Big Ten in the NBA

Think you may want to draft Jared Sullinger's big ole ass?  Like the cut of Meyers Leonard's jib?  I decided to use historical indicators to project the NBA potential for players coming out of the Big Ten.  For several years, the Big Ten has been criticized greatly for a slower, plodding style that can't match up to more athletic and explosive teams from other conferences...in football.  In basketball, however, the Big Ten consistently churns out excellent, if not at least overachieving, tournament performances from its members.  Have its top basketball players moved on to become noteworthy NBA players?  Let's take a look at the last ten years of first round picks from the NBA:

2002
#11 - Jared Jeffries
#25 - Frank Williams

2003
#24 - Brian Cook

2004
#5 - Devin Harris

2005
#3 - Deron Williams
#24 - Luther Head

2006
#25 - Shannon Brown
#28 - Maurice Ager

2007
#1 - Greg Oden
#4 - Mike Conley
#21 - Daequan Cook
#29 - Alando Tucker

2008
#7 - Eric Gordon
#23 - Kosta Koufos
#29 - D.J. White

2009
#24 - B.J. Mullens

2010
#2 - Evan Turner

2011
#25 - JaJuan Johnson

I thought this was a surprising case study.  Out of eighteen first round picks over ten years, only four players have become above average starting caliber players:  Eric Gordon, Mike Conley, Deron Williams, and Devin Harris.  In fairness, Evan Turner has shown promise, but only has two seasons under his belt, and the Greg Oden tragedy is not really his fault.   Nonetheless, it's hard to believe that a conference as strong as the Big Ten has only produced four starting-caliber first round picks over the last decade.

This trend may be completely coincidental, and I don't have any strong theories on why we haven't seen more NBA success out of this conference.  I suppose a case could be made that the Big Ten, by and large, lacks a sufficient number of athletes to provide NBA-caliber matchups for the conference's elite players.  For example, a few more agile, 6'11" shot blockers could have given a better idea of whether Koufos, D.J. White, Mullens, or Sullinger were/are likely to be able to score close to the basket in the NBA.  This list wouldn't change the way I feel about Draymond Green, because any team drafting him shouldn't expect him to be a long-term starter.  However, there are enough concerns about Leonard and Sullinger that this list would give me a little extra pause in drafting them.

Midseason Honors & Awards

Okay, so it's a little past the midway point, but we're far enough into conference play that we can get a feel for how things are stacking up. There's still a lot of basketball left to be played, so these lists are subject to change.

Player of the Year

1) Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Soph Center 6-9 265
17.3p 9.3r 1.5s
Cases certainly can be made for Robinson and Davis, but I'll take Sully, who reminds me of Kevin Love in his ability to dictate the flow of the game from the post.

2) Thomas Robinson, Kansas
Jr Forward 6-10 235
17.8p 12.0r 1.2b
Nation's second leading rebounder has recorded a double-double in 14 of 20 outings.

3) Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Fr Center 6-10 220
13.2p 10.3r 4.7b
The gap between Sullinger and Davis is negligible.

4) Doug McDermott, Creighton
Soph Forward 6-7 220
23.5p 8.5r 1.3a
Heady offensive player is nation's second leading scorer but doesn't care much for playing defense.

5) Mike Scott, Virginia
Sr Forward 6-8 235
16.6p 8.4r 1.6a
The fifth year senior's numbers are all the more impressive considering the Cavaliers' exceedingly slow pace.

6) Kevin Jones, West Virginia
Sr Forward 6-8 260
20.9p 11.6r 1.1b
Jones is averaging a double-double and shooting almost four 3-pointers a game (despite making less than 30% of his attempts).

7) Draymond Green, Michigan State
Sr Forward 6-7 230
15.3p 10.4r 3.7a
Once overrated, one of the smartest players in college basketball is now underrated, especially on the defensive end.

8) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky
Fr Forward 6-7 230
13.2p 7.6r 1.2s
There's a significant gap between the 8 and 9 spots on this list.

9) Cody Zeller, Indiana
Fr Center 6-11 230
14.7p 6.2r 1.5b
Where would the Hoosiers be without the talented freshman?

10) Damian Lillard, Weber State
Jr Guard 6-3 195
24.8p 5.8r 3.7a
The Wildcats are 16-3 and undefeated in Big Sky play thanks in no small part to the nation's leading scorer (who gets the nod over Mizzou's Marcus Denmon and UConn's Jeremy Lamb for the 10 spot).

Best Defender

1) Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Fr Center 6-10 220
Future Number One pick leads nation with 4.7 blocks per contest and hauls in 10.3 boards per game.

2) Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Soph Guard 6-2 190
The best on-ball defender in the country averages 2.4 steals per game and is the only defender in the same stratosphere as Davis.

3) C.J. Aiken, St. Joseph's
Soph Forward 6-9 190
Nation's second leading shot-blocker at 4.3 rejections per game is big reason St. Joe's is competitive again after a disastrous 2010-11 campaign.

4) John Henson, North Carolina
Jr Forward 6-11 220
Just imagine how much more awful the Tar Heels' defense would be without Hensons's 3.3 blocks and 10.1 rebounds per contest.

5) Fuquan Edwin, Seton Hall
Soph Forward 6-6 205
Could have gone with Oregon State's Jared Cunningham here, but Edwin, who has been largely over-shadowed by teammates Herb Pope and Jordan Theodore, leads nation in steals at 3.1 per game and also crashes the boards to the tune of 6.8 rebounds per contest.

Top Freshman

1) Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Center 6-10 220
The impact Davis has on the defensive end is almost impossible to overstate.

2) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky
Forward 6-7 230
MKG's numbers are impressive, but they don't begin to tell the whole story for one of the most versatile players in the country.

3) Cody Zeller, Indiana
Center 6-11 230
Zeller is getting banged around in Big Ten play but has exceeded lofty expectations.

4) Trey Burke, Michigan
Guard 5-11 180
Wolverines' point guard averages 14 points and 5 assists per game and has more than made up for the early departure of Darius Morris.

5) Moe Harkless, St. John's
Forward 6-8 190
Harkless, an extremely well-rounded player (16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.6 steals) who has filled a number of roles for the Red Storm, edges out the one-dimensional Austin Rivers, who leads Duke in scoring but doesn't add much else.

*For those of you who miss RBP's Freshman Power Rankings, here are 6 -10: (6) Austin Rivers, Duke; (7) Quincy Miller, Baylor; (8) Le'Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State; (9) Tony Wroten, Washington; and (10) Jerian Grant, Notre Dame. Florida's Bradley Beal is my first man out. There's not much of a difference between Quincy Miller at 7 and Beal at 11. In fact, I like Beal more than Austin Rivers, but Beal has been a bit passive at times. If Beal starts asserting himself more often, there's no reason he couldn't finish the season as the country's fourth best freshman. Central Connecticut State's Kyle Vinales probably deserves some recognition for being the leading scorer among all freshman at 18.4 points per game. And where are you, Andre Drummond? I see flashes, but the consistency just isn't there right now.

Coach of the Year

1) John Thompson III, Georgetown
The Hoyas were picked to finish in bottom half of Big East and are now a top 10 team nationally, despite not having a star on their roster.

2) Bill Self, Kansas
I'm not sure any team has improved as much as the Jayhawks have over the course of the season.

3) Tony Bennett, Virginia
Watch this team play, and try not to be impressed with its discipline on both ends of the floor.

4) Tom Crean, Indiana
Three weeks ago Crean would have topped this list.

5) Frank Haith, Missouri
Sure, they are Mike Anderson's guys, but Haith has made some pretty significant changes to the Tigers' approach and has them playing like a top 10 team (despite having only 2 scholarship players taller than 6-6).

Notes: Duke at Ohio State

1. Jared Sullinger is the most dominant player in college basketball. He arguably held that distinction last season as a freshman (though Kemba Walker might have something to say about that), and he appears to be picking up where he left off. He may not be the most tantalizing pro prospect in the country, but he imposes his will on the game like no one in the college ranks. And the hand wringing about Sullinger's move to power forward appears to be much ado about nothing.

2. Aaron Craft is a fantastic college point guard. He's possibly the best perimeter defender in the country, and he doesn't make mistakes on the offensive end. Talking heads shoud stop going on about his competitiveness and moxie and start recognizing him as one of the best players in the country. For more on Craft's impact on the defensive end, see Luke Winn's most recent power rankings here.

3. William Buford is poised to become the Buckeyes' all-time leading scorer by the end of the year. If you have any doubts that this team is for real, consider that the all-time leading scorer for a program with some real gravitas may only be the Buckeyes' third most important player this season.

4. According to popular opinion, the 2011-12 season is a two-horse race between ultra-talented North Carolina and blue chip-laden Kentucky . Well, it's time to start talking about Ohio State. They play harder than North Carolina. And they are deeper than Kentucky. Thad Matta's squad is behind the Tar Heels and Wildcats in terms of talent, but the gap isn't as wide as we've been led to believe. Tonight Ohio State looked like the best team in the country.

