NBA Draft 2012: Top 50 College Basketball Prospects Report Card Grades in Week 5

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Even though Week 5 in the world of college basketball failed to produce an epic Thomas Robinson vs. Jared Sullinger showdown, it was still a great week. 

All of the top 50 NBA draft prospects (with the exception of three) were back in action. 

We saw the Kentucky Wildcats lose for the first time this season thanks to the heroics of Christian Watford and the Indiana Hoosiers. We even saw Murray State take down Memphis on Sunday night, giving the Racers a serious chance to go undefeated. Murray State's best opponent left is Austin Peay. 

So read on for the updated rankings of the top 50 prospects, complete with game-by-game stats and grades for the week. You can find last week's edition here. 

Just Missed

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1. Will Barton (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Memphis, Sophomore, Shooting Guard

12/6 against Miami (71-54 win): 39 minutes, 27 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover

12/10 against Murray State (76-72 loss): 34 minutes, 27 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers

2. Josiah Turner (Previous Ranking: No. 50)

Arizona, Freshman, Point Guard 

12/7 against Florida (78-72 loss): Did not play

12/10 against Clemson (63-47 win): 17 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 5 turnovers

3. Tim Hardaway Jr. (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Michigan, Sophomore, Shooting Guard

12/10 against Oakland (90-80 win): 29 minutes, 21 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 turnovers

4. Tony Mitchell (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Alabama, Junior, Forward

12/7 against Dayton (74-62 loss): 38 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover

12/10 against Detroit (62-54 win): 36 minutes, 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers

5. Chris Johnson (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Dayton, Senior, Shooting Guard

12/7 against Alabama (74-62 win): 36 minutes, 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

12/11 against USC Upstate (72-68 win): 25 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 block 

 

6. Marcus Denmon (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Missouri, Senior, Shooting Guard

12/6 against Villanova (81-71 win): 39 minutes, 28 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

12/10 against Navy (84-59 win): 33 minutes, 22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

7. Scott Machado (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Iona, Senior, Point Guard

12/7 against Denver (80-78 win): 39 minutes, 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 7 turnovers

12/11 against Marshall (82-63 loss): 37 minutes, 12 points, 1 rebound, 8 assists, 6 turnovers

8. Andrew Nicholson (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

St. Bonaventure, Senior, Power Forward

12/7 against Illinois (48-43 loss): 38 minutes, 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block, 6 turnovers 

 

9. Doug McDermott (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Creighton, Sophomore, Forward

12/10 against St. Joseph's (80-71 loss): 36 minutes, 26 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 turnovers

 

10. Jarrod Jones (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Ball State, Senior, Power Forward

12/6 against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (76-55 win): 26 minutes, 22 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover

12/10 against Butler (58-55 win): 36 minutes, 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 turnover

 

Also worth watching

Quincy Acy, Kent Bazemore, Ryan Boatright, Dee Bost, J'Covan Brown, Allen Crabbe, Olek Czyz, DeWayne Dedmon, P.J. Hairston, Robbie Hummel, Meyers Leonard, Nurideen Lindsey, Mark Lyons, Darius Miller, Mike Rosario, Renardo Sidney, Jordan Taylor, Tyshawn Taylor, Hollis Thompson, Casper Ware, Wesley Witherspoon, Nate Wolters

50. Draymond Green (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

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School: Michigan State

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists

 

12/7 against Central Connecticut State (89-69 win): 33 minutes, 14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, 3 turnovers

12/10 against Gonzaga (74-67 win): 33 minutes, 34 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers

 

After an extended stay in the "Just Missed" section of the Big Board, Draymond Green finds himself back in the top 50. That's just what tends to happen when you drop 34 points against a good Gonzaga team and go 11-for-13 from the field. 

