College Basketball Top 20 Small Forwards: Making Big Noise in 2010-11
The most versatile players on just about any team are small forwards.
Usually counted on to be a primary scorer and strong rebounder, a "three" may be the difference between a team being good or great.
Some of the top players in the NBA are small forwards: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant.
This year, there is no shortage of high-impact small forwards among the college basketball teams across the country; there is nothing undersized or underdeveloped about these players or their games.
The following list takes a look at the Top 20 small forwards:
20. Drew Crawford: Northwestern
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Bill Carmody's Northwestern Wildcats (9-1) are on the verge of breaking through into the top half of the Big Ten.
Sophomore forward Dean Crawford is one of the main reasons that Northwestern has a serious chance to finally get into the NCAA tournament.
He is averaging 15.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Crawford's continued emergence will mean that Northwestern has a good chance to get an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.
19. Justin Holiday: Washington
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Justin Holiday has always been known for being a shutdown defensive stopper. But at the end of last year, he was filling the stat sheet. He has continued to do the same this season.
Holiday is averaging 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds for Lorenzo Romar's Huskies.
The 6'6" senior is shooting .536 from the field and .486 from beyond the arc.
18. Gilbert Brown: Pitt
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Gilbert Brown is a big reason why the Pitt Panthers are off to a 12-1 start.
Brown is averaging 11.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
He has a great assists-to-turnover ratio (2.05) and is connecting on 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.
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17. Harrison Barnes: North Carolina
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It would have been nearly impossible for anyone to live up to the hype and expectations that surrounded the beginning of Harrison Barnes' college career at North Carolina.
If the AP did not place him on their preseason All-American list, most people would think that Barnes is having a nice first dozen games.
Barnes is averaging 12.3 points and six rebounds per game.
16. Chris Johnson: Dayton
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Chris Johnson came to Dayton with the reputation of being a high-flying, explosive scorer and a rebounder with a non-stop motor.
The Flyers started to see glimpses of that kind of production from Johnson last year in his sophomore season.
Now as a junior, Johnson is playing at a high level, averaging 12 points and seven rebounds.
Johnson's best game this season was a 24 point, nine rebound performance against Old Dominion.
15. Perry Jones: Baylor
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At 6'11", you would think that Perry Jones would be exclusively utilized down on the block, posting people up.
But Jones is a multi-skilled, multi-dimensional player who is just as comfortable on the wing as he is inside.
The Baylor freshman, who plays both the three and the four, is averaging 12.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
14. Chace Stanback: UNLV
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Former UCLA transfer Chace Stanback is helping the Rebels (11-2) run towards the front of the Mountain West Conference pack.
He is leading UNLV in scoring 13.2 ppg, and is grabbing 4.2 boards per game.
Stanback recorded his season high (so far) against Wisconsin by scoring 25 points, hitting four of seven from beyond the arc.
13. Jeffery Taylor: Vanderbilt
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Jeffery Taylor is a freak athlete, considered one of the better defenders in not only the SEC, but the nation.
But Taylor can take you inside or outside on the offensive end too.
The 6'7" junior has helped the Commodores to a 9-2 start, averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
12. Wesley Witherspoon: Memphis
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At 6'9", Wesley Witherspoon is a match-up nightmare.
He has the size and length to go down and post players up. But his true skills are on the perimeter.
Witherspoon is scoring 11.9 points and pulling down 4.4 boards per game for the Memphis Tigers (9-2).
Even though he doesn't take a lot of them, Witherspoon is connecting on fifty percent of his three-pointers (7-14)
11. Kris Joseph: Syracuse
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Jim Boeheim's Orangemen are off to a fantastic 12-0 start and Kris Joseph is leading the way.
He is Syracuse's top scorer (14 ppg) and second leading rebounder (5.1 rpg).
The 6'7" junior has the talent and experience to help Syracuse go deep into the NCAA tournament.
He's just that kind of player.
10. Tyler Honeycutt: UCLA
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UCLA can't afford to be without Tyler Honeycut, the team's leading scorer (14.9 ppg) and rebounder (8 rpg) for very long.
