Today is the opening day of the NCAA’s March Madness tournament, but since I was brought to Hoops Addict to write about the NBA Development League, I won’t be talking about most basketball fans’ favorite weekend.

Instead, my introductory post will be focused on Mike Gansey, a 6-foot-4 guard for the Erie BayHawks. You may remember Gansey for having a successful NCAA tournament for the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2005 after leading them to a 7-seed while averaging 12 points as well as a team-high 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals for the Mountaineers.

“That tourney helped my pro career tremendously. I think it really helped me put West Virginia, as well as myself, on the national scene,” said Gansey. “I probably wouldn’t be where I am right now if we hadn’t had such a good tournament. It still seems every other day someone asks me about the Wake Forest game.”

The ‘Wake Forest game’ was probably the biggest game of his college career. Gansey broke out to score 29 points and grab seven rebounds, upsetting Chris Paul’s 2-seed Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a double-overtime thriller and advancing West Virginia to the Sweet 16. The Mountaineers would go on to beat Texas Tech before losing in overtime to Louisville in the Elite Eight.

“That was an unbelievable experience,” Gansey recalled. “I had the best game of my career in front of my family and friends in Cleveland. I mean, it’s something I always look back at and say, ‘Man, those were like the best times of my life.’”

Following Gansey’s successful college career, he nearly made the Miami Heat as an undrafted rookie. Unfortunately, he collapsed during a workout with the Heat due to what was eventually diagnosed as MRSA, a type of staph infection. It was nearly a year until Gansey was back at full strength.

“It has been a very long trip back from being sick after college,” Gansey said. “I am just blessed to be playing basketball right now after what I went through – I lost 40 pounds and never knew if I would be able to play again.”

Fortunately, Gansey was able to return to basketball, and now in his first season in the NBA Development League, he’s playing better than he ever has before.

Since a mid-season trade from the Idaho Stampede to the Erie BayHawks for former Washington Wizard Donell Taylor, Gansey’s been on a tear, seemingly more comfortable playing closer to his family and friends from his hometown of Olmsted Falls, Ohio.

Either that, or he just has a knack for playing well in the month of March.

“My game hasn’t really changed much since people saw me in college, actually,” Gansey explained. “I feel like I still do a lot of things to help my team, just at a higher level maybe. I just try to be unselfish and shoot the ball well … plus hustle on every play.”

In six games this month, Gansey’s averaging 26.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and two steals per game while shooting 55% from the field and 49% from the 3-point line leading his 18-25 BayHawks to a 5-1 record.

Scott Schroeder blogs obsessively about the D-League year-round at Ridiculous Upside.

I can easily admit I’m part of a large group of fans and members of the media who are disappointed with what Hedo Turkoglu has done on the court his season for the Toronto Raptors.

And, if I’m going to be fully honest, ever since he signed with Toronto I haven’t been a fan of the idea of Turkoglu as a Raptor.

This past summer I spent the month of July in Australia for my sister’s wedding but I kept close tabs on Hedo Turkoglu’s courtship by Portland, how he almost signed and then his quick change of mind which saw him ink with Toronto.

When it became official that he would sign a five-year $53 million deal with Toronto I have to admit to stomping around my brother-in-laws house in disgust at this move by Bryan Colangelo.

After my little temper tantrum there’s little doubt in my mind that his family thought I had a couple screws loose.

Unfortunately my doubts about how effective Turkoglu would be in Toronto were re-enforced when he missed most of training camp and the preseason due to injuries.

Things didn’t get any better for Turkoglu as the season progressed because during the All-Star break he spent time in Turkey with his mother after she had open heart surgery. Dealing with a family members medical issues is never easy but when you’re living and working in another country it just makes it that much tougher to focus on your job.

Throw in the fact he had to wear a face mask for a couple of games and that only added to his frustrations on the court.

Then, when Turkoglu finally started to pull it together, he tweaked his ankle at the start of this month.

Through all of these issues Turkoglu just hasn’t been able to find a groove or comfort zone on the court with Toronto so far this season. Even though he’s averaging a respectable 12.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game – numbers that are close to his career averages – they aren’t close to the past two seasons when he averaged 19.5 and 16.8 points per game.

However, against Portland he started to show some signs of life. Maybe it was the fans at the Rose Garden getting on his case after what transpired this past summer but he seemed to finally show some aggressive moves on offense. He was attacking defenders off the dribble.  He wasn’t passing up shots in the paint. And, most importantly, he was looking to get his shot off instead of deferring to his teammates.

While he finished with a modest 14 points and five rebounds, he did it while shooting an impressive 5-7 from the field while being aggressive.

