Duke Who?

Lastly and in addition to the foregoing, listed as one of my six favorite freshmen this season is Kyle Singler. Recruited by Duke, Singler could be exactly what the Duke Blue Devils need to rebuild the legacy left by such players as Bobby Hurley, Johnny Dawkins, Grant Hill and more.

Duke, who hoped to make last year a rebuilding year, failed and also failed in many other aspects of the game. The promises of a recent National Championship too much for the royal bloodline to carry on. The breakdown after the loss of J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams was a euphoric celebration rather than a disappointment. Like the Yankees, you either love them or you hate them. But, last season was different. Duke lost both fans and adversaries alike. No statement was made. Games were lost that shouldn’t have been. The team as a whole was like any other team. Not like Duke, not even like the Yankees. Duke left nothing except maybe a bruise on the face a of a Tar Heel left by a swinging elbow of Duke’s Gerald Henderson.

What happened to the Duke? What happened to recruiting players that don’t throw elbows, or choke in the last seconds of a game, or leave before their four years is up? What happened to the Legacy, recruiting the best of the best. Is it the recruiters fault? I’m sure “Wojo,” Duke’s former player now coach and recruiter thinks not. Kid’s used to dream about going to Duke. The best basketball school in the country. But maybe, it isn’t. Maybe that’s why Duke can’t recruit the best, because the best have somewhere else in mind. Could it be that one, two, or three, schools look more appealing than the once heralded dynasty of Duke University. Could it be that kids grow up wanting to play for a coach other than Mike Krzyzewski? It is possible.

In order for Duke to have a true rebuilding year, they need someone amazing. Someone to mirror the images of the Championship players that played before them. Someone who will give Duke back they’re enemies.

Knowing that Duke had to pick up someone of worth, they did. Good to know for Duke, Kyle Singler still has some blue in him. Doubtful that he will completely turn around the season of the Devils, but he will definitely make some big statements. Kyle Singler stands at 6.9’ and mirrors the playings of the previous Christian Laettner. He likes to take control of the ball and will not hesitate to grab a rebound and dribble it all the way across the court. Different from Kevin Love, an incoming freshmen for UCLA, who looks to outlet pass. Singler’s also not as fundamentally sound as Love, but he has an uncanning ability to dribble and after he throws in a couple of hook shots, he will have people turning their heads. A fun player to watch, a problematic slow release, but all in all he could very well be the player to give Duke back their fans….and their enemies.

Man of Troy

If one incoming freshmen stands out more than another, it's O.J. Mayo. Concurrently, Mayo is the top college prospect as well as the top NBA prospect for the 2007-2008 season. However, like college prospects who have been scouting Mayo since the 7th grade, the NBA will also have to wait for their chance to get what some call the next LeBron James. Many will argue that he is no where near like LeBron, but he is without a doubt the most dominating factor for the NCAA program this year. Making his one year in college a learning experience, Mayo decided to sign with the University of Southern California where head coach Tim Floyd, a former NBA coach himself, could give him some insight on becomming an NBA all-star.


Mayo started playing varsity ball in the 7th grade where he averaged 23 points a game. He was so good at such a young age people began to inspect his birth certificate. Not only is O.J. Mayo good, he knows that he is good and will openly speak about his decision to go to USC. As Christopher Lawlor writes for the USA today, Mayo says "It's the perfect situation. After players like Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart , the school is ready for a player of my calibar."
Very smart this Man of Troy.

Behind the talk, Mayo's got the walk to prove it. This 6-4 guard can dunk, shoot, and move. When I said this year was no Greg Oden, I was saying that there is more than one incoming player looking to dominate. However, this year looks to be an O.J. Mayo. To every other team, O.J. Mayo is the bad guy, but to the Trojans, he is their secret weapon to win the war. No betting is allowed, but I'd definatly list USC as the top team in my bracketology. It's doubtful a team will break him down. He knows he is the best and will fight to see it through, even if it means breaking the rules and shaking things up a little. This uncontrolled style could get some fans on their feet, or it could get the Trojans in alot of trouble. In high school, besides a hostile incident with a ref, O.J. Mayo dunked the ball then threw it up in the stands. Not much of a classy player, but hey... this game isn't all about fine dining.

Implied, Expressed, or otherwise

Eric Gordon, considered the number one 2007 basketball prospect by Rivals.com, will be attending Indiana this year despite his 8-9 month oral commitment to Illinois. Not wanting to play for Indiana's Mike Davis, Gordon orally committed to his home town's rival, Illinois. This was subject to change however after Kelvin Sampson of Oklahoma moved in on the Hoosiers to become head coach. With Davis gone and former Big-12 coach Sampson in, Indiana began to look more and more appealing to Gordon who lives less than an hour away.

For Eric Gordon, or E.J., it started a long time ago. E.J. could walk before he could crawl. He was extremely coordinated from the get go. In 5th grade he scored 43 points in an AAU game. I don't care who you play or how old you are, 43 points is a HUGE number in basketball, especially for a point guard and especially for a 5th grader. One could argue that the competition there was not up to par, but his team didn't even win the tournament.

