NBA Draft Prospects: Evan Turner, Ohio State

Click here to find all of our 2010 NBA Draft prospect breakdowns.

Stats: 20.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.7 spg, 4.4 t/o's, 51.9% FG

Listed Size: 6'7", 205 lb, 21 years old


About Him: Evan Turner seems destined to be the second pick in this draft, and rightfully so. There haven't been many players in recent draft history to have his all around skill set. It isn't easy to average 20-9-6.

Its Turner's skill set that makes him such an enticing prospect. Turner can just about do it all on a basketball court. He's an instinctive scorer, using his array of hesitation moves and ability to change speeds to keep defenders off balance. He's not an above the rim kind of player, but his size allows him the ability to finish around the rim. Turner also has a developed mid range game, knocking down pull-up jumpers with a good deal of consistency.

But perhaps his best attribute on the offensive end is his passing ability. He can draw a defender and find the open man, he can lead a fast break, and he can run a pick and roll. He's also unselfish and more than willing to rack up assists instead of forcing up tough shots. He's an excellent ball handler with good footwork and a variety of moves offensively. There are times when he gets turnover prone, but given what else he brings to the table, a couple of turnovers aren't a huge problem.

Turner is also a very good rebounder for his size, especially on the defensive end of the floor where he can start a fast break without the benefit of an outlet pass. He's been lauded for his ability on the defensive end, being called "one of the best perimeter stoppers in this draft" by Draft Express, as well despite having a relatively small wingspan and being just an average athlete.

One of the bigger questions about Turner is the position he will eventually play in the league. He played the point for Ohio State this past season, but at 6'7" in shoes, he isn't exactly the typical size for a point guard. But he doesn't have a consistent three point shot (something that I believe he can develop at the next level -- he is a good free throw shooter and can knock down mid-range jumpers) and that average athleticism has given some doubts as to how effective he can be playing on the perimeter in the NBA. Can a team (the Sixers?) find a role for him as a point forward?

Comparison: A lot of places have compared Evan Turner to Brandon Roy, which I don't necessarily disagree with. I've seen a rich man's Anthony Parker listed as well. Personally, I like comparing Turner to Hedo Turkoglu minus the jump shot.

Outlook: Turner doesn't have the upside of a John Wall, but that doesn't mean that Turner won't be a good player in the league. He doesn't have otherworldly tools, but the talk about Turner being a subpar athlete has been a bit overblown -- he's not exactly Shawn Bradley. I think a best case scenario for Turner is a couple of all-star teams and 8-10 years of 20+ points, 8 boards, and 5 assists. Not a bad career.

Highlights:







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Evan Turner skips the postgame handshake after losing to Tennessee

Last year in the NBA Playoffs, there was a big to-do when LeBron James skipped the hand shake line after a tough loss. Personally, I didn't take much of an issue with it. LeBron is a competitor, he had just been eliminated from the playoffs, and he was clearly upset because of it.

I'm not saying I would do the same thing, I'm just saying it doesn't really bother me.

Likewise, it also doesn't bother me that tonight, Evan Turner left the floor without shaking the hands of the Tennessee players after his Ohio State Buckeyes were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.

Take a look:

Turner just lost what is in all likelihood his final college basketball game in fairly devastating fashion. He missed a three in the final ten seconds before having a desperation shot blocked by JP Prince.

Not the way anyone would want to remember their collegiate career.

(For those doubters, Matt at the Dagger confirmed Turner skipped the handshake with someone sitting on press row at the game: "Yes ... he did. Diagonally off the court, past the Tennessee bench and assumedly down the tunnel. He half-acknowledged a Vol who tapped him. I can't 100% confirm that someone didn't grab him and bring him back, but I doubt that happened.")

I understand the problems here. Sportsmanship, role models, yada yada yada.

But I think its ridiculous to blast a 21 year old kid for being upset about a loss like this.

It will be interesting to see if/how this plays out in the media this weekend.
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Which buzzer beater was better?

I'm not going to lie, I was getting ready to criticize Evan Turner.

I was getting ready to write about how he allowed Michigan to comeback from a 13 point deficit with just 10 minutes left. I was getting ready to write about how he had just three free throws as Michigan made their comeback. I was getting ready to write about the runner he missed with 47 seconds left with the game tied. I was getting ready to write up how Manny Harris sliced through Ohio State twice for go ahead jumpers in the final minute.

The thought crossed my mind that while Evan Turner was easily the national player of the year, he may not be the guy you want running your team in a tight game down the stretch. It was almost fair to say he choked down the stretch against Michigan.

And boy, did he change that line of thinking.



Yeah.

That's something else, huh?

Turner's 40 footer gave Ohio State a 69-68 win over the Wolverines in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. It may not have even been the best buzzer beater of championship week.

The Big East conference player of the year essentially came down to two players: Scottie Reynolds and Wes Johnson. Johnson won it, much to the chagrin of the legions of Villanova supporters.

My choice for Big East player of the year was different. My choice was Da'Sean Butler.

My argument?

Butler's numbers are impressive -- 17.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.4 apg. He's as important to his team as either Reynolds or Johnson. But what pushed him over the top was his ability in clutch.

I don't know if there is anyone in the country that I would want taking a big shot over Da'Sean Butler. He had game-winners against Cleveland State, Marquette, Louisville, and Villanova heading into last night's Big East quarterfinal against Cincinnati.

And then he did this:



In addition to hitting a ridiculous shot like that, Lance Stephenson told reporters at the press conference Butler called bank when he released the shot.

If that doesn't make you love the kid, I don't know what will.

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Big Ten injuries

Its no secret that the Big Ten has dealt with a number of serious injuries this season. Purdue's Lewis Jackson broke his foot. So did Northwestern's Kevin Coble. Indiana's Maurice Creek fractured a knee cap. Wisconsin's Jon Leuer broke his wrist. Evan Turner has returned after breaking two bones in his back.

Last night during the Ohio State-Purdue broadcast, ESPN put up a graphic highlighting the major injuries in the conference this season, and I got to thinking: how good would this team be?

My conclusion?

They may actually win the Big Ten.

Having Turner in the line-up is enough to put a team into consideration. Now think about Turner playing with a scorer like Creek and versatile big men that can spread the floor like Leuer and Coble.

Scary right?

I'll add Jerry Wainwright, who qualifies because he tore his MCL and fractured his tibia on Wednesday of last week, as the coach and wait for Blake Hoffarber and Dallas Lauderdale to go down, and we got us a national title contender.


Side note: for those that didn't see it, Robbie Hummel dislocated a finger last night. Be warned - the video is a bit graphic if you don't like to see fingers bending in awkward directions.


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Wednesday's Shootaround: Evan Turner > Robbie Hummel

Ohio State 70, Purdue 66: Robbie Hummel was unconscious. He scored 29 points in the first half, hitting 8-10 threes including a 4:18 second stretch when he made six straight from deep. At the break, Ohio State and Robbie Hummel were tied at 29. The problem? The rest of the Boilermakers only scored 12 points in the first half, and Ohio State never seemed out of it.

In the second half, neither team was able to get into a rhythm offensively, as the Boilermakers withstood an early run from the Buckeyes, holding the lead stead at around 10 points. But with just over four minutes remaining, Evan Turner took over. After a JaJuan Johnson dunk put Purdue up 62-52, Turner drove to the rim for an and-one layup. After the free throw, OSU threw a press at the Boilermakers, forcing back-to-back turnovers by Kelsey Barlow, which resulted in back-to-back layups for Turner. On Purdue's next possession, Dallas Lauderdale blocked a Chris Kramer layup, and William Buford found Turner trailing the play, and Turner knocked down a three to tie the game. All told, Turner went on an individual 10-0 run in the span of 1:19. He would hit four more free throws on OSU's next two possessions, giving the Buckeyes the lead for good.

For the game, Turner had 32 points and 9 boards on 11-21 shooting. The scary part? Turner was clearly not 100%. While his back may be ready to go, Turner looked tired and winded (understandable, he did play all 20 minutes), and appeared to be rusty (again, understandable) as he missed a number of shots around the rim that he usually makes. And he still led OSU back from a late double-digit deficit to Purdue in Mackey Arena. Even with six missed games, Turner has to be up there with John Wall in terms of national player of the year consideration.

Kentucky 89, Florida 77: John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are not the only great freshman on the Wildcats. Eric Bledsoe is pretty damn good as well. Bledsoe scored 25 points and added 7 boards, 5 assists, and 3 steals while hitting 10-13 shots from the field and 3-4 from long range as he helped carry Kentucky to a tough road win at the O'Connell Center. With John Wall having an off-night (well, as off of a night as John Wall can have - he finished with 19 and 6 dimes), Bledsoe sparked Kentucky, breaking Florida's pressure single-handedly and sparking what was a dormant Wildcat team for the first eight minutes.

