College Basketball: Power Ranking the Last 10 Freshmen of the Year

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, who will end up being college basketball's 2012 Freshman of the Year?

Just because someone like Anthony Davis or Andre Drummond comes in with an impressive high school resume doesn't mean that he will be the best in the college land. 

Looking back on the list of the last 10 college basketball Freshman of the Year Award winners reminds us of the exceptional individual players that we've seen over the last decade.

Many of them have used a phenomenal freshman year as an instant launching pad into their NBA careers. A few stayed in school and continued to develop their game in college.

Here is a power ranking of the last 10 Freshmen of the Year in college basketball:

10. Marvin Williams, North Carolina (2004-05)

Marvin Williams has the unique distinction of winning the Freshman of the Year Award and not being a starter on his team.

Williams was a big part of the Tar Heels 2004-2005 national championship team.

He averaged 11.3 ppg and 6.6 rpg coming off the bench while only playing 22 minutes per game.

Williams left UNC after his freshman year and was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, for whom he still plays today.

9. Luol Deng, Duke (2003-04)

If it weren't for the hysteria that followed LeBron James' senior year in high school, Luol Deng would have arrived at Duke with a lot more hoopla.

Deng is one of 10 freshmen in ACC history to lead all rookies in scoring (15.1 ppg), rebounding (6.9 rpg) and field goal percentage (47.6 percent).

Deng helped Duke get to the 2004 Final Four.

After one year at Duke, Deng entered the 2004 NBA Draft. He was picked seventh overall by the Phoenix Suns and immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls, for whom he still plays today.

8. Tyreke Evans, Memphis (2008-09)

Tyreke Evans was a multifaceted player at Memphis, transitioning from SF to SG to PG during the course of his freshman season.

Evans scored 17.1 ppg, grabbed 5.4 rpg and handed out 3.9 apg.

After playing one season for the Tigers, Evans declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft. He was selected as the No. 4 pick by the Sacramento Kings, for whom he still plays today.

7. T.J. Ford, Texas (2001-02)

T.J. Ford nearly averaged double-double (10.8 ppg and 8.3 apg) as a freshman.

Ford was the first freshman player to ever lead the nation in assists.

He recorded 15 double-digit assist games as a freshman.

Ford played his sophomore season, winning the Naismith and Wooden National Player of the Year Awards.

After two years at Texas, Ford entered the NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks.

He now plays for the Indiana Pacers. 

6. John Wall, Kentucky (2009-10)

As a freshman, John Wall led an amazingly talented team at Kentucky.

Wall could do it all. He averaged 16.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 6.5 apg.

Wall was selected as the 2010 SEC Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American.

After taking the Wildcats deep into the 2010 NCAA Tournament as a freshman, Wall was selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Washington Wizards. 

5. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (2005-06)

Tyler Hansbrough was a rarity in today's college basketball: he stayed in school for four years even though he won a ton of awards from the time he stepped on campus in Chapel Hill.

Hansbrough averaged 18.9 ppg and 7.8 rpg in his freshman season. He was the first freshman to ever be selected as first-team All-ACC.

After his four-year run at UNC, Hansbrough was drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 2009 draft.

4. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State (2010-11)

Jared Sullinger was a double-double beast right out of the chute for the Buckeyes.

Sullinger averaged 17.2 ppg and 10.2 rpg as he led Ohio State to a 34-3 record and a Big Ten Championship last year.

Sullinger was the 2011 Big Ten Tournament MVP and Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Sullinger surprised most of the college basketball world by returning to Columbus for his sophomore season.

Ohio State will be one of the premier teams in the nation in 2011-12, and a favorite to make it to the Final Four in New Orleans.

3. Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse (2002-03)

Carmelo Anthony was another double-double dude (22.2 ppg and 10 rpg) during his freshman season. His 22 double-doubles set an NCAA record for a freshman.

Anthony scored 33 points against Texas in the 2003 Final Four to set an NCAA Tournament record for most points by a freshman.

In the championship game against Kansas, he had 20 points and 10 rebounds in leading Syracuse to their first NCAA men's basketball title. Anthony was selected as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

He was selected as a second-team All-American and was also named to the All-Big East First Team. He was the consensus selection for the Big East Conference Freshman of the Year.

Originally, Anthony planned to stay for more than one season at Syracuse. But because of his great success, he entered the 2003 NBA Draft and was selected as the third overall pick by the Denver Nuggets.  

2. Michael Beasley, Kansas State (2007-08)

Michael Beasley was a dominant player from the moment he first laced 'em up for Kansas State.

He averaged 26.2 ppg and 12.4 rpg (No. 1 in the nation). He broke Carmelo Anthony's record for double-doubles in a season by a freshman with 28.

Beasley holds 30 Kansas State career, single-season and freshman records, as well as 17 Big 12 single-game and single-season marks.

Beasley is one of two players in Kansas State history (along with Bob Boozer) to earn first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press.

He left K-State after his freshman year and was selected as the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft by the Miami Heat. 

1. Kevin Durant, Texas (2006-07)

Kevin Durant is the best of the best when it comes to the last 10 college basketball Freshman of the Year Award winners.

He averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game during his freshman season with the Texas Longhorns.

A pure scorer, Durant had thirty 20-point games his freshman year. Wow!

Durant not only won the Freshman of the Year Award, but also received the Naismith and Wooden Awards (given to the overall national player of the year). This was the first time that any freshman player was selected for these highly coveted awards.

Durant entered the 2007 NBA Draft following his freshman season and was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder) as the No. 2 overall pick