 

Grade: A

49. Alex Young (Previous Ranking: No. 49)

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School: IUPUI

Year: Senior

Position: Shooting guard and small forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists

 

12/7 against Louisville (90-60 loss): 25 minutes, 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 8 turnovers

12/10 against Western Kentucky (84-76 win): 37 minutes, 43 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers

 

I was ready to drop Alex Young into the "Just Missed" section after an uninspiring Wednesday night performance against Louisville, but then he used Western Kentucky as his personal punching bag and reminded everyone why he's one of the most talented scorers in the country. Young took 20 shots against the Hilltoppers and probably should have shot even more since he hit on 14 of them. 

 

Grade: A

48. Michael Glover (Previous Ranking: No. 48)

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School: Iona

Year: Senior

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 19.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 0.3 assists

 

12/7 against Denver (80-78 win): 24 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 6 turnovers

12/11 against Marshall (82-63 loss): 39 minutes, 6 rebounds, 2 turnovers

 

It was a bit of a down week for the physical power forward from Iona. He shot efficiently in both the win against Denver and the loss to Marshall, but he didn't contribute in many other areas. Plus, allowing a 19-point loss to the Thundering Herd isn't exactly what Glover wanted to do on his Sunday. 

 

Grade: B-

47. Orlando Johnson (Previous Ranking: No. 47)

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School: UC Santa Barbara

Year: Senior

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 23.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists

 

No games

46. Robert Sacre (Previous Ranking: No. 45)

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School: Gonzaga

Year: Senior

Position: Center

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists

 

12/10 against Michigan State (74-67 loss): 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers

 

Robert Sacre had to deal with foul trouble against a tough Michigan State frontcourt, but he held his own, and you can't put too much of the blame for Gonzaga's second-straight loss on him. Sacre, as always, was efficient on the offensive end of the court and got to the line quite often. It would have been nice if he'd helped slow Draymond Green at least a little bit though.

 

Grade: B

45. Seth Curry (Previous Ranking: No. 44)

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School: Duke

Year: Junior

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 12.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists

 

12/7 against Colorado State (87-64 win): 25 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover

12/10 against Washington (86-80 win): 30 minutes, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers

 

Seth Curry was pretty uninvolved in the Duke Blue Devils offense this week. He did contribute eight assists against Colorado State, but that was the easier game. In the tougher contest against Washington, he turned the ball over five times. I'd like to see Curry utilize his sweet jump shot a bit more often.

 

Grade: B- 

44. Ray McCallum (Previous Ranking: No. 43)

School: Detroit

Year: Sophomore

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists

 

12/5 against St. John's (69-63 win): 32 minutes, 21 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

12/8 against Western Michigan (92-81 win): 28 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

12/11 against Alabama (62-54 loss): 37 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

 

Ray McCallum definitely picked it up a little bit this week, but I'm still not too impressed with what I'm seeing. It's clear that the Detroit Titans go as he goes, but his shot just doesn't look that great and he lacks the ability to dominate games in any facet right now. 

 

Grade: B-

43. John Jenkins (Previous Ranking: No. 41)

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School: Vanderbilt

Year: Junior

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 21.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists

 

12/7 against Davidson (87-83 win): 33 minutes, 22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover

 

All of the Vanderbilt stars had it going against Davidson, and John Jenkins was no exception to the rule. Turning the ball over just once, the reigning scoring champion in the SEC put up big numbers once again. 

 

Grade: B+

42. Royce White (Previous Ranking: No. 42)

School: Iowa State

Year: Sophomore

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists

 

12/6 against Prairie View A&M (84-59 win): 24 minutes, 12 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover

12/9 against Iowa (86-76 win): 37 minutes, 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 5 turnovers

 

This young forward's versatility on the court just continues to impress me. If you haven't heard of Royce White yet, go read some stuff about him. The kid is special. 

