"Strumming my pain with his fingers...singing my life with his words...Killing me softly with his song, killing me softly..."--The Fugees

Every time I see Indiana University forward Marco Killingsworth play, that's what inevitably runs through my head, Lauren Hill and the Fugees singing about something that I barely understand the words to, much less understand the point to.

What else do I think of Killingsworth? I think his transfer from Auburn to IU looks suspicious at best. I think he plays for a terrible coach and a team that I used to follow during my childhood but now nearly detest.

And I think he's the nation's M.I.P (Most Important Player).

Slightly different from MVP. And I'm guessing that several of you out there "slightly" disagree. 

But after watching Killingsworth dominate another team last night, this time (5) Illinois,  I'm under the impression that he might just be the most important College Basketball player in the country right now. That's right--Marco Killingsworth, I presume.

Granted, he's not statistically rated in the Top 5 of any major category--Killingsworth is 85th in scoring, 102nd in rebounds--but he could very well be the nation's most important player for a multitude of reasons. He seems to be more of an intangibles type guy. Which makes him a perfect fit for M.I.P.

For M.I.P., there's just one category:

1) Importance To Team

Gonzaga's got everybody's favorite "Larry Bird look-alike" in Adam Morrison, who leads the nation in points per game at 28.3. As a junior, he's also guiding the Bulldogs to a Top Ten ranking and a 14-3 record. His team would be notably different and worse without him, but they'd still probably make the NCAA Tournament because of the weaker WCC and the current big-league status of Gonzaga.

Last week, Gonzaga coach Mark Few actually let point guard Derek Raivio look-off Morrison on a play designed specifically for him--and didn't rip Raivio a new one because Raivio hit the shot that followed the Morrison look-off.

Even though we're talking about Mike Davis here, even he knows where his bread and butter is. Do you think he'd let Roderick Wilmont or Marshall Strickland look off Killingsworth repeatedly? The ball goes into Killingsworth like it should and it stays there until he makes a move. 

Think there's a reason that IU leads the nation in three point shooting and team field goal shooting? It's because of Killingsworth, even though he rarely ever takes a shot outside of fifteen feet. Most of the plays are designed for Killingsworth to touch the ball on the interior and evaluate his scoring options on the player guarding him.

He then sees if anyone's open on the perimeter. Let's just say by the stats that a few guys are open. When you have more open shots, your shooting percentages rise. I could go 5-8 shooting and drop about 13 points a game with Killingsworth drawing double teams and then dishing it back out.

Marco's the reason Indiana's winning, plain and simple. How else do you explain that this very team, this exact team was 15-14 last year, losing in the NIT first round and 14-15 in 2003-2004? The reason for the turnaround certainly isn't Davis coaching.  

With Killingsworth, Indiana's a Top 15 team and now a virtual lock (unless Mike Davis does something to screw it up) to make the NCAA Tournament in March after two seasons in the NIT and a sub-.500 record last year.

Now I can hear those J.J. Redick backers shouting from the Cameron Indoor rooftop, "What about J.J.?" Redick currently sits fourth in the nation in scoring at 26.4 points per game. Impressive, yes. Certainly his 41 points against then #2 Texas was impressive. But he's not going anywhere in the value department averaging only two assists and 2 rebounds per game.

Plus, look at Duke's schedule; thus far it includes the likes of Davidson, Drexel, Valpo, UNC Greensboro and Bucknell. For every Memphis, Texas and IU on their schedule, they've got a card full of patsies. My point is merely that Redick's not taking on everyone's best on a nightly basis to the extent that Morrison and Killingsworth are.

The list of "worthies" could go on: Rudy Gay from UConn has tons of potential, but you're not M.I.P. material if the point guard who missed the first part of the season (Marcus Williams) for some shady computer ordeal is considered more important to the Huskies than you are.

And let me just state for the record that I love Kevin Pittsnogle, the Bobaganosh from West Virginia. He's got the Mountaineers on an 11-game winning streak behind his near nightly double doubles.

But he's not as important to his team's fortunes as Marco Killingsworth is to Indiana's.

Or to Mike Davis.

Think about it: Davis was on the verge of being fired; ironically he's on a zero-tolerance policy with IU like his predecessor was, it's just this one has to do with wins and losses and making a certain NCAA Tournament.

Davis certainly doesn't help himself out when he tells reporters before the season to "reserve" their tickets to Indy for a Monday night game in April (implying that IU will be playing for the national championship). At that point, Hoosier fans everywhere were probably smacking their foreheads and actually saying, "I miss Bobby Knight--he would never have said something so dumb." Which is a paradox statement in itself.

The only way in which Davis helps out his cause is by continually throwing the ball into Killingsworth and praying for good things. Did you see Davis's mixed and odd reaction when it appeared Killingsworth wouldn't play last night because of severe back spasms? Davis hit Coaching Def-Con 2, easily. He was flipping out, wondering what his team would do without Marco providing power in the paint.

That's why Killingsworth is so important. He's saved Mike Davis from being exposed until at least the NCAA Tournament. 

Killingsworth reminds me of Chris Webber in an odd way. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but he's got that look and that style of play that Webber had at Michigan. But here's the thing about Killingsworth, Webber, Pittsnogle or just about anyone else not a guard: they've got to have the ball in their hands to be effective, like a wide receiver in the NFL. If you don't get them the ball, they can't do anything. Give Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers the ball 10-12 times a game he gives you 200-plus yards and a couple touchdowns.

So do we give the M.I.P. award to a "quarterback" like Redick, who's on a loaded team that would surely be Top 10 without him, or to a "wide receiver" like Killingsworth?

It's Killingsworth, I presume.

"Killing me softly with his rebounds, singing my life with his j...Killing me softly with his game, Killing me softly..."