5. Duke isn't this bad, but the Blue Devils' performance tonight fits my expectations for Coach K's squad. Look for the Blue Devils to pick up around 25 wins en route to a 2 or 3 seed. But also expect Coach K's squad to struggle against talented (long, athletic) teams and to flame out during the tournament's second week. In other words, they will feast on the underwhelming, the mediocre, and the pretty good, while they fall to teams with elite talent.

6. Austin Rivers has become an easy target for a lot of reasons, and some of the criticism he has brought on himself, due to what appears to be an epic lack of self-awareness. He's a gunner and is largely disinterested on the defensive end, but he is also capable of doing things on the offensive end that are truly special. I have serious doubts about the degree to which his game is going to translate at the next level, and the hype machine appears to have done young Austin a disservice. One wonders what Rivers would have to do at this point to shed the ballhog and lazy defender labels. That being said, I think he's off to a pretty good start as a college freshman, especially when one considers the extent to which Duke relies on Rivers to create his own shot.

2011-12 Preseason All-American Team

Jordan Taylor - Wisconsin Sr
John Jenkins - Vanderbilt Jr
Harrison Barnes - North Carolina Soph
Terrence Jones - Kentucky Soph
Jared Sullinger - Ohio State Soph

*Xavier Senior Tu Holloway just misses the cut.

2010-11 NCAA Awards & Honors

1st Team All-American

Kemba Walker, Connecticut [jr]

Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young [sr]

Nolan Smith, Duke [sr]

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue [sr]

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State [fr]

2nd Team All-American

Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin [jr]

Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State [soph]

Derrick Williams, Arizona [soph]
Marcus Morris, Kansas [jr]

Kenneth Faried, Morehead State [sr]

All-Defensive Team

Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion [jr]

Chris Singleton, Florida State [jr]
Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State [soph]

Kenneth Faried, Morehead State [sr]

William Mosley, Northwestern State [jr]

All-Freshman Team

Brandon Knight, Kentucky
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Terrence Jones, Kentucky

Tristan Thompson, Texas
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Player of the Year: Kemba Walker, Connecticut

Top Defender: Chris Singleton, Florida State

Best Freshman: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Coach of the Year: Steve Fisher, San Diego State

Big Ten Honors & Awards

With no Big Ten schools advancing beyond the Sweet 16, it's officially time to take a look back at the season that was. Remember that honors and awards take into account the entirety of the season, rather than just Big Ten conference play.

All-Big Ten

Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin
#11 Junior Guard 6-1 195
18.1 ppg 4.7 apg 4.1 rpg

Talor Battle, Penn State
#12 Senior Guard 6-0 170
20.2 ppg 4.4 rpg 2.9 apg

E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
#33 Senior Guard 6-4 190
18.0 ppg 5.1 rpg 3.2 apg

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
#25 Senior Center 6-10 220
20.5 ppg 8.6 rpg 2.3 bpg

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
#0 Freshman Center 6-9 280
17.2 ppg 10.2 rpg .541 FG%


Player of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
The big-bodied freshman edges Purdue's JaJuan Johnson by the slimmest of margins based largely on his ability to impose his will on the perimeter-oriented college game as a true post presence.

All-Defense

Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin
#11 Junior Guard 6-1 195

Aaron Craft, Ohio State
#4 Freshman Guard 6-2 195

David Lighty, Ohio State
#23 Senior Guard 6-5 220

Draymond Green, Michigan State
#23 Junior Forward 6-7 230

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
#25 Senior Center 6-10 220


Defensive Player of the Year: JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
David Lighty and Aaron Craft deserve special recognition for their tenacious perimeter defense, but Johnson,the former Baby Boiler, earned the top spot in the defensively-minded Big Ten after averaging 2.3 blocks per contest and anchoring Matt Painter's stingy Purdue D.

Freshman of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Sullinger is a no-brainer here, but fellow Buckeye Aaron Craft and Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. also had excellent freshman campaigns.

Coach of the Year: Thad Matta, Ohio State
Matta is the choice for guiding Ohio State to a two-loss regular season, the Big Ten regular season and conference tourney titles, and the overall number one seed in the NCAA tourney, but Purdue's Matt Painter gets a tip of the hat for yet another strong showing (as does Michigan's John Beilein for taking a team that RBP predicted would be "epically bad" to the second round of the NCAAs).

And now for some regionally appropriate hip-hop.

