Columnist likes NCAA freshman class

By Drew Paunil
Collegian Staff
February 14, 2007

Anyone who has been following college basketball this season knows that it has been the best season in the last 10-15 years. The main reason for this is the NBA`s new rule that anyone who enters the NBA draft must be one year removed from high school. A freshman class has never had this kind of impact on college basketball, ever.

It is impossible to start talking about this class without mentioning Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. The argument over who should be taken with the number one pick will be debated all the way up to the draft, but there is no doubt that Durant might be the best freshman in a couple decades and Oden the best freshman center in a couple decades.

Durant, the country’s fifth-leading scorer, has the tools to score from anywhere on the court. His athletic ability gives him the capability of getting to the rim whenever he wants. His 6 foot, 9 inch frame gives him the ability to post up smaller opponents. But what separates his game is his shooting ability. It’s safe to say that no man of his size and athletic ability has ever been able to shoot as well as he can. He can pull up from well behind the three-point line with deadly accuracy. His mid-range game is excellent, and he also shoots 80 percent from the free throw line. Throw in his 11.4 rebounds per game, which is fourth in the nation, and he becomes a nightmare to play against.

Oden, who is college basketball’s most highly touted prospect in recent memory, changes the game even without the use of his shooting hand. With almost four blocks a game, his defensive presence makes teams completely change their offensive game plans. Buckets in the paint become almost impossible, and he controls the defensive glass as well as anyone in the country. While playing with a shooting hand that has just come off surgery and an offensive game that is not yet polished, he is still averaging over 15 points per game in less then 30 minutes a game. His 61 percent shooting percentage with his off-hand shows a work ethic that could turn him into a 10-time all-star.

An attribute that both Oden and Durant share is excellent teammates who also happen to be freshmen. Texas starts four freshmen, including D.J. Augustin, who is averaging 14.4 points per game along with just under seven assists. Augustin would probably be taking home Big 12 Freshman of the year honors if it were not for Durant. Oden also has great complementary parts at Ohio State, with arguably the best freshman backcourt in the nation, as Mike Conley, Jr. and Daequan Cook are both averaging double figures in scoring. Conley has 6.3 assists per game and Cook has 5.1 rebounds per game to go along with their scoring.

North Carolina, the number four team in the country, is dominated by freshmen. Even though Tyler Hansbrough leads the team in scoring and rebounding, freshman forward Brandan Wright has gotten the team’s big buckets and boards. Many scouts have Wright as a top five pick if he chooses to leave the Tar Heels after this season. Point guard Ty Lawson might be the fastest player in the country with the ball in his hands and is the catalyst for the best transition game in the country. Throw in sweet-shooting Wayne Ellington, who is averaging 12 points per game, and the Tar Heels might have the best freshman class since the Fab Five.

Also in the ACC is Georgia Tech’s Thaddeus Young. Young, who is averaging 14.3 points per game, has drawn a comparison to Kevin Garnett and will most likely be a top 10 pick if he decides to come out. Arizona’s Chase Budinger, who is one of the country’s best volleyball players, can also play some basketball. The Wildcat forward is averaging 15.5 points and six rebounds per game.

Even La Salle has gotten great play out of its freshmen, with five freshmen getting significant playing time. Kimmani Barrett and Rodney Green have both won A-10 Rookie of the Week honors. Green, who has received the award three times, is one of the favorites to win the A-10 Freshman of the Year award.

paunild1@lasalle.edu