Florida made a second half run, coming back from down 57-42 to tie the game at 72, but UK responded. Patterson hit a short jumper, and Darnell Dodson knocked down a three before a Chandler Parsons free throw made it a four point game. Bledsoe put the game out of reach, knocking down a three and hitting a layup that put it back to nine with under two minutes left.

Colorado 78, Baylor 71: Quick, where's the toughest place to win in the Big XII? Answer: on the road. Baylor found that out the hard way, as they went into Boulder as a ranked team and came out with a loss. A late 14-4 run sparked by Cory Higgins, who scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, gave the Buffs a 64-55 lead with 2:40 remaining. LaceDarius Dunn had 23 for Baylor, while Ekpe Udoh had 14 points and 14 boards.

NC State 88, Florida State 81: NC State hit 11 of 23 from deep, led by 31 points and 7 threes from Scott Wood, as the Wolfpack handed the Seminoles their second ACC loss in three days. Sidney Lowe's club used a 16-1 run midway through the first half to upen up a 23-12 lead, and NC State never trailed after that. Chris Singleton had a career-high 22 points to lead the Noles.

Wake Forest 85, Maryland 83 OT: After Greivis Vasquez broke a 74-all tie with 40 seconds left in regulation, Al-Farouq Aminu knocked down two free throws to force overtime in Winston-Salem. In the overtime, Jordan Williams tied the game at 83 with 51 seconds left as he tipped in a missed jumper from Vasquez, but Ishmael Smith scored on a floater in the lane at the other end for the eventual game-winner. Greivis Vasquez and Sean Mosley both missed threes on the Terp's final possession. Vasquez finished with a season-high 30 points and added 7 assists, while Aminu had 24 points and 13 boards to lead Wake.

Other notable scores

• Kansas State 88, Texas A&M 65: Denis Clemente scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half as the Wildcats jumped out to a big lead early, cruising to the win.
• VCU 81, Hofstra 68: Larry Sanders scored 31 points and hit 11-13 from the field as the Rams knocked off the Pride.
• Illinois 54, Penn State 53: Bruce Weber returned Demetri McCamey to the starting lineup, and he responded with 25 points, including a jumper with 1:02 left in the game that proved to be the game-winner.
• Northern Iowa 52, Bradley 50: The Panthers won their 14th straight game and improved to 6-0 in the Valley as Ali Farokhmanesh scored 14 points and Jordan Eglseder added 11 and 10 boards.
  

Tuesday's Best

• Robbie Hummel had 35 points and 10 boards, scoring 29 in the first half, but was outdone by Evan Turner, who had 23 of his 32 points in the second half.
• Eric Bledsoe carried Kentucky to a road win against Florida with 25 points, 7 boards, 5 assists, and 3 steals.
• John Holland scored 25 points and added 10 boards to lead BU to a win over UMBC.
• Greer Wright's 27 points left Binghamton to a 64-62 win and a 2-1 mark in the America East.
• Scott Wood scored 31 points and hit 7-11 from deep in NC State's upset win on the road at Florida State.
  

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Evan Turner returning; and other roster updates

Ohio State fans got good news Wednesday.

According Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch, Evan Turner will be available for the Buckeyes is he can make it through practice today without any complications. No word yet on how the practice went.

Turner was the favorite for national player of the year before he fell of the rim and broke two bones in his back. Turner was averaging 20.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg, and 6.6 apg before he was injured, and without that production, OSU has gone just 3-3, losing their first two Big Ten games.

If Turner can get back to 100% sooner rather than later, OSU seems to still be destined for the NCAA Tournament.

Ohio State wasn't the only school that got some roster news today:

• Xavier didn't just lose a game on Sunday. Mark Lyons suffered a "severe bone bruise" in his left knee in the Muskies loss to Wake Forest, and will miss the next two games - at La Salle and at GW. Lyons, who is averaging 9.4 ppg in 13 games this season, had boosted that number to 10.2 ppg over his last five as he was moved into the starting line-up.
  


• Cal's Jorge Gutierrez will be out at least two games as well. Gutierrez landing awkwardly on his right knee, a knee that he has already and surgery on, midway through the first half against Stanford. Gutierrez is averaging just 5.7 ppg and 3.2 rpg, but for a thin Cal team, Gutierrez is the best defender on the perimeter. If he is out ofr a significant time, this could be a big blow to the Bears.


• As we mentioned in today's pregame beat, Arkansas's Courtney Fortson, who was suspended prior to the season for, among other things, posting a particularly inappropriate tweet, will be in the line-up tonight against Texas. From the statement released by John Pelphrey:

  We are pleased that Courtney has done the things necessary for him to incorporate basketball fully back into his life. In the past few months, Courtney has worked hard to address personal issues and meet objectives to facilitate his return to active competition. Our primary focus with Courtney, and all of our student-athletes, is to assist them in realizing their full potential as individuals. This includes developing them athletically, academically and socially. As with all Razorback student-athletes, Courtney must continue to meet the expectations of our athletic department to remain a member of the Razorback program.

• Gonzaga redshirt freshman Andy Poling has decided to transfer. It seems to be a playing time issue. Poling is a big man, and with how well freshman Elias Harris, Kelly Olynyk, and Bol Kong have played alongside sophomore Robert Sacre, there just hasn't been room for Poling to get on the court.
  


• Western Kentucky junior Sergio Kerusch broke his foot on Dec. 18th in practice and wasn't expected back until late February. But according to head coach Ken McDonald, he could be back as early as the first week of February.

  He’s progressing really well. The best case scenario would be the first week of February. The later scenario would be mid-to-late February. But his rehab is going well.

  
  

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UPDATE: Evan Turner out 8 weeks

UPDATE:

We have video now:




Ohio State got a huge piece of bad news on Saturday.

Evan Turner, who many believe is the leader in the race for national player of the year, will miss the next eight weeks after suffering a transverse fracture in the second and third lumbar vertebra in his spine.

Initial x-rays showed no serious injury.

Turner hurt himself after going up for a dunk. As has happened so many times, Turner hung on the rim and his momentum (in addition to a little bump) carried his body near parallel to the floor before Turner fell off the rim.

Turner was obviously in severe pain after a nasty fall on Saturday.
(photo credit: AP)

This is a huge blow to the Buckeyes. It goes without saying that his production (20.9 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 6.6 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.7 bpg) will be sorely missed, but his leadership as the best point guard on Ohio State's roster, despite playing out of position, is one of the reasons Ohio State has been mentioned as a possible contender to Purdue and Michigan State in the Big Ten.

Evan Turner is a humble kid that hasn't let the spotlight get to him. He has overcome a lot in his young life, and one can only hope this injury doesn't effect his NBA career, or more importantly, his long-term health.

Spines are not something you want to mess around with.

Dana O'Neil, who wrote an incredible piece on Turner during the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament, said it best:

As a journalist, I'm programmed not to root for teams.

But I will root for Turner to have a speedy and healthy recovery. He's a good kid and he deserves a swift return.

This may end up being a blessing in disguise for the Buckeyes. If Ohio State can stay in hunt for an at-large bid (a big if), then getting Jeremie Simmon and PJ Hill more experience and playing time at the point could really help the Buckeyes down the stretch. Continue reading...

Wednesday's Shootaround: Evan Turner posts another triple-double, while Gonzaga and Cinci advance to the Maui finals

Maui Invitational:

• Cincinnati 69, Maryland 57: The Terps just had no answer for the inside play of Cincinnati. Yancy Gates had 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Deonta Vaughn added 16 points and 5 assists, but it was a 14-0 run, turning a 14-11 deficit into a 25-14 Bearcat lead, that was the difference in this game. The Terps never recovered. Cincinnati is back to the Bearcat teams we all remember - big and physical, they have a roster full of guys that are going to defend all over the court (Maryland shot 31.7% from the floor, Vasquez was just 5-17) and crash the boards hard (won the rebounding battle 47-32, had 15 offensive). Once Deonta Vaughn and Lance Stephenson really get going offensively, this is going to be a tough Cinci team to beat.

• Gonzaga 74, Wisconsin 61: The Zags had a much easier go of it offensively against the Badgers than Arizona did the night before. Wisconsin out-physicaled the Wildcats, forcing them out of the comfort zone offensively. But Gonzaga, in stark contrast to last year's group, is not going to be pushed around this season. The experienced Zags were able to run their sets and routinely get good looks at the rim. Matt Bouldin led four players in double figures with 18 points and 5 assists. One player to keep an eye on this season is Elias Harris. He is strong, athletic, and a tough rebounder, but the 20 year old freshman has also showed some ability to play on the perimeter. He could end up being a pro.
  