Mount MacCulloch: Retired from Basketball but Dork Career Surging

Former University of Washington star and retired NBA big man, Todd MacCulloch is ranked 145th in the world in pinball. The 76ers famously relied upon the tandem of a geriatric Dikembe Mutombo and MacCulloch to slow down a still in his prime Shaquille O'Neal in the NBA finals. Upon learning of MacCulloch's newfound career, Shaq noted that he has never been bested in basketball by a pinball aficionado from the Pacific Northwest (See 2001 NBA Finals & "Shaq vs." Season 1 episode 9). Roundball Portfolio would like to hand out a big congrats to MacCulloch for using his NBA riches to try to live out Tom Hanks' fake adult life in "Big." Watch out Elizabeth Perking, T-Mac may have romance on his mind this Valentine's weekend.

In other news, not enough can possibly be made of Norris Cole's amazing game for Cleveland State yesterday. He played all forty minutes, scored forty-one points, grabbed twenty rebounds, and handed out nine assists. We all would have loved for him to get the triple-double, but let's think about how hard it was to get nine assists when all of your teammates play for Cleveland State. Those were probably some nifty passes.

Bo Ryan led the Sconnies to an upset over the Ohio State Jared Sullingers. We normally only get good vibrations from Madison, but after the game, Sully tweeted that a Wisconsin fan spat in his face. I like Sullinger, but this was probably a lie. I spent a weekend in Madison, and those people were adorable. It was much more likely that one of the fans was trying to feed Sullinger some delicious ice cream and Spotted Cow beer. The only way I would believe this story was if Sullinger was wearing a Brett Favre jersey.

Speaking of Wisconsin, I have to acknowledge the ballsiest bar proclamation I ever witnessed, which happened when a friend of mine demonstratively declared before two dozen people in a Madison, Wisconsin bar that Brett Favre (who was still playing for the Packers) was the most overrated quarterback of all time. He could have collectively called all of their mothers whores, and received less vitriol. Onions, my friend.

Freshman Power Rankings 3.0

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-9 280
Buckeye frosh is nation's most dominant player and a huge reason why Thad Matta's squad is ranked number one in the country.
previous rank: 1

2. Terrence Jones, Kentucky, 6-8 245
Versatile big brings to mind Tim Thomas.
previous rank: 3

3. Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3 185
The kid's a lottery pick, and the whole country would realize how fantastic he's been if we weren't so busy comparing him to John Wall.
previous rank: 5

4. Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-8 225
Thompson, who plays bigger than his measurements would suggest, more than held his own against the Morris twins in the Longhorns' victory at the Phog.
previous rank: 7

5. Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8 220
With all due respect to Scotty Hopson, Tobias Harris is the Vols' best player, and he needs more touches.
previous rank: 4

6. Cory Joseph, Texas, 6-3 185
Joseph's heady play at the point is the biggest reason Texas has bounced back from last year's mess of a season.
previous rank: NR

7. Bruce Ellington, South Carolina, 5-9, 195
While Ellington isn't quite Devan Downey at this early stage of his career, he's doing his best impression.
previous rank: NR

8. Perry Jones, Baylor, 6-10 220
Scott Drew's prized recruit is putting up nice numbers for an underachieving team, but we're getting close to over-hyped territory with young Perry.
previous rank: 6

9. Josh Selby, Kansas, 6-2 185
Selby is still working out the kinks after missing the first nine games of the season, but his explosiveness is evident.
previous rank: NR

10. Doron Lamb, Kentucky, 6-4 195
That the sweet-shooting New York product is the tenth best freshman in the country and only the third best freshman in Lexington is a testament to Coach Cal's recruiting prowess.
previous rank: NR

Exits: Kyrie Irving (Duke), J.T. Terrell (Wake Forest), Harrison Barnes (North Carolina), DeShaun Thomas (Ohio State)

Top 25

1. Ohio State 20-0
quality wins: Florida, Florida State, Minnesota, Illinois
previous rank: 3

2. Duke 18-1
quality wins: Marquette, Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler, Maryland
loss: Florida State
previous rank: 4

3. Pittsburgh 19-1
quality wins: Maryland, Texas, Connecticut, Marquette, Georgetown, Syracuse
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 5

4. Kansas 18-1
quality wins: Arizona, UCLA, Memphis, Baylor
loss: Texas
previous rank: 2

5. San Diego State 20-0
quality wins: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV
previous rank: 7

6. Connecticut 16-2
quality wins: Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky, Texas, Villanova, Tennessee
loss: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame
previous rank: 8

7. Texas 16-3
quality wins: Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Kansas
losses: Pittsburgh, USC, Connecticut
previous rank: 10

