotions from some of the young kids.”
Rivers’ son, Austin, didn’t have the tournament experience he would’ve liked, as Lehigh upset Duke in his only year in the tournament before going pro. But the experience he gained from playing on the big stage at Duke and in the tournament was invaluable.
“Being at that stage at Duke definitely does help you when you get to the NBA,” Austin Rivers said. “In the NBA, whether you’re on ESPN or not, people know what you did. In college, people don’t pay attention unless you’re on that big stage.”
The NCAA Tournament certainly provides the big stage, and two other former Duke Blue Devils, Redick and Dahntay Jones, got to make longer tournament runs during their college tenures.
Here’s a look at how the teams of the Clippers players who made the NCAA Tournament when they were in college performed.
Chris Paul – Wake Forest went to the NCAA Tournament both seasons Paul played there. The Demon Deacons made it to the Sweet 16 in 2004 before losing to St. Joseph’s, which is the farthest they’ve gone since he’s been in there. The next year, Wake Forest lose in the second round to West Virginia, despite 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds from Paul.
Blake Griffin – Oklahoma also went to the tournament both seasons Griffin played there, making it to the second round in 2008 before a loss to Louisville and all the way to the Elite Eight in 2009. The Sooners lost that season to North Carolina, despite 23 points and 16 rebounds from Griffin.
DeAndre Jordan – The center made his one season at Texas A&M count, going to the second round in 2008 before a two-point loss to a UCLA team that featured Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Darren Collison.
J.J. Redick – The college star, who finished his career as the all-time leading scorer at Duke, went to the tournament all four seasons. That included three trips to the Sweet 16 and another to the Final Four. Redick scored 15 points in that Final Four game, but the Blue Devils lost by a point to Connecticut. Redick averaged 19.9 points per game in 139 career college games.
Matt Barnes – Barnes played four seasons at UCLA and went to the tournament each of those years. After losing in the first round, UCLA then recorded three straight Sweet 16 appearances. Barnes scored 23 points in his final game against Missouri in 2002.
Austin Rivers – Rivers described it as “one of the worst feelings,” as he only went once to the NCAA Tournament and his Duke Blue Devils got upset by Lehigh in the first round in 2012, despite 19 points from Rivers, who felt Duke took the opponent for granted. Rivers would go on after that lone season to the NBA Draft, getting picked 10th overall.
Glen Davis – The LSU Tigers lost in the first round in 2005 with Big Baby, but his group redeemed itself a year later by making a deep run all the way to the Final Four in 2006. That marked LSU’s first Final Four trip since 1985-86, and Davis’ Tigers ended Redick’s career along the way by beating Duke in the Sweet 16.
CJ Wilcox – Wilcox redshirted in 2010, when Washington lost in the Sweet 16 to West Virginia with a team that included Isaiah Thomas, Quincy Pondexter and Justin Holiday. The next year, Wilcox’s Huskies made it to the second round before losing to North Carolina by just three points. Wilcox had 11 points in 19 minutes off the bench in that game, and Washington hasn’t been back to the NCAA Tournament since.
Ekpe Udoh – After transferring over from Michigan, Udoh led the way in his lone tournament appearance, helping Baylor all the way to the Elite Eight, where the Bears lost by seven points to Duke. Udoh had 18 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five blocks in that game. Udoh said he still keeps in touch with Tweety Carter, who plays basketball overseas.
Dahntay Jones – After transferring over from Rutgers, Jones’ Duke Blue Devils made two Sweet 16 appearances while he was there in the early 2000s. In 2002, Duke lost by one point to Indiana, before losing by four points a year later to Kansas despite Jones scoring 23 points. Jones, a senior, led the Blue Devils in scoring that year, while Redick, a freshman, was second on the team.
Nate Robinson – Robinson played three seasons at the University of Washington, making two NCAA Torunament appearances. Washington lost in the first round in 2004 but made a trip all the way to the Sweet 16 a year later, losing to Louisville. Since Robinson left, Washington’s made it as far as the Sweet 16 two times but hasn’t gone further.
