Rose, number 23, has already graced the cover of ESPN the magazine.
With the college basketball season in full swing, fantastic freshman are popping up all around the country. This isn't unusual. Every year players come from high school where they dominate and dominate in college. What is unusual is the number of players this year. Last year there were two: Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. Both have graduated to the NBA. This year there is at least six players who can take over and lead their team deep into the postseason. These top six could start for any team. They have the potential to be top 5 picks in next years NBA draft and all six could win national player of the year honors...as freshman.
This is my top eight list of college basketball freshman:
1. Derrick Rose, Memphis -- Without Rose, the Tigers are a top 5 team with a chance to win the national title. With Rose, they are nearly unstoppable. Rose, who is being called the second coming of Jason Kidd, can do everything, but what he is doing for Memphis that the Tigers needed is being a leader. Memphis always had talent, but Rose is the glue that will keep them together. Watch for Memphis in March.
Love has been dominating for the Bruins already scoring 21 points and having 11 rebounds for a win over Michigan State and being named MVP of the CBE Classic early in his freshman year. Don't you Love it? (Sorry, had to do that)
2. Kevin Love, UCLA -- Love is another player who fills a need much like Rose with Memphis. Love is a force down low and is the center the Bruins have been missing the past couple years. As a son of a former NBA player, he has the smarts, the passing ability, and the 15-foot jumper to be an amazing collegiate and professional player. Love has said he wants to stay for four years. How many top freshman do you hear that out of? The Bruins have been to the Final Four the last two years. What have they been missing? A center. Check.
3. Michael Beasley, Kansas State -- Beasley is another dominating force in the middle as his numbers are already showing (30 points per game, 20 rebounds per game). He came to Manhattan, Kansas to play for the master coach and recruiter, Bob Huggins. When Huggins left for West Virginia, KSU fans wondered if Beasley would follow Huggins to WVU. Thankfully for Wildcats, Beasley is in uniform this year and is leading the team in nearly every category. KSU has the number two ranked incoming class of freshman (including top five player from last year, Billy Walker) and if they stay together for a year or two without defecting to the pro's, Manhattan will be in for some fun winters. UPDATE: Beasley scored 30 points and had 10 rebounds in a loss to George Mason on Thursday night. WAY below his average. Slacker!
4. Eric Gordon, Indiana -- Gordon is from Indiana but committed to Illinois then turned his back on the Illini when then new coach Kelvin Sampson started calling from his office at Indiana. Illinois coaches and fans are still not happy about this nearly two years later and Gordon will hear the boo's when he arrives to play. What Indiana has is a 6'4 guard who can play three positions and gives the Hoosier's what they desperately need: a shooter. With D.J. White inside, Gordon will open up the inside and give White move to roam. Gordon will be the best freshman in the Big 10 and should also be first team All-Big Ten this year too.
5. O.J. Mayo, USC -- Mayo has been talked about as the next Lebron James for the last five years. As a seventh grader in Kentucky (that is not a misprint, seventh grader), he played varsity high school basketball and scored 27 points in his first game. The hype just grew from there. Mayo played for four different high schools playing his last two years in his true hometown of Huntington, West Virginia. Mayo faced some trouble when a car he was in was pulled over and found to have marijuana in it. Charges were eventually dropped. Mayo was also kicked out of a game his senior year for shoving a referee. Mayo's reputation has been shady at best, but from all indications his first few months out in Los Angeles, he's been polite with coaches, teammates and students at USC and just wants to 'help the team' as he says. Let's hope it stays that way. Trojan Coach Tim Floyd is expecting Mayo for only one year before he leaves for the NBA.
6. Kyle Singler, Duke -- Singler is a 6'8 versatile small forward who has walked into the Blue Devil's starting lineup. For South Medford High School in Oregon, he led his school to a record of 110-10 over four years. As a senior, he averaged 29 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals per game. Versus a top fifteen Marquette team, Singler scored 25 points. What more needs to be said? He is absolutely fantastic and makes Duke a much, much better team.
Ohio State's Koufos scored 24 in helping the Buckeys beat Syracuse.
7. Kosta Koufos, Ohio State -- The seven-footer is more of a finesse player than the center he replaces in Columbus (Oden), but Koufos is bigger and has already helped the Buckeyes immensely already. Buckeyes Coach Thad Matta is trying to keep the pressure off Koufos, but he is already leading the Buckeyes. Koufos scored 18 points in his first game (a win of UW-Green Bay), 19 in his second game and 24 in a win over Syracuse in the preseason NIT. Matta is trying to keep the lid on Koufos but when a freshman is shining already it will be hard to keep him down. Greg Oden is forgotten already.... Also watch out for another freshman in Columbus. Jon Diebler. What's special about Mr Diebler? You mean other than the fact he averaged 41 points per game in high school? Read more about Koufos at ESPN.com here.
8. Johnny Flynn, Syracuse -- The 6 foot point guard has already stepped into the starting lineup and produced a game winning three for the Orange in the Preseason NIT vs Saint Joseph's. Another team with talent galore who needed a leader, the 'Cuse missed out of the NCAA Tournament last year, primarily because they didn't have a point guard. Well, they do now and he is producing already.
R.I.P. Sean Taylor
Taylor signs an autograph for a lucky fan.
Unfixable. Obviously.
