Saturday, June 23, 2012

Melo, O'Quinn on different paths to NBA

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- One operated in the shadows all season long but stole the show when he stepped into the spotlight. The other, seemingly destined for stardom, found himself in the audience when it mattered most.

Few outside of Norfolk, Va., knew of Kyle O'Quinn before the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Sure, he was an accomplished player at Norfolk State, the MEAC Player of the Year. But the thing is, you have go to all the way back to 1991 to find a MEAC Player of the Year that made a dent in the NBA, and Coppin State's Larry Stewart didn't exactly become a household name.



But in one magical game, O'Quinn earned his 15 minutes of fame. He scored 26 points with 14 rebounds as Norfolk State stunned No. 2 seed Missouri 86-84. Suddenly the 6-10 forward was something more than another mid-major guy whose professional future was overseas.

At the same time, Fab Melo was nowhere to be ...

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