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There are no guarantees in this life, but in a world where everything bigger, newer and shinier gets the most attention, a young man silently plies his trade on fine hardwood courts throughout the heartland of America in hope of realizing a grand dream. This young man was once Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, a four-year player under the radar of many scouts and the average college basketball fan, doing work at tiny Weber State in Utah. Undeterred, despite the presence of other more high visibility draft picks, Lillard went on to earn the 2013 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and is now an All-Star in his second year in the Association. Now the names changed, but the aims the same. Brampton, Ontarios Melvin Ejim, a senior small forward for Iowa State Cyclones, may be next. With all of the hoopla in college basketball going to freshmen, a couple of whom play in his conference (Kansass Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid,) as well as a sophomore who many thought would enter the NBA Draft last year in Marcus Smart, Melvin Ejim is standing out as the leading scorer on one of the best teams in the Big 12. I had the chance to catch up with Ejim earlier this week. Whats the secret to your success? Its just a lot of hard work and dedication. Those guys [Wiggins, Embiid and Smart] are great players and have the big names in our conference. But were competing. Im playing hard and doing the best I can do to help my team win. Why choose Iowa State? They were the first to recruit me. They treated me well. I felt comfortable from the start with them. I wasnt this heavily recruited guy. They told me I had a chance to come in right away and play…make an impact and I did. Iowa State allowed me to grow and help change the culture here. This being my last semester, I dont carry a heavy class load now. I get to spend a lot more time in the gym, working on my game, getting better. Its pretty typical: breakfast, class, gym, study… What has been the biggest change in how people perceive you now vs. your first 3 years? Ive grown a lot. When I first got here, I was kind of rowdy…my game was unrefined…rough. Some people doubted that I could play at this level. Honestly, I questioned it at times, too. I turned the corner in my junior year when I knew not only could I play and be successful at this level, but also started thinking about what I could do to be successful at the next level. How has coach Fred “The Mayor” Hoiberg helped you and the development of your game? Its been great with Coach Fred. Hes been a friend and a mentor, on and off the court. I mean, he was a star here at Iowa State and played 10 years in the NBA, so he knows what it takes to be successful in college and the pros. Ive grown so much watching him here and how he handles things. Coach is so cool, calm and collected. Watching him helped me to shape my on-court demeanor, where Ive been able to control my emotions when necessary and show them at the right times. What team in the NBA do you see as best fit for Melvin Ejim next season? Really, it doesnt matter. To make it to the NBA is a dream…Id be happy! Any team that is willing to take a chance on me, Id be happy to be a part of. Any team that values an all-around player wholl work hard, comes in with a winning attitude from a winning culture may like a player like me. If Melvin Ejim wasnt playing basketball for a living somewhere next year, what would he be doing? Id be in law school. I want to help people…help society. Thats definitely a goal of mine. Congratulations on being the inaugural Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2013, but which would mean more to you: being named NCAA Scholar Athlete of The Year 2014 or being a Naismith Award winner as the best college basketball player in the country? Oh, thats easy. Its a no brainer, really - the Naismith. I knew I wouldnt have any issues with my schooling. That was going to be handled, regardless. While its be great to be an Academic All-American, to be recognized as the best player in college basketball would be a great feeling. It would be a great accomplishment. What helps your draft stock more: dropping the Big 12 scoring record (48 point with 18 rebounds vs. TCU) or winning the Big 12 and eventually a national title, even if you dont play well? Winning is everything to me. Thats my attitude. While hitting 48 definitely got me some recognition in certain places, Id trade that 48 any day to win the conference and win the NCAA title. Winning matters to me. .com) - His team lost in the round of 16 of the FCS playoffs, yet Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley says his team has made a strong case to be voted to the top 5 in the final rankings. . The right-hander pitched into the seventh inning and boosted Cincinnatis struggling offence by hitting a double and scoring as the Reds ended a seven-game losing streak by beating the Atlanta Braves 1-0 Saturday night. http://www.ukmanutdjersey.com/jesse-lin ... n-utd.html. James Harden wasnt worried and told his coach as much. "He was fired up but I told him: Its OK. Were going to be all right," Harden said. And