 

Grade: B+

41. Tu Holloway (Previous Ranking: No. 35)

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School: Xavier

Year: Junior

Position: Point guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 17.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists

 

12/7 against Butler (73-61 win): 38 minutes, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 steals, 5 turnovers

12/10 against Cincinnati (76-53 win): 39 minutes, 17 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

 

I'm very hesitant to give out F's in these weekly grades. Even when someone struggles, they usually contribute in some categories. But this is the exception. 

Tu Holloway struggled with his shot against Butler, but made up for it at the free-throw line and recorded a ridiculous six steals. Then he made up for it in a big win against Cincinnati, but that win was marred quite significantly. 

National Player of the Year candidates should not trash talk their way into physical confrontations. They should not say they have no regrets in the postgame press conference after sparking one of the ugliest scenes in college basketball that we've seen in a long time. 

Sorry Tu, your team might be full of gangsters. But even if you think they aren't thugs, you're proving that you are one. I don't care if you're sorry or not. Pretend you are at the very least.  

 

Grade: F

40. Darius Johnson-Odom (Previous Ranking: No. 40)

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School: Marquette

Year: Senior

Position: Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 18.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists

 

12/6 against Washington (79-77 win): 36 minutes, 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

12/10 against Green Bay (79-61 win): 31 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers

 

Darius Johnson-Odom had his first off-game of the season against Green Bay, but then again, it wasn't exactly the most important game for the Marquette Golden Eagles. The senior guard continued a stellar farewell tour this week and helped his team pull off a big win against Washington. 

 

Grade: B+

39. Cody Zeller (Previous Ranking: No. 46)

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School: Indiana

Year: Freshman

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists

 

12/10 against Kentucky (73-72 win): 37 minutes, 11 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers

 

Cody Zeller held his own against the Kentucky Wildcats in his only game of the week. I was shocked that the Indiana Hoosiers didn't try to feed the freshman the ball in the post more, especially when Anthony Davis was in foul trouble. But then again, that was through no fault of his own; Zeller was in terrific position all game long. 

 

Grade: A

38. William Buford (Previous Ranking: No. 38)

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School: Ohio State

Year: Senior

Position: Shooting guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists

 

12/10 against Kansas (78-67 loss): 40 minutes, 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

 

William Buford was terrible in the first half of a big game against the Kansas Jayhawks. With Jared Sullinger on the bench with back spasms, it was up to this senior leader to pick up the slack, but he failed to show up until the second half. Buford was significantly better as the game was drawing a close and did help the Ohio State Buckeyes at least prevent a blowout. 

 

Grade: B-

37. Jeffery Taylor (Previous Ranking: No. 39)

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School: Vanderbilt

Year: Senior

Position: Shooting guard and small forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists

 

12/7 against Davidson (87-83 win): 34 minutes, 30 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers

 

Jeffery Taylor's athleticism and skills were on full display against the Davidson Wildcats. The senior was absolutely sensational throughout the entire game. He hit a ridiculous 13 of his 17 shots from the field, including three from long range, and added a perfect 3-for-3 line from the charity stripe. 

 

Grade: A+

36. Festus Ezeli (Previous Ranking: No. 37)

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School: Vanderbilt

Year: Senior

Position: Center

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists

 

12/7 against Davidson (87-83 win): 21 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks

 

Festus Ezeli returned from suspension to play his first game of the season and performed quite well until he fouled out of the game. Even on a day when John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor were firing on all cylinders, Ezeli proved that he deserves the title of Vanderbilt's No. 1 pro prospect. 

 

Grade: A-

35. Shabazz Napier (Previous Ranking: No. 36)

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School: Connecticut

Year: Sophomore

Position: Point guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists

 

12/8 against Harvard (67-53 win): 37 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, 2 turnovers

 

The Connecticut Huskies got a big win against Harvard, and a large part of it was due to the contributions of this point guard. Shabazz Napier dished out seven assists to his teammates and swiped the ball away from the Crimson four times. Even on a day when his shot wasn't falling, Napier was able to play well. 