Turkoglu followed that up tonight by scoring 16 points and going 5-12 from the field.

Sure, that’s a bad percentage, but I’ll take it because he attempted 12 field goals and looked confident whenever the ball left his hand.

Plus, those 16 points nearly doubled the 8.9 points per game he’s been averaging so far this month.

After the game Turkoglu chalked up his play tonight to finally feeling healthy.

“I was feeling much better,” a modest Turkoglu told the media following the win against Atlanta. “It has been hard to settle on jumpers. I just decided I didn’t want to play like that anymore and I need to be more aggressive and get to the free throw line. I wanted to make some easy layups to get myself in a rhythm and tonight my ankle was feeling much better. Hopefully in a few days it’s going to be closer to 100 per cent.”

Or, as Chris Bosh told me after the game, maybe Turkoglu’s just one of those guys who thrives on pressure.

He knows there’s been a lot of expectations placed on him after signing a big contract last summer and Turkoglu is aware he hasn’t come close to meeting those expectations.

“I think sometimes pressure is a good thing,” Bosh told Hoops Addict when asked about Turkoglu’s strong play recently. “It brings the best out of some people and it will bring the best out in him during the rest of this reason.”

Regardless of the reason, it’s great to see Turkoglu finally find his groove in Toronto.

It may have taken him nearly 60 games, but if he continues to play like he has against Portland and Atlanta, then he may be one of the key ingredients to any success to the teams has in the postseason.

Which is all Raptors fans are hoping for at this point.

One of the reasons why I like it when the Atlanta Hawks swing through Toronto is because their coach, Mike Woodson, invites members of the media to his office. What makes this unique is that he’s the only coach in the NBA to do this and it’s always a blast to sit on a leather couch and chat hoops with him.

Tonight I was able to chat with Woodson about what he does to make sure his players don’t dwell on their convincing win over Toronto the last time these two teams met, the importance of his team winning the Southeast Division, what his team needs to do be considered in the conversation as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and the evolution of Josh Smith this season.

Download audio file (woodson0317.mp3)

Tonight I had the chance to chat with Atlanta Hawks rookie Jeff Teague about getting his first start of his NBA career earlier this week, the mental shift between coming off the bench and starting, what he’s learned battling in practice against Atlanta’s veterans and how he thinks Wake Forest will do in the NCAA Tournament.

Download audio file (teague0317.mp3)

Allen Iverson in his prime was of course a key example of that truth, and an antidote put forward by adidas and the 2008 Boston Celtics appears slow to take.

Even if the Celtics put team before self during their most recent title run they still had three superstars capable of taking over games.

And though the ads proclaim basketball is a brotherhood, they also feature superstars who insist it’s on them to make their teams better.

Teams win as a group and lose as a group, but they’re often defined by a select few.

That’s as true in Toronto as anywhere, where the hometown Raptors are bolstered by Chris Bosh, one of the best power forwards in the league.

The Raptors won eight of 10 games in a promising mid-season stretch before Bosh went out with an ankle injury in late February.

Without him they won just three of seven and have struggled to find their rhythm since.

Granted, some of their wins came against bad teams – teams Toronto should expect to beat – but others are evidence a team led by Bosh can be one of the best in the Eastern Conference, as long as they’re willing to hustle, shoot quality shots, and bite down on defence.

Without Bosh the Raptors were a discombobulated bunch – a team without a leader worthy of the title, without a player capable of carrying the team, and without a stabilizing force.

Anyone seeking a vision of what the Raptors could look like if Bosh skips town this summer needn’t have looked further.

Lately the media hounds in Toronto have been circling, and tough questions have begun to fly.

“What else do you want me to do?” Bosh recently vented to reporters. “Score 30, 40 points a game? Twenty blocks a game? That’s not my game. That’s not what I do.

“I try to get these guys going, and that’s pretty much it. I’m not weak-minded by any means. I know that we’re going to be good this year. I think we have time to turn it around. That’s the plain fact.

“You can’t put the emphasis on one person … it’s a team sport.”

Many of those words ring true. There is no star Toronto player who does more to help his team win each night than Bosh.

He averages 24 points, 11.2 rebounds per game a just over a block a game – strong numbers that aren’t inflated by the fact he’s a great player on an under-performing team.

Like any player of his caliber, Bosh often wants the ball in his hands. But he’s also aware of the fact he can’t win on his own, and will defer to teammates he knows are capable of helping the team.

Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo has often said those seeking a scapegoat for the team’s lack of success should knock on his door.

“I’m the one who put them together,” he said recently. “I’m the guy. If you want to blame someone, blame me.”

