Dec. 26
In college athletics, as in any sport, you like to have guys who are durable. You want guys who have stamina, who want to play and be on the court every minute.

It reminds me of one of my favorite athletes of all time, Cal Ripken Jr. I had one of the biggest thrills of my life this year when I got to present Cal a gift when he came to play the Devil Rays in his farewell tour.

Lynn Greer has been the catalyst for Temple. He almost never takes a breather.

Let me tell you, Cal also has a love for basketball. He is one special competitor; he came to the ballpark every day to put on the uniform and give it his all. He wanted nothing more than to trot out to shortstop, and later third base, never begging off because of a stomachache, headache or hangnail.

Ripken was a gamer who had the respect of his teammates and peers.

In college hoops, there are also guys who want to stay on the floor and log lots of minutes. They are vital to their teams' success. That's why they are members of my All-Cal Ripken team.

Check out the minutes of Lynn Greer of Temple. He has been the catalyst for the Owls, and he almost never takes a breather. He's the key to John Chaney's offensive and defensive system. Greer is especially tough in the meaningful games.

You can say the same thing for Dan Dickau at Gonzaga. Mark Few has a real gamer in his durable point guard.

At Texas Tech, if the game is going to the wire, Andy Ellis will be out there, hustling and scrapping on the floor. He played 45 minutes (the full game plus overtime) against New Mexico State.

Arizona's Jason Gardner has been logging serious minutes as Lute Olson's floor leader. It hasn't been easy going against a tough schedule. Gardner has met the challenge, playing all 40 minutes in wins over Maryland, Texas and Illinois. He played 39 minutes in the IKON Coaches vs. Cancer championship win over Florida.

Sam Clancy of USC is a warrior, an inside power guy who can be a force on the glass. Henry Bibby wants him on the floor for major minutes.

There you have it, my All-Cal Ripken team: Greer, Dickau, Ellis, Gardner and Clancy. These guys have shown an unbelievable ability to serve as ironmen. They come to play, lacing 'em up every day.