As 2008 recruiting for college basketball wraps up, we can start to make our predictions on players and teams and things of that nature.
It seems that every year since the NBA enacted its age rules, we have our one-and-done freshmen that head straight from college to the big leagues after their freshman seasons.
Here is a shortlist of the top five freshmen in the highlight reels next season.
1. B.J. Mullen, 7'1" - Ohio State
Mullen will be a big hit in the Big Ten, but an even bigger hit in the NBA. The big man from Ohio is not your everyday, run of the mill seven-footer. Some might call him a freak.
Mullen will take the country by surprise when he shows us his tremendous speed. He runs the floor very well and can match up with any player in college basketball. He will outrun and out-hustle 99 percent of the big men in the NCAA.
Usually when a very quick big man comes along, he has tremendous downside. Mullen seemingly has no major issues on the court. He is an excellent offensive rebounder and will be a pest to opposing defenses.
Mullen has excellent range shooting the basketball and should not have issues making free throws. Seeing how big men get hacked down low, this makes Mullen easily capable of averaging between 25 and 30 points a game.
Statistically, Mullen will have one of the best seasons of all time.
2. Jrue Holliday, 6'3" - UCLA
Jrue Holliday may be better than Mullen in that he could be a more complete player. It's basically comparing Wilt Chamberlain to John Stockton—there is no better player. What made me put Mullen first was the rarity of a good shooting, quick big man against a player we see more often—the complete point guard.
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Holliday will make UCLA good enough to get to its fourth consecutive Final Four. He is an excellent athlete who can score when he wants to, find the perfect dish at any time, and rebound the basketball exceptionally well for a little guy. If I were to make an NBA comparison, it would be either Jason Kidd or Chris Paul.
To top off his obvious gifts on the court, Jrue was named Gatorade Player of the Year, an award given to great players who do well in school, are active in the community, and stay out of trouble. Holliday is the next big thing.
3. Tyreke Evans, 6'6" - Memphis
Tyreke Evans. Get used to that name, because there will be a lot of talk about him this upcoming season. Memphis will likely be undefeated for most of the season, if not the entire slate.
Evans is potentially the next Kobe Bryant. He was beyond the shadow of a doubt the best player in the McDonald's All-American Game. He showed off his athleticism, eye for the open man, incredible range, defensive skills, and leadership on the court.
There's not much more to say. He will be an awesome scorer and rebounder and will dominate the CUSA conference. Look for Memphis to utilize his skills and remain one of the top teams in the country.
4. Greg Monroe, 6'10" - Georgetown
The big man has the best all-around package of any of these young talents. He could be the next Patrick Ewing—Senior, that is. He sees the floor very well and is a terrific passer, great shot blocker, amazing rebounder, and a fabulous scorer down low.
The big man can also shoot with some range and is very quick for his size. He is left-handed but has developed his game to make himself almost completely ambidextrous. He is also a year younger than most prospects. As I write this, I question whether Monroe should go higher.
5. Demar DeRozan, 6'5" - USC
Demar DeRozan will replace the gap left by O.J. Mayo and likely add more than Mayo. DeRozan is a great scorer and rebounder—with him in the lineup, the Trojans will be a better team than last year.
The man looks older than his age and plays like a seasoned veteran. He has the most potential of my top five players, seeing that he has improved quickly with instruction. Demar could move himself up and become one of the top players in the country.
I'm not too high on him, but I do think that he could make himself a great player if he milks his athleticism for all that he can get.
This season is, yet again, packed with talented freshmen who are all probably one-and-done players.
Although the 2008 NBA Draft was a lot of fun and very deep, I believe that the 2009 will be the most difficult draft to predict in NBA history. There are numerous great freshmen, some very good players who pulled out of the draft, and possibly the best European class ever. It should be interesting.
by Hudson Belinsky
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2 months ago
I loved this article. Although you made everyone seem like the next best thing since sliced bread
It was still a great article
5 star
from 2 months ago
The crazy thing is, some of theses kids are. Mullen is going to take the country by storm and will likely be a top 3 pick in the draft next season. I may have embellished a little, but I really like this year's freshmen.
2 months ago
Mullens, Evans and Derozan I can definitely agree with. Holiday is a special talent, no doubt, but I'm tempted to put Willie Warren (Oklahoma) over him since he'll have the opportunity for more minutes right away. Monroe is everything you said he was, but he could definitely improve his low post skills, like many young big men. I don't know if he'll put up highlight reel plays and amazing numbers, though, considering he's playing in JT3's Princeton offense. Instead of Monroe, I'd go with Al Farouq-Aminu or Samardo Samuels.
from 2 months ago
Yeah I agree with you. It was hard to take out five of them because nine or ten of the freshmen could be in there. Brondon Jennings may be the best PG in the class as well. Warren was a pleasant surprise in the Mcdonald's All-American Game, and should also be a very good freshman. Scotty Hopson could have pushed his name in here, as well as Samardo Samuels or Devin Ebanks. I haven't seen or read enough on Farouq-Aminu to fairly break down his game. As the season progresses, I will come back and rank players again.
2 months ago
Great article. You can't replace Oden or Durant, but these guys will come close.
2 months ago
Mullen is the next oden, monroe is the next durant
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