PHOENIX – There is something that has been bugging me since the media day prior to the Toppers second round game against San Diego.

During coach Darrin Horn’s interview session at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., a reporter from a local publication asked Horn how he feels now that senior guard Courtney Lee is getting so much publicity after being a “relative unknown” for most of his career.

Horn’s response was cool, but stern. He explained that Courtney isn’t an unknown and as the leader of the team he has performed well considering all the attention he has been getting all year.

Today in the media session here in Phoenix, a reporter asked the same type of question. I almost wanted to walk over and ask the guy how he is recovering since coming out of that coma he must have been in since October.

Courtney Lee is not an unknown. Want proof? Then, as most things go today, just Google it.

The first page of results reads like a major sports media guest list: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Scout.com, CBSSports.com, etc. All the sites contain stories, NBA draft predictions, scouting profiles and anything else you want to know about No. 32 in red and white.

Unknowns don’t win preseason all-American honors, they don’t win conference player of the year awards, they don’t get slated as probable late-first round NBA Draft picks. Courtney Lee has. Courtney Lee is far from an unknown.

His road to the ‘know’ has been documented by most major publications this season. How playing at state-power Pike (Ind.) High School behind the likes of Robert Vaden and Justin Cage allowed Western to nab the under-recruited Lee. How his homesickness almost made him transfer to IUPUI to be closer to home, but his close friendship with late teammate Danny Rumph and his will kept him on the Hill.

The public know’s Courtney Lee, and they knew him way before the Toppers run to the Sweet Sixteen.

That is not to say that Western’s run in the Big Dance hasn’t helped boost the name and legend of Lee (though he may be deadlocked with Ty Rogers for that award). Those that didn’t know him, know him now. But DraftExpress.com has Lee billed as the 30th pick in the first round of the 2008 Draft. He’s ranked as the second best draftee among all seniors, behind Georgetown’s 7-2 behemoth Roy Hibbert.

Can an unknown do that?

True, being in and around the Bowling Green area makes it a lot easier to reel off the who and what of Lee. But stats and accolades-let’s shorten that . success in general- doesn’t lie.

The one common denominator is that these questions were asked by regional media, which takes a focus to maybe a few teams in an area, so they catch on late. But all you have to do is look, information on your so-called “unknown” is everywhere. Not knowing who Courtney Lee is at this point doesn’t boil down to Lee being an “unknown”, it boils down to ignorance.

One of college basketball’s best-kept secrets? Maybe. But Courtney Lee is definitely not an unknown. Unknowns don’t have 18 NBA scouts show up to a game to watch them, as they did in the South Alabama game on Feb. 21.

Still think Courtney Lee is an unknown? Tune in to CBS at 8:40 p.m. CST today and get in the know.

Reach David Harten at sports@chherald.com.