I have been spurred on to write again. My motivation? I think I’ve been inspired by the ridiculous amount of dominating freshmen this college basketball season.
As I sat in my living room and watched Duke’s Taylor King knock down threes against Wisconsin like he was in some sort of crazy video game, I knew I had to sit down in front of my computer again and write.
Everything I’ve seen so far indicates that this could be a special college basketball season. There are a lot of teams that are just plain fun to watch (Duke, Syracuse, Memphis and Marquette, among others) and many of them are led by what, in my mind, has to be the best freshmen class in a long time.
Last year there was Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. One had an unbelievable season and the other helped lead his team to the national championship game.
But this year there are players all over the country who are just blowing my mind with their talent and the way they’ve so seamlessly moved into the college game. Here’s my early season shortlist of who has impressed me among the newbies:
Derrick Rose (Memphis)- Has lived up to everything they said he would be on a team that will go far this season. I haven’t been able to watch him play much, but his numbers speak for themselves.
Eric Gordon(Indiana)- After sparking a nasty war of words and emotions between Indiana and Illinois during the recruiting process, Gordon made his college entrance…by scoring 31-points in his first game. I’d say averaging almost 30 points a game and over three assists a game isn’t too shabby. I’m watching him play as we speak (or type/read, as it may be), and he still seems to have a lot to learn though.
OJ Mayo (Southern California)- Hype-wise, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. Do I buy it? I don’t doubt his talent. I question how quickly he’ll mentally grab things and if he’ll ever be a leader. The bigger question is whether he’ll grow into those traits by the end of the one season he’ll be playing college ball. Some people might be swept away by his raw ability, but I’m still not convinced that he can make USC a winner.
JJ Hickson (North Carolina State)- He’s gone under the radar a little bit playing at NC State, but I watched him play against Villanova and was immediately convinced that he’s the real deal. Unbelievably athletic and versatile, they can keep him in the paint or move him out to the wing.
Michael Beasely (Kansas State)- Man-child. In his first game he put up 32 points and 24 rebounds. That’s not a typo. 2. 4. He hasn’t slowed down since then.
Kyle Singler and Taylor King (Duke)- They’re numbers are good, but not mind-blowing, but nobody is putting up mind-blowing numbers for a very balanced Duke team. If you watch these guys, however, you get it. All the Duke-haters who rejoiced last season should now be very, very scared again. The ACC is still North Carolina’s….for now. With only one senior on the roster (Demarcus Nelson) for a team who doesn’t traditionally lose talent early to the NBA (the loss of Josh McRoberts probably makes this team better), this team is going to be a national title contender in a season or two. Mark my words. All they’re missing is a top-notch big guy, and they can still win without one.
Jonny Flynn and Donte Green (Syracuse)- Few teams are more fun to watch than the Orange (the decision to lose the ‘men’ is very regrettable). Both these guys got a lot of attention coming in, but I’m still surprised at just how good they are, and how quickly they have made Syracuse a better team. Flynn is an awesome playmaker who can knock down shots enough to keep defenses honest. Green, in my mind, is the ultimate small forward. He can drive to the basket or he can step back and effortlessly knock down a three. The team needs to play better defense, but these two have seamlessly moved into the lineup and are only going to get better.
I am by no means trying to say these are the only impact freshman this year. This is simply a list of guys who I’ve had an opportunity to watch (unfortunately I haven’t been able to see Kevin Love yet) and who have blown me away and reminded me why college basketball is great. The fact that there are so many guys with the ability to do that right now is pretty special.
Not to mention there have already been upsets and close calls only a couple of weeks into the season, and it looks like this year’s college basketball season might end up resembling this year’s college football season.
With that in mind, here are my shot-in-the-dark Final Four picks:
Memphis- They’ve been so close, but this is their year. Derrick Rose will be the missing piece that pushes them over the hump.
Kansas- You’re probably thinking that I’m getting suckered again. A program that has looked so tantalizing for a couple of years always seems to self-destruct in the tournament. Well, I think that changes this year. An early season win against a good Arizona team, despite not playing even close to their best, makes me think they might be able to get it done…finally. A brutal non-conference schedule will have them ready.
Georgetown- One key component lost (though Jeff Green was a great one), and he’s replaced by a very good freshman class. Roy Hibbert might be college basketball’s premier big man. Their experience will take them far.
Texas- No, I didn’t forget that Kevin Durant is now in the NBA. Let’s face it, every year someone we didn’t expect to be in the Final Four crashes the party, so this is my pick for this year. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams were overshadowed last year, but that doesn’t change their game-breaking ability. They may even be better this year now that they will have the ball in their hands at key moments. They easily handled Tennessee already this season. Next week’s matchup against UCLA will reveal a lot.
And that’s my brief re-entry into the blogging world. Maybe some college football thoughts to come heading into the final weekend of the regular season as we find out who will play for the national championship.
