Nov. 30, 2008

LOWELL -- It's up for grabs at this point, and the long arms of Ali Kanaan my be the key to UMass Lowell getting a hold on it.

"It" is the driver's seat in the Northeast-10 Conference in men's basketball. The NE-10 coaches selected the River Hawks to finish 12th out of 15 teams. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but UML hadn't proven anything.

For that matter the River Hawks still haven't proven anything yet, but they're off to a good start (4-1, 2-1 NE-10) and they've given indications they're capable of playing with anyone in the league.

Of course, every year basketball teams across the country at every level show flashes of potential before they fizzle out. Nothing is written in stone.

Well, almost nothing.

The one thing carved in granite is the impact of a big man. Whether good or bad, the big guy in the middle -- or the lack of one -- can change things in ways others just can't.

Kanaan is that guy for UML, a 6-foot-9 junior with three-point range on his jump shot. He made strides from freshman year to this season. He added muscle, became stronger with the ball, and he gained confidence along the way.

If he can make one more leap, it might be the biggest key to the River Hawks' continued success.

His presence on defense helped UML head into this weekend's action ranked first in the conference in fewest point allowed (56.4), second in steals per game (10) and second in field goal percentage defense (38.4 percent).

My eyes still tell me he could be even more of a traffic cop in the middle of the defense, directing everyone on the floor and relaying the position of each cutter and knocking opponents off their intended paths. But the real impact I've been waiting for is offensively. Call it swagger, playing with a chip on your shoulder, a mean streak, or just plain selfishness. Any or all might be called for in Kanaan's case.

So far his averages of 6.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game undermine his ability. When he catches and makes a move with conviction, there is often little defenders can do to counter it except hope and wish. But he takes less shots per game than any of the other starters, thus his trips to the free throw line are also infrequent.

If he imposes his will and skill on defenses with regularity, it's scary to think how much things may open up for a squad with five other players already making better than 40 percent from beyond the three-point arch.

As soon as he develops a go-to move and begins to demand the attention of multiple defenders, it won't matter what defense opponents call. They'll all sound like the T.I. Song: "You could have whatever you like, you like, I said you could have whatever you like, you like, yeah."