Harrison Barnes Returns to UNC: Power Ranking the Top 15 Players in the Nation
Even with half of Kentucky's starting lineup announcing their plans to leave college and test the possibilities of the 2011 NBA Draft, there is still a surprising amount of star power determined to shine at the college level next season.
North Carolina will return Harrison Barnes and company, and Ohio State returns Jared Sullinger and company.
And it may be important to note that the boys from Kentucky, among other stars from last season, do not plan on hiring agents. Which means if they don't like their positions on the big board, they still have time to register for fall semester classes and return for another season.
Next season is looking to be a good one.
Let's hope this wild concept of talented players spending a couple seasons on campus becomes a trend.
As we look ahead to next season, here are the top 15 players before they play a game.
Harrison Barnes
1 of 15
Harrison Barnes' decision to return to North Carolina was the right one, even if he was going to be a top-five pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Barnes has the skills of a superstar player and he showed that at the end of the season.
But at the start of the season, Barnes struggled. It seemed that his streaky play early in was not because of a lack of talent but because of self doubt.
The biggest knock to him game was his shyness and unwillingness to take over games.
Next year, expect Barnes to come out of his shell and dominate college basketball.
Barnes will be the best player in the country next year and the No. 1 pick of the 2012 NBA Draft.
Jared Sullinger
2 of 15
A close second to Harrison Barnes is, of course, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger.
What can be said of Sullinger that hasn't been said already?
He is the best post player in the country and not just because of his 6'9", 280-pound frame.
Sullinger has a great sense of how to use that frame to get position when rebounding and posting up.
Furthermore, he is a smart player. Sullinger has a variety of post moves and knows where to be on the court to be most effective.
A big help for him next year will be the return of William Buford.
With him on the wing, Sullinger will have plenty of room to dominate down low.
Jeremy Lamb
3 of 15
For the returning national champion UConn Huskies, guard Jeremy Lamb will be the key player.
Already, people are counting UConn out because Kemba Walker is heading to the NBA.
UConn will certainly be a different team but that does not necessarily mean a bad team.
Leading their balanced attack will be Jeremy Lamb.
Expect Lamb's jump shot to improve next season along with his ball-handling.
That will enable him to get into the lane and utilize his best attribute, which is a strange ability to almost float in mid air. Note the one handed runner.
Lamb has a smooth game and next year he will be one of the best players in the country.
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John Jenkins
4 of 15
John Jenkins will lead a very good Vanderbilt Commodores team next season, that returns it's top three scorers from this year's team.
But Jenkins was the top scorers, averaging just under 20 points a game and shooting almost 41 percent from behind the arc.
Vanderbilt will be one of the best, if not the best, teams in the SEC.
Jenkins will return as one of the best scorers in the country, and after Vanderbilt's disappointing NCAA Tournament loss, will surely be looking to complete some unfinished business.
Doron Lambb
5 of 15
Doron Lamb was a total non-factor in this year's NCAA tournament, which may be why he is the only underclassmen returning for the Kentucky Wildcats.
That's no knock on the New York City guard's game.
Lamb is a top-notch talent, and with all the young talent set to join the Wildcats next season, Lamb will be the team leader.
Last year Lamb averaged around 12 points a game and shot 48 percent from three-point territory.
When the top-ranked recruiting class comes in, Lamb's scoring may not make a huge leap, but he will be a valuable asset to one of the nation's best teams.
Trey Zeigler
6 of 15
When you think of the nation's best players, you do not often think of mid-major colleges in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
Which all the more reason to take another look at Central Michigan's soon-to-be sophomore guard Trey Zeigler.
Coming out of high school, Zeigler was a top 50 recruit, but passed on the nations powerhouses to play for his dad, Central Michigan head coach Ernie Ziegler.
Trey averaged 16 points and five rebounds per game as a freshman.
As a 6'5" guard, he has a great NBA body but will be playing in college.
Take note.