The 6'8" sophomore recently suffered a mild shoulder sprain, but is not expected to miss much time because of this injury.
9. Tobias Harris: Tennessee
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Tobias Harris is a member of this year's super-talented freshman class across the nation.
Bruce Pearl loves Harris's game. And what coach wouldn't?
Because of his size and athleticism, Harris can defend either the small or power forward positions.
Currently, Harris (6'8") is the Volunteers' No. 2 scorer (15.1 ppg) and rebounder (6.2 rpg).
8. David Lighty: Ohio State
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Ohio State is a perfect 12-0 as they begin the 2010-11 season.
David Lighty is a big reason that the Buckeyes are off to such a great start.
Many people forget that David Lighty was a member of the famous freshmen class with Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook.
He is Ohio State's most complete player, averaging 13.2 points (second on the team), 4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
7. Draymond Green: Michigan State
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Versatility is the word that comes to mind when thinking of Draymond Green, the 6'6", 230 lb. junior.
He is averaging 11.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, while still handing out 3.8 assists per game.
Green is the reigning Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.
6. Anatoly Bose: Nichols State
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Bose is the least known player on this list, but that doesn't stop him from making a big impact.
The Australian born Bose is scoring points in bunches this season.
He is currently averaging 25 ppg, as well as pulling down 5.3 rebounds per contest.
In eight of Nichols State's first 10 games, Bose has scored at least 20 points.
He dropped 28 points on LSU as the Colonels upset the Tigers in Baton Rouge.
Bose scored 37 on the road earlier this season against Oklahoma State.
5. Khris Middleton: Texas A&M
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Last year, Khris Middleton emerged as one of the Big 12's top freshman.
This season, the Aggies are rollin' and Middleton is driving the train.
The 6'7" sophomore is leading Texas A&M (11-1) in scoring (15.4 ppg), and is pulling down 4.4 rebounds and handing out 2.6 assists per game.
Recently, Middleton had his career high game against Arkansas, scoring 31 against the Razorbacks in Dallas.
4. Kawhi Leonard: San Diego State
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San Diego State is having its best year ever, opening with a flawless 14-0.
The Aztecs have the nation's second-longest active winning streak (14) behind No. 1 Duke's 21 straight.
Coach Steve Fisher has not won an NCAA Tournament game since the heyday of Michigan basketball, but that streak will likely come to an end.
Kawhi Leonard, a 6'7" sophomore, is leading the team in both scoring (15.8) and rebounding (9.5).
The 6'7" forward is the best player on what could turn out to be the best team on the West Coast.
3. Marshon Brooks: Providence
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Marshon Brooks is on fire, helping the Providence Friars off to a fast (11-2) start.
In fact, the Friars are one victory away from matching their season win total of a year ago.
Brooks, a 6'5" swingman, is averaging a team high 23.1 ppg, scoring in double figures in all 13 games and registering six double-doubles.
Brooks has two different games of 33 points (Brown and Alabama).
Brooks is also grabbing nine rebounds per game.
2. Jordan Hamilton: Texas
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One big reason that Texas has started off the 2010-11 season with a bang is the elevated play of Jordan Hamilton.
He is averaging 19.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and is handing out 2.5 assists per game.
Hamilton's 24 point, 10 rebound performance helped the Longhorns upset North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
He followed that up four days later with 21 points and eight rebounds to help Texas beat Michigan State.
Rick Barnes' Longhorns can make a deep run if Hamilton continues to play at this level throughout the Big 12 season and into the NCAA tournament.
1. Kyle Singler: Duke
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Lots of people have through-the-roof expectations for Kyle Singler.
He is a returning starter for the defending champion Duke Blue Devils.
Singler has started all of his four seasons at Duke.
He was selected as a preseason first team AP All-American.
While he doesn't have the most gaudy numbers yet this year, Singler is having a standout season, scoring 17 points and grabbing 5.5 rebounds per game.
As Duke gets ready to enter into their ACC schedule, Singler is stepping up at the right time.
Singler is a highly skilled offensive player with the ability to score on the block or from the perimeter. He is one of the top inside-outside threats in the country
During the Blue Devils' last six games, Singler scored 20 points per game.
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