Catching up with the ACC's unknown leading scorer

	Jared Dudley has been on the receiving end of opposing fans' chants all season long, but says that he doesn't mind the added pressure. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
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Quick: Name the ACC's leading scorer and rebounder (all games.) Stumped? It's Boston College senior forward Jared Dudley (19.5 ppg; 8.9 rpg), who also happens to lead the league in minutes played (38.2 mpg.) Dudley was recruited by all of three schools coming out of San Diego's Horizon High, so he's used to being overlooked and underappreciated. In fact, he expects more of the same on Draft day. SI.com caught up Dudley on Tuesday afternoon after he landed in Miami for a road swing through Florida.

SI.com: Last year you played more minutes than anyone else in D-I. In the last six games, you sat out a total of 27 seconds. How do you keep from breaking down at the end of the season?

Dudley: It's difficult. Even though I play physically, I have to pick and choose my spots. I'm big on icing and stretching to help me recover after games. I'm not the most athletic guy, but I try to stay flexible. I stay in the weight room to try and prevent injuries. I used to have tendonitis from overdoing workouts in summertime, but I don't have that anymore.

SI.com: Until you had to sit out three games this season with a stress fracture, you had started every game in your BC career. What was it like to sit out those three games?

Dudley: It was weird. In my whole career, I had never missed a game due to an injury. I was really frustrated that we lost to Duquesne -- a game I know we would have won if I had been playing. But that let everyone know we're not that good. We have to work hard and do what we have to do to win. Also, the injury made me realize this game is not forever. You have to take advantage while you can. From the bench I got a different perspective, I got to be more of a coach, and the players listened to what I had to say. When I came back, we went on a nice little run.

SI.com: Sean Williams, your best shot blocker, second best rebounder, fourth-leading scorer, was dismissed from the team last month. How have you guys adjusted to his absence?

Dudley: We have had to stop ball penetration. Before we didn't mind if someone got into the paint because he was there to block the shot. Now we have to cut them off before they get there. So we've had to get a lot better at team defense. Offensively we try to attack more.

SI.com: Boston College can regain a piece of the ACC lead with a win at Miami on Wednesday, but is seventh in "others receiving votes" in the AP Poll. Is that an injustice?

Dudley: What the voters don't see is that in most of our losses, we didn't have a complete team. Vermont in the beginning of the year, Sean Williams wasn't there. Duquesne, I wasn't playing. A lot of those bad losses, key players weren't playing. But that's college basketball.

SI.com: During last year's NCAA tournament, all your teammates shaved their heads, but you didn't. How, and why, did you avoid the clippers?

Dudley: The reason they all shaved their heads was because Sean Williams wanted to cut his braids off, but he messed it up and gave himself a baldy. It wasn't like, hey let's all shave our heads for the tournament. It was one guy who messed up his head and other guys said, OK I'll shave my head with you. By the end of the night, they had all shaved their heads. I had had my braids for three years and I didn't want to cut them off. They are part of my identity.

SI.com: Another part of your identity, at least on your campus, is your budding thespianism. Last year you and some of your teammates were stars on The BC, the Web-based TV spoof of The OC. What was your favorite episode?

Dudley: Doing The BC was a lot of fun. We were all about trying to get more lines. I liked the episode where I got Tim Russert tickets to the Duke game in exchange for getting to host Meet the Press.

SI.com: Do you see more acting in your future?

Dudley: Definitely. I would do anything.

SI.com: You're a favorite target of fans on the road. How do they taunt you?

Dudley: Let's see, there's "Ugly Dudley,"because my last name sort of rhymes with ugly. I hear that a lot when I'm at the free-throw line. And they don't like it when I talk to the refs. I'm telling the refs what to look out for, because I'm trying to gain an advantage anyway I can. So a lot of people call me "crybaby" and stuff like that. But I like playing on the road, and I like it when they say those things. Fans should get on you, they should make it hard for the opposing team.

SI.com: You're a Southern Californian who has been in Boston for four years. Which place feels like home to you now?

Dudley: It's still Southern California. I love Mexican food. I can't get enough of that and they don't have much of it in Boston. Also, I live five minutes from the beach in San Diego.