There are many mysteries in the world of college basketball: Why Luke Harangody so perfectly resembles Shrek, how one might spell Coach K's name, why the Alabama Crimson Tide's mascot is a big elephant and how Dick Vitale can rattle off 60 sentences without breathing.
But the biggest mystery of all is why Patrick Mills continues to escape the public's eye. Mills, or "Patty," as he is affectionately known throughout the ranks of the NCAA, has traversed the Pacific to take Div. I by storm, bringing his Australian style of play to American college basketball and propelling St. Mary's to among the nation's elite teams.
Wait. Hold your kangaroos. An Aborigine star athlete not playing cricket or rugby? Do those even exist?
This year, St. Mary's holds an 18-3 record, with Mills at the helm of the offense doing everything short of the post-game laundry. In addition to averaging 18.7 points per game, Mills posts 3.9 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per contest. He shoots like Reggie Miller and whips around the court like a boomerang. His humble nature has allowed him to slowly glide through college without much national attention, but even NBA scouts are now beginning to take notice.
At the Olympic Games in August, the Americans beat Australia by 31 points, a standard margin of victory for the "Redeem Team." Yet the most impressive aspect of the game was not the high-flying, posterizing dunking by household names like LeBron James or Kobe Bryant but the adept speed of a 20-year-old named Mills.
Against the United States, Mills finished with 20 points, three steals and two assists, and he broke roughly four ankles. Even American head coach Mike Krzyzewski stated after the game that he was glad Duke would not play St. Mary's next year. Still, Mills remained calm and composed, remaining oblivious to the way players like Chris Paul drooled over Mills' unmatched speed.
Mills has transferred the confidence gained in Beijing over to the States, and even though the Gaels' schedule includes such teams as Morgan State and Cal State Bakersfield, Mills has romped through even the tough opponents with ease. In a Dec. 17 matchup with Oregon, Mills, who was recruited by Wake Forest and Nebraska but selected a life of anonymity instead, notched six assists and 22 points while turning the ball over just twice. Mills propelled St. Mary's to 15 straight wins before last Thursday's loss to No. 25 Gonzaga, a game in which Mills racked up 18 points and had zero turnovers despite breaking his hand in the first half.
As a freshman in 2007, Mills torched the then-No. 11 Ducks with 37 points and 50 percent shooting in his coming-out party. At the end of his first year, Mills was named the WCC Rookie of the Year and also made the All-WCC first team. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, St. Mary's lost to Miami (Fla.), but not because of Mills, who put up 24 points and five assists against the Hurricanes.
Dissenters may point to Mills' six-foot stature as a reason why he can't succeed, but wasn't it the same six-foot Mills who sliced through the looming giants of the American National Team at the Olympics? Wasn't it the same six-foot Mills shown burning Deron Williams up the sideline on YouTube.com? Mills thrives on being the little guy, playing at a small school like St. Mary's and taking down the big dog.
When Mills decides to enter the NBA draft, any team lacking in the backcourt should not think twice about snatching up this Aussie. The first true Aborigine basketball star has already won over the respect of Krzyzewski and many NBA players, so it's up to the executives to recognize his potential. Give it time; he'll be bigger than Oprah after Sunday brunch. The "Canberra Cannon" is ready to be fired into global fame.
Now do you know?
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Alex Prewitt is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Alexander.Prewitt@tufts.edu.