• Arizona 91, Colorado 87 OT: Nic Wise scored 30 points for the Wildcats, including eight straight at the end of regulation to put Zona up 80-72 with 52 seconds left. But Cory Higgins assisted on a three, and after getting a stop he buried his own three. The Buffaloes then forced a quick turnover, and Solomon Hill fouled Higgins, who hit both free throws to tie the game. But Wise was too much in OT, as he scored on back-to-back possessions to erase an 85-82 lead and give Zona a lead they would never relinquish. Higgins has really lived up to the hype he had coming into the season, as he went for 28 points. Jamelle Horne added 17 points, 8 boards, and 7 blocks while Brendan Lavender and Derrick Williams added 16 and 11, respectively.
• Vanderbilt 68, Chaminade 41: Vandy used a 24-0 run to break open a close game against DII Chaminade. John Jenkins led the Commodores with 14 points.
  

CBE Classic

• Texas 78, Pitt 62: Texas looked like they were in trouble for a while, as Pitt used an 11-0 run to take a 34-32 lead at the half. After playing back and forth basketball for the first 10 minutes of the second half, Texas finally pulled away with a 14-3 run late in the second half. In the end, Texas was just too talented offensively for the Panthers, who had not given up more than 60 points this season. The big spark during the run was freshman Jordan Hamilton, who can clearly score from the perimeter, but may need to be a bit more judicious in his shot selection. Damion James had 20 points and 9 boards to lead the Horns. The win was costly for Texas, however, as starting guard Varez Ward landed in a heap during warm-ups and was carted off the floor.
• Wichita State 74, Iowa 57: How bad are the Hawkeyes? They are now 1-4 on the season after getting run off the court by Wichita State. Garrett Stutz and Toure Murry both had 18 to lead the Shockers.
  

Cancun Challenge

• Kentucky 73, Cleveland State 49: The Wildcats got 15 points and 6 assists from John Wall, but like Texas, this could be a costly win for the Wildcats a Patrick Patterson went out early in the second half with an ankle injury. No word yet on its severity.
  
• Stanford 57, Virginia 52: Landry Fields had 25 points and 13 boards as the Cardinal knocked off the Cavs for the right to play UK in the finals.
  

Ohio State 84, Lipscomb 64: Evan Turner got off to a slow start, at one point having no points, four turnovers, and just two assists in the first half. But as the Buckeyes heated up, so did Turner, who finished the game with 16 points, 10 boards, and 11 assists for his second triple-double of the season (he also had a game in NYC where he had a triple-double with 10 turnovers). David Lighty also added a career-high 22 points for OSU, who are now 4-1 on the season. Up just 28-27 near the end of the first half, the Buckeyes used a 12-0 run spanning both halves to break the game open.

Syracuse 88, Cornell 73: Cornell used some hot three-point shooting in the first half to hang around (9-19, Chris Wroblewski was 5-6), but a 17-5 spurt to open the second half, combined with an improved focus on the defensive end (Cornell was just 4-18 from deep in the second half), helped Syracuse run away with this one. Brandon Triche scored a career-high 21 points, including six in the decisive run, while Rautins added 18 points and Wes Johnson chipped in with 15 and 10. While this wasn't as impressive a win as the Orange had against Cal or UNC in NYC, Cornell is an experienced team that has played in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.

West Virginia 69, Citadel 50: The Mountaineers got up double digits early in the first seven minutes, but some hot shooting by the Citadel combined with smart use of the shot clock offensively kept this from becoming a blow out. John Flowers, who missed most of the Mountaineer's first game with a foot injury, came off the bench to score 13 points while Joe Mazzulla, who sat out the first game while still dealing with a shoulder issue, played 15 minutes off the bench, notching six assists. Devin Ebanks did not play, however, and WVU struggled a bit offensively as a result. He will be traveling with WVU to Anaheim for the 76 Classic, but there is no word yet on whether he will actually play. Da'Sean Butler was held to just nine points on the night.

Morgan State 97, Arkansas 94: Morgan State is not a bad team, that said, Arkansas is an SEC that had visions of making the NCAA tournament this season. They absolutely should not be losing a game like this, especially when they have Rotnei Clarke and Michael Washington in uniform. Yes, I know this team is dealing with suspensions and off the court issues, but can that really ban excuse? Don't you think that's a sign that there is something fundamentally flawed with John Pelphrey's program? Reggie Holmes had 34 points in the win.

Seattle 77, Utah 74: Cameron Dollar has something pretty impressive going in Seattle. After beating Weber State and Fresno State, he took the Redhawks into Utah and came out with a win. Charles Garcia had 24 and 8 in the win. Oh yeah, this is Seattle's first season in DI.

Other notable scores:

• Illinois 78, Wofford 64: After beating Georgia and barely losing to Pitt, Wofford gave the Illini all they could handle in the Las Vegas Invitational (isn't that an AAU tournament?). Demetri McCamey's 21 and 4 dimes combined with an 8-0 run to break a 50-50 tie was the difference.
• Cal 79, Jacksonville 47: Patrick Christopher broke out of his shooting slump to go for 23 points, including 4-6 from deep, as the Bears rebounded from a poor performance in NYC.
• Florida 68, Florida State 52: The Gators jumped out to a 20 point first half lead, and while the Noles were able to get it all the way back down to five midway through the second half, they just ran out of gas. Florida responded with a 12-0 run to put the game away.
• Providence 106, Vermont 64: Sometimes there are scores you simply cannot explain. After beating Rutgers, UVM loses by 42 to a Providence team picked at the bottom of the Big East? The Friars had 15 threes, which might have aided in the blowout.

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The best ten days of the pre-March college hoops season starts tonight

For anyone that stayed up to watch all 24 plus hours of the 2009 Tip-Off Marathon, kudos. You are probably just as tired as I am right now.

But don't think, not for a second, that we are done with this season's non-conference craziness.

You see, today kicks off the best ten day stretch of the college basketball season that doesn't involve the terms "March" or "Madness". In early November, most teams are playing cupcakes, ironing out the kinks in their rotations, their offense, and their defense, and trying to find an identity. When December rolls around and finals hit, most schools tone down their scheduling. Flying cross-country the day before a exam is not the best way to keep up a GPA.

That leaves the end of November. And while much of the country will spend Turkey week watching football, if you get sick of watching the Lions or this weekend's meaningless college football schedule, you can rest assured that there will be plenty of hoops to be seen.

So without further ado, here are the 10 questions we hope will be answered by the end of Feast Week (for a full breakdown of the preseason tournaments, go here)

How will UNC play against real competition?

North Carolina is 3-0 early in the season, but they haven't exactly played the meat of the ACC schedule. They also haven't looked all that impressive in wins over FIU, North Carolina Central, and Valpo. There are two major issues for the Heels - perimeter shooting and the play of their younger guys. In their first three wins, UNC won, for the most part, because Deon Thompson, Ed Davis, and Tyler Zeller were just too strong inside. Playing against teams with similar strength inside, will the back court be capable of winning games? Larry Drew has been solid, but unspectacular, in his first three games starting at the point. Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves are smart veteran players and good defenders, but they aren't exactly Wayne Ellington offensively. Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald, and John Henson have been disappointing thus far. If the Heels don't find a perimeter shooter and their young back court kids don't develop in a hurry, Roy Williams may regret his team's difficult early schedule.


Will UCLA's defense pick up?

Did you watch the UCLA-Cal St. Fullerton game? The Bruins lost a double overtime snoozefest to the Titans in one of the ugliest games I have seen in a long time. Why? UCLA doesn't have a go-to guy offensively. Malcolm Lee was expected to be that guy, and while he had his moments, against CSF he showed he still has a long way to go. PG Jerime Anderson looked nervous and played without confidence throughout the game, and Drew Gordon is without an effective offensive game. Michael Roll and Nikola Dragovic, when he finds he jumper, are effective complimentary scorers, but they aren't the guys you want to rely upon for a big basket. With their injuries in the pre-season, these struggles were somewhat expected. UCLA's struggles defensively weren't. Don't be fooled by the numbers, the Bruins allowed the Titans to penetrate at will, and if CSF had been able to finish at the rim (the Titans must have missed 15 lay-ups), UCLA would have lost by 20. UCLA will get a talented Portland team in the opening round of the 76 Classic, followed by a tough match-up with either Butler or Minnesota. Their defense will be tested.


Is Gonzaga's front line really as good as they played against Michigan State?

