He must make every minute count, for every minute is precious. Matt Gaudio, he of the aching back and burning stomach, gets only 20 of them every game. That's on a good day.

That is why you will see him swatting shots and fighting for rebounds and diving for loose balls like it is the last minute of his life, let alone the game.

He can't play the type of game he truly wants to play, posting up and dominating inside. His body won't let him. So he plays as hard as he can without literally collapsing on the court.

Gaudio has grown accustomed to the pain in his back. It has been there since his high school days in Follansbee, W.Va., and it will most likely be there forever. He was the West Virginia player of the year despite the pain. He lived through a redshirt year because of the pain.

But now there is more. Now his stomach is playing tricks on him, bringing sharp pains and tenderness and nauseousness. It may be an ulcer.

"The good days are basically when I don't eat," the sophomore said. "Sometimes I'll eat a pretty good meal and I'll feel alright."

It is not fair.

Trapped inside this Edsel of a body there is a spectacular basketball player. Project his part-time stats into full-time status, and they are the numbers of a superstar -- 18 points, eight rebounds, perhaps some serious recognition.

Instead, he is a sixth man, riding the bench until midway through the first half, when he comes in and hustles his butt off on both ends of the court.

"It's always easy to tell when Matt is in the game. It is great to have him on the floor," Lion center John Amaechi said. Amaechi, you see, has faced a wall of double-teams this year. But when Gaudio's 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame is in the game, the pressure is eased. There is another presence in the lane.

And the Lions become a different team. A team that wants to win even more than ever.

Case in point: Gaudio's monstrous block of Ohio State's Jamie Skelton in the waning seconds of the first half on Saturday afternoon. From there, he simply grabbed the loose ball, drove the length of the court, made the layup and drew a foul with .8 seconds left.

Hustle is routine for No. 34.

"With my lightning speed, I beat (the defender) down the court," Gaudio smiled. Then he chastised himself for missing the foul shot.

He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve to be a part-time player. So he does what he can.

Last night, during the Lions' 89-80 victory over Iowa, Matt Gaudio again gritted through the pain that ravaged his body from all sorts of angles. He played 21 minutes, most when starter Phil Williams was in foul trouble. He finished with an unspectacular line -- 1-for-5 from the floor, with only four points and five rebounds.

But there are times when statistics don't tell the whole story.

"Matt's just got a huge heart," said his coach, Bruce Parkhill. "He's just a winner."

That is why he deserves a better fate.

That is why it is not fair.