 

Grade: B

34. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Previous Ranking: No. 32)

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School: Georgia

Year: Freshman

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists

 

12/7 against Georgia Tech (68-56 loss): 29 minutes, 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

 

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope just couldn't find his shot. Again. This time, it cost the Georgia Bulldogs their fourth-straight contest and allowed Georgia Tech to win in Athens for the first time since the 1970s. He provided a SportsCenter Top Play with a beautiful dunk and showed flashes of greatness, but he needs to start making more shots. 

 

Grade: C

33. JaMychal Green (Previous Ranking: No. 34)

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School: Alabama

Year: Senior

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists

 

12/7 against Dayton (74-62 loss): 24 minutes, 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers

12/11 against Detroit (62-54 win): 27 minutes, 21 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

 

Despite foul trouble, JaMychal Green was productive enough to help spark his Alabama Crimson Tide hold off the Detroit Titans. He shot remarkably well this week and has demonstrated a much more well-rounded offensive game than the one he had as a junior. 

 

Grade: A-

32. C.J. Leslie (Previous Ranking: No. 30)

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School: N.C. State

Year: Sophomore

Position: Small Forward and Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists

 

12/11 against North Carolina Central (65-60 win): 22 minutes, 3 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover

 

In an unexpectedly close game against North Carolina Central, C.J. Leslie was pretty much a non-factor throughout the game. He only played 22 minutes and made just one shot the entire game. Leslie was dramatically outshone by a different C.J.: C.J. Williams, who had 21 points and contributed in quite a few other ways. 

 

Grade: C+

31. Arnett Moultrie (Previous Ranking: No. 33)

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School: Mississippi State

Year: Senior

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 17.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists

 

12/10 against Troy (106-68 win): 30 minutes, 20 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

 

Arnett Moultrie was sensational in a win against the defenseless Troy Trojans. Then again, if the Trojans had defended like that in ancient times, Odysseus would have gotten to see Penelope a lot sooner. 

 

Grade: A-

30. Le'Bryan Nash (Previous Ranking: No. 31)

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School: Oklahoma State

Year: Freshman

Position: Small Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.4 assists

 

12/7 against Missouri State (72-67 win): 29 minutes, 19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 turnovers

12/10 against Pittsburgh (74-68 loss): 33 minutes, 20 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover

 

Le'Bryan Nash is finally starting to show signs of greatness on the basketball court, even if his attitude off the court is less than stellar. For the first time this season, Nash strung together back-to-back impressive performances. I am still concerned, though, because Nash hasn't recorded a single assist in his last five contests. 

 

Grade: B+

29. Mouphtaou Yarou (Previous Ranking: No. 29)

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School: Villanova

Year: Junior

Position: Power forward and center

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists

 

12/6 against Missouri (81-71 loss): 33 minutes, 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers

12/10 against Temple (78-67 loss): 19 minutes, 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block, 2 turnovers

 

Mouphtaou Yarou was good but not great in both of the Villanova Wildcats' losses this week. He's a double-double threat every night and plays efficiently, but he has yet to show the ability to absolutely take over a game and carry his team to an important win. 

 

Grade: B+

28. Trevor Mbakwe (Previous Ranking: No. 28)

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School: Minnesota

Year: Senior

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists 

 

12/10 against St. Peter's (69-47 win): Did not play

27. Mason Plumlee (Previous Ranking: No. 27)

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School: Duke

Year: Junior

Position: Power forward and center

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 12.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists

 

12/7 against Colorado State (87-64 win): 25 minutes, 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 5 blocks, 1 turnover

12/10 against Washington (86-80 win): 30 minutes, 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers

 

Excluding his free-throw shooting, it's hard to be more impressed with Mason Plumlee than I was this week. He's showing consistent improvement in all facets of the game and stuffed the stat-sheet during each of the Duke Blue Devils' past two wins. Plumlee shot a scorching 11-for-15 from the field this week. That said, he hit on just four of his 17 shots from the charity stripe. 