Everyone knew about Gonzaga's back court coming into the season. Matt Bouldin, Demetri Goodson, and Steven Gray (ED. Note: Until he cuts his hair, I propose the nickname of Geico for Steven Gray. He looks just like one of the cavemen.) are as talented as any three in the back court. The question was in the front court, and Robert Sacre and Elias Harris more than proved themselves. Sacre has 17 points on an impressive variety of post moves, while Harris used his strength and athleticism to bully his way to 17 and 9. The question is was that a result of a young and depleted Spartan front line, or are Sacre and Harris really that good? With Colorado and the winner of Arizona/Wisconsin in the first two rounds of the Maui Invitational, Sacre and Harris will get a chance to prove this wasn't a fluke performance.


Will Greivis Vasquez break out of this shooting slump?

Greivis Vasquez has struggled through the first two games of the season. He is just 6-25 from the floor, 2-7 from three, and averaging a paltry 8.0 ppg. How is this possible? Everyone knows that he is one of the most talented players in the country, and by far the best player on the Maryland team.

Therein lies the problem. If the fans know it and the writers and bloggers know it, then shouldn't you expect opposing coaches to know it as well? When you are as good as Vasquez is, team's are going to key in on you. And that is precisely what has happened. The shooting numbers for Vasquez are going to come around. It is only a matter of time, and as anyone that has played basketball knows, all it takes is for one to go down and a player is right back on track. The good news is that the rest of Vasquez's game hasn't suffered. As he is drawing more attention on the offensive end, he has been great at distributing the ball. Through two games, he has 19 assists and just six turnovers. Hopefully, he can find his stroke against Chaminade in the Maui Invitational, because the Terps are going to need him against Cincinnati or Vanderbilt in the second round.


Can Cincinnati play an effective brand of basketball with Lance Stephenson and Deonta Vaughn on the court at the same time?

Two games in, and the Lance Stephenson experiment isn't exactly going perfectly. In the opener, the Bearcats struggled to run their offense against an extremely out-talented Prairie View A&M. Lance Stephenson struggled, finishing 2-10 from the floor for 7 points, while Deonta Vaughn played so poorly that he was benched for the start of the second half. Then against Toledo, the Bearcats allowed a team that starts three freshman to hang around, cutting the lead to 57-49 with 14 minutes left, and while shooting 48% from the floor for the game. Clearly, this is not a team that is firing on all cylinders right now. There seem to be two issues at hand - Stephenson is a bit too anxious early in the season (Cronin went so far as too call him a nervous wreck in the opener), and Vaughn seems to lack the leadership qualities that Cronin is looking for. Will they figure it out by the time they play Vanderbilt out in Maui?


Are Kansas State's post players good enough for the Wildcats to compete in the Big XII? Is Georgia Tech's back court good enough to make them relevant in the ACC?

Kansas State and Georgia Tech are in similar situations. The Wildcats have one of the most talented back courts in the country in Denis Clemente, Jacob Pullen, and Rodney MscGruder. But their front court, which is full of potential, is largely an unknown commodity. Is Curtis Kelly the Curtis Kelly that scored 22 in their opener, or is he the kid that couldn't get any minutes at UConn? How good will Wally Judge and Jamar Samuels end up being? We find out starting tonight as K-State takes on Boston U.

Georgia Tech is the other way around. With Zach Peacock, Gani Lawal, and Derrick Favors, the Jackets have one of the best front courts around. But will their perimeter play be enough to carry them to the top of a wide open ACC? Iman Shumpert was good at times last season, but all erratic and inconsistent. Mfon Udofia, Glen Rice Jr, and Moe Miller are talented, but unproven. The return of DeAndre Bell from a back injury should help provide leadership, but this group of youngsters has their work cut out for them. We should learn a lot from their match-up with the tough Dayton Flyers today.


Is UConn going to live up to their lofty expectations this year?

UConn is 3-0 on the season, but with the exception of the second half against Colgate, UConn has been far from impressive this season. William & Mary was down seven with the ball in the final four minutes, Colgate was down one at halftime (and outplayed the Huskies in the first half), and Hofstra was up by nine with nine minutes left before Jerome Dyson took over. The problem the Huskies have had is on the offensive end - they can't score in the half court. Where they are most effective defensively is in their 2-2-1 press, but UConn can only set up that press after a made basket. The press not only creates turnovers and offense, it takes the opposition out of there rhythm. Unless UConn can find a shooter or two (Jamal Coombs-McDaniel has been their best thus far, but Dyson can shoot with time as well), teams are going to pack in their defense, forcing the Huskies into tough drives at the rim. While Dyson and Kemba Walker excel at slashing to the basket, its a much tougher task going against a sagging 2-3 zone than a close-out in a man-to-man situation.


Can Evan Turner continue to impress playing against quality competition?

Sure, Evan Turner has great numbers right now. Can anyone really argue with 19 ppg, 17 rpg, 7 apg, and 2 spg? No, they can't. But Turner posted those numbers against less than stellar competition. His triple-double came against Alcorn State, who shut down Rotnei Clarke to the tune of 51 points later that week. The 24 point, 17 rebound performance in his second game came against James Madison, a middle of the pack team from the CAA that lost three of their top four scorers. On Thursday and Friday, Turner will be going up against North Carolina and either Syracuse or Cal. Will he continue to dominate playing the point guard spot, or were these first two games a fluke? Personally, I think his domination continues. Turner is an all-american and arguably the most versatile, well-rounded player in the country. His numbers may drop (I don't see him getting 17 boards against UNC), but that should be expected. Don't expect his value to the Buckeyes success to diminish at all, however.


Are Rider and Cornell for real?

Rider has wins on the road against Mississippi State and Lehigh. Cornell has won games at Alabama and UMass. This should have been expected from Cornell. They are a talented and experienced group that has won back-to-back Ivy League crowns. Louis Dale, the '07-'08 Ivy player of the year, is one of the best point guards you have never seen player. Two-time Ivy first-teamer Ryan Wittman is on the short list for best shooter in the country. 7'0" center Jeff Foote is the reigning defensive player of the year, and has added some offense to his game this season, averaging 13.5 ppg. Cornell has a great point guard, a big center, shooters on the wing, and a solid group of experienced role players. Isn't that the ideal situation for a mid-major?

Rider, on the other hand, was not a team a lot of people were talking about in the pre-season. They play in the MAAC, which is a conference headlined by Siena and Niagara. There is not a lot of space at the top. But what people forget is that Rider won 19 games last season, 12 in the MAAC including splits with Siena and Niagara, and returned their top five scorers, including Ryan Thompson. Rider, however, may not be able to carry this momentum like Cornell. They rely a little too much on the three ball (their top four perimeter players are a combined 25-35 from deep in two games, that's 71%), and when those stop dropping at that rate, the Broncs may come back down to earth.


How will Purdue react to the loss of Lewis Jackson?

As we talked about yesterday, this will be a big change for Purdue. Without Jackson, they do not have a true point guard on their roster. The Boilermakers were fine with Keaton Grant and E'Twaun Moore sharing point guard duties two years ago when they reached the NCAA Tournament, and given the team-oriented offense that Purdue likes to run, the Boilermakers should have enough on their roster to survive. But after spending an off-season preparing for running an offense through Jackson, it will be an adjustment getting used to Grant and Moore running the show.

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11/16 - College Hoops Week in Review

What we learned this week: There really isn't all that much to take from the games during the first week of the season. Team's are still trying to figure out their identity, players are trying to learn their new roles and how to play alongside their new teammates, and coaches are trying to figure out their rotation.

All told, the first week usually consists of major conference teams smacking around some low-majors, with the occasional upset and intriguing match-up sprinkled in.

We did learn a couple things, however. UNC, UConn, and Cal may not be as good as advertised. UNC and UConn are still trying to find an identity for their team (and some outside shooting), while Cal is dealing with the burden of playing with expectations. Syracuse, Ohio State, and Kansas State, on the other hand, look like they will be better than expected. Evan Turner of Ohio State is the real deal and a legit player of the year candidate. The Syracuse Orange proved that they are going to be a terror to deal with on the offensive end, while Kansas State showed that their front line is going to be long and athletic this season.

As the preseason tournaments really start to kick off this week, we will begin to learn much more about the best teams in the country.


GAME OF THE WEEK: Harvard 87, William & Mary 85 3OT

With just 14 seconds left in the third overtime, Harvard missed a pair of free throws that would have given them a three point lead. Instead, the Tribe's Sean McCurdy went the length of the floor and finished a lay-up to give William & Mary an 85-84 lead with four seconds left. Harvard's Jeremy Lin responded by, well, the video here explains it all.

