This Week in Wrenball: Bearded Ladies and Undersized Rebounders

I'm not Thomas Jefferson

Bill Chambers averaged 20.2 points and 21.7 rebounds per game in 1953. Jeff Cohen went for 24.2 and 18.1 in 1960. David Cox dropped double-digit dimes four times in his Tribe career. Thomas Jefferson dominated in the post, his 6'3" frame the 18th Century equivalent of a 7-footer.

But never, in W&M's 110 years of competitive hoops, had a Wren recorded a triple double. Until Saturday, when junior guard Terry Tarpey scored 18 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and delivered 10 assists in the Tribe's 81-73 win over JMU. The 6'5" Tarpey was named CAA Co-Player of the Week, adding a career-high 22 points and 13 boards in W&M's 85-79 loss to Elon on Thursday.

Marcus Thornton receives his share of well-deserved press as the Tribe's offensive leader. But the 6'5" Tarpey has arguably the most well-rounded game of any of Tony Shaver's players. In his first two seasons, the Connecticut native was mostly known for his athleticism, defense, and dirty work. Though he came to Williamsburg with a reputation as a scorer (his father graduated as New York University's all-time leading scorer), Tarpey's contributions were generally hustle-related. He led the Tribe in rebounding as a sophomore, grabbing 6.1 boards/game. Presaging his all-around leadership this season, he was one of only two players in the CAA to place in the league's top 12 in defensive rebounding, blocked shots, and steals.

Like the Tribe, Tarpey had a solid, if hardly remarkable, out of conference performance. But the beginning of CAA play heralded an entirely new Tarpey, altogether. In four league games, he's averaging 15.3 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.5 blocks, while shooting 59% from the field and 85.7% from the line. Those are plaid numbers. He leads W&M in boards, assists, steals, and blocks, equally absurd. He's second in the CAA in rebounding to Drexel's pogo stick, Rodney Williams, leads the league in blocked shots per game (did I mention that he's a 6'5"wing?), is fourth in steals/game and fifth in assists/game. He's a Renaissance ballplayer. A Wrenaissance man, if you will. (You won't? Eh, can't say I blame you.)

Tarpey's also tough as nails, an attribute not necessarily available in large quantities in the Tribe locker room historically. W&M's 3-1 start (woulda coulda shoulda been 4-0) matched the expectation we set for them at the beginning of the CAA's season-opening four-games-in-eight days sprint. More than any single player, Tarpey set the tone.

We don't expect triple doubles, or 15/11/4 lines, for that matter. But if a reasonable facsimile of this Tarpey joins Thornton, the emerging Daniel Dixon, and the talented, if erratic, Omar Prewitt for the remainder of the season, there aren't many CAA teams that can match the Tribe for all-around talent.

And that's as rare and magical as the bearded lady at the circus.