One summer day 11 years ago, I'd just moved to Hartford, Conn., and on my third afternoon I found my way up the block to the park and a pickup hoop game. It was your typical city playground tableau, a bunch of African-American guys in their teens and 20s, plus me, thirtysomething white guy. And this little 11-year-old white kid. The kid was tiny. Why are they letting this munchkin play? I wondered...

...An hour later I was headed home, shaking my head. I just saw this tiny kid do some amazing things on the court, I told my wife. I'm gonna watch him and see what happens. If you followed college basketball this season, you know what happened. The munchkin who surprised me on the court that day grew up to be Jared Jordan of Marist College, a point guard with a brainy, aggressive style and a considerable gift for passing the ball.