The Rise of Justin Dentmon

Redemption. That's Justin Dentmon in a nutshell. After his disappointing sophomore and junior seasons, Dentmon has redeemed himself in his final year as a Husky. Before the season started I had already given up my hope on any hint of a "better" Justin Dentmon. He had the height of a point guard but had no point guard skills whatsoever. He turned the ball over. He killed momentum. And he played zero defense.

Talk about a turnaround, damn. I don't think anyone could have scripted it better than this season.

Justin Dentmon has played like he's from another dimension.

He's currently tied at scoring average with James Harden in Pac-10 games, they're averaging 19ppg. He's third in conference steals, averaging 1.5 a game. He's shooting at a 51% from 3-point land (better than Appleby?). And to add some frosting on top of that, he's the best free-throw shooter on the Huskies, making his freebies at an 86% rate.Oh ya, and he's currently leading his team to a conference championship.

I'd say he's having a good year.

You have got to give some credit to Isaiah Thomas. I.T. has taken over the PG spot and has fed Dentmon the ball on numerous occasions. Like Brandon Roy, Thomas has really opened the game up for Dentmon, allowing for open 3-point shots and open lanes to the basket.

Dentmon is no longer a liability on the basketball court. He does not turnover the ball so much anymore and now he actually forces turnovers! He's finally found a role. Basically Romar wants him to put the ball in the basket, something Dentmon has been looking to do for the past three years.

I don't think he will win Pac-10 player of the year, as both Harden and Collison are more well-rounded than him. However, he will earn Pac-10 All-first team honors this year.

I never thought he could make this turnaround, but he has, and now the Huskies are reaping the benefits.