Even before postseason play began, everyone knew Ben Gordon was going to be good
Coming into this year, Gordon had already scored 1,000 career points and averaged an impressive 16 points per game. This season, the 6-foot-2 combo guard was already a National Player of the Year candidate and had been logging 17.2 points a night after a regular season-ending loss
to Syracuse.
With the Big East tournament looming and fellow National Player of the Year Candidate Emeka Okafor sidelined with back trouble, it was assumed that Gordon, a two-time Big East All-Tournament selection, was going to step up and shoulder the load for the Huskies.
Yet few expected Gordon to carry the Huskies like he has this postseason. Before the tournaments, many pundits figured Connecticut's championship hopes rested on the ailing back of their superstar big man.
"This is the right time for us to be playing this well," said Gordon, who was named Most Outstanding Player in the Phoenix region. "Hopefully we can get better with every game. Hopefully we have two left."
If Gordon continues to shred opposing defenses like he has the past few weeks, those hopes could turn into reality very soon.
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