Jeremy Lin reacts after hitting a game winner against William & Mary.
(photo credit: harvard.edu)

William & Mary was down by as much as 13 in the second half, but an off-balance three by Danny Sumner sent the game into the first overtime. Both the first and the second overtimes were tied in the last minutes after a player was fouled shooting a three and hit all three free throws. Lin, who hit the game winner, finished with 19 points, 9 assists, and 5 boards to lead the Crimson

Also good this week:

• Seton Hall 53, St. Peter's 51: A 35 footer by Eugene Harvey at the buzzer saved Seton Hall from an upset at the hands of the Peacocks.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Evan Turner, Ohio State

This was a tougher choice than I expected midway through the week, but Turner's two games this week were too much to pass up. Turner, a 6'7" point forward, notched just the second triple double in Ohio State history as he posted 14 points, 17 boards, and 10 assists in a 100-60 win over Alcorn State (remember those guys). Against James Madison on Thursday, Turner was equally impressive, posting 24 points, 17 boards, and 4 assists in another blowout win for the Buckeyes. All told, Turner finished the week with ridiculous averages of 19.0 ppg, 17.0 rpg, 7.0 apg, and 2.0 spg while committing just four turnovers and shooting 55% from the floor.

Evan Turner looked like the best player in the country this week.
(photo credit: examiner)

I've beaten the point to death by now, but what makes Turner so valuable this season is that he can grab a defensive rebound and lead the break without needing an outlet pass. Turner has also shown an excellent ability to make long lead passes, finding streaking teammates for easy buckets. Turner is far and away the early season MVP in college hoops.

Also good this week:

• Rotnei Clarke, Arkansas: Arkansas beat Alcorn State (did you remember?) 130-68, and Clarke was clearly their best player on the floor. He went for 51 points, knocking down 13 of 17 triples along the way.
• Manny Harris, Michigan: Turner wasn't the only Big Ten member to record a triple-double, as Harris went for 18 points, 13 boards, and 10 assists against DII Northern Michigan.
• Quincy Pondexter, Washington: With all the talk about Isaiah Thomas and Abdul Gaddy running the show for the Huskies, Pondexter quietly was their best player this weekend. In three games, he averaged 22.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, shot 64% from the floor, missed just one of 19 free throws, and had eight assists to just three turnovers.
  

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Rider Broncs, Cornell Big Red

Both Rider and Cornell went down south this week to play a road game against an SEC team, and both came back a winner. Rider played an efficient, fundamental basketball game, especially in the second half. The Broncs were 10-16 from three during the game, and did not commit a turnover in the second half. It may have been their defense that won the game, however. The scored 18 points off of 10 MSU turnovers, and held the Bulldogs to just 10 second half field goals. Mike Ringold and Novar Gadson both went for 21 in the win, while Ryan Thompson and Justin Robinson added 16 and 15, respectively. The Broncs will face Lehigh at home before traveling to UVA and Kentucky before Thanksgiving.

Cornell used a 9-0 run to start the second half to open up a 35-20 lead over the Crimson Tide. Bama used their pressure to get the lead down to 53-52, but a Louis Dale three pushed it back to four, and the Tide never got that close again. Ryan Wittman had 23 to lead Cornell, while Dale finished with 13 points, 4 boards, and 5 assists.


Also good this week:

• Syracuse Orange: The Orange's defense looked absolutely suffocating as they forced 60 turnovers in two blowout wins.
  
• Oregon Ducks: Ernie Kent always seems to pull out a good season when he is on the hot seat, and his seat may have never been hotter than it was coming into this year. But with Tajuan Porter hot (he's averaged 24.5 ppg over his last two), the Ducks have started 3-0 and could make noise in a weak Pac 10.
  

MATCH-UPS OF THE WEEK:

• 11/16 - 5:30 pm: Milwaukee @ Western Kentucky
• 11/17 - 7:30 pm: Arkansas @ Louisville
  
• 11/17 - 8 pm: Gonzaga @ Michigan State
• 11/17 - 10 pm: Memphis @ Kansas
• 11/18 - 7:30 pm: Cornell @ UMass
• 11/18 - 8 pm: Butler @ Northwestern
• 11/18 - 8 pm: Utah State @ Utah
• 11/18 - 10:30 pm: Nevada @ UNLV
  
• 11/19 - 11:30 am: Georgia Tech vs. Dayton
• 11/19 - 7:00 pm: Syracuse vs. Cal
• 11/19 - 9:00 pm: UNC vs. Syracuse
• 11/19 - 9:30 pm: La Salle vs. South Carolina

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Friday's Shootaround

Ohio State 72, James Madison 44: Yes, I know its early. Yes, I know that Ohio State hasn't played any competition. Yes, I also know that the rest of the country has yet to play a game. But after his first two games, Evan Turner has to be on the short list of player of the year candidates. After notching just the second triple-double in school history on Monday night, Turner followed that up with a 24 point, 17 rebound, 4 assists, and 2 steal game last night.

Evan Turner has 34 rebounds through two games.
(photo credit: AP)

After the Buckeyes jumped out to a 10-2 lead, the Dukes were able to hang around for a while, eventually knotting the game up at 16. A Turner three at the end of the half capped an 11-5 surge for Ohio State, who took a 34-25 lead at the break. They continued that momentum to open the second half, breaking the game open with a 20-5 run that put the Dukes away.

David Lighty once again looked like he was fully recovered from his broken foot as he notched 14 points, slashing his way to the rim. William Buford also added 12 points, but his 0-2 showing from deep puts him at 33.3% on the season. If Buford can become a legitimate three point threat this season, he becomes that much more well-rounded, and it opens that much more space for Turner to create. Buford did have a couple nice drives to the rim, however.

Perhaps the biggest piece of information we got from this game was that center Dallas Lauderdale was back from his broken hand. While he came off the bench and only mustered 13 minutes, he was pretty productive, blocking two shots and grabbing two of his four rebounds on the offensive end. Lauderdale's presence inside is so important for Ohio State. Not only will his shot blocking presence allow the lanky wings of the Buckeyes the chance to gamble more in their 2-3, he provides a tough rebounding and defensive presence in the lane. Nothing against Kyle Madsen of Zisis Sarikopolous, but those two have combined to averaged just 7 ppg and 5.5 rpg in 31 mpg over the first two contests.

As we mentioned Tuesday, one of the keys for Ohio State offensively is the ability of Turner to grab an defensive rebound and lead the break himself without an outlet pass. He did that quite a bit last night as well. With the talent of Lighty, Buford, Jon Diebler, and even Jeremie Simmons running the floor on the wings, the Buckeyes should continue to look to take advantage of this.


Other games of interest:

• NC State 69, Georgia State 53: NC State pulled out the win, but the Wolfpack did not look overly impressive, especially on the offensive end, last night. Tracy Smith posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards, while Julius Mays and Dennis Horner added 16 and 15, respectively. Javier Gonzalez had 8 points, 8 boards, and 8 assists, which included a three off an offensive rebound that sparked an 18-5 run to put the Panthers away.

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Tuesday's Shootaround: Boeheim wins 800th, Turner's triple-double, and ranked teams win ugly

Ohio State 100, Alcorn State 60: Of the four ranked teams to play last night, the Buckeyes were the only guys that looked crisp, especially on the offensive end. I think it is safe to say that the Evan-Turner-at-the-point experiment has started out pretty well for Thad Matta. Turner did nothing to quell the rumblings that he is the best all-around player in the country, as he turned in just the second triple double in Ohio State history, going for 14 points, 17 boards (6 offensive), 10 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. When this guy adds a consistent three point jumper, he is going to be scary good (as if to say he isn't already).

Evan Turner posted the second triple-double in OSU history.
(photo credit: cleveland.com)

Part of what makes Turner so dangerous is his ability to rebound the ball on the defensive end. Since he runs the point as well, Turner is able to get out and lead the break without using an outlet pass. While this will sometimes slow down the Buckeyes if Turner grabs a rebound in traffic, he showed excellent vision down court, hitting a couple guys on long passes in transition for easy lay-ups.

There were a couple of other very good signs for the Buckeyes. First off, David Lighty, the athletic, 6'5" swingman who is coming off of a broken foot which ended his season in December last year, looked like he was ready to play. He finished with just 8 points in 22 minutes, but he also had 8 assists, threw down a nice dunk in traffic, and all-in-all looked explosive putting the ball on the floor.

Then there was Jon Diebler and William Buford. Everyone knew coming in that Diebler was a shooter, and he showed it, knocking down six threes en route to 22 points. But Buford is a guy that had question marks regarding his ability to consistently shoot it from deep. He's excellent at reading screens offensively and scoring in the mid-range game, but he didn't show consistent range last season. Last night he was 3-7 from deep, and scored 19 points. With Buford and Diebler hitting threes on the wings, it opens up that much more space for Turner to create.

