Freaks of Nature: College Basketball's Unique Point Forwards

Magic Johnson was untouchable as a tall player offering monumental matchup problems for opponents by showcasing the unique skill set of a point forward. Johnson (6-9) averaged 17.1 ppg and 7.9 apg while shooting 46.3% from the floor in his two-year college career before leaving Michigan State early for the NBA.

Royce White of Iowa State might be a poor man's version of Magic, but the 6-8, 270-pounder, a transfer from Minnesota after a couple of theft incidents, certainly has "borrowed" some Magic-rich traits with his adroit ballhandling and smooth moves to the basket. When isolated, White is incapable of being stopped from getting to the goal. He is the nation's only player to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks. But White, who takes medication for an anxiety disorder, makes Cyclones fans overtly anxious when he tries to shoot away from the basket, hitting less than half of his free-throw attempts. In a recent home game against Texas Tech, he birthed a couple of unplanned nothing-but-air deliveries from the less-than-charitable stripe as unsightly as most Planned Parenthood workers.

Fab Five ringleader Jalen Rose (6-8) of Michigan was a similar point-forward player but didn't carry near the weight of White. An overlooked versatile player in this rare category is 6-9 Louis Dunbar, who paced Houston in assists as a senior in 1974-75 before becoming a long-time Harlem Globetrotter known as "Sweet Lou." Unlike White, mid-range shooting wasn't as much of a problem for Dunbar, who averaged 22.3 ppg and shot 48.2% from the floor in his "sweet" three-year college career with the Cougars.

UCLA is counting on a comparable point-forward phenom, Kyle Anderson from renowned St. Anthony High School in New Jersey, to turn the Bruins' fortunes around next season.