 

Grade: A

26. Adonis Thomas (Previous Ranking: No. 22)

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School: Memphis

Year: Freshman

Position: Small Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.6 assists

 

12/6 against Miami (71-54 win): 28 minutes, 6 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

12/11 against Murray State (76-72 loss): 18 minutes, 1 assist, 1 turnover

 

Adonis Thomas did not capitalize on his limited minutes against the Murray State Racers. In fact, he missed all five of his shots in a dreadful follow-up performance to a poor shooting performance against Miami earlier in the week. 

 

Grade: C-

25. Maalik Wayns (Previous Ranking: No. 26)

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School: Villanova

Year: Junior

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 18.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists

 

12/6 against Missouri (81-71 loss): 39 minutes, 14 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 5 turnovers

12/10 against Temple (78-67 loss): 37 minutes, 23 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

 

The Villanova Wildcats' two losses this past week were most assuredly not on Maalik Wayns. He may not have shot efficiently, but his ball-distributing skills were on point this week, and he did everything he could to slow down some stellar guards. 

 

Grade: B+

24. Kris Joseph (Previous Ranking: No. 24)

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School: Syracuse

Year: Senior

Position: Small Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists

 

12/6 against Marshall (62-56 win): 34 minutes, 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover

12/10 against George Washington (85-50 win): 27 minutes, 9 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block

 

I was not that impressed with Kris Jospeh this week, to be perfectly honest. While he was great on the glass and didn't turn the ball over much at all, he shot just 6-for-20 from the field. 

 

Grade: B

23. Tony Wroten (Previous Ranking: No. 25)

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School: Washington

Year: Freshman

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists

 

12/6 against Marquette (79-77 loss): 22 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 turnovers

12/10 against Duke (86-80 loss): 24 minutes, 23 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 5 turnovers

 

Tony Wroten faced his stiffest competition yet during his young career and didn't disappoint. He shot quite well during limited minutes (due to foul trouble in the Duke loss, a game in which he eventually fouled out) and crashed the boards with vigor. Now, he just needs to cut down on the turnovers a bit. 

 

Grade: A-

22. Patric Young (Previous Ranking: No. 23)

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School: Florida

Year: Sophomore

Position: Center and power forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 11.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists

 

12/7 against Arizona (78-72 win): 38 minutes, 25 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

12/9 against Rider (90-69 win): 28 minutes, 12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover

 

This was Patric Young's week for his basketball skills to catch up to the physical tools he possess in abundance. Young hit a ridiculous 12 of his 15 field goal attempts against Arizona (he did miss all but one of his six free throws, but let's not talk about that now) and followed that performance up with 71.4 percent shooting in the blowout of Rider. 

 

Grade: A+

21. Doron Lamb (Previous Ranking: No. 20)

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School: Kentucky

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists

 

12/10 against Indiana (73-72 loss): 36 minutes, 19 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover

 

If there was one player who was willing to take over the game for the Kentucky Wildcats in a heartbreaking loss against the Indiana Hoosiers, it was Doron Lamb. The sophomore leader wasn't hitting on many of his shots, but he was at least hustling on both ends of the court, and that's more than can be said for some players. 

 

Grade: B

20. Khris Middleton (Previous Ranking: No. 21)

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School: Texas A&M

Year: Junior

Position: Small Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists

 

12/7 against Sam Houston State (64-37 win): Did not play

12/10 against Louisiana-Monroe (67-54 win): 28 minutes, 24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 5 turnovers

 

Khris Middleton returned from an MCL injury on Saturday and picked up where he left off: dominating the opposition. As good as the Texas A&M Aggies have been without him, the Big 12 should be scared when conference play starts.