Three last notes: Jeremie Simmons, the Buckeyes back-up PG, looked solid, scoring 12 points on 5-8 shooting, hitting 2 threes, and not turning the ball over. The Buckeyes need Dallas Lauderdale to get healthy. Their three bigs combined to go for 14 points, 10 boards, and 1 block in 48 combined minutes. Club Trillion author Mark Titus played three minutes, grabbing a single rebound.


North Carolina 88, Florida International 72: The Tar Heels handily beat FIU in Isiah Thomas's debut as a college coach, jumping out to an early double digit lead and never looking back. But don't be fooled by the score - the Tar Heels did not look impressive.

For starters, the Panthers simply out worked the Tar Heels. Their scrappy brand of defense forced 26 UNC turnovers and allowed them to keep the game at least moderately interesting in the second half. UNC won because of their size advantage. The Panthers had no answer for Deon Thompson or Ed Davis inside, who combined to go for 33 points, 21 boards, 4 blocks, and 4 steals as both notched double-doubles.

Loved the throwback jerseys UNC wore last night.
(photo credit: Charlotte Observer)

One positive sign for UNC is that Larry Drew II looked like he could be an adequate replacement for Ty Lawson. Much quicker than I remembered him being, Drew II pushed the ball up the floor and had a couple really pretty passes in transition. There were a couple instances where he was forced to pick up his dribble in a bad spot, and he also did over-dribble a few times, but all-in-all it was a positive start for Drew.

The same can't be said for the UNC freshmen. None played more than 12 minutes, and not one looked overly impressive in their time on the floor. Dexter Strickland had five turnovers and four fouls in 11 minutes. Leslie McDonald was 1-4 from the floor and looked lost offensively. The Wear twins played hard and look like they can provide quality effort defensively and on the glass, but don't look like impact players at this point. John Henson looked promising because of his length, but he really needs to add weight to his frame and skills to his tools, so to speak. His only two baskets were on dunks, and given his size and athleticism, he really didn't do much to fill the stat sheet like you would expect.

One nice aspect to this game was the play of Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves on the wing. Despite a slow release, Ginyard knocked down a few threes (which no one on UNC can really do) looked healthy (he had a dunk in the first half where he really got up). Graves didn't impress offensively, but played strong defense, grabbed some rebounds, and didn't turn the ball over.

The bottom line is this: UNC is far from a finished product, but that should be expected. Every single player on this team is UNC team has an expanded role compared to last season. There are a number of newcomers, and three returners that missed most or all of last season due to injuries or suspension. There are a lot of parts here that need to learn how to play with and off of each other. This is not a top 10 basketball team right now, but don't be surprised if the Heels gel and make some noise at the end of the season.


Syracuse 75, Albany 43: The Orange were absolutely dominant on the defensive end against Albany as Jim Boeheim joined the ranks of the 800 win club. They forced 32 Great Dane turnovers and held them to just 27.3% shooting from the floor. As expected, Wesley Johnson is an absolute terror on the defensive end. While his scoring numbers weren't quite up to expectations, Johnson played a great floor game and showed how valuable of a player he can be - 12 points, 8 boards, 6 steals, and 4 assists. Shawn Marion, anyone?

Jim Boeheim won his 800th game last night.
(photo credit: Syracuse Post-Standard)

Sophomore Kris Joseph, another tall and long combo forward, looked excellent as well. Playing 27 minutes off the bench, Joseph went for 12 points, 5 boards, and 2 steals. If Joseph plays with energy this season, especially on the defesive end, it will allow Jim Boeheim to go with two very different looks. He can play Rick Jackson and Arizne Onuaku together, going big on the inside, or he can have Joseph and Johnson playing the wings on the backline of the Orange's 2-3 zone. The length and athleticism that those two give Syracuse will make it so difficult for opposing zones to shoot over and pass through the zone.

More on Onuaku and Jackson - they looked very good on the interior, albeit against a much smaller Great Dane front line. They combined to go 10-11 from the floor and really carried the Orange offense in the early going. Boeheim is going to need those two to be consistent inside this year. Onuaku still looks troubled at the line, going 2-5 with an airball.

The biggest issue for the Orange was on the offensive end, especially in transition. I can't tell you how many times Syracuse blew a golden opportunity for a easy basket by turning the ball over on a break (if I had to guess, I would put the number at eight). Point guard play is going to be an issue all season long. Freshman Brandon Triche did not impress. He seemed to be forcing the issue, as he tried pinpoint passes that all-to-often did not reach their intended target. He had six turnovers and just three assists. Scoop Jardine looked much better. He was 5-7 from the floor had four assists and just one turnover, and seemed to be playing at a much more comfortable and controlled pace. Far from the dynamic play maker of a Jonny Flynn, Jardine (and Triche) won't be asked to do that. As long as they can lead a break, run an offense, score when the opportunity presents itself, and get guys like Johnson, Onuaku, and Jackson the ball where they can be dangerous without turning the ball over, the Cuse will be alright. Jardine did that much better than Triche last night.

Andy Rautins struggled offensively last night, but he is too good of a shooter for his stroke not to come around. More importantly, he looked to be more of a complete player this year. He was active on the defensive end, had a couple nice passes, and rebounded the ball (5 boards, 5 dimes, 4 steals). When his jumper is on, hopefully he will still remain a complete player. Of note, he did roll an ankle early in the second half.

All told, Syracuse looked to be in much the same position as UNC. With a number of new players and guys in new and expanded roles, its only fitting that the Orange looked a bit tentative and, well, bad offensively. But as long as they keep playing defense, the offense will come around. Syracuse fans shouldn't be too worried about this performance (or the Le Moyne loss).


Cal 75, Murray State 70: The Bears played by far the toughest opponent last night in a game Murray State team. But given the expectations put on Cal this year, this was not the performance you like to see from a team predicted to win the Pac 10.

Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher looked out of sync all game long. Randle especially, who just never seemed to find a rhythm offensively. But those two are going to have to learn to play against defenses keyed on slowing them down. They aren't going to sneak up on anyone this year. Both Randle and Christopher are expected to be all-Pac 10 players, and with those expectations come the focus of an opponent's defensive scheme.

Patrick Christopher and Cal were disappointing in their debut.
(photo credit: WaPo)

The key may end up being the development of Jamal Boykin and Markuri Sanders-Frison as scoring threats up front. What Cal really likes to do offensively is run a high screen for Randle with one of the bigs. As the big guy rolled to the rim, Theo Robertson would curl back to the top of the key with Christopher would spot up in the same side corner. Last night, the Racers were doubling that screen, forcing Randle to go wide off of it and get rid of the ball. What would eventually happen, then, is that the ball would end up in the hands of a Robertson or Jorge Gutierrez, neither of whom are the kind of play maker that Randle or Christopher is.

To be fair, Boykin was active most of the game, and grabbed a couple of offensive boards, getting easy putbacks. Sanders-Frison had a couple nice post moves as well. If he can become a legitimate scoring threat with his back to the basket, it will add a nice dimension to their team. 7'3" Max Zhang played five first half minutes, but didn't grab a board. He still may not be ready to compete at this level.

But that wasn't the biggest problem that the Bears faced. The Racers were able to hit threes, score in transition, and most importantly compete on the offensive glass. Until Cal proves that they can be a good rebounding and defensive team, you have to consider Washington to be the favorite out west.

Overall, Cal just looked complacent tonight. They came out of the gates flat, and after building an 18 point second half lead, they allowed the Racers to claw their way back in it, making this a two possession game down the stretch. Playing as the favorite is different than playing as the underdog. Cal seems like they may have bought into their hype. Hopefully, this was a wake-up call for them.
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2009-2010 College Basketball Season Preview: Small Forwards

The season is fast approaching. The first games are on Nov. 9th, and the BIAH live blog during ESPN's season kickoff is just two weeks away. So with just a week until actual games are played, we figured the best way to finish up our 2008-2009 season previews is to give you our Top 10 players at each position. You know how much we love a good Top 10 list here.

A few caveats. First, we're talking about how good these guys are as college players, not how well they project as a pro. Second, while it may be too much power for me, I am making the executive decision on what "position" a player is (and it may not necessarily be what he is listed as on a roster). Third, I am not putting the freshman in the list. As much as I've read about these guys and as many Youtube clips as I have watched, I have yet to see many of them play a real game (the all-star games don't count), and I don't think that I could give an accurate assessment until I see them play. Lastly, I love me a good argument, so if you think someone is too low or too high or the wrong position, leave a comment and let me hear about it.

Here are the point guards.
Here are the shooting guards.
These are the small forwards.

