Write On Sports LLC - "Fresh(man) Start" by Gareth Sleger

Fresh(man) Start

2006-11-17 23:47:52 | By: Gareth Sleger

This year’s NCAA men’s freshman class is going to hit you like a Bob Knight smack to the chin: It will catch you off guard (e.g. Tajuan Porter), but you really should have expected it (e.g. Kevin Durant).

When the NBA implemented the rule that players must be one year removed from high school and 19 years old to enter the draft, the NCAA braced itself for what could be the most dominate freshman class it’s ever seen.

And teams like Duke, North Carolina, Ohio State and Texas have taken full advantage, snatching up three, four or five.

Many don’t like the rule, complaining it’s unfair, but anything that makes players more NBA-ready can’t be a bad thing.

However, the NCAA is also bracing itself for these players to be one-and-done.

NBA draft experts project that a bulk of this class will be snapped up in the first round (many guessing five within the first 10 picks) come June 2007.

Until then, Dick Vitale’s “diaper dandy” will be on overdrive.

Ohio State: Mike Conley (6-1 guard), Daequan Cook (6-5 guard), David Lighty (6-5 guard/forward) and Greg Oden (7-1 center)

Oden, the 7-foot-1 man-child who would have been a shoe-in as the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft, is obviously the most recognizable name coming in. But until mini-Shaq returns from an injury to his right wrist (early as Jan. 1, 2007), we will have to watch Conley, Cook and Lightly develop Ohio State into a legit Big 10 favorite.

Cook, a top-5 guard recruit and has taken a back seat to all the Oden hype. But with the big guy out, Cook has proved his preseason analysis as an impact guard. He is second on the Buckeyes averaging 16 points and 7.3 rebounds in three games.

Conley is already showing his ability to create a play, averaging a team-high seven assists, and has to be chomping at the bit for former high school, AAU and McDonald’s All-American teammate Oden to return.

Lightly, a top-30 recruit, is a solid starter for the Buckeyes who knows when to take a smart shot, dish the ball and get in the paint for a rebound.

Ohio State’s “Thad Five” may already be ranked fourth in Div. I, but will have to take on No. 1 Florida (Dec. 23) and No. 2 North Carolina (Nov. 29) without Oden.

North Carolina: Wayne Ellington (6-4 guard), Tywon Lawson, (5-11 guard) and Brandan Wright (6-9 forward)

The Tar Heels may have found three answers to pick up where Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Sean May left off two years ago. And with last year’s freshman standout Tyler Hansbrough expected to make an even bigger impact, North Carolina’s scary young team has earned them an early No.2 ranking in Div. I.

North Carolina easily has the best freshman class with Ellington, Lawson and Wright; all three are top-10 recruits, McDonald’s All-Americans and will maintain plenty of playing time.

Ellington, who has drawn a ton of comparisons to Felton, was recruited as the nation’s No. 1 shooting guard. He’s a pure shooter from mid-range and from beyond the arch.

Wright (205 pounds), who has Mays’ strength without the size, will dominate the post, with Hansbrough’s help, blocking shots, boxing for rebounds and taking high percentage shots.

Lawson, another player recruited No. 1 in his position (point guard), has the potential to average a double-double in points and assists. He will grab four or five rebounds a game.

It’ll be tough for these three to top any of Hansbrough’s numbers, but that’s the case for everyone in the NCAA.

Texas: D.J. Augustin (5-11 guard), Kevin Durant (6-9 forward), Matt Hill (6-9 forward/center), Damion James (6-7 forward)

Even though Texas lost all its starters from last year’s 30-win team, including 6-foot-10 sophomore standout LaMarcus Aldridge to the NBA, the Longhorns won’t miss a beat with Durant, co-MVP of last year’s McDonald’s All-American game, and the six other blue chip caliber players he lured in. Texas has seven players listed on Rivals.com’s top 150 recruits.

If anything, Durant will be better than Aldridge. Texas coach Rick Barnes has already called Durant the best recruit Texas has ever had. What makes him so dangerous is the fact he can drive to the hoop with ease or just settle for a 3-pointer. The nation’s No. 2 recruit also put on almost 30 pounds onto his lanky 6-foot-9 frame before the season, and still has room to grow (second on team with 20.7 points and first with 9.3 rebounds).

And don’t be surprised to see five freshmen on the floor for Texas throughout the season. Augustin can run the point (already averaging a team-high 7.3 assists), James (225 pounds) is strong enough to the PF spot (6.3 rebounds), Hill can come off the bench to control the low post, Mason is a decent backup for sophomore A.J. Abrams and, of course, Durant can do it all.

But so much inexperience brings shallow upper-classmen-bench depth (only one senior and two juniors) and a huge learning curve (a loss to unranked Michigan St. after being up at halftime).

Duke: Gerald Henderson (6-5 forward), Jon Scheyer (6-5 guard), Lance Thomas (6-8 forward) and Brian Zoubek (7-1 center)

With the lose of Sean Dockery, J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams, among others, Duke went out and picked up four top-50 recruits, and expect them to see plenty of PT.

All have quickly taken on a large amount of scoring duties.

Zoubek, the only one that didn’t play in the McDonald’s All-American game, is second on the team with 11.7 points and first with 6.0 rebounds.

Sharp-shooting Scheyer has picked up Redick’s 3-point scoring duties, going 4-6 in his first game against Columbia.

Henderson (9.7 points) and Thomas (8.3), both top-10 forward recruits, have been semi-productive as starters, but are only expected to improve.

Georgia Tech: Javaris Crittenton (6-5 guard), Zach Peacock (6-7 forward) and Thaddeus Young (6-8 forward)

Crittenton, Peacock and Young have all rightly earned spots in the Yellow Jackets starting line up.

Young was the No. 2 small forward recruit coming in and will be a go-to scorer from day one. His ability to shoot the lights out is obvious; he was 5-6 from 3-point land against Georgia St in his third game.

Crittenton is a top-15 recruit that will lead Georgia Tech in assists and can knock down the three (he went 3-3 against Georgia St.).

Washington: Spencer Hawes (6-11 center) and Quincy Pondexter (6-7 forward)

Hawes and Pondexter are both top-25 recruits that have helped give Washington a No.15 ranking in Div. I.

With Oden out, Hawes becomes the nation’s No. 1 freshman center and will average plenty of blocks and rebounds. He is also not only an early season favorite for PAC-10 freshman of the year, but PAC-10 player of the year, too.

Pondexter has made an instant impact, scoring 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the Huskies’ first game, a win over Pepperdine.

Arizona: Chase Budinger (6-7 forward)

Budinger has jumped into the Wildcats starting lineup and dominated.

He leads the team in scoring (24.5), minutes played, rebounds (6.0) and is third in assists.

His all-around game isn’t surprising and should stand-up. As co-MVP of last year’s McDonald’s All-American game, he had 11 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals.

He’s a serious contender for NCAA freshman of the year.

Oregon: Tajuan Porter (5-6 guard)

Porter was routinely left off not only top-10 lists for incoming guards, but, in many cases, top-50 lists (Rivals.com didn’t even have him in its top 150). However after just three games, the 5-6 point guard out of Detroit is huge on the radar.

He is averaging a team-high 31 points per game and ranks third in Div-I scoring. In the third game against Portland State, Porter broke two school records and nearly broke another.

His 38 points, with a record 10 3-pointers, set a freshman scoring record, and was six points away from snapping Oregon’s single-game scoring record.