We have watched diaper dandy after diaper dandy making an impact on the collegiate scene this season. They have become household names, guys like O.J. Mayo, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Kevin Love, Kyle Singler and the beat goes on. Gordon was injured and sat out during last Saturday's Indiana win over Kentucky in blowout city.
One freshman who has received no publicity, despite being on fire, is a superstar in the making. Let's go down to South Florida, where Stan Heath is doing a good job rebuilding the program. His Bulls are sporting a seven-game win streak and one key reason for the run is the play of diaper dandy Dominique Jones. The 6-4 guard out of Lake Wales High School in the Sunshine State is averaging 28.3 points in his last three contests, as well as shooting at least 50 percent from the field in each of those games.
Jones had 25 points in a recent win over a tough UAB team. Prior to that he became the first Big East player to score 30-plus points in consecutive games since a guy named Allen Iverson at Georgetown. After opening the season 0-3, South Florida has been rolling.
This is a school which made noise earlier this season when the football program rose up to No. 2 in the national rankings due to head coach Jim Leavitt's hard work.
Heath is a workaholic, much like Leavitt, and he was what the doctor ordered for an ailing hoops program. He's going to feel some pain when conference play starts as the Big East is loaded.
Jones' scoring and ballhandling ability has really lifted South Florida. The Bulls also earned a win over Florida State earlier this season. Jones is going to become a star in the Big East ... remember his name.
Another diaper dandy making major contributions right away. This is the deepest freshman class in my 29 years of calling games at ESPN. My friends, they are difference makers ... go ask Heath about Mr. Jones!
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
