Top College Prospects for the NBA Draft.
December 29th 2007 09:31
“O.J. Mayo…O.J .Mayo…is the next LeBron James…” Anyone who has been paying attention to the junior ranks of basketball in the past few years would have been hearing the name of the University of Southern California freshman like it was going out of fashion. Since King James burst onto the high school basketball scene, everyone from Joe Public to the media has been obsessed with finding the next great basketball player.
Remember, most of these kids have barely reached puberty and are still popping zits on their faces, but still receiving unbelievable attention. Some live up to the hype, others don’t.
Anyway, although the NBA Draft is still awhile away, it’s never too early to project who’ll be the next great pro prospects in the college game. Fans of this space would like to know that we do things in groupings of five, and this isn’t by any means a definitive list – but here are the five names that stand out thus far.
We’ll be adding more players to look out for in the upcoming months.
Michael Beasley – Kansas State
Anyone who has been watching college hoops, or Sportscenter for that matter, would be acutely aware that Michael Beasley has been tearing up the college game in his first year. He is an offensive machine with crazy athleticism and a relentless work ethic.
Watch out for the Kansas State frosh because he’ll be the next big thing.
Derrick Rose – Memphis
Again, anyone watching Sportscenter on a regular basis would have seen Derrick Rose make some stunning plays in the highlights packages. A point guard extraordinaire, Rose has his team playing wonderful basketball.
Point guards in the pros are getting bigger, and Rose is the prototypical bigger floor general.
Great basketball brain and athletic, Derrick is drawing comparisons to Deron Williams, which is a compliment to how good the kid is.
Brook Lopez – Stanford
Wow, an athlete from Stanford that is actually rather good, not with the name Tiger Woods. Outrageous!
Well, Josh Childress from the Atlanta Hawks was also from Stanford and was a top 10 pick when he declared for the draft in 2004. In fact he was the sixth choice! But…he plays for Atlanta, so we’ll forgive the ignorance.
So, we’re being a little disingenuous to the elite university.
Brook Lopez, the Stanford sophomore is an excellent big man with great offensive skills. A next gen big man, Lopez can take it down low, or outside, skills that are becoming essential in the modern NBA – even for centres.
D.J. Augustin – Texas
Teaming up with Kevin Durant last season, D.J. Augustin and the Sonics rookie tore up the college game with a lethal one-two punch. However, most pundits speculated the reason why Augustin dominated was due to the fact that he was riding on Durant’s coattails. Um, those same experts will be eating humble pie now because D.J. is having a spectacular season, averaging 20 points and six assists per outing.
More of a prototypical point guard in terms of size, Augustin has great offensive attributes and vision.
O.J. Mayo – USC
Ah, the headline act. O.J. Mayo came into the college game with all the hype and attention. Averaging 20 points and shooting 46 percent from the field. Mayo isn’t a total bust – but he isn’t the standout that everyone was expecting either.
He isn’t struggling by any stretch of the imagination, but poor on-court decisions have some questioning his basketball aptitude sometimes. Still, he will be a top 10 pick with teams valuing a good shooting guard.
Today’s video is of Michael Beasley during the famous McDonald’s high school All-Star game where he won MVP honours. Watch the future in awe.
Remember, most of these kids have barely reached puberty and are still popping zits on their faces, but still receiving unbelievable attention. Some live up to the hype, others don’t.
Anyway, although the NBA Draft is still awhile away, it’s never too early to project who’ll be the next great pro prospects in the college game. Fans of this space would like to know that we do things in groupings of five, and this isn’t by any means a definitive list – but here are the five names that stand out thus far.
We’ll be adding more players to look out for in the upcoming months.
Michael Beasley – Kansas State
Anyone who has been watching college hoops, or Sportscenter for that matter, would be acutely aware that Michael Beasley has been tearing up the college game in his first year. He is an offensive machine with crazy athleticism and a relentless work ethic.
Watch out for the Kansas State frosh because he’ll be the next big thing.
Derrick Rose – Memphis
Again, anyone watching Sportscenter on a regular basis would have seen Derrick Rose make some stunning plays in the highlights packages. A point guard extraordinaire, Rose has his team playing wonderful basketball.
Point guards in the pros are getting bigger, and Rose is the prototypical bigger floor general.
Brook Lopez proves that Stanford isn't just for geeks. (Image from sfgate.com)
Brook Lopez – Stanford
Wow, an athlete from Stanford that is actually rather good, not with the name Tiger Woods. Outrageous!
Well, Josh Childress from the Atlanta Hawks was also from Stanford and was a top 10 pick when he declared for the draft in 2004. In fact he was the sixth choice! But…he plays for Atlanta, so we’ll forgive the ignorance.
So, we’re being a little disingenuous to the elite university.
Brook Lopez, the Stanford sophomore is an excellent big man with great offensive skills. A next gen big man, Lopez can take it down low, or outside, skills that are becoming essential in the modern NBA – even for centres.
D.J. Augustin – Texas
Teaming up with Kevin Durant last season, D.J. Augustin and the Sonics rookie tore up the college game with a lethal one-two punch. However, most pundits speculated the reason why Augustin dominated was due to the fact that he was riding on Durant’s coattails. Um, those same experts will be eating humble pie now because D.J. is having a spectacular season, averaging 20 points and six assists per outing.
More of a prototypical point guard in terms of size, Augustin has great offensive attributes and vision.
O.J. Mayo – USC
Ah, the headline act. O.J. Mayo came into the college game with all the hype and attention. Averaging 20 points and shooting 46 percent from the field. Mayo isn’t a total bust – but he isn’t the standout that everyone was expecting either.
He isn’t struggling by any stretch of the imagination, but poor on-court decisions have some questioning his basketball aptitude sometimes. Still, he will be a top 10 pick with teams valuing a good shooting guard.
Today’s video is of Michael Beasley during the famous McDonald’s high school All-Star game where he won MVP honours. Watch the future in awe.
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