8. Villanova 17-2
quality wins: UCLA, Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, Syracuse
loss: Tennessee, Connecticut
previous rank: 6

9. Syracuse 18-2
quality wins: Michigan State, Notre Dame, St. John's, Cincinnati
losses: Pittsburgh, Villanova
previous rank: 1

10. Brigham Young 19-1
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's, Arizona, UNLV
loss: UCLA
previous rank: 12

11. Missouri 17-3
quality win: Vanderbilt, Illinois, Old Dominion, Kansas State
losses: Georgetown, Colorado, Texas A&M
previous rank: 13

12. Purdue 17-3
quality wins: Virginia Tech, Michigan State
losses: Richmond, Minnesota, West Virginia
previous rank: 15

13. Texas A&M 17-2
quality wins: Temple, Washington, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Kansas State
losses: Boston College, Texas
previous rank: 11

14. Wisconsin 15-4
quality wins: Boston College, Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois
losses: UNLV, Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan State
previous rank: 14

15. Notre Dame 16-4
quality wins: Georgia, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's, Cincinnati, Marquette
losses: Kentucky, Syracuse, Marquette, St. John's
previous rank: 16

16. Kentucky 15-4
quality wins: Washington, Notre Dame, Louisville
losses: Connecticut, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama
previous rank: 9

17. Vanderbilt 14-4
quality wins: North Carolina, Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's
losses: West Virginia, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee
previous rank: 17

18. Washington 15-4
quality wins: UCLA, Arizona
losses: Kentucky, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Stanford
previous rank: 24

19. Louisville 15-4
quality wins: Butler, UNLV, Marquette, St. John's
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, Villanova, Providence
previous rank: 18

20. Minnesota 15-4
quality wins: North Carolina, West Virginia, Purdue
losses: Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State
previous rank: 22

21. Illinois 14-6
quality wins: Maryland, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Wisconsin, Michigan State
losses: Texas, UIC, Missouri, Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State
previous rank: 23

22. Cincinnati 17-3
quality wins: Dayton, Xavier, St. John's
losses: Villanova, Syracuse, Notre Dame
previous rank: 21

23. St. Mary's 17-3
quality win: St. John's
losses: Brigham Young, San Diego State, Vanderbilt
previous rank: 20

24. Utah State 18-2
losses: Brigham Young, Georgetown
previous rank: NR

25. Florida State 15-5
quality wins: Clemson, Baylor, Duke, Boston College
losses: Florida, Ohio State, Butler, Auburn, Virginia Tech
previous rank: NR

Top 25 Players at the Mid-Way Point

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Fr 6-9 280 C #0
17.5p 1.2a 10.1r 0.4b 1.1s

2. Kemba Walker, Connecticut
Jr 6-1 170 G #15
25.3p 3.7a 5.5r 0.3b 2.3s

3. Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
Sr 6-2 195 G #32
26.1p 4.4a 3.4r 0.1b 1.3s

4. Nolan Smith, Duke
Sr 6-2 185 G #2
19.5p 5.7a 4.8r 0.1b 1.3s

5. Kyle Singler, Duke
Sr 6-8 230 F #12
18.0p 1.4a 6.3r 0.3b 1.3s

6. JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Sr 6-10 220 C #25
19.9p 1.1a 8.4r 2.5b 0.9s

7. Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
Sr 6-8 230 C #35
18.3p 1.2a 13.3r 2.1b 2.3s

8. Marcus Morris, Kansas
Jr 6-9 235 F #22
16.8p 1.3a 6.8r 0.6b 0.5s

9. Demetri McCamey, Illinois
Sr 6-3 200 G #32
15.8p 7.1a 3.4r 0.2b 0.9s

10. Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State
Soph 6-7 225 F #15
15.8p 2.6a 10.1r 0.5b 1.5s

11. E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
Sr 6-4 190 G #33
17.9p 3.3a 5.9r 0.5b 1.6s

12. Chris Singleton, Florida State
Jr 6-9 225 F #31
15.8p 1.6a 8.0r 1.9b 2.2s

13. Reggie Jackson, Boston College
Jr 6-3 210 G #0
19.5p 4.7a 4.5r 0.8b 1.2s

14. Derrick Williams, Arizona
Soph 6-8 240 F #23
19.1p 1.0a 7.1r 0.8b 1.1s

15. Rick Jackson, Syracuse
Sr 6-9 240 F #00
13.1p 2.7a 11.8r 2.2b 1.2s

16. Klay Thompson, Washington State
Soph 6-6 200 G #1
23.1p 4.1a 5.1r 0.9b 1.8s

17. Jon Leuer, Wisconsin
Sr 6-10 230 F #30
18.8p 2.1a 7.3r 1.5b 0.7s

18. Marcus Denmon, Missouri
Jr 6-3 185 G #12
17.6p 1.9a 3.9r 0.2b 1.9s

19. Alec Burks, Colorado
Soph 6-6 185 G #10
19.6p 2.3a 5.0r 0.2b 0.9s

20. Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
Jr 6-7 225 F #44
14.5p 2.4a 4.9r 0.6b 0.7s

