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Tide junior rolling through SEC

Not a big name, but Erwin Dudley does have a big game.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 23, 2002

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Erwin Dudley is likely the best player in the Southeastern Conference you haven't heard about.

Alabama's 6-foot-8 junior forward quietly has led the Crimson Tide for three seasons but has been overshadowed by SEC marquee players such as Florida's Udonis Haslem and Kentucky's Tayshaun Prince.

But Dudley finally is getting his chance to shine.

He will be in the spotlight today when fifth-ranked Alabama hosts No. 8 Florida at 2 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum with a national television audience.

Florida (20-5, 9-4) is leading the SEC East and is one game behind Alabama (22-5, 10-3) in the overall league standings. Alabama sits atop the West Division.

"He may very well be the most valuable player in the SEC, as consistent as he's been," ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said. "He's having as good a season as any big man in the SEC."

Ranked among the top 10 in several categories in the SEC, Dudley wasn't a preseason all-conference selection but suddenly finds his name on many postseason all-star candidate lists.

He has a league-leading 13 double doubles and is 10th in scoring (15.8). He leads the league in rebounding (8.9) and field-goal percentage (58.9).

Coach Mike Gottfried said much of the credit for Alabama's season goes to Dudley.

"He has been sensational," Gottfried said. "He is so consistent, night in and night out. He's a quiet leader on our team. He has elevated us to a top 10 team."

The SEC player of the week, Dudley averaged 22.5 points, scoring 20 or more in four games leading up to Wednesday night's loss at Arkansas. His 25 points against Tennessee last week moved him to No. 22 all-time in scoring at Alabama. He has 1,241 career points.

It all has added up to a surprisingly strong season for the Tide.

"I thought we'd be good, but I didn't know we'd be this good," Dudley said. "We've surprised a lot of people."

Until recently, All-SEC guard/forward Rod Grizzard had garnered most of the publicity for the Tide. Freshman point guard Mo Williams came in this season and grabbed some of that spotlight. Now Dudley is emerging from the shadows.

Thursday night, he was the featured player on ESPN's College Hoops Tonight.

"He's relentless on the boards, even in practice," Gottfried said. "If you are the guy assigned to him in practice, if you're not playing at a high, high level he'll embarrass you because he'll get every single rebound and he's developed his offensive game where he's not only a tip-in or a lay-in guy. Now he has back-to-the-basket moves, and he can turn and face and shoot jump shots as he steps out on the floor. He's just continued to develop his game to be a complete game."

Dudley said it is his own hard work and that of his teammates that has contributed to Alabama's success.

"I feel like I've worked hard and my game is a lot more rounded than it was when I first got here," he said. "I think I'm more of a complete player now. This is a very talented team. A lot of us came in together, we feel like this could be a special season."

After being snubbed by the NCAA selection committee last season despite winning 21 games, Alabama is on a mission. Today's game against Florida is another opportunity for the Tide to ensure that when the invitations go out, it will attend the Big Dance.

"It (missing the tournament) did motivate us a whole lot in the offseason," Dudley said. "It opened up something in all of us, a little extra. We're really playing ball. We're just playing as a team, being there for one another as a team should."

Today's game will include a matchup of two of the best frontcourt players in the SEC: Dudley and Haslem.

Haslem is third in the SEC with 8.6 rebounds and eighth in scoring with 16.5. "I have a lot of respect for him," Dudley said of Haslem. "He's one of the best post players in the country. That's a game you look forward to, going against one of the best."

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