 

Grade: A 

19. James Michael McAdoo (Previous Ranking: No. 14)

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School: North Carolina

Year: Freshman

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 5.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists

 

12/6 against Evansville (97-46 win): 16 minutes, 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 turnovers

12/10 against Long Beach State (84-78 win): 10 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

 

James Michael McAdoo has so much talent, but it's getting harder and harder for me to justify giving him a high ranking. He's not finding his way onto the court, and he's not producing a lot when he does. 

 

Grade: C+

18. Tyler Zeller (Previous Ranking: No. 18)

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School: North Carolina

Year: Senior

Position: Power forward and center

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists

 

12/6 against Evansville (97-46 win): 22 minutes, 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover

12/10 against Long Beach State (84-78 win): 32 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 turnovers

 

Tyler Zeller was tremendous once more in each of his two games this past week. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the big man's performances of late is that he hasn't missed from the foul line in four games. 

 

Grade: A

17. Kendall Marshall (Previous Ranking: No. 15)

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School: North Carolina

Year: Sophomore

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 5.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 10.2 assists

 

12/6 against Evansville (97-46 win): 25 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 3 turnovers

12/10 against Long Beach State (84-78 win): 36 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 16 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers

 

Kendall Marshall had 16 assists against Long Beach State. Just let that sink in. 

16 assists. 

 

Grade: A

16. Myck Kabongo (Previous Ranking: No. 16)

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School: Texas

Year: Freshman

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 10.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists

 

12/6 against Texas-Arlington (80-62 win): 29 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers

12/10 against Texas State (86-52 win): 26 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers

 

Against two other schools from the same state, Myck Kabongo managed to have astonishingly similar lines in the box score. It's pretty rare that someone manages to have the same number of points, rebounds, assists, blocks (none), fouls (two) and turnovers in consecutive games. If only he hadn't gotten that second steal against Texas State...

 

Grade: A

15. Terrence Jones (Previous Ranking: No. 11)

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School: Kentucky

Year: Sophomore

Position: Small forward and power forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists

 

12/10 against Indiana (73-72 loss): 28 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 6 turnovers

 

This article says it all: "Terrence Jones 'Gave us Zero.'"

The highlights from the article are as follows:

John Calipari said, "That just showed it wasn’t his day. That’s where I said, that’s it. I’m not even going to try. We gotta try to win this game, we’ll deal with you when we get home" and "He absolutely gave us zero today."

This was a pathetic, embarrassing game for Jones. 

 

Grade: F

14. Terrence Ross (Previous Ranking: No. 17)

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School: Washington

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists

 

12/6 against Marquette (79-77 loss): 32 minutes, 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 turnovers

12/10 against Duke (86-80 loss): 33 minutes, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

 

Terrence Ross was dominant in a loss against Marquette but struggled from the field against the Duke Blue Devils. He did show the ability to take over for brief stretches, and his athleticism was on full display all week. 

 

Grade: B

13. Brad Beal (Previous Ranking: No. 13)

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School: Florida

Year: Freshman

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists

 

12/7 against Arizona (78-72 win): 35 minutes, 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers

12/9 against Rider (90-69 win): 28 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

 

Even Brad Beal had to come back to earth at some point. He was in foul trouble and failed to make a huge impact against the Arizona Wildcats and then rebounded by scoring 18 against Rider. But then again, he needed 17 shots to reach that point total. 

 

Grade: B-

12. Thomas Robinson (Previous Ranking: No. 19)

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School: Kansas

Year: Junior

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 17.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists

 

12/6 against Long Beach State (88-80 win): 33 minutes, 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers

12/10 against Ohio State (78-67 win): 30 minutes, 21 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5 turnovers

 

Thomas Robinson is a stud. Nothing more needs to be said. 

 

Grade: A+

11. Austin Rivers (Previous Ranking: No. 12)

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School: Duke

Year: Freshman

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists

 

12/7 against Colorado State (87-64 win): 30 minutes, 17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

12/10 against Washington (86-80 win): 25 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 turnovers

 

Austin Rivers keeps getting better and better every week. He's shot much more efficiently lately and is drastically cutting back on the turnovers. 