Ziegler will blow up next year and draw national attention to Central Michigan.
Kris Joseph
7 of 15
Syracuse's forward Kris Joseph is a tremendous athlete.
Expect Syracuse to rank amongst the top five in the preseason polls.
Joseph will be one of the top players on one of the nations top teams.
Joseph is a big three with a knack for slashing to the rim and the ability to finish in the air.
While at Syracuse he has been able to increase his scoring by at least four points per year.
Joseph could be the Big East's leading scorer next season.
Perry Jones
8 of 15
Perry Jones surprised everyone when he passed on the opportunity to be a top five pick in the 2011 NBA Draft to go back to Baylor.
But like Harrison Barnes, Jones made the right choice by returning.
His freshman year, Jones showed a lot of potential but he is not yet ready for the NBA.
Next year, without LaceDarius Dunn, Jones will get more shots and will really shine as one of the nation's best.
Renardo Sidney
9 of 15
Renardo Sidney is better known as the guy who beat up his teammate early last season.
But, Sidney is also one of the best examples of raw talent in college basketball.
At 6'10", 275 pounds, Sidney has almost unnatural foot speed for a man that size and gets off the ground quickly. He just can't seem to focus himself on playing an entire season.
If Sidney can channel some of that anger that has been holding him back, onto the court, he could really dominate college basketball next season.
Sidney is like the evil half brother of Jared Sullinger. But he may be a better basketball player.
Khris Middleton
10 of 15
Khris Middleton is like the poor man's Kevin Durant.
He is a tall and long wing player with a great scoring ability.
Middleton scores 14 points a game for a Texas A&M team that only scores 68 points a game.
If Middleton played for a higher scoring team like UNC, he would score 20 points a game easy.
After a disappointing end to the season Middleton made the right choice by returning to school.
In his junior year, Middleton will be a great player.
Elias Harris
11 of 15
Elias Harris was set back by injuries this last season, so putting him on this list is assuming he has regained the bounce he had his freshman year.
Gonzaga's size will make them one of the best teams in the country next year.
Harris is a big man, 6'7", 245 pounds, who is as comfortable on the wing as he is on the block.
This last year Harris averaged 12 points and six rebounds.
Joshua Smith
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At 6'10", and weighing over 300 pounds, UCLA's center Joshua Smith is not on this list as a joke. He has some serious game.
Throughout last season he averaged almost 11 points per game, grabbed six rebounds and shot over 55 percent from the field.
Smith knows how to use his large body to get position and clear out space.
In the NCAA Tournament, Smith came alive for the Bruins scoring 14 in a win against Michigan State and 16 in the loss to Florida.
If Smith can slim down just a bit next year for his sophomore season, he could easily win Pac-10 Player of the Year.
John Henson
13 of 15
There are not to many players out there with the length, athleticism, range, and nose for sniffing out rebounds, like North Carolina's John Henson.
Playing with Harrison Barnes for another year will make the 6'10" forward even better.
Henson's scoring may not improve by much, but he will easily average a double–double for the year, and shoot over 50 percent from the field.
That alone gets him on this list.
Draymond Green
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Versatile big man, Draymond Green, returns for his senior season at Michigan State.
Last year Green averaged a bit of everything, making him one of the most complete players in the country– over 12 points, over eight rebounds, four assists, and about one block and one steal per game.
The Spartans lose Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers to graduation to the weight of the team falls on Draymond Green.
As a team, the Spartans will be disappointing but Green will shine.
Trevor Mbakwe
15 of 15
Minnesota forward Trevor Mbakwe is a beast.
At a solid 6'8", 240 pounds, Mbakwe eats rebounds.
He average a double–double last season, scoring almost 14 points a game and 10 and a half rebounds per game.
Like Green, Mbakwe is going into his senior season and will be ready to shake off a frustrating year, one that included a 17–14 overall record, and an arrest.
Neither of those diminish his talent though.
Watch for Mbakwe to put up big numbers.
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