Morris Almond doesn’t care about highlight reels. The Rice University senior is in the business of production, not self-promotion.

‘Because he’s not slamming the ball down and playing flashy, he sometimes gets overlooked,’ Rice University coach Willis Wilson said of his 6-foot-6 guard.

The only things gaudy or excessive about Almond are the numbers he is putting up this season. The All-American candidate is second in the nation in scoring, averaging 28.1 points per game. Almond’s prolific campaign, a season that in many respects almost never happened, has caught the eyes of college basketball pundits and NBA scouts alike.

‘He gives us a beginning,’ said Wilson, who is in his 15th season as Rice’s head coach. ‘When you know where your focal point is, it gives you confidence. We don’t worry about scoring because we have a guy who we know can score out of our offense.’

Best known for his consistent mid-range jump shot, this season Almond has shown the ability to score anywhere from the floor. His 3-point shooting percentage, .446, puts him among the national leaders. Almond’s innate ability to score compensates for what he lacks in jumping ability and lateral quickness.

Although his offensive numbers speak for themselves, Almond has worked hard to become a complete player, mostly because his coach never gave him a choice.

‘Coach Wilson humbled me right off the bat,’ Almond said. ‘He told me that until I learned the defense and learned the little things, I wasn’t going to see the floor. That was probably one of the hardest things I ever had to do. And I didn’t want to transfer. I wanted to stick it out.’

The touted recruit from Dalton, Ga., struggled through sporadic playing time in his first two seasons. Yet the eager Almond rarely complained, instead waiting patiently for his opportunity to start regularly. That break finally came his junior season, and Almond blossomed into an All-Conference USA first-team selection, averaging 21.9 points per game.

Defensively, Almond led the team in steals and was second in blocks last season, evidence of the lessons learned during two years as a reserve. The loyalty and leadership that Almond earned those seasons of adversity make him more than just a scorer to the players and coaches at Rice.

‘He’s really a great kid,’ Wilson said. ‘There were times where I was very hard on him and it would have been very easy for him to transfer. I’m very appreciative of him for showing his loyalty to both myself and to Rice.’

Despite his breakout junior season, Almond struggled to gain national notoriety. Shortly after the Owls’ season ended last March, Almond finally raised the eyebrows of scouts and analysts when the then-relative unknown declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft. Almond attended the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla., that spring.

‘I thought it was a good idea to test the waters,’ Almond said. ‘It rubs off on you. A lot of these guys are seniors who have already signed with agents who are playing for their livelihood. I think I just learned a lot about playing with intensity and urgency on every play because you don’t know who is watching you.’

The unknown underclassman from the unheralded program in Houston impressed scouts at the camp with his ability to score and his competitiveness. Almond fought his way onto the draft boards of NBA teams, with predictions of his draft status usually hovering somewhere in the second round. While Almond had gained respect and experience, he had also played himself into a difficult decision: whether to remain in the draft or return for his senior season.

One of the first people he consulted while making his decision was then-Rice director of basketball operations Shawn Respert. Respert was a consensus All-American and Big Ten player of the year at Michigan State in 1995. His four-year NBA career was cut short in part due to abdominal cancer, which he was diagnosed with at the end of his rookie season.

‘To have an opportunity as a former player at both the collegiate and professional levels, and also knowing some of the struggles that I went through, allowed him to really trust myself as a person,’ said Respert, who recently took a job with the NBA working in player development. ‘(Morris) knew that my decision was not a selfish one to make myself look smart.’

Respert’s sincerity and experience made him a comforting figure for Almond during the draft process.

‘[Shawn] told me it was part of becoming a man,’ Almond said. ‘He just told me that whatever decision I made I was going to have to live with myself.’

Almond’s verdict to return to school was the product of many factors, including his uncertain draft status. His choice to return to Rice has thus far been a good business decision. He is rated higher than he was last year, currently projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick by online draft services.

Almond’s upstart Owls are currently 9-7 overall and 3-0 in conference play, including a 76-71 victory over city rival Houston on Wednesday, keyed by Almond’s 28 points. The humble, hard-working Almond appears happy with his decision, momentarily undistracted by the allure of NBA millions.

‘I think I made the right decision,’ Almond said. ‘I had to put aside my ego. My ego probably would have told me to go (to the draft). But the thought of earning my degree meant a lot to me. And the conference is really wide-open this year and that glimmer of hope is all I really needed to come back.’

BMOC

This week’s award goes to Oklahoma State senior Mario Boggan for his 37 point, 20 rebound performance in the Cowboys’ 105-103 triple-overtime victory over No. 21 Texas. Boggan out-dueled Texas freshman Kevin Durant, who also netted 37 points. Durant’s 3-point play with 12 seconds left put Texas up by one, but it was Boggan’s desperation 3-pointer with just five seconds remaining that proved to be the game winner. Boggan, a 6-foot-7 forward not known for his range, is leading the No. 11 Cowboys in scoring and rebounding, averaging 22 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this season.

Published on January 17, 2007 at 12:00 pm