Perhaps no one is more familiar with Amherst junior point guard Andrew Olson's penchant for the dramatic than his most victimized opponents, the Tufts Jumbos.
Olson's off-balance, one-handed, game-tying three-pointer in last season's Sweet-Sixteen clash against Tufts, which handed the Lord Jeffs a 90-85 overtime win, has been a source of permanent heartache for the Jumbo faithful.
When the two teams squared off again on Jan. 12, the junior poured in 15 of his career-high 24 points after halftime, leading Amherst to a 96-92 come-from-behind victory, its third-straight overtime win over the Jumbos.
It is Olson's ability to shine on the big stage - often at the expense of the Jumbos - that has catapulted him to national recognition as one of the best point guards in the country. On Feb. 1, he was named one of 17 finalists for the prestigious Bob Cousy Award, presented annually to the country's best point guard, spanning across all three divisions of NCAA basketball.
The recognition reflects Olson's remarkably quick maturation from a raw freshman to a seasoned floor-general. Expected to spend his rookie season in 2004-05 under the tutelage of starting point guard and then-senior Ray Corrigan, Olson was thrust into starting lineup in just his fourth collegiate game after Corrigan ruptured his Achilles tendon on Nov. 30, 2004. Despite a shaky start, Olson emerged as a key contributor to that year's squad, averaging 7.1 points and 4.0 assists.
"I think, being put in the starting lineup his freshman year, he had to develop much more quickly," Amherst coach David Hixon said. "He had no choice. We really didn't have a suitable alternative. I think that has helped him. His first few games were rocky because he was thrown into the fire, but it really gave him the chance to grow and learn the league."
Indeed, by the time Olson was a sophomore, he was second in the conference with 5.6 assists per game, had set Amherst's single-season assists mark with 179, and claimed his first All-NESCAC selection.
Olson has only further established himself as a team-oriented point guard with his play this season. Bolstered by a career-high 15 dishes during the Jeffs' Jan. 16 blowout win against non-conference Elms College, the point guard leads the conference with 7.21 assists per game. With 465 in his career, Olson is just 33 shy of Amherst's all-time mark for assists, set by Ryan Faulkner ('03) in 2003. Considering the professional stars he strives to emulate, it is no surprise Olson has so adeptly developed into a throwback, pass-first point guard.
"I grew up a [Phoenix] Suns fan, and growing up, my favorite player was Kevin Johnson," Olson said. "I like to think I model my game most with Steve Nash, who is my favorite player now. I have a lot of respect for a player that is successful by making the players around him better."
Perhaps what sets Olson apart from other Div. III point guards is his ability to combine his play-making abilities with his knack for scoring. Having reached double figures in points in half of the team's 24 games this season, Olson has posted a career-high 10.1 points per game during the 2006-07 campaign, good for fourth on the team.
"One of the things people don't see about him is that he's a big shot-maker," Hixon said. "He likes to take that big three with the defense closing in on him, which just demoralizes the other team. He's very poised and he doesn't get rattled. Yes, he definitely looks to pass first, but I think it's his scoring that flies under the radar sometimes."
Despite Olson's impressive r?©sum?©, the odds of him taking home the Cousy Award are slimmed by the strength of the overall field, which features an extra finalist this year because of a tie in the voting. Only one other Div. III player - sophomore David Arseneault of Grinnell College, who is second in the Midwest Conference with 19.6 points per game and first in all of Div. III with 8.3 assists per game - is vying for the honor.
Chaminade senior Zach Whiting, one of two Div. II players representing the final 17, is the only player in all of college basketball to be averaging double-figures in assists, with 11.4. Olson's nomination is all the more impressive considering his relative anonymity compared to the 13 Div. I finalists, including several from powerhouse programs such as UCLA, Florida, UNC, Kansas and Arizona.
"If you're a Div. III point guard,and you're nominated, it's like winning it," Hixon said. "Your chances of getting recognized are so miniscule that this is about as close as you can get to getting it. It's really a terrific honor. It's the highest you can go. All the publicity the big guys get - and it's definitely deserved, and I'm not saying Andrew is better than those guys - but for him to be mentioned along with them I think says a lot about the kind of player he is."
Olson's name is being mentioned not just alongside Div. I stars, but also with the Basketball Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion who lends his name to the award.
"I was very shocked to be on a list of that caliber," Olson said. "And to have your name associated with a basketball legend like Bob Cousy, I have to say that I am honored just to be mentioned."
Still, Olson refuses to let his individual achievements cloud his supreme goal: a return trip to the Final Four.
"Not to diminish an individual award and all that it stands for, but the ultimate goal is to win a championship," Olson said. "Obviously it would be a tremendous honor to be named a Bob Cousy Award winner, but this game is played out of a desire to win a championship, and that is the ultimate goal."
As a team, the Jeffs finished their regular season 23-1, suffering their first and only loss on Saturday, a 62-59 heartbreaker at the hands of the Trinity Bantams. They will look to rebound Saturday, as they take on Bates in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament.
