1. Michael Beasley, freshman, Kansas State
Beasley came into the season as one of the two big name freshmen—the other being O.J. Mayo—and has definitely lived up to all the hype.
Beasley is currently averaging 25.3 points a game, fourth overall, first in the Big 12, and the only top five scorer from a major conference (the other scorers are from The Big South, The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the Ohio Valley Conference, and last but not least the Southern Conference).
He is also leading the nation in rebounds with13.9 and is a guarantee as a lottery pick if he decides to go pro.
2. Tyler Hansbrough, junior, North Carolina
Hansbrough has led the Tarheels to a 19-1 record. He is currently leading the ACC in scoring averaging a little over 22 points, and is shooting over 55 percent from the floor and over 82 percent from the line—not bad for a guy who stands over 6'8”.
What I believe to be the biggest stat is the fact that he scored 23 points against UNC Asheville including a highlight of the year dunk over 7'8” center Kenny George.
3. Eric Gordan, freshman, Indiana
Gordan is another talented freshman and many have dubbed him the best point guard in the nation. He is leading the Big 10 in scoring averaging a solid 21.7 points a game to go along with a three assists a game.
Indiana has won 12 out of their last 13 games including a tough loss in their last game to UConn. I have a feeling however as Gordon matures, and the team grows as a whole they will be just fine come tournament time.
4. O.J. Mayo, freshman, USC
O.J. Mayo came into this season, like Beasley, as a big name freshman. While it took him a little longer to step into the spot light, he is now really coming into his own.
Mayo is coming off probably his greatest game at USC as he scored 25 points and sang more three's (five) then he has had in any other game this season and if that wasn’t good enough he also had eight rebounds. He is averaging 20 points a game and five rebounds to go along with a little over three assists.
Mayo will be a lottery pick come draft time if he decides to go pro and he'll probably be able to lead his time to at least a sweet sixteen birth if they get the right match-ups.
5. D.J. Augustin, sophomore, Texas
Augustin is the leader in assits for the Big 12 conference. Which is a pretty big accomplishment seeing how the Big 12 is represented well in top 25(currently with 5 teams.) Augustin is also averaging 20 points a game in conference play. He has propelled his team to a 16-4 overall record including impressive wins over Tennessee and in Califorina against UCLA .
6. Chris Douglas-Roberts, junior, Memphis
Roberts has been a leader over the last two years in Memphis. Averaging a team high 17.5 points per game and 5 rebounds. He has palyed a part is the 20 game winning streak his team is currently on and with Derek Rose(you'll be seeing him on the list a little farther down) on the court with him I believe that the Tigers will win out and without a doubt win the C-USA conference, and most likely a 1 seed come tournament time.
7. Sean Singletary, senior, Virginia
Singletary is probably one of the most underrated point guards in the college basketball, most likely do to the fact that he plays for a less then amazing Virginia team who are 11-8. Singletary leads the ACC in assists and is the only player from a major conference averaging over 6.5 assists and over 15 points a game(18.3.)
Without Singletary at point guard Virginia would without a doubt be under .500 and in the cdellar of the ACC.
8. Derek Rose, freshman, Memphis
Derek is the second leading scorer(14.1 points a game) for the nations number 1 team. While not coming into this season with the amount of hype of Beasley or Mayo, but as the Tigers continue to win and Dominate the polls. I have a feeling this is a name that we will be hearing more and more. Now he is only averaging around 5 assists and rebounds a game. He is playing on the nations top team and surronded by good players he doesnt have to put up Beasley type numbers.
9. Roy Hibbert, senior, Georgetown
Hibbert is a strong player averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds a year for a very good Georgetown team. However if I was making this list a year ago I would be talking about how Hibbert was going to be a lottery pick and how he was a top 5 player in the country. This isnt the case this year he is a strong player but not a top 5 player right now and come draft time, I believe that he will be a late first rounder, but he isn't getting the press that would of sky rocketed him to a lottery pick last season.