21. Terrence Jones, Kentucky
Fr 6-8 245 F #3
18.7p 1.7a 9.1r 1.8b 1.3s

22. Jordan Williams, Maryland
Soph 6-10 260 C #20
17.7p 0.4a 12.1r 1.4b 0.6s

23. Brad Wanamaker, Pittsburgh
Sr 6-4 210 G #22
13.0p 5.2a 4.8r 0.3b 1.8s

24. Brandon Knight, Kentucky
Fr 6-3 185 G #12
17.4p 4.0a 3.6r 0.4b 0.6s

25. Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame
Sr 6-3 205 G #23
15.8p 3.8a 3.6r 0.0b 1.4s

Freshman Power Rankings 2.0

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-8 260
Would have retained the top spot even if he hadn't exploded for 40 points against IUPUI.
previous rank: 1

2. Kyrie Irving, Duke, 6-2 175
If reports that Irving will miss the rest of the season with a toe injury are true, we've been robbed of the chance to watch a very special point guard play at the college level.
previous rank: 9

3. Terrence Jones, Kentucky, 6-8 245
Jones, averaging 20 and 10 for the Wildcats, is tougher and plays with more heart than I expected.
previous rank: NR

4. Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8 220
Harris has replaced Tyler Smith and J.P. Prince as the Vols' point-forward.
previous rank: 5

5. Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3 185
Knight has had some early struggles running the Wildcat offense but has no problem scoring.
previous rank: 3

6. Perry Jones, Baylor, 6-10 220
Versatile big man has talent scouts salivating.
previous rank: NR

7. Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-9 240
Longhorn frosh is second on team in scoring, tied for lead in rebounding, averages 2.4 blocks per contest, and has a ton of upside.
previous rank: 6

8. J.T. Terrell, Wake Forest, 6-4 175
Fearless two-guard leads Demon Deacons in scoring and is doing his best to keep a program teetering on the brink of decline respectable.
previous rank: NR

9. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, 6-7 210
Most hyped freshman in the land disappears for stretches and has been altogether underwhelming.
previous rank: 2

10. Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State, 6-6 230
Fort Wayne-product is super-efficient on offensive end and would be ranked even higher if not for lackluster outings against Florida State and IUPUI.
previous rank: NR

Exits: Joe Jackson (Memphis), Josh Selby (Kansas), Adreian Payne (Michigan State), Reggie Bullock (North Carolina)

2010-11 Outlook: Big Ten

Projected Order of Finish

1. Michigan State - Izzo's roster is overflowing with talent, and yet another trip to the Final Four is well within reach.

2. Ohio State - Extremely talented freshman class is more than just Jared Sullinger.

3. Wisconsin - Badger big men Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil team up to form one of the country's most formidable post tandems.

4. Purdue - Losing Robbie Hummel for the season removes the Boilermakers from national title contention, but the return of seniors JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore means Matt Painter's squad could still make noise in March.

5. Illinois - Bruce Weber has plenty of talent and excellent depth, but can the Illini play with intensity and focus for 40 minutes?

6. Minnesota - In just his fourth season at the helm, Tubby Smith has assembled a deep roster with a nice combination of skill, size, and athleticism.

7. Northwestern - Junior forward John Shurna is one of the most underrated players in the country.

8. Indiana - Expect the product Tom Crean puts on the floor to be improved, but whether that translates into an improvement in the win column in a tough Big Ten remains to be seen.

9. Penn State - Senior scorer Talor Battle will once again lead an underwhelming Nittany Lions' attack.

10. Iowa - It's going to be another long year for the Hawkeyes.

11. Michigan - Wolverines could be epically bad.

All-Conference

Kalin Lucas, Michigan State, sr, guard
Demetri McCamey, Illinois, sr, guard
E'Twaun Moore, Purdue, sr, guard
Jon Leuer, Wisconsin, sr, forward
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue, sr, center

Player of the Year

Demetri McCamey, Illinois - If this big-bodied point guard in the mold of Deron Williams can get along with Bruce Weber, the Illini could have a special season.