 

Grade: A-

10. Quincy Miller (Previous Ranking: No. 9)

School: Baylor

Year: Freshman

Position: Small Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists

 

No games

9. John Henson (Previous Ranking: No. 10)

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School: North Carolina

Year: Junior

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists

 

12/6 against Evansville (97-46 win): 21 minutes, 12 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, 1 turnover

12/10 against Long Beach State (84-78 win): 34 minutes, 24 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 1 turnover

 

John Henson continued to be a rebound and block machine for the North Carolina Tar Heels this past week. On offense, well, let's just say he was glad not to be playing against Anthony Davis, as he hit 17 of his 23 field goal attempts.  

 

Grade: A+

8. Perry Jones (Previous Ranking: No. 7)

School: Baylor

Year: Sophomore

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 19.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists

 

No games

7. Marquis Teague (Previous Ranking: No. 8)

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School: Kentucky

Year: Freshman

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 10.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists

 

12/10 against Indiana (73-72 loss): 31 minutes, 15 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers

 

Marquis Teague missed all five of his shots in the first half against Indiana but rebounded in the second half. Well, not actually "rebounded" since he recorded just one board. Teague showed once more that he has all the talent in the world, and no one in the country can stay in front of him when he decides to drive. 

 

Grade: B+

6. Jeremy Lamb (Previous Ranking: No. 6)

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School: Connecticut

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats:

 

12/8 against Harvard (67-53 win): 37 minutes, 18 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 turnover

 

Jeremy Lamb had yet another impressive performance against Harvard. Only turning the ball over once, he helped lead his team to one of its biggest wins of the still-young season. 

 

Grade: A-

5. Andre Drummond (Previous Ranking: No. 5)

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School: Connecticut

Year: Freshman

Position: Power forward and center

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 7.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.2 assists

 

12/8 against Harvard (67-53 win): 25 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover

 

Even though he sat on the bench a good bit, Andre Drummond showed off a lot during the Connecticut Huskies' win over Harvard. The big man with unlimited potential hit all but one of his seven shots from the field and was a huge defensive presence in the paint. 

 

Grade: A

4. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Previous Ranking: No. 4)

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

School: Kentucky

Year: Freshman

Position: Small Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists

 

12/10 against Indiana (73-72 loss): 38 minutes, 18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers

 

If there was one player who stood out for the Kentucky Wildcats in their first loss of the season, it was Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The forward dominated in every facet of the game, getting to the rim for dunks with his explosive athleticism and using his length and quickness to get steals and blocks on the defensive end. Despite the loss, MKG gets the nod from me as the performer of the week. 

 

Grade: A+

3. Jared Sullinger (Previous Ranking: No. 2)

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School: Ohio State

Year: Sophomore

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists

 

12/10 against Kansas (78-67 loss): Did not play

2. Harrison Barnes (Previous Ranking: No. 3)

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School: North Carolina

Year: Sophomore

Position: Small Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 17.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists

 

12/6 against Evansville (97-46 win): 22 minutes, 17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

12/10 against Long Beach State (84-78 win): 32 minutes, 20 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers

 

Harrison Barnes can score. OK cool, we all know that. But this week, he actually recorded some assists!

 

Grade: A

1. Anthony Davis (Previous Ranking: No. 1)

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School: Kentucky

Year: Freshman

Position: Power Forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 11.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists

 

12/10 against Indiana (73-72 loss): 24 minutes, 6 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover

 

Anthony Davis has a stranglehold on the No. 1 spot here. Even though the Kentucky Wildcats lost their first game of the season, the unibrow still showed he was special. He was productive in limited minutes on both ends of the court and showed just how valuable he was to the team when the Hoosiers went on a 14-2 run as he was sidelined with foul trouble. 

 

Grade: B+