The College Prospects

As March Madness draws closer, NBA fans begin to scout and rate their most desired prospects. Who will go where? Which player will shock the rest of the league? How good will the 2007 NBA draft really be? These are all questions that will be answered with time, and not even the General Manager's can truly answer them now. Here is a list of the top nine prospects (since everyone uses ten) that remain in college and will hopefully enter the NBA Draft this summer:

1. Kevin Durant (G/F, Texas)

Durant stands at number one in these standings because he is the most complete and talented of any college basketball star. He has single-handedly posed the Longhorns as a major threat to any ranked team in the NCAA polls. They have the potential to upset #1 seeds in the March Madness tournament, and due to Durant's skill, the players that surround him are becoming more skillful and dangerous. His 25.1 points per game and 11.4 rebounds per game leave analysts questioning why no one saw this athlete before college. Not only do his stats amaze critics, but the skills he contains are remarkable for his age. Kevin Durant is only a Freshman at Texas and he has already won the Big 12 Player of the Year Award. Durant, who also averages 1.9 steals per game and 1.9 blocks per game, stands as a 6'9" potential guard/forward, and is highly speculated as a possible first overall draft choice in this year's NBA draft. He could be on his way to a big signing and the dream that every college basketball star contains: living the rich life. His ability to drive for a dunk and sink three-point shots has defenders running everywhere on the court, still unable to halt the youngster from dropping over 20 points. Now that he has proven he can handle the higher ranked teams by scoring 32 points against #2 Kansas, and upsetting Texas A&M in a double overtime game, scouts and teams are beginning to think there is nothing this player cannot do.

2. Nick Fazekas (F, Nevada)

Fazekas just won Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Player of the Year, stands tall at 6'11", and has led Nevada to becoming a top ten nationally ranked team. Almost sounds too perfect for the NBA. Nick Fazekas is built for the sole purpose of dominating the paint in basketball, and so far, he has shown he can. Fazekas averages an astounding 20.9 points per game and 11.3 rebounds per game. Not to mention he denies 1.5 shots per game, scores 57.3% of his shots from the field, drains 1.0 three-point shots per game, and hits 84.8% of his free throw attempts, a remarkable percentage for such a big player. Fazekas has no true weakness, big enough to post up in the paint and quick enough to run down court on a fast break. If Nick Fazekas is not picked within the first five opportunities, one lucky team will receive a player that is out to prove himself.

3. Greg Oden (C, Ohio State)

Greg Oden has received a lot of press since he has been in high school. As the most publicized player in college, Oden has gotten maybe a little too much attention. Oden, who measures at 7'0" and 280 pounds, contains the most potential of any other NCAA player today. He has the physical structure to go deep in the NBA, and has the skill to give him a jump on other players that come out of the draft. In fact, he averages a miraculous 15.3 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game. But the true talent is revealed through the overlooked statistics, in which Oden averages 61.4 FG% and a ridiculous 3.5 blocks. Greg Oden, with the help of his All-American teammates Jamar Butler and Daequan Cook, has driven the Buckeyes up the ranking page, putting his Ohio State Buckeyes at #1. With victories over #1 Wisconsin and #16 Tennessee at the time, the Buckeyes have an excellent shot at the Final Four. The only problem is Oden is contemplating his leaving for the NBA, as he may just mature one more year in Ohio before the money starts rolling in.

4. Tyler Hansbrough (F, North Carolina)

Hansbrough could be described as maybe the most solid player in this list. Although his stats don't quite portray his rank as #4, he truly deserves the spot. Hansbrough puts up 18.8 points per game to add to his 8.0 rebounds per game. These notable numbers stun critics around the nation as to why he is compared to players such as Durant and Fazekas with such lower averages. The answer: he gets the job done. Hansbrough's numbers, although not the best among college all-stars, are incredibly consistent throughout his college career. As a 6'9" sophomore, Tyler has taken the responsibility of leading the Tar Heels to a title, and he won't let anything stop him, not even a broken nose. In the closing seconds of the North Carolina-Duke game, Hansbrough was hit by Duke Guard Gerald Henderson. Even when the blood poured onto his shoe and on the court, Hansbrough got right back up and revealed his emotion. And even when he suffers a nose injury when he shouldn't have even been on the floor, Tyler is showing remarkable courage and stating that he is ready for the ACC tournament. Ultimately, the best part of Hansbrough's talent is his ability to perform in the most salient games. The incident with Henderson truly overshadowed the Forward's impressive game, posting 26 points and a ridiculous 17 rebounds against the rivaled Blue Devils. And when Ohio State threatened to jump to #1 on the ranking ballot in late November, Hansbrough had other ideas. He led the Tar Heels to a surprising victory, and put up 21 points to go along with his 14 rebounds. As a young and mature player under Coach Roy Williams, Hansbrough has proven he can only bolster upwards in the NBA draft rankings, which only leaves UNC scouting for another superstar.