Best Freshman

• Jordan Hamilton, Texas
• Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, UConn
• Noel Johnson, Clemson
  

Best of the Rest

• Tasmin Mitchell, LSU
• Edwin Ubiles, Siena
• Quincy Pondexter, Washington
• Patrick Christopher, Cal
• Klay Thompson, Washington State
• Marcus Ginyard, UNC
• Wesley Witherspoon, Memphis
  

Top 10

• 10. Raymar Morgan, Michigan State: As a junior, Raymar Morgan battled mono all season, and thus had the least productive year of his career. Morgan has great size and strength for a wing, which is only complemented by his athleticism. He is still a bit of an enigma offensively. He is not a great shooter and looks out of control at times when he penetrates, but he is excellent around the rim, whether it is off of a drive, a break, a post-up, or an offensive rebound. With a disappointing season culminating in a loss in the title game, expect Morgan to come out hungry this year.
  


• 9. Chris Wright, Dayton: Wright, who has earned the nickname "Top Flyght", may be the best athlete in the country. At 6'8" with a near-40" vertical, he soars around the rim. The problem is, he is still very much just a dunker and a rebounder. To his credit, however, the rest of his game has been coming along. Wright has a decent mid-range game and has improved his handle to the point that he can get to the rim from the wing. Where Wright excels, however, is his ability to make plays defensively, on the offensive glass, and in transition. A potential A-10 player of the year, Wright will be one of the most exciting players in the country to watch.
  

You'll see a lot of this out of Chris Wright this year.
(photo credit: Dayton.edu)

• 8. Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia: Butler is one of the best kept secrets in the country, and will be the most important player for a West Virginia team with Final Four aspirations. With Alex Ruoff graduating, Butler is really the lone offensive threat on the Mountaineers. And he is quite a threat, averaging 17.1 ppg last season. Butler's offensive game starts with his shooting ability, where he is very dangerous when he has a chance to get his feet set and his shoulders squared. He's not an overwhelming athlete, but he is long and strong. At 6'7", he is a good finisher around the rim and has a decent post game. If he can improve his ability to create his own shot using the dribble, he will likely be a first team all-conference selection.
  


• 7. Tyler Smith, Tennessee: Smith is one of the most versatile players in the country. He is built like a power forward, but he has the skills and athletic ability of a small forward. Smith is at his best when he is attacking the basket. Not only is he an excellent passer (and probably the best creator on the Vols), but he can get to the rim and finish or draw a foul. A capable shooter, the key for Smith is to avoid falling in love with the three-ball.
  


• 6. Robbie Hummel, Purdue: Hummel had a disappointing sophomore season as he spent the year battling a painful stress fracture in his spine. Now that he is back healthy, expect Hummel to return to his freshman year form. Hummel is first and foremost a shooter, as he knocked down 45% of his threes in his injury-free freshman season. Hummel is also excellent moving without the ball, whether it is coming off of a screen or cutting to the basket. He does struggle a bit when he is forced to put the ball on the floor, but given the system that Purdue runs, Hummel will not be asked to drive to the basket all that often.
  


• 5. Wesley Johnson, Syracuse: Johnson is still a bit of an enigma at this point in his career. He had an outstanding freshman season for Iowa State, but transferred after an injury plagued sophomore year. He sat out this past season, but given his tools and his skill set, Johnson should fit in perfectly with the Orange. Johnson is a long, 6'7", athletic wing. His offensive game is based on his outside shot, but his athletic ability makes him dangerous in the passing lanes and on the glass. He has drawn quite a few comparisons to Shawn Marion, which is a fair assessment. If he stays healthy this season, Johnson will be one of the best scorers in the Big East.
  

Wesley Johnson shouldn't sneak up on anyone this season.
(photo credit: syracuse.com)

• 4. Manny Harris, Michigan: Out of everyone on this list, Harris is the only guy that could be considered a two guard. But given his ability to affect the game in a multitude of ways, I decided to slide him over to the three. Harris is first and foremost a scorer. A slender 6'5", he uses a quick first step and long strides to get to the rim. Harris is a natural scorer, meaning he just seems to know how to get buckets, but it really is just a nice way of saying "the kid relies too much on athleticism, and not enough on advanced skill, to score." That's true for Harris. He is still a bit toolsy. If he can improve his jumper and his handle, he has the ability to average 20. One place where Harris made significant strides last season, and hopefully will continue to make strides this season, is his efficiency. He forced some shots and some passes last season, but as he continues to get more comfortable in his third season playing for John Beilein, that should become less of an issue.
  


• 3. Kyle Singler, Duke: With Duke lacking in perimeter players and deep in the front court (especially when it comes to perimeter oriented fours), Singler is moving to the three spot this season. What makes Singler so good is that there really isn't anything that he can't do on a basketball court. If a smaller guy is guarding him, he can score in the post. If a bigger guy is, he can step out to the perimeter and knock down a jumper or put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. He can rebound. He can pass. He can defend. He hustles. Add to that the combination of Singler being immensley talented and 6'8", 230 lb, and what you get is one of the best players in the country.
  


• 2. Gordon Hayward, Butler: Just a sophomore, Hayward doesn't get the recognition he deserves nationally as he is a huge reason the Butler Bulldogs will be in and around the top ten this season. Hayward's game starts with his jump shot, which is as pure as it gets. Standing 6'8", there aren't many people that Hayward can't shoot over. He also proved to be adept at slashing to the basket last season. Not blessed with greeat athleticism, Hayward is able to penetrate from perimeter due to his craftiness - he knows how to get a defender off balance using an array of fakes, jabs, and hesitation moves.
  

Evan Turner is such a well-rounded player.
(photo credit: SI)

• 1. Evan Turner, Ohio State: Turner may be the most complete player in the country - he was one of two guys to average 17 ppg, 7 rpg, and 4 apg last season. Standing 6'7", Turner is going to play a point forward role this season for the Buckeyes. Why? Because he is such a good play maker and passer. He isn't the greatest athlete in the world, but he is smart and fundamental, especially with the ball in his hands. He makes good decisions - shooting when he's open, passing when he's not - and rarely forces the issue. If improved his stroke from the perimeter (he shot 44% from deep last year, but only attempted 25 threes) over the summer, Turner will be near unstoppable.
  

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No. 16: 2009-2010 Team Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes

2008-2009 Record: 22-11, 10-8 Big Ten (t-4th)

Key Losses: BJ Mullens (8.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg),

Key Returners: Evan Turner (17.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 4.0 apg), William Buford (11.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg), Jon Diebler (11.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

Newcomers: Zisis Sarikopoulos

Evan Turner might be the best all-around player in the country.
(photo credit: SI)

Ohio State has had a bad run when it comes to NBA Draft early entrants. Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Daequan Cook, Kosta Koufus, and BJ Mullens all in the last three years. As grim as that sounds, the news is not all bad. Thad Matta and the Buckeyes caught a break back in the spring when Evan Turner announced that he would be coming back to Columbus for his junior season despite being projected as a lottery pick.

On a team loaded along the perimeter, Turner is the best of the bunch. The best all-around player in the country (Lester Hudson was the only other guy to average 17 ppg, 7 rpg, and 4 apg last season), Turner's ability to create and handle the ball will be his biggest asset to this year's Buckeyes as the 6'7" forward will be the primary ball-handler for Matta. Not the greatest athlete in the world, Turner is effective because of his excellent footwork and his stop-and-go ability. His jump shot is a work in progress (he hit 44% from deep last year, but only took 25 threes), but he is a smart player when he is going to the rim. He knows when to pass, when to pull-up, and when to get all the way to the rim. While the Buckeyes do have talent elsewhere, they are going to go as far as Turner takes them.

Playing the wings this season for Matta will be William Buford and Jon Diebler. Diebler is a shooter, through and through. At 6'6", Diebler is able to get his shot off against most defenders, and when he gets hot he is as deadly as anyone in the country. Buford is a more intriguing player. Also a shooter, Buford is more effective in the mid-range. He was so good as a freshman at making decisions coming off of screens, whether it was to shoot, to curl, to fade. He still has a lot of room for improvement, however, as bettering his ball-handling and quickness will make him a more dangerous offensive weapon. Overall, having two players with the shooting ability of Buford and Diebler will keep driving lanes open for Turner.

The x-factor for Ohio State is going to be David Lighty. Lighty came into Ohio State as a hyped freshman, but after two relatively disappointing seasons and a junior year cut short by a broken bone in his foot, Matta hopes that Lighty can return to the form that made him a top 50 recruit. Lighty is a nice complement to Buford and Diebler in that he is a strong, athletic slasher. His jump shot still needs work (although I suspect that it will be improved after this injury), but Lighty will prove to be a huge addition if he can be a capable slasher.

Two other guys should be expected to get time in the Buckeye back court - seniors Jeremie Simmons and PJ Hill. The two split time last season after Anthony Crater transferred out of school. Simmons is the better scorer, but by the end of the season Hill had moved into the starting line-up. Both will likely end up coming off the bench this season, and at the very least deferring to Turner in crucial minutes.

