The word bold is defined as being fearless and daring while requiring courage.
So then who is the boldest player of all time in Big 12 basketball history? Answering this question is definitely not an easy task with all the fabulous talent that has rolled through the conference since its formation in 1996.
The honor has to go to a player who stepped up in the most crucial of moments and did something really special.
A quick look at the list of players who could be considered lets you know how hard it is to simply pick one player. Here are a few of the candidates just to throw out there in no particular order: Acie Law, Chauncey Billups, Hollis Price, & Michael Beasley. .
Two of those players listed above could be considered for simply where they chose to go to school. Billups chose to stay close to home and attend Colorado which did not have a long storied basketball program. In his two years in Boulder he was named All Big 12 while leading the Buffaloes to their first NCAA Tournament win in over thirty years. The script for Beasley was he chose to attend Kansas State at a point in time where Bob Huggins had just left for West Virginia and a virtual unknown in Frank Martin was being named the head coach. All that Beasley did was come in and average 26.2 points per game while helping K-State record their first victory ever over Kansas in Bramlage Coliseum.
In the case of Hollis Price many people forget he was a two time All Big 12 performer in the early 2000's while leading Oklahoma to a Final Four appearance. He accomplished these things despite not being the biggest guy on the court but being unafraid to take the ball into the lane when necessary. As for Acie Law well anyone who was watching the game in Allen Fieldhouse in 2007 when the Aggies upset Kansas knows why he should at least be considered.
But after thinking about the above players not to mention all the other great players not listed only one name really comes to mind and everyone probably can guess who it is, yep Mario Chalmers.
Any player that can have a single shot named after them (Mario's Miracle) in a national title game deserves the crown. That single three pointer put Kansas into overtime and allowed them to win the 2008 crown. Even if Chalmers hadn't accomplished anything else he may still deserve the title of boldest player in Big 12 history but his resume was filled up already.
Besides the shot in the national title game, Chalmers was named the Most Outstanding Player of the whole NCAA tournament in 2008. His NCAA tournament accomplishment had been foreshadowed though by great play from Chalmers in Big 12 tournaments where he was named the MOP in his sophomore season and where in his junior year he scored 30 points in the Jayhawks title game victory over Texas.
If I have to make a choice my vote goes Chalmers. Let me know if you agree or if you think some other player is worthy.
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