Davidson associate head coach Matt Matheny checked his scouting report before the Wildcats’ Dec. 15 game against Division III Mount Saint Mary (N.Y.) College. Only Mike Hoyt stood out. Matheny heard Hoyt may be able to handle Division I defenses. No one else on the Blue Knights stood a chance.

MSMC head coach Duane Davis knew Hoyt was special and wanted to give his star the chance to showcase his talent against the nation’s top level. The game was only a tuneup for Davidson, but meant everything to the 5-foot-9 guard from Florida, N.Y.

Hoyt scored 28 points facing a double team all 40 minutes in his first and only game against a D-I opponent. He drained six 3’s and even grabbed four rebounds, although Davidson’s entire defensive gameplan was designed to stop him.

‘There is no question he could have played at the scholarship level,’ Matheny said. ‘College coaches pass on prospects because they are small, but players like Mike have a special toughness and basketball savvy. He’s a great shooter, he’s strong and he’s crafty getting into the paint.’

Coaches and opponents have overlooked Hoyt since high school, but now he is looking to continue his basketball career. Only seven D-III players appeared in an NBA game. More sign with teams overseas, but even that is unlikely for someone playing at the lowest rung of the NCAA.

By leading Division III with 34.5 points per game this season – an average that would have placed him more than six points ahead of the closest D-I scorer – he finished his career eighth on the all-time D-III scoring list with 2,586 points. Just this year he recorded 10 games with more than 40 points and five games with more than 50 points.

‘I haven’t seen anybody better,’ said Mount Saint Mary head coach Duane Davis, who has coached the Blue Knights for 12 seasons. ‘I’ve seen him play 100 games, and I can’t think of a D-III player I’ve seen who’s better.’

Blessed with an explosive first step and a deadly 3-point shot from well beyond the professional arc, Hoyt was virtually unknown among scholarship-level programs until his senior year at the S.S. Seward Institute. He scored 45 points in the state championship game, generating some attention from Marist and other small D-I programs.

Then scouts saw him standing on the court, dwarfed by many other high school players. At that point, most schools already awarded all their scholarships. Those with scholarships left were not willing to take a chance on an undersized point guard who played his high school ball at low Class D.

‘If you’re going to risk a scholarship on a 5-foot-9 kid, you better be right,’ said Rob Gravelle, Hoyt’s high school coach at S.S. Seward. ‘I really thought he was good enough to play at a higher level, but college coaches didn’t see him every day and see how hard he worked. They don’t see that about a kid.’

But Hoyt couldn’t control the competition. All he did was fill it up against the teams on the schedule. He thought he had a scholarship to the D-II College of Saint Rose (N.Y.), but the school pulled it at the last second for a straggling big man. Without any other scholarships and many interested D-III programs, Hoyt chose MSMC to stay close to home.

‘I don’t have any regrets because I believe everything happens for a reason,’ Hoyt said.

‘But it sucks because I know if I was 6-2 or 6-3, things would have been a lot different.’

Just one player lasted in the NBA longer than five seasons out of a D-III school – Devean George, currently with the Dallas Mavericks, who was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999.

George was a unique case. Augsburg (Minn.) College recruited a 6-foot-1 point guard. He graduated a 6-foot-8 small forward that could shoot 3’s and played well above average defense.

George admitted his unusual growth spurt was a major reason he was drafted, but said he still would not have made it if he did not take it upon himself to gain exposure. Only after he performed against other top prospects did NBA teams view George as a viable draft option.

After hiring an agent, George spent the spring of his senior year traveling the country, playing in pre-draft camps and leagues against anyone who would let him on the floor.

‘The key is that exposure against top-quality athletes like Devean got,’ said Paul Grauer, men’s athletic director at Augsburg. ‘That’s the only chance a D-III player has. He needs to get himself in a situation where he can demonstrate he can do it against D-I players.’

Several agents and scouts have been in contact with Hoyt throughout the year, but Hoyt said he could not talk with them until the end of the season. They suggested Hoyt play in NBA pre-draft camps in Florida and Virginia, so he will spend his spring trying to impress professional coaches before the NBA Draft in June.

Davis sent videos and clips to scouts and agents around the country but has no experience with this process. Few D-III coaches ever worry about helping his players to the NBA.

‘My coach and I laughed all year about how both of us knew nothing about the process,’ George said. ‘D-III coaches produce professionals, not professional basketball players. (Hoyt) needs to make sure he finds a good agent and gets some help if he wants to get there.’

Not everyone is convinced that Hoyt can succeed at the next level. Despite the numbers, Mount Saint Mary plays in the Skyline Conference – weak, even for D-III.

Still, Hoyt is used to having people pass up on him. Now he’s hoping someone is willing to take a chance.

‘So many other coaches have come up to me and my coaches and said, ‘We missed out on Mike,’ Hoyt said. ‘Now I have my chance to really prove everyone wrong, to prove that I can do it.’

Alabama vs. KentuckyThursday, 1 p.m., ESPN Full Court

Alabama finished the season losing 5-of-7 but did beat Kentucky on Feb. 17. Wildcats head coach Tubby Smith’s job security has been under scrutiny, and an early exit followed by a short NCAA Tournament stint could signify the end.

Kentucky 74, Alabama 69

Arizona vs. No. 16 OregonThursday, 3 p.m., FSN

These two teams finished the regular season tied with Southern California for third in the Pac-10. They split two games in the regular season, with Arizona winning most recently on Feb. 10. Both squads are likely Tournament-bound out of the nation’s best conference, and this week will decide their seeds.

Oregon 84, Arizona 71

Purdue vs. IowaFriday, 2:30 p.m., ESPN

It’s been a down year for the Big 10, with heralded programs like Indiana, Illinois and Michigan State on the bubble. Purdue is not much better off and has a lot to play for.

Purdue 71, Iowa 610

Bucknell vs. Holy CrossFriday, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2

Bucknell and Holy Cross finished the regular season tied for first in the Patriot League at 13-1. Now they play with an NCAA Tournament bid on the line. The Bison represented the conference in March the last two seasons. It’s time for someone else to step in there.

Holy Cross 73, Bucknell 72

Connecticut vs. SyracuseWednesday, 2 p.m., ESPN

Certain ESPN college basketball analysts argue Syracuse still has work do after losing to Villanova on Saturday. One win at MSG should silence even the toughest critics. The Orange beat UConn on Feb. 17 and Jim Boeheim won’t let Doug Gottlieb be right.

Syracuse 76, Connecticut 70

Published on March 4, 2007 at 12:00 pm