Up front is where Ohio State is going to have problems. Two weeks ago, Dallas Lauderdale, who was expected to start at center for the Buckeyes, broke a bone in his hand that required surgery. While there is a chance he will be back in time for OSU's first game, it is more likely that he will miss a couple of weeks. Lauderdale is huge for the Buckeyes, as he is really the only tough interior presence on their roster. Lauderdale is only 6'8", but his length and athleticism make him an effective shot-blocker and exceptional finisher.

But behind him there isn't all that much. Zisis Sarikopoulos is a 7'0" transfer from UAB, but in his one season there he was fairly ineffective. Kyle Madsen is 6'9" and will give Matta energy and five fouls, but he is not going to be much of a threat on either end.

Outlook: Where Ohio State is going to excel this season is defensively. If they go with a line-up of four wings (Turner, Diebler, Lighty, and Buford), the zone they play is going to be very dangerous. All four are long and athletic, which will make it difficult to pass through and shoot over the zone. As I said earlier, this team is going to go as far as Turner takes them, but the development of Buford, Lighty, or Diebler into a dangerous scorer could keep in the race for the Big Ten title, as will a quick recovery by Lauderdale. Continue reading...

2009-2010 College Basketball Season Preview: Overlooked Stars

Utah State's Gary Wilkinson averaged 17 and 7 for the Aggies as they won 30 games last season and came a couple possessions away from upsetting Marquette in the NCAA tourney's first round.

Had you ever heard of him?

Dionte Christmas was one of the most explosive scorers in the country as a senior, averaging 19.5 ppg in leading Temple to the Big Dance with a season's worth of performance's like this.

But was he on anyone's all-american lists?

Craig Brackins averaged close to 20 and 10 for Iowa State as a sophomore last season, but I'm willing to bet the first time you will see Brackins play is when the Cyclones play Duke on ESPN2 in January.

Every season, the college basketball landscape is littered with talented kids that, for whatever reason, never make it into the national consciousness. Who will be this season's Overlooked Stars?

Evan Turner, Ohio State: I debated whether or not to put Turner on this list, as most pundits will have Turner somewhere on their all-american teams. I eventually decided to keep him here because, well, to the general public, Turner is still a fresh face. For a guy as talented as Turner is, it is a bit puzzling that he hasn't garnered more of a profile. The reason for that may be because Turner doesn't have a stand out skill. You hear about a guy like Stanley Robinson because he can dunk; Jarvis Varnado because he can blocks shots; Sherron Collins because he is a big time scorer, especially in the clutch. Turner's game is based on versatility - a 6'7" forward that averaged 17.3 ppg and 7.1 rpg, Turner will be playing a lot of minutes as Ohio State point guard this year. Turner is arguably the best all-around player in the country, a guy that deserves a spot as a first-team all-american. It is time he gets that much credit.

Despite being a 6'7" forward, Turner will see time running the point this year.
(photo credit: Times Union blog)

Terrico White, Mississippi: Ole Miss could not catch a break last season. They lost three players (two starters including star point guard Chris Warren) to season-ending knee injuries and head coach Andy Kennedy was arrested after hurling racial slurs, and then fists, at a cab driver in Cincinnati. But if those players had not gotten injured, Kennedy may have never found out what he had in Terrico White. White, who was the SEC's freshman of the year before an impressive performance for the U-19 national team, is a terrific athlete who managed to average 13.7 ppg while playing out of position as the Rebels lead guard. With Warren back in the mix, White's scoring numbers may not make a huge jump, but with an off-season's worth of work, expect White to be one of the best all-around two guards in the SEC.

Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga: Last season, Matt Bouldin played on arguably the most talented Gonzaga team to date. With guys like Jeremy Pargo, Josh Heytvelt, and Austin Daye on the roster, Bouldin played more of a complimentary role, as he is a heady player and a good passer. With those three guys gone, this will be Bouldin's team. Offensively, Bouldin is one of the best all-around wings that you will find. His game is based off of his ability to put the ball on the floor. He has a good mid-range game, is a smart passer that significantly cut down his turnovers last season, and has developed a dead-eye three point shot. While Gonzaga maybe a bit down compared to the last few seasons, don't be surprised if Bouldin posts impressive numbers as the Zags make another NCAA Tournament.

Devan Downey, South Carolina: There are few players in the country that can post the numbers that Downey does - 19.8 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.9 spg. While some of that can be attributed to the faster pace that Darrin Horn's Gamecocks play, it become all the more impressive when you consider Downey is all of 5'9". Downey is a high-risk, high-reward kid. He takes a lot of shots, and a lot of tough shots at that (he often settles for tough threes or forces shots in the lane), but when he is hitting them, he is one of the most fun players in the country to watch. Any given night, Downey can explode for 30.

Kenneth Faried, Morehead State: Faried was one of the best rebounders in the country last year. Despite playing at a low-major, Faried's length, athleticism, and incredible motor has him on NBA Draft boards after averaging 13.9 ppg and 13.0 rpg as a sophomore. Faried's offensive game could use quite a bit of development still, but expect another season chock full of double-doubles. Faried will get quite a test early in the season, as the Eagles open the season at Rupp Arena against Kentucky.

Kenneth Faried made a believer out of Rick Pitino in last year's first round.
(photo credit: MSU Eagles nation)

Matt Howard, Gordon Hayward, and Shelvin Mack, Butler: Sure, you may know that Butler is all over pre-season top 10 lists. But can you name their three stars? Howard is a 6'8" horse on the block that is as good in the low post as anyone in the country. Hayward is a lights out shooter, but as a 6'8" wing with less-than-ideal athleticism, he thrives on a wide variety of shot-fakes, jab steps, and crafty dribble moves. Mack is a tough point guard that defends and rebounds well, but also showed the ability to be a big time scorer for the Bulldogs. These three guys should be household names by February.

Talor Battle, Penn State: While the Nittany Lions did not quite make it back to the NCAA Tournament last season, they were actually relevant down the stretch for the first time in recent memory. A huge reason for that was the play of Talor Battle. Battle's game is based around his perimeter shot, and while he could stand to improve its consistency, one thing that you can't question is his ability to stick shots in the clutch. Battle runs the point for Penn State, and if he can improve on his passing ability, especially once he gets into the lane and draws an extra defender or two, he could be the best point guard in the conference not named Kalin Lucas.

Jeff Taylor, Vanderbilt: Taylor was one of the best freshman you never heard about last year. Averaging over 12 points and 6 boards per, Taylor projects as more of a small forward despite playing a lot of minutes as Vandy's four last season. Taylor is one of the most athletic players in the SEC, and will provide the Commodores with defense and energy. But with an off-season to work on developing his offensive game, Taylor could turn into one of the best all-around forwards in the SEC. That potential is a big reason Vandy is picked as a sleeper in a deep SEC East.

Rodney Green, La Salle: A lot of people are predicting La Salle to make some noise in the A-10, and Green is a big reason why. Green is one of the best scorer's in the conference, averaging 17.8 ppg while using his size and strength to get to the rim and draw contact. Green stuffs the stat sheet - 5.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.9 spg, but also 3.3 t/o's, which is a bigger problem when you consider Green spent some time running the point. If he can cut down on some of those turnovers, La Salle could make a tournament run which would put Green in the conversation as the best player in Philly.

Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech: Delaney has been putting up solid numbers for a few years for Seth Greenburg, but he was overshadowed by talents like AD Vassallo and Deron Washington. As a junior, this Virginia Tech team will be Delaney's to lead. Delaney has talent to burn. At 6'3", he has excellent size and athleticism to be a combo guard. His quick first step allows him to beat just about any defender off the dribble in either direction. He also has an excellent three-point stroke, although he tends to force up contested shots from deep. Virginia Tech is down this season, but Delaney is talented enough to carry this team to the dance.

Malcolm Delaney will put up impressive numbers as the star of the Hokies this year.
(photo credit: flickr)

Jerome Randle, Cal: Most people are going to say that Washington has the best guards on the West Coast. While that may be true, there is a pretty good player down in Berkeley that should make some reconsider. Randle (who might be my favorite player in the country) is generously listed at 5'9", but he is blessed with outstanding speed and quickness. It is ability to change speeds, however, that makes him so effective. Difficult to stay in front of as you have to respect his jumper out to 25 feet, Randle is excellent at getting into the lane and finding an open man or finishing amongst the trees.

Others to watch:

• Trevor Booker, Clemson
  
• Aubrey Coleman, Houston
• James Florence, Mercer
  
• Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
• Troy Jackson, Alcorn State
  

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