But of course the reason for the Raptors’ mediocrity lies with more than one person.

It extends from the top of the franchise to somewhere near the bottom, and one doesn’t get from A to B without passing through Bosh.

Basketball is a team sport, indeed – but teams rely heavily on their superstars. The emphasis can’t rest solely on an individual. But when gifted teams struggle as mightily as Toronto has, the franchise player can’t expect to emerge from the blame game unscathed.

With the NCAA Tournament kicking off on Thursday, I took some time this afternoon to chat with Aaron Torres about  first-round matchups he’s excited to watch, what high seeds could be booted early from the tournament, what teams are over or under-rated, how Kentucky’s lack of experience in the Tournament will play out and if Texas can regain the form that helped them start the season  17-0.

Download audio file (marchmadness.mp3)

The prize package will include a Coke Zero fleece jacket, cap, and a water bottle.

Right now there are only 10 people registered in the pool so you’re odds of winning a prize package are pretty good.

Why are they helping us out? Because they want my help in spreading the word about Coke Zero’s unique program called Dept. of Fannovation.

Coke Zero challenged fans the last few months to think of ways to improve the NCAA fan experience by submitting ideas to the Dept. of Fannovation for a shot at $10,000 and a trip to the 2011 NCAA Final Four. The top 64 ideas have been chosen, and fans can head over now to www.cocacolazero.com/ncaa to vote for their favorites in the “Coca-Cola Zero Brain Bracket Championship” — a survive and advance tournament similar in format to the NCAA one.

Unfortunately this giveaway is limited to residents of the US and Canada. Sorry.

Click this link to join the Hoops Addict March Madness Pool on Yahoo! Sports.

Even though the prize was provided by The Coca-Cola Company, the Coca-Cola Company is not a sponsor, administrator or connected in any other way with this giveaway.

Coming into the NCAA Tournament, we all know the names of the biggest game-changers in college basketball are John Wall, Evan Turner and Sherron. But what about everybody else? What about the guys who weren’t All-Americans this year? You need to know about them too.

Which is why Hoops Addict has identified a group of six players you need to get to know and watch out for, as we head into the 2010 NCAA Tournament:

Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech: Don’t worry, I already know what you’re thinking: How can a guy who is very likely going to be a top five NBA Draft pick, a player we should watch out for? Well, if you watched Georgia Tech at all this year, you know that the Jackets did anything but look out for their biggest, baddest player. And it almost cost them a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

That’s because through the regular season, Favors was almost an afterthought on his own team, as he averaged just 12 points and less than eight shot attempts per game. In a related story, the Yellow Jackets limped to a 19-11 regular season record.

Once the ACC Tournament started Favors was a different man, as he averaged over 17 points a game, and Georgia Tech beat North Carolina, Maryland and NC State before ultimately losing to Duke in the conference finals.

Look, it’s pretty simple really. If the Yellow Jackets get the ball to their big guy these next few weeks, there aren’t many who can stop Favors, or the Yellow Jackets for that matter.

But if they don’t? Well, there might not be much madness in their March. It’ll be interesting to see what happens.

Jon, Leuer, Wisconsin: As hard as it is to believe, Wisconsin has been one of the most consistent teams in college basketball over the last decade or so, winning 20 or more games in every year but one since 2003. And in the one year they didn’t, they “only,” got to 19 wins and the NCAA Tournament. Needless to say, Coach Bo Ryan knows how to evaluate talent and coach it up.

Well this year, he’s got a pretty special big man in Leuer.

Leuer stands at 6’10 and while not overly athletic, is a smart player, with a nice soft touch around the basket. Which is the biggest reason he finished second on the Badgers in scoring this season, averaging just under 15 points a game.

And after coming back fro a midseason injury, Leuer is just starting to regain his early season form. He’s now scored in double figures in each of the last five games, with Wisconsin going 4-1 over that time frame.

Expect a still improving Leuer to be a headache for opponents all NCAA Tournament long.

Lazar Hayward, Marquette: Watch Marquette enough and you might start to ask yourself, “What am I missing?” They’re not that big, physical or overly athletic, and just don’t seem like they should be as good as their 22-11 record would indicate they are. Only, well, they are that good. And there’s no bigger reason for their success than Hayward.

Like the rest of him teammates, if you were lining Hayward up next to his opponent, he wouldn’t just out at you, but just watch the Golden Eagles 6’6″ power forward. The kid can play.

Hayward was Marquette’s leading scorer (18.1 points a game) and rebounder (7.7) and shot 43 percent from the field, all while facing the opponent’s best low post defender. He’s also gritty and tough, and it was his play that led the Golden Eagles to their fifth place finish in the rugged Big East.