Moving on and now lining up with a much taller and more athletic crowd than in 5th grade, Eric Gordon is officially a Hoosier. He is an extremely talented perimeter player. He is used to controlling the ball all by himself, so Sampson won't be sweating about his newbie choking under pressure. He has a really quick release which allows him to get shots off just about anywhere on the court. Being 6'4 does not keep him behind the 3-point line either, Gordon drives and dunks. One might realize that these aren't normal dunks as Gordon flies through the air with the number 23 flashing from behind. That's right a Michael Jordan dunk, with a Michael Jordan number. "Air Gordon" they call him.

Offensively, with D.J.. White returning for the Hoosiers on the inside and Eric Gordon on the outside. It's the perfect guard/forward combination. It's D.J. and E.J. A commitment to last at least a season. And yes, this one is in writing.

Two Birds with One Stone

Former head coach Bob Huggins sure left a statement on Kansas State. Before leaving for West Virginia University, he created a few enemies and a possible basketball dynasty. How? Easy, "B-Easy."

Huggins is all about package deals. He recruited a 6'9 all-star freshmen, Michael Beasley and hired his pal and former AAU coach Dalonte Hill. Dalonte Hill was an assistant to Bobby Lutz in Charlotte and was "stolen" more or less from Lutz who was looking to put together a break through team for the Atlantic-10. Beasley was going to play there even though he could play anywhere in the country just because of Dalonte Hill. However, after Hill was hired to leave Charlotte, as did Beasley. This isn't the only package deal that Huggins has conjured up and it probably won't be the last. While Kansas State Huggins has left, Beasley or "B-Easy" is there to stay.

Michael Beasley is a left-handed, small forward with huge power. He dominates on both the front and back court. He can dribble better than probably any other big man this season and can shoot well off of the dribble. In high-school, he averaged more than four dunks a game, 28 points, and 16 re's. Beasley, however needs to improve on his consistency. He has his good and his bad days. In the McDonald's All-American game he stood out more than anyone else on the court. He needs to dominate in all or most of his games this season for the Wildcats to be productive. Also, Beasley jumped around high-schools for different reasons. Beasley finished up at Notre Dame prep in Massachusetts where 60 students are recruited from all over the country for basketball alone. Hopefully Beasley's non-traditional high school will take him through college at least for a year when he turns 19 and will be eligible for the draft.

"The Great Poohdini"

"The Great Poohdini," the name tatooed on yet another blue chip player entering NC2A ball this season.....

With magical tricks, Derrick Rose is rated the number one point guard for the incoming freshmen class. Recruited for the Memphis Tigers, Rose leads a team bound for success. With five returning Elite Eight players minus Jeremy Hunt, the Tigers have positioned themselves to have a long successful season.

The addition of Rose might add a little magic to a team previosly defeased by the NBA draft. Rose is not afraid to penetrate and when he does, his strength and quickness allows him to finish at the hoop. He goes up, takes a hit, and finishes. That is how Derrick Rose plays the game of basketball. He's got the game, the pick-and-roll, the tricks, but the question at hand will be how well he can handle the point guard position, will he be disiplined enough to control his team? He has the amazing ability of quickness off of the dribble. How well he uses this skill will make or break him as a point guard as he assumes more of the number three guard position. Potential position problems for Rose, but without a doubt he will be a key player in the sucess of the Tigers.

"L" is for the way you play.

UCLA’s Kevin Love just might be what the Bruins need for this 2007-2008 basketball season. Love a 6’9 probable starting center for UCLA will be teamed up with an already unbeatable lineup. Shipp, Collison, Moute and Mata who nearly led last years team to a NCAA championship victory against the Florida Gators are teamed up again to conquer this years tournament in San Antonio. However, this season’s lineup is less likely to come out short thanks to a little bit of “Love.” That’s right this year UCLA recruited one of the top five, if not the best incoming freshmen of 2007. This is no rags to riches story, Love’s father, Stan Love played four years in the NBA. If anything Love has more or less been bred basketball. No easy show, this big man worked hard for three years to perfect his game and is now looked on as a “cliché” post man. His footwork is far advanced for his age and height and his range is unbelievable. Averaging almost 30 points a game, most of which were graceful dunks, and 16 boards, he is truly an all around player. But what makes Love so special is his ability to outlet pass. Outlet passing which is often overlooked because it is a teachable trait comes naturally for Love and no one could teach this kind of passing. Kevin Love can rebound, pass, and before the other team knows it, they are down by two points. Also, expect this center to get some loose balls this year and maybe even some steals. He’s not afraid to bend over and doesn’t use his height as a clutch. This “McDonalds All-American” will inspire his fans and most likely his teammates. He has passion and is not a selfish player. Love is in the air tonight, or at least this season. Definite final four appearance for the Bruins.

This years' no Greg Oden

That’s right, this 2007-2008 basketball season expect to see more that just one talented incoming freshmen. Unlike last season where Greg Oden took the leading role in freshmen all-stars, this season expect to see more than one, two, six “diaper dandies.” I have picked six incoming freshmen that can not go unnoticed. Here they are in no particular order……

Kevin Love (UCLA)
Derrick Rose (Memphis)
Michael Beasley (Kansas State)
Eric Gordon (Indiana)
O.J. Mayo (USC)
Kyle Singler (Duke)