<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">You don't have to be a University of Louisville basketball fan to remember the prime-time shot Reece Gaines hit to beat Marquette on that February afternoon in Milwaukee. Score tied at 70. Clock racing toward zero. Everybody in the Bradley Center, including Dwyane Wade, was certain Gaines would do anything, including going one on five, to take the last shot. Gaines took it. He made it, too, a 25-footer with 5.5 seconds left. Riding 20 points from Gaines, Louisville defeated Marquette 73-70 on Feb. 15, 2003. When that game ended, a king-sized Conference USA debate raged: Who was the better player? Gaines or Wade? Gaines hit more big shots. Wade could guard anybody. Gaines was bigger, stronger, more experienced. Wade was quicker, leaner, more explosive. A Milwaukee sports columnist wrote that Gaines was his pick, although Wade was voted C-USA Player of the Year. "In college, a lot of people believed Reece was a more complete player," U of L administrative aide Vince Taylor said. "A lot of people." Wade or Gaines? You could argue either side -- and everybody did. Not anymore. Dwyane Wade has blown up into one of the five best players in the National Basketball Association. Never mind his stats. His celebrity is crossing over into popular culture. Sean John clothing has signed him as a model. He posed for People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" spread.</div> Source
Man it's crazy what players can do once the enter the league. I remember seeing Gaines at a game against South Florida and he was outstanding. It's ashame he never lived up to his expectations.
Dwyane Wade's career really shot off in the 2003 NCAA tournament where he lead his Marquette team to a final four appearence. His draft stock really went sky high because of his huge game against Kentucky where he simply went off- 29 points on 11-for-16 shooting, 11 rebounds, a game-high 11 assists, and a game-high four blocks.
I still think Reece Gaines has not been put in the right situation at this point in his career. This kid is a hell of a college player, a 6'7" point guard from Louisville. I still believe he did not reach his full potential in the league yet and I will be waiting for him to do so.