Again, if you pick the Golden Eagles in your bracket, don’t expect to be overwhelmed the first time you lay eyes on Hayward (Honestly, seeing him with his headband and beard, he looks like a 6’6 version of Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin. All he’s only missing the kiss tattoo on his neck), but by the end of the game, not only will he be your favorite Marquette player, you’ll probably be looking to buy his replica jersey off Eastbay too.

Either way, the Golden Eagles will make some noise in this tournament, and no one will play a bigger role, than their most important player.

Donald Sloan, Texas A&M: Much like Marquette, if you just caught Texas A&M in passing at any point this season you probably weren’t overwhelmed; they’re the type of team that does everything good, but nothing great. At the same time though, let’s be honest, the Aggies didn’t finish fourth in college basketball’s toughest conference by accident. But as good as Texas A&M is (and believe me they’re good), they would have been a lot closer to the bottom of the Big XII without Sloan.

What makes Sloan so special is his consistency. He never seems to force his offense, yet he’s still scored in double-figures in every game but one since…wait for it…wait for it… The last week of November! Not too shabby huh? What makes Sloan’s feat even more impressive is that the Aggies haven’t had their second leading scorer- Derrick Roland- since right around New Year’s.

Again, Sloan isn’t a name you’re probably familiar with, but you better get to know it quick. Before it’s too late, and he’s knocked your favorite team out of the Big Dance.

Jimmer Fredette, BYU: Jimmer Fredette? Sounds more like the lead singer of the house band at your favorite local pub than a basketball player right? He actually looks the part too. But get him on the court, and the kid is a stone-cold assassin.

The 6’2 guard from Glen Falls, NY (How’d he end up out in Provo, Utah? Your guess is as good as mine), led the Mountain West with a 21.4 points a game average, while at the same time leading BYU with close to five dimes a game too. More importantly, he saved his best performances for the Cougars biggest games, as he dropped 45 and 30 on back-to-back nights in the Mountain West Tournament.

While BYU ultimately lost to UNLV in the conference semifinals, make no mistake, they will make noise come this NCAA Tournament. And that noise will come from the unlikeliest source: The one man house band himself, Jimmer Fredette.

Johnathan Jones, Oakland: Want a deep, deep sleeper who could blow up on your radar this 2010 NCAA Tournament? Well head out West…well not that far West…but to Oakland, MI, where one of college basketball’s most underrated point guards plays, Johnathan Jones of Oakland University.

Jones is a coaches dream (unless you’re the opposing coach, then he’s more like a nightmare), an experienced floor leader that gets more joy out of setting up his teammates than getting his own points. Jones finished third in college basketball in assists this year averaging 6.4 a game, which wouldn’t be all that bad, except well, he averaged over eight a game a year ago to lead college basketball. Add in over 12 points a game, and you’re looking at one of the best floor generals in college basketball, regardless of school.

Oakland comes into this tournament having won 20 of their last 21 games dating all the way back to the end of December, and won’t lay down to Pittsburgh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. And if they do win, look for the smallest guy on the court to have the biggest impact.

For the best coverage of the NCAA Tournament, be sure to check back at HOOPSADDICT.com all March long. To read all of Aaron’s work, please visit him at his own personal site, www.aarontorres-sports.com and follow him on Twitter @Aaron_Torres.

GAME: Arkansas Vs. Ole Miss

SCOUT: Bernard Brown

PLAYER/#: Courtney Fortson #4

SCHOOL/TEAM: Arkansas

CLASS: Sophomore HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 180 POSITION: PG

BODY/ATHLETICISM: Good, strong body. Good athleticism. Great quickness. Pushes the ball and keeps pressure on the defense. Above average upper body strength. Can take and make acrobatic shots with his strength.

SHOOTING: Not a great shooter. Can make a college three pointer, but not consistently. Decent FT shooter. Decent rotation on the ball.

POSITION OFFENSE: Turns the ball over too much for a PG. Leaves his feet too much with no predetermined place to pass the ball. He can get in the lane either by blowing by opposing PG’s or muscling his way by them.

DEFENSE/REBOUNDING: Good on the ball defender and really makes his man work to bring the ball up and get into play. Good rebounder for his position averaging 5.5 per game last year.

MISCELLANEOUS: Fortson plays the game at one speed all the time and he needs to learn how to be a more efficient and patient PG. Although he turns the ball over too much he does have all the tools of a good PG, quickness, strength, competitiveness. Also needs to develop a more consistent jump shot out to 22-23 feet

OVERALL RATING: 5

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