Back on the Mapp

Three seasons, four surgeries later, Virginia guard returns

It's the part they don't tell you about when you're a hot-shot recruit from the Bronx with a flashy name and even flashier game and it seems like the world is your oyster.

It's the last thing you ever imagined when you were playing in high school all-star games alongside guys like Jason Williams and Nick Collison and Jason Gardner.

Surely the next four years for you, like for them, will be all about championships, All-America teams and maybe even the NBA lottery.

Not if you're Majestic Mapp.

One day during the summer following his freshman year at Virginia, Mapp was writhing in pain on the floor of his high school gym, the victim of an ACL tear in a pickup basketball game.

The next 2 ½ years were all about hospital beds and exercise bikes, four surgeries on your right knee over a 14-month period, 70 missed games and thousands upon thousands of hours of rehabilitation. He watched his former peers on the prep scene win titles and get drafted, all the while wondering whether he'd ever even play again.

Even his coach, Pete Gillen, the man who made him his first recruit at Virginia and planned on making him a cornerstone of his program, admits now, "I thought he'd never play again."

But finally the day came earlier this month when he was able to run onto the court against North Carolina to the same kind of ovation normally reserved for a Gardner or a Collison. A few games later, he was helping his team to an 85-75 upset of Wake Forest.

He scored only three points in 17 minutes, but as far as his teammates were concerned, he was the star of the game.

"It could almost bring a man to tears," said Virginia forward Jason Rogers, Mapp's roommate. "You've seen him from the days he was in pain, you've seen him in days where he'd come along only to have another setback. To finally see him out there and playing pain free, enjoying the time -- it's very heartwarming."

Mapp's story is more than heartwarming, it's remarkable. It's uplifting yet sad all at the same time.

The latest in a long line of New York City prodigees, the 6-foot-1 point guard was once on the fast track to stardom. "Like Ed Cota, but with a much better outside shot," raved recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons, rating Mapp behind only future Duke star Williams among the nation's point guards that year.

Of his 20 teammates in the 1999 McDonald's All-American Game, 10 have gone on to the NBA and another nine are senior stars for some of the nation's top teams. Mapp planned to be one of them.

"I would like to think right now would be my senior year, and I would be an All-American candidate like [teammate] Travis Watson," said Mapp. "I guess it didn't happen that way."

No, it did not.

His first season, Mapp averaged 18.7 minutes and 5.3 points, modest but respectable for a freshman point guard, most of whom make their biggest strides their second season.

Mapp's second season got put on hold on Aug. 2, 2000, the night he tore his ACL. Mapp underwent surgery Aug. 29, knowing the six- to eight-month recovery period likely would cost him the season.

What he didn't anticipate was that the knee wouldn't heal correctly, requiring a follow-up arthroscopic procedure the following April and, more devastating, another reconstruction six months later, sidelining him for yet another season.

Following one more scope, Mapp declared himself ready to go for the 2002-03 season and practiced full-strength for about 10 days last October, but the knee began feeling weaker and weaker. His return was delayed again.

Wouldn't it seem like even the strongest person would be ready to throw in the towel at this point? As frustrated as he was, Mapp never wavered in his rigorous rehabilitation process.

"After so many setbacks, the man's determination hasn't changed from day one, freshman year," said Rogers. "What makes me so amazed at the man, he'll come and practice for two, two-and-a-half hours, stay after and shoot, come home and ask me for a ride to the local fitness center so he can ride the bike."

"I believe that winners never quit and quitters never win," said Mapp. "I love basketball to the point I wasn't going to give up without at least getting to play again."

After gradually easing his way back into practice, he finally got that chance Jan. 11 with a brief but emotional first-half stint against the Tar Heels. After DNPs against Duke and Clemson and another token appearance against Virginia Tech, Mapp made his presence felt against Wake Forest, sparking a combined 42-24 run during his 17 minutes on the floor.

His return couldn't have come at a better time for Virginia, which for the better part of two seasons has relied primarily on the overmatched Keith Jenifer to run the point.

"[Mapp] helps us a lot," said Gillen. "He has a lot of emotion, a lot of energy. I think he sees the court well, and not playing for two years helped his knowledge even more so he could see some gaps or holes in the defense."

Mapp, who will have two more seasons if he petitions for a sixth year of eligibility, knows he still has a way to go on his road back to stardom, but patience is hardly a virtue he's lacking.

"For the most part, I don't measure myself on what I could do before [the injury]; sometimes that gets discouraging," said Mapp. "For the most part, I just work as hard as I can."

Harder than he ever could have imagined.

Cowboys' latest juco success story

Who is Tony Allen, and where did he come from?

He's the leading scorer for the nation's hottest team, Oklahoma State, at 16.3 points per game, and he's Eddie Sutton's latest juco find, following in the footsteps of the man whose void he's filled, Maurice Baker.

"Clearly we had some questions, where the points were going to come from [coming into the season]," said Sutton, "but I think the fact that Tony Allen has really blossomed as a player has been a real plus for us."

The 6-foot-4 guard has earned Big 12 rookie of the week honors twice in the past three weeks, the most recent following a dazzling 21-point, seven-rebound, five-assist, five-steal performance in a 79-70 win at Texas Tech, the Cowboys' 14th straight. Not bad for a guy who, following seasons at Butler County (Kan.) and Wabash Valley (Ill.) community colleges, was tabbed as a "defensive specialist" by one preseason publication.

"I don't think the young man understands pressure," said Sutton, "especially for a player who hasn't been in Division I basketball very long. He has that ability to elevate his game when he senses that his team needs him."

Shot in the arm for Spartans

We're about to find out whether a single shot can rescue a team's entire season.

Adam Ballinger danced all the way back down the court following his last-minute 3-pointer to put away Indiana on Tuesday, and rightfully so. The senior's struggles this season have mirrored those of his team -- Ballinger going from third-team All-Big Ten to benchwarmer, the Spartans going from preseason favorite to 10-8 -- and both player and team couldn't have needed the shot more.

"Even if you didn't like him before, you have to love him now," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. "The weight of the world is off his shoulders."

Just as significant if the Spartans are going to make a turnaround is the play of sophomore swingman Kelvin Torbert, the former national high school player of the year whose impact so far has been less than expected. Against the Hoosiers, he led the team with 12 points, including several huge shots, and grabbed seven rebounds.

"I think that it was Kelvin Torbert's best game as a Spartan," said Izzo. "We beat a very good basketball team, and we did it the right way. ... It's what the players needed, the fans, the media and definitely the coaching staff."

Worth noting

Collison stole the show against Texas with 24 points and 23 rebounds, but Kirk Hinrich's 3-of-6 night from 3-point range, coming off a 2-for-10 day against Arizona, had to be just as pleasing to Kansas coach Roy Williams. "His shot has probably been a little more inconsistent this year than in years past," said Williams. ... UCLA's critics now include its own players, one of whom, Penn State transfer Jon Crispin, says the 4-11 Bruins have outdated facilities. "It's not the '70s anymore," Crispin told reporters Tuesday. "If they don't change some things here, kids are going to go to other schools." ... Sixth man Chevon Troutman is becoming a major inside force for Pittsburgh, scoring 23 and 20 in consecutive outings against Syracuse and Georgetown. .... Days after Mike Davis' public criticism of him, Indiana center George Leach had his best offensive game since before Thanksgiving with 14 points against Michigan State. ... Just two years after getting only one team in the NCAA Tournament, the Mountain West has four teams ranked in the RPI Top 50: Wyoming (15-3), Utah (14-4), BYU (13-5) and UNLV (12-5).

Stewart Mandel covers college sports for CNNSI.com.

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