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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkc/men/7502989.html
Dreadlocks were dangling everywhere in the paint. Whether it was Pittsburgh forward Gary McGhee elevating for dazzling dunks or Morehead State center Kenneth Faried spearheading a fast break, the frontcourt matchup didn't lack for flair.
That action, of course, can only happen at an All-Star game. And on the eve of Saturday's Final Four showcase, college basketball's top players put on an entertaining show.
Faried, who scored 17 points and hauled 18 rebounds for the West, emerged as the MVP as the West squeezed out a 113-108 victory against the East at Reliant Stadium.
"It means a lot to win (the MVP) because there are a lot of great players playing in this game," said Faried, who was also battling food poisoning. "It was an exciting time and the guys stepped up on my team and I tried to do my part and I feel like I did."
Midway through the second half, the East looked to have a firm grasp on the game with a 92-79 lead. Georgetown guard Austin Freeman headlined the barrage and finished with 21 points .
To the chagrin of the East, West coach Billy Tubbs employed a zone defense- a tactic rarely used in all-star games. And the defensive switch stunned East coach Bill Foster, prompting him to jokingly bark at Tubbs.
The West reaped the benefits of his decision and rattled off a 21-2 run to take a 100-94 lead. From that point, they never looked back.
"It's always important to win, you know," Texas forward and Houston native Gary Johnson said. "Just to have a win to end my college career it'll be something I'll never forget."
The All-Star game also capped the end of Marquette forward and Tomball native Jimmy Butler's college career. As a result, he soaked the atmosphere of playing in front of his hometown friends and family and chipped in 12 points for the East.
"It was a great experience to look up into the stands and see a lot of faces and hear them shout my name," Butler said. "It brought a smile to my face. Just the fact a lot of them get to be here because a few came up to see me in Milwaukee, so it was fun."
Although McGee enjoyed the afternoon, the Pittsburgh center said he wasn't completely satisfied. In his eyes, the All-Star game was merely a consolation prize for losing to Butler in the NCAA tournament.
"Some of us are still kind of mad our teams got beat, but we got here, got together and had a good time."McGee said.
Dreadlocks were dangling everywhere in the paint. Whether it was Pittsburgh forward Gary McGhee elevating for dazzling dunks or Morehead State center Kenneth Faried spearheading a fast break, the frontcourt matchup didn't lack for flair.
That action, of course, can only happen at an All-Star game. And on the eve of Saturday's Final Four showcase, college basketball's top players put on an entertaining show.
Faried, who scored 17 points and hauled 18 rebounds for the West, emerged as the MVP as the West squeezed out a 113-108 victory against the East at Reliant Stadium.
"It means a lot to win (the MVP) because there are a lot of great players playing in this game," said Faried, who was also battling food poisoning. "It was an exciting time and the guys stepped up on my team and I tried to do my part and I feel like I did."
Midway through the second half, the East looked to have a firm grasp on the game with a 92-79 lead. Georgetown guard Austin Freeman headlined the barrage and finished with 21 points .
To the chagrin of the East, West coach Billy Tubbs employed a zone defense- a tactic rarely used in all-star games. And the defensive switch stunned East coach Bill Foster, prompting him to jokingly bark at Tubbs.
The West reaped the benefits of his decision and rattled off a 21-2 run to take a 100-94 lead. From that point, they never looked back.
"It's always important to win, you know," Texas forward and Houston native Gary Johnson said. "Just to have a win to end my college career it'll be something I'll never forget."
The All-Star game also capped the end of Marquette forward and Tomball native Jimmy Butler's college career. As a result, he soaked the atmosphere of playing in front of his hometown friends and family and chipped in 12 points for the East.
"It was a great experience to look up into the stands and see a lot of faces and hear them shout my name," Butler said. "It brought a smile to my face. Just the fact a lot of them get to be here because a few came up to see me in Milwaukee, so it was fun."
Although McGee enjoyed the afternoon, the Pittsburgh center said he wasn't completely satisfied. In his eyes, the All-Star game was merely a consolation prize for losing to Butler in the NCAA tournament.
"Some of us are still kind of mad our teams got beat, but we got here, got together and had a good time."McGee said.
