Smallest is biggest scorer

The smallest PBA import in town is playing much bigger than his size in the Commissioner’s Cup and his whopping two-game average of 44.5 points is insane proof that Barako Bull’s Joshua Dollard is no slouch in the Land of the Giants.

Dollard, 27, was measured 6-4 9/16 by the PBA – lying flat on his back with feet up against a perpendicular metal plate sticking out of a long table. Barako is allowed an import with a height limit of 6-9 but coach Bong Ramos brought in Dollard as a late replacement because original pick Dwayne Chism was sent off after it was found out he had no FIBA clearance to leave his former club Kaposvari with whom he has a pending obligation in the Hungarian league.

Chism, 26, would’ve been an inside force for Barako. With Kaposvari, he averaged 20.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.5 blocked shots while shooting 55% from the floor, 50% from three-point distance and 75% from the line in 16 games. In three of his four years with the University of Tennessee, Chism took the Volunteers to a pair of NCAA Sweet Sixteen finishes and an Elite Eight windup. As a senior in 2009-10, he averaged 12.6 points and 7.2 rebounds. No doubt, Chism is a quality player and would’ve made quite an impact in the PBA. But failure to obtain his clearance from Kaposvari spoiled his chances of playing in Asia for the first time.

If Chism is able to get his FIBA transfer, he could still catch up and play for Barako as there is no deadline to change imports. An import may jump in even for the last game of the finals. Dollard, however, is shooting the lights out of the Big Dome and Ramos isn’t likely to give him the pink slip.

Dollard went berserk in his PBA debut, dumping 45 points on Barangay Ginebra before fouling out in Barako’s 108-104 overtime loss last Friday. To prove the explosion was no fluke, Dollard torched Rain Or Shine for 44 points and this time, the Energy Boosters won, 110-106.

Dollard played two years at Auburn University, an NCAA Division I school in Alabama. Among the prominent Auburn players were Charles Barkley, Marquis Daniels, Mike Mitchell, Chuck Person and former PBA imports Chris Morris, Myles Patrick and Chris Porter. While Dollard compiled impressive stats at Auburn, he had a “turbulent” career with the Tigers varsity culminating in his dismissal with only 12 hours left to earn his degree.

Writer Matthew Wuest said Dollard doesn’t talk about what triggered the dismissal. School officials said it was prompted by a violation of policy. Exactly what that means, nobody seems to know or cares to disclose. Wuest said Dollard admitted he had “personal problems” which led to his departure.

“Every day of my life is a growing-up process for me,” said Dollard, quoted by Wuest in the Metro Halifax newspaper. “I’m human, I make mistakes but I try to learn from my mistakes and I’ve become a better person on and off the court.”

Auburn coach Jeff Lebo said it was Dollard who messed up, nobody else. “Auburn has supplied Josh with all the resources for him to be successful,” said Lebo. “Josh understood his requirements and responsibilities to be an Auburn student-athlete and has fallen short in fulfilling what was clearly communicated to him.”

In an official statement relating to the dismissal, Dollard said, “I have had the opportunity to be successful on and off the court at Auburn…due to certain circumstances, I am unable to continue my career here at Auburn (and) would like to thank everyone who has been involved in my career at Auburn, and wish my teammates, coaching staff and Auburn family much success in the future.”

Dollard averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 22.9 minutes per game as a freshman in 2005-06 while starting 12 of 23 games. He scored a career-high 29 points and had eight rebounds against Jacksonville State and 18 points, five rebounds and three steals at Colorado State. He missed the last five games of his freshman season and the first six games of his sophomore season after being suspended for violation of team rules.

From Auburn, Dollard drifted to the University of South Carolina at Aiken, an NCAA Division II school where he averaged 15.3 points and 7.4 rebounds coming off the bench.  He relinquished his final year of varsity eligibility to play with the Geneva Devils in the Swiss league then hooked up with the Halifax Rainmen in the Premier Basketball League of Canada. Dollard averaged 17.9 points and 8.1 rebounds with the Rainmen. He hit 53% from the floor, 37% from beyond the arc and 77% from the stripe. Wuest said Dollard became an “instant” star in the Canadian circuit.

“(Josh)’s got a 7-3 wingspan and what can only be described as go-go gadget arms, attributes that might one day get him to the NBA,” said Wuest. “The Rainmen have never graduated a player to the NBA but Dollard has all the tools to put his name in the discussion if he wants to.”

Halifax coach Mike Evans, a long-time NBA scout and assistant coach, said he has the body type and physical prowess to make it to the NBA. “The more committed Josh becomes, the more opportunities he will have at the next level,” said Evans. “He’s got to want it. He can score at will but improved conditioning and defensive play are what will one day earn him a bigger paycheck.”

As for Dollard, he said his dream is to play in the NBA. “I’m taking it day by day,” he said. “Wherever this road takes me, I’m ready to go. I’ll leave it in God’s hands.” From Halifax, Dollard played in the Dominican Republic, Czech Republic, Turkey, Greece, Colombia and before landing in Manila, in the Finnish league Korisliiga with Korhiait Uusikaupunki. He averaged 20.7 points and 8.0 rebounds in Finland in 29 games, shooting 57.3% from two-point range, 39.2% from beyond the arc and 76.3% from the line.