VYPE U -- Presented by Wells Fargo -- Houston Heroes Make Impact in NCAA Tourneys

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VYPE U – HOUSTON

Former Hardwood Heroes Make Impression on NCAA Tourneys

By Austin Staton

Mackey McKnight, Langham Creek, The Amazing Upset

From Langham Creek to Lehigh, guard Mackey McKnight enjoyed quite a ride during his first season of college basketball. The highlight? How about a historic upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament as the Patriot League champions knocked off the Blue Devils, 75-70, behind his 11 points, two assists and three steals. Overall, the freshman logged the second-most minutes on the roster while draining 43.5-percent of his shots on the year while netting just less than 10 points per game.

Anthony Collins, Westbury Christian, Big East Beast

South Florida competes in the rigorous conference known as the Big East and freshman are supposed to take back seat. Don’t tell that former Westbury Christian standout Anthony Collins. The six-foot (not really) guard recorded a 50.8-percent field goal percentage this season to average 9.0 per outing. His efforts on the hardwood were critical to the Bulls clinching a berth to the NCAA Tournament's third round. During the postseason run for USF, Collins become the go-to scorer for his team as he led the Bulls in scoring during the NCAA tournament, reaching double-figures in all three games.

Kelsey Bone, Dulles, The Return of a Lone Star Lady

As a senior at Dulles HS, Kelsey Bone would have been the most sought-after prep player in the country had it not been for the current face of women’s basketball, Brittney Griner. However, Bone is certainly making a name for herself on the hardwood donning the maroon and white, after transferring from South Carolina. After sitting out the 2010-11 season due to NCAA transfer rules, the six-foot-four center quickly became one of the leaders for Texas A&M and coach Gary Blair this season. In just 24 minutes of action per game, Bone netted 12 points and seven rebounds per outing while registering 23 blocks on the season. The Aggies finished the year in the Sweet 16, despite losing several seniors from a 2010-11 team that won a national title.

Amber Orrange, Westbury Christian, Freshman Reaches Final Four

As the perfect outside compliment to the Ogwumike sisters in the low post, Stanford freshman Amber Orrange had a phenomenal rookie year that took her all the way to the Final Four before the Cardinal fell to the eventual national champions. The five-foot-seven guard, and veteran of USA Basketball’s U18 National Team, Orrange netted 4.8 points per outing while dishing out 112 dimes, which ranked second on the team. With the departure of Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Orrange will look to lead the Cardinal back to their sixth-straight final four next season with a strong compliment of returning players, let my Chiney Ogwumike.