10. Bill Walker, freshman, Kansas State
Now some of you might see this and think the only reason that Walker is on this list, However that is completey wrong. Walker hasn't gotten any press this season seeing how he is playing next to Beasley. Walker was getting all the hype a year ago until he went out with a season ending injury. Walker is averaging an impressive 16 points a game and 7 rebounds a game. Walker had come up big in big games putting up an impressive average of 20 points against rated Big 12 teams(AandM and Kansas.)
That’s what I think feel—free to tell me what you think.
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8 months ago
I have personally not been impressed with Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo this season, and do not think that he should be considered a top five player. There is a sophomore named D.J. Augustin on Texas. He is averaging 20.4 points and dishes 5.9 assists per game. He is a huge reason why Texas has been so great this season.
Also, I would put Jerryd Bayless ahead of Mayo. Although he was injured, he has flourished as a freshman for Zona. http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=36075 He is averaging nearly 20 points and 5 assists and gets the job done against the big teams.
8 months ago
Get Mayo and Singletary the FUCK off this list, you dumb piece of shit.
8 months ago
Singletary is the leader in assists in the ACC which is one of the strongest conferences in all of college basketball and O.J. Mayo is the main reason that USC is even going to make it to the Tourny come March. Also I don't think their is need for mindless name calling, lets try to act like adults here istead of high schoolers.
8 months ago
Truthfully, Roy Hibbert deserves to be #1. James Harden from ASU deserves to be #3 . At 17 years old, he's the best freshman in the league. Mayo deserves to be #4. Gordon then becomes #5. Beasley is maybe in the top 10. Maybe
from 8 months ago
Sean, please tell me you were kidding. Roy Hibbert has not done anything nearly as spectacular as what Michael Beasley has accomplished this year.
8 months ago
Hibbert is a good player but he isn't having the kind of season he had last year and Beasley is without a doubt the number one. If you watched the game in manhattan or any of the Big 12 games with K-State in them you would know how dominate he is and how he is the main reason the K-State is the leader in the Big 12 standings
8 months ago
Some might feel that you tabbing Beasley #1 as a K-State fan is biased because you list yourself as a fan of the school, but even I have to admit that if hes not the best player in college basketball right now, he's DEFINITELY in the top 5. Beasley is a beast. I was a little disappointed that Augustin wasn't on this list and Singletary (and Mayo) were. Singletary is a great college player, but so are guys like James Gist of Maryland. The thing is, their teams aren't all that good (for ACC standards).
The starting lineup for Memphis basketball deserves to get some votes at this point.
8 months ago
Beasley and Hansborough are deserving of this list... the rest are not. Gordon has started to play some competition and is finding it a little rougher now. If you got wins for pouting, he'd be undefeated!
8 months ago
Alright I am starting to see that there are some disputes on who should be on this list I'm going to extend this from a top 5 to a top 10 later tonight I see now that I should Augustin and Douglas-Roberts, and possibly James Harden. Now I wanna hear who else should be added.
8 months ago
James Harden?!?!?! I mean, yeah the kid's good but....what the fuck? There are 40 players better than James Harden. You obviously had no clue who he was before this article - now some dumb little prick says he should be #3 so you agree to put him in the top ten? Dude....Harden is OK. But shit..put down the crack pipe.
8 months ago
what i dont see is why you all have to bag on him, just make your own list
8 months ago
What about Jerryd Bayless?!?
8 months ago
Yeah Robert. James Harden and Douglas-Roberts and if I may Richard Hendrix and Eloy Varnado
8 months ago
Yeah Robert. James Harden and Douglas-Roberts and if I may Richard Hendrix and Eloy Varnado and Roy Hibbert would back Beasley down all day in the paint he doesn't have enough size to stop Hibbert.
8 months ago
I look up Jerryd Bayless and he doesn't deserve to be on this list
8 months ago
wat about stephen curry from davidson? he is a very good player
7 months ago
beasley is also not a center
7 months ago
thats why hibbert would probably back him down
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