5. Aaron Gray (C, Pittsburgh)

Aaron Gray is what we like to call in the sports world, a Beast. He stands at a monstrous 7'0" and has established Pittsburgh as a major threat in the March Madness tournament. Gray has posted terrific numbers, scoring 14.4 points per game and grabbing 10.1 rebounds per game. In addition, he sinks 59.1% of his shots from the field, a remarkable statistic. Overall, Gray is a prepared and experienced player for the NBA, having played at Pittsburgh for four years. His maturity and physical structure are a great combination for players that approach the professional level, and Gray is beyond ready for the draft. After suffering a small ankle injury, Gray was forced to sit out a couple games, and played injured against a top-ranked Georgetown team while faced with the tremendous Roy Hibbert, who stands tall at 7'2". Even when faced with the difficult tasks at hand, Gray continues to perform, giving the Panthers opportunities to come out of games with victories. With Senior guard Antonio Graves by his side, Gray comes face to face with the chance of winning the Big East title, and maybe even reaching the Final Four. The only problem Pittsburgh has right now is that they are 0-5 when competing against ranked teams. If the Panthers don't step up against talented teams quickly, Gray may be forced to sell his soul to the devil.

6. Joakim Noah (F/C, Florida)

Noah went from a "who cares?" player to a "how do you not know him?" player almost overnight. By this I mean that Joakim Noah became famous after his miraculous victory with the Gators in the 2006 March Madness tournament. After leading the Florida Gators over UCLA, Florida, as well as 6'11" Joakim Noah, became the talk around the nation. The one characteristic that truly strikes the public is the heart and emotion Noah puts into each individual game. He takes a loss as a personal and heart-breaking defeat. And he has had to deal with many of those as the defending champs have four losses against non-ranked teams alone. But when you see number 13 starts banging his chest profusely, you know the game is over if Joakim has something to say about it. His "sweet emotion" is what separates him from other players and truly adds that distinctive trait he contains. Noah's numbers are fairly solid with 12.2 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, and 1.7 denials per game. But more importantly, when the game is close and Noah is on the court, you can be sure he's going to lead his team down the court and assure them a victory, whether it's this year in the March Madness finals or in his final NBA season as an All-Star player.

7. Alando Tucker (F, Wisconsin)

Tucker may just be the most underrated player in college basketball today. His team is currently in third place, and only lost their number one seed because of a close loss to the giants of Ohio State. He averages over 20 points per game (20.1 to be exact) and runs up and down the court with the rest of his quick Badgers. He grabs 5.4 boards per game, a high number for a player only 6'6" in height, and is the go to guy when the pressure hits at the end of a game. Now tell me why you couldn't see this guy in the top ten? Tucker's agility and speed are only a couple reasons for his incredible talent. His height matches well with NBA sized guards. The only problem is Tucker plays the forward position. However, his ability to shoot mid-ranged jump shots and sink the occasional three make it seem as if switching to the guard role will not be so difficult. Tucker leads a smaller, yet hasty Wisconsin Badgers team and could take them far into the tournament, putting his name higher on the list eye-catchers.

8. Joey Dorsey (F, Memphis)

When I first made this list, I knew very little about Joey Dorsey. So I watched a couple Memphis Tigers games and looked up a couple numbers to really get a sense of him. If this was a list of the top defensive players, Dorsey would be at the top of the list. Blocking 2.5 shots per game and stealing 1.6 balls per game, Dorsey can be viewed as a young parallel to Ben Wallace. He takes all the right moves and knows how to make basketball a personal hell for players. At only 6'9" it becomes obvious that Dorsey defeats players with skill and intelligence, mastering the basic parts of the sport. And Dorsey isn't all about monstrous defense. He averages a solid 8.7 points per game, but a ridiculous 9.5 rebounds per game. Joey has the capabilities and potential any young athlete would want when thinking about pro basketball, and his time may come soon if he can bring his #5 Tigers far through the tunnel of tournament obstacles.

9. Roy Hibbert (C, Georgetown)

Roy Hibbert's most impressive trait has nothing to do with skill at all. In fact, it is impossible to train for, or practice for, or even work for. The advantage Roy has over any other player in college basketball is his preposterous height. Hibbert measures in at an incredible 7'2", and weighs almost 280 pounds of pure strength. With Big East Player of the Year candidate Jeff Green, Georgetown has a bright future ahead of them with the Big East tournament and March Madness. Once the Hoyas get the ball rolling, it will be very difficult for other teams to penetrate the giant defense, and even harder to cope with Green's durability matched with Hibbert's size and power. When a truck comes at you full speed what do you do? Get out of the way. Well, this is the issue most defenders are having with Roy Hibbert, whose powerful features and overwhelming size make it difficult for players not to jump for safety. Although Hibbert still has room for improvement, scoring only 12.7 points per game and crashing 6.4 boards per game, he has the potential to become one of many young shining stars to burst out early in the pros. Hibbert's defensive presence is an extraordinary impact for the Hoyas as he averages 2.4 blocks per game. And on the other end of the court, Hibbert remains a force to be reckoned with, scoring a tremendous 68.8% of his shots, even when he lacks the points and rebounds projected for a player of his stature. While Hibbert continues to discuss his plans to remain in the NCAA for another year, fans are already beginning to see the glimpse of talent he reflects.

On the Bubble: Acie Law IV (G, Texas A&M, 18.2 PPG, .516 FG%), Arron Afflalo (G, UCLA, ranked #4 team, 2.6 3PM), Al Horford (F/C, Florida, 8.9 RPG, 1.9 BPG), Josh McRoberts (F/C, Duke, 1.2 SPG, 2.5 BPG), Aaron Brooks (G, Oregon, 18.0 PPG, 37.1 minutes, 4.5 RPG at 6'0"), Brandan Wright (F, UNC, .660 FG%, 14.9 PPG as a freshman), Mustafa Shakur (G, Arizona, 1.6 SPG, 7.0 APG, 1.98 A/T)