Top Freshman

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State - Only question is whether he will be as dominant on the defensive end as he will be scoring the ball.

Top Defender

David Lighty, Ohio State - Versatile fifth-year senior can defend multiple positions and doesn't make mistakes.

Freshman Power Rankings 1.0

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-8 260
Burly big man reminds me of Elton Brand and may end up the most dominant player in all of college basketball.

2. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, 6-7 210
Has all the tools, but can he help the Heels rebound from an embarrassing 2009-10 season?

3. Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3 185
Cerebral point follows in footsteps of Rose, Evans, and Wall.

4. Joe Jackson, Memphis, 5-11 160
There's some Iverson in this waterbug's game.

5. Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8 220
Do-it-all big will be the best player on Bruce Pearl's roster from day one.

6. Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-9 240
Think LaMarcus Aldridge with some Ed Davis sprinkled in.

7. Josh Selby, Kansas, 6-2 185
Explosive combo guard with ability to take over needs to be a team player on ultra-talented Jayhawks squad.

8. Adreian Payne, Michigan State, 6-10 215
Izzo's most talented post player since Zach Randolph.

9. Kyrie Irving, Duke, 6-2 175
In unique position of starting at point guard for defending champion expecting to repeat.

10. Reggie Bullock, North Carolina, 6-5 190
Big, athletic two-guard with tons of upside.

Preseason All-Americans and Award Predictions

First Team

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State
Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
Demetri McCamey, Illinois
Kyle Singler, Duke
Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State

Second Team

Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
Nolan Smith, Duke
Jon Leuer, Wisconsin
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Lavoy Allen, Temple

Third Team

Kevin Anderson, Richmond
Corey Fisher, Villanova
Shelvin Mack, Butler
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
Marcus Morris, Kansas

All-Freshman Team

Brandon Knight, Kentucky
Joe Jackson, Memphis
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
Tobias Harris, Tennessee
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

All-Defensive Team

Jay Threatt, Delaware State
Venoy Overton, Washington
Chris Singleton, Florida State
Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech
David Foster, Utah

Player of the Year: Singler
Freshman of the Year: Sullinger
Defensive Player of the Year: Singleton

Thoughts on the Jordan Brand All-Star Game

We can only glean so much from high school all-star games, but I'm sure as hell not going to waste my time watching no-hitters and historic pitching duels when I can see a bunch of giant minors refuse to play defense. My reaction to the Jordan Classic:

More of the Same…..

Jared Sullinger continues to look impressive. If you want to be critical of him, he does seem to have a lot Samardo Samuels in him, in that he tends to play below the rim. That’s really more of an NBA concern, though, and Sullinger should do just fine in the barbaric Big Ten.

I wish Terrence Jones was my son. He seems able to do everything…like a great big Swiss Army knife.

Harrison Barnes is a whole bunch of awesome, and he doesn’t care if you’re already sick of hearing about it. He had 20 points and 15 rebounds and shared co-MVP honors with Kyrie Irving.

Josh Selby announced that he’s going to Kansas. I really don’t know enough about the off-the-court allegations to judge him or make predictions about how he’ll work out based on that sort of thing. What I do think is that Selby is the most dynamic scorer in the entire class. He’s explosive, confident, and creative with the rock. He also picked a great school because Kansas has used shoot-first point guards with great success in the past. That said, there is a whole lot of mustard in his game, and he’s going to have to reign it in to help Kansas be successful.

Jay Williams seemed very impressed with Duke signee Kyrie Irving. The Admiral has pontificated on this point in the past, and I’ll steal his intellectual property for the purpose of this post. Coach K was embraced and lauded by Kobe, LeBron, et. al, following the Team USA Olympic experience. That seems to have given Coach K some sort of “street cred” that he had been lacking for a few years. Irving is the sort of player that Duke had been unable to corral since the likes of Jay Williams left Durham. He has shown that he is athletic, sharp-shooting, competitive, and from all indications, very coachable. Duke will miss a lot about Scheyer, but Irving will be a nice replacement, and one that should not take three years to develop.

Minor Revelations…..

C.J. Leslie’s motor is almost as impressive as his athleticism. He’s also got a much a better handle than I would have expected. If he play All-Star games exclusively, I think he might be one of the top three players in the class. I think his biggest issue is mental lapses. If his college coach can get him focused on playing through every possession, Leslie could be a potential one and done.