they were. Houston scored 17 straight points after that timeout, led by 10 from Harden, to take the lead and roll to an easy 129-106 win. . The first of the three games will be played in Week 4, when the Oakland Raiders will take on the Miami Dolphins on Sept. . -- Phil Hughes ended a personal losing streak that dated to last July, pitching into the seventh inning Sunday and helping the Twins top the Kansas City Royals 8-3 to avoid a three-game sweep.SEATTLE - Clint Dempseys introduction to the Cascadia rivalry came before one of the largest crowds in Major League Soccer history and was filled with pushes and shoves, harsh tackles and heated words. And Seattle got the better of its rivals from Portland. "I told the guys before the game, this career is so fleeting and there is so much uncertainty day to day ... but the one thing I know for certain is we beat Portland, period," Seattle defender Zach Scott said. "Were always going to be the team to beat. They can say there is a changing of the guard, they can say were a group of stars and they are the team, but in the end we are the ones that are going to come out victorious." Eddie Johnson flicked a header past goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts off a free kick in the 60th minute, and the Seattle Sounders made Dempseys home debut memorable with a 1-0 win Sunday night over the Portland Timbers before the second-largest, stand-alone crowd in Major League Soccer history. The crowd of 67,385 trailed only the first home game for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1996 that drew 69,255. It topped the 66,452 that saw Seattle and Portland play last October at CenturyLink Field and was the largest for any match in Seattle, besting a friendly against Manchester United in 2011. "Nobody compares to our fans. When they turn out in numbers like that, its indescribable," Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. Johnson scored his fourth goal against the Timbers moments after his speed in the open field drew a free kick when he was chopped down by defender Pa Modou Kah. Mauro Rosales curling ball into the box found Johnson wide open after he left defender Alvas Powell behind. "Were going to keep suffering if we dont find goals and if we dont sort out set pieces," Portland coach Caleb Porter said. It was Johnsons sixth goal in MLS play. Seattle improved to 35-0-8 in its last 43 games when scoring first and controlled the second half after Portland had the better chances in the first 45 minutes. The Sounders moved into a tie for fifth place in the Western Conference with 37 points and still have at least one game in hand on the rest of their playoff competition. "I like the occasion of it. I like to play in big games," Johnson said. "We know how much it means to the fans. We know how much it means to the organization, the importance of these games. But at the end of the day yyou want to step up in big games and show your value.dddddddddddd." Seattle was on pace for another crowd of 60,000-plus before Dempseys arrival. But the acquisition of the U.S. captain from Tottenham, plus Seattles archrival being his first home match, pushed the stadium past its capacity. Before the game, fans jammed Occidental Park north of the stadium for the annual pregame march to it. Flares were lit, songs were sung and full city blocks were crammed with fans in rave green. And No. 2 jerseys with "Dempsey" across the back flooded the stadium. Dempsey received the loudest screams when he was the last name announced during pregame introductions. Fans added Dempsey-related signs around the stadium, including "Dempseyland" on north stands. He delighted the fans with his footwork and creativity. In the first half, he flicked a no-look pass to Johnson and nearly scored in the second-half on a modified scissor kick — he called it a "ninja kick" — as he tried to get his first goal for Seattle. The Timbers werent afraid to be physical with Dempsey, pushing him off the ball when they could. Kah was especially willing, drawing Dempseys ire and a few shoves in the back. But it was his careless tackle on Johnson that led to the free kick that gave Seattle the victory. "Its showing character. Thats what you have to have in these types of games. Being able to push yourself to the limit but not too far," Dempsey said. "I thought the team showed a lot of character, kept a clean sheet, and Eddie does what he does. He comes up in big moments." Portland had its chances to ruin the night for its rivals to the north. Portlands Darlington Nagbe had a shot from outside the box that was punched over the net by goalkeeper Michael Gspurning in the 88th minute. Andrew Jean-Baptistes header was caught by Gspurning in stoppage time. Gspurning was also forced to make a number of key saves in the first half, coming off his line to smother Ryan Johnson on a breakaway in the 16th minute and getting a bit of luck in the 37th minute when Diego Valeris shot from outside the box curled but hit the goalpost flush and ricocheted away. "Everyone knows were a good team. Its just a matter of showing it," Ryan Johnson said. "They finished their chances tonight and we didnt. I think next time, were going to come out on top." ' ' '