<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Adam Morrison might as well change his name, because you're not likely to see it in a newspaper or magazine article without this word attached to it: Throwback. Gonzaga's junior forward, who leads the nation in scoring (28 ppg), epitomizes the concept. His style of play, floppy hair and freewheeling attitude all are reminiscent of a bygone era when college basketball was filled with creative, offensive-minded players who put up a lot of shots, scored a lot of points and caught their breath on defense. While Morrison is the most exciting player to come along in college basketball in many seasons, he also raises a question. Why is his breed nearly extinct? Where did the gunners go? Two Indiana basketball legends who enjoyed that role and admire Morrison's game have some ideas. Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird averaged 30.3 points over his career at Indiana State and led the Sycamores to the NCAA championship game in 1979. Rick Mount averaged 32.3 points for Purdue and led the Boilermakers to the NCAA championship game as a junior in 1969. Both admire Morrison's ability to move without the ball, dribble with purpose to get a shot, shoot off the dribble, find creative ways to score against double teams and draw fouls. "It's fun to watch," said Bird, who considers him a lottery pick in next year's NBA draft. "He just moves so well without the ball." Adds Mount: "I really like him. It kind of gets my blood pumping a little." Bird and Mount believe the emphasis of AAU competition hampers individual skills such as Morrison's. Today's players grow up competing in endless games. Mount and Bird spent endless hours on their own or with a small group of friends, honing their creativity and shooting touch. Like self-taught musicians, they weren't restricted by a strictly fundamental approach. Bird, who has seen Morrison play three times in person and about 15 on TV, quickly identified Morrison as a gym rat, and wishes there were more. Lonely gym rats, to be more specific. "The individual time you spend in a gym by yourself is what makes you a player," Bird said. Morrison drew inspiration from Bird while growing up in Casper, Wyo. His dad drove him to Denver to watch the Nuggets play Boston in 1991, during Bird's last season with the Celtics. He wore Converse shoes like Bird, watched endless tapes of Celtics games from the 1980s, and copied his moves. So, when he hit a buzzer-beating shot over two defenders against Oklahoma State on Dec. 10, he wasn't surprised. "I've practiced that move hundreds of times," he told reporters after the game. "If you want to be a great player, you've got to take those kinds of shots." Morrison hit another unorthodox shot in that game, a runner off one leg from 17 feet. Mount, if he saw it, no doubt smiled. He used to shoot off the "wrong" foot to get off his shot quicker, a move he learned from watching Los Angeles Lakers guard Jerry West on TV.</div> Source