Will Barton was rated as one of the top prospects in the country going into the 2010-11 season, but curiously did not get selected for the McDonald’s Game. I figured his stock dropped a little for whatever reason. Whoever dropped his stock has his head up his ass. Barton can score in a variety of ways. Last night he showed that he has no problem scoring in traffic. Maybe his slight frame makes him a defensive liability? I didn’t see it last night, because nobody played any defense, but Barton has long arms and appears bigger than his listed height. Plus he wears an arm sleeve, and I’m pretty sure you have to be pretty damn good to pull off one of those things.

Grading the Performances from the High School All-Star Games

The high school all-star games are typically the first chance we get to see the highly-anticipated crop of incoming freshmen showcase their skills amongst equals. It's important not to get too carried away with showings in these games considering the national rankings are based on four plus years of organized high school competition and the gauntlet of AAU debauchery. Nonetheless, these games are the best fodder we have for the upcoming season of college bball, so we must acknowledge them. I listed a few of my winners and losers based on performances at the McDonald's game:

WINNERS

Harrison Barnes: This guy could not play anywhere but UNC. His game will be described as smooth so many times next year that it will make everyone sick (Brett Favre is a gunslinger and Jerome Bettis is from Detroit). The best part about Barnes is that his game is EXACTLY what UNC lacked last year. As the Admiral aptly noted, Larry Drew has been the whipping boy of Raleigh, but that is not completely fair. Drew obviously isn't as good as Ray Felton or Ty Lawson, but Ole Roy found a way to win a lot of games without those guys over the last twenty years. Barnes showed range, high basketball IQ, and an NBA-ready physique. I kind of felt the same about Xavier Henry last year, but hopefully Barnes doesn't prove to be as off-putting as Xavier.

Jared Sullinger: Sully was right at home at the McDonald's game, and put on quite a show for his strong contingency of fans. I was impressed until I got a little deja vu recalling Felipe Lopez's McDonald's performance in NYC before four disappointing years at St. John's. Dare I speculate that Sullinger is the type of man the Admiral would love to build his team around. Big, physical, and skilled. He's going to be a force in the Big Ten, and the knock on him coming out of college will probably be whether he is athletic enough to bang with NBA bigs. For the time being though, he looks impressive.

Tobias Harris: Harris got hurt in the McDonald's game, and will probably be out of commission for several weeks, so the fact that I included him as a "winner" is a testament to how impressed I was with him. Harris was bigger, more athletic, and more skilled than I anticipated. I think that after Barnes, he projects as the best NBA prospect in the class right now. Bruce Pearl has yet to actually develop an NBA prospect, so hopefully for Harris's sake, he hasn't already peaked.

Terrence Jones: I loved the efficiency and versatility of his game. Jones can shoot, put the ball on the floor, rebound, and pass. He seemed to have a high basketball IQ, and although he only grabbed three rebounds, his reputation as a solid rebounder gets him a pass for that game. Besides, who rebounds in all-star games? That's bush league.

LOSERS

Brandan Knight: Knight made the same mistake that many top flight players do at the McDonald's game. He tried to use it as a forum to show that criticisms of his game are unfounded. Therefore, he took way too many threes to try to prove that he's a shooter. He should have just played his game and found open teammates, and he would have been fine. The game-winning shot was a nice touch, though. If it's any consolation, I predicted that Mike Conley, Jr. and Jordan Farmar would be complete busts in college after underwhelming McDonald's performances. Unless I'm mistaken, neither of those guys finished a season in which his team failed to make the Final Four. If you're still reading this after that revelation, then you're probably just an old friend of mine. Thanks, I appreciate your loyalty.

While on the subject of Knight, I will get an obligatory dig in on the Worldwide Leader, if I may. ESPN re-ranked the top prospects and dropped Knight behind Kyrie Irving after the McDonald's game. That's kind of like when they dropped John Wall behind Avery Bradley and Favors after the McDonald's game last year. Sidebar: ESPN owns rights to the McDonald's game but not the Hoop Summit Game. Ergo, (in my humble opinion) in ESPN's eyes, great performances in the Hoop Summit game pale in comparison to putting on a show for the ESPN audience at the Hamburger Classic. It was fun watching ESPN repeatedly referring to John Wall as the third ranked player in the ESPN top 100 last winter when Wall became a national sensation. Hopefully Knight, who seems like a great kid, enjoys similar success.

Keith Appling: Apparently Appling has a scorer's mentality. He took fifteen shots in seventeen minutes in the McDonald's game, and may have actually played so selfishly, that remaining recruits would go out of their way to avoid standing around and watching Appling next season in East Lansing. Izzo hasn't had too much trouble with people playing for themselves instead of his team, but he's going to have a tall task in getting Appling to learn a thing or two about shot selection.J