Anyone that watches a lot of college basketball doesn't need any advice from me on who to watch during the season. But if you not up on who's who in college basketball I suggest you put some of these guys on your list.
Of course, John Wall. Commited to Kentucky. I've seen him play twice and so far he's as advertized. Athletic, an extremely skilled playmaker. His only known weakness at this point is his outside shot. Not a concern at this point.
Craig Brackins. Sort of burst on the scene last year after being in a stealth mode for a year and half. He would have been a first round pick last year in my opinion, considering there wern't that many good bigs in the draft. He plays for Iowa St. This could be his year to shine.
Solomon Alabi. A 7'1" center thats very athletic. So far his Basketball IQ is whats holding him back. He's on the thin side, but has great shot blocking instincts and rebounds well. This is a guy to keep your eye on. He could end up being what Thabeet was suspossed to be. He plays for Florida St.
Greg Monroe. Another guy that would have been a first round pick last year. Maybe even a lottery pick. Extremely talented player. 6'11", and another guy that could afford a little more weight. The question is, what exactly is he. A center, a Power Forward or a Small Forward? A terrific passer with outstanding basketball IQ. Plays away from the basket a lot and is very effective there, but when he plays inside, he's also very good. I'm not sure he knows what his position is yet. He plays for Georgetown.
Cole Aldrich. This is a guy I'm very interested in. He's athletic, smart, blocks shots and rebounds well. Has good basketball IQ. He almost sounds too good to be true. He was sort of under the radar last year, with Kansas having sort of a down year. He needs to improve his offense, but he's on track right now for the lottery. He's someone the Kings could use if he continues to improve. Obviously, he plays for Kansas.
Jerome Jordan. Another 7 footer. Another very athletic center. He's been a little disappointing so far. Not sure of his basketball IQ, but if things start to click inside his head, he could move up the charts in a hurry. He's another of those potential guys that so far is still in the reaching mode. He plays for Tulsa.
Gani Lawal. A 6'9" PF that based on athletic ability should have been in the lottery last year, but may have slipped into the second round instead. I'm starting to become suspect of Georgia Tech's coaching. They always seem to have a lot of talent the never quite reaches its potential. I picked them as my dark horse last year on talent alone. Shows what I know. Again, obviously he plays for Georgia Tech.
Dexter Pittman. This is an interesting guy. He brought his weight down from somewhere around 370 pounds to 290 pounds. He's pretty athletic for a guy his size at 6'10". He's been a work in progress, but he's been putting in the work and has improved every year. Think of a larger version of Blair, but not quite as mean in the post. Which is where he plays. He has no game away from the basket at all. He's a senior this year, so he really needs to make strides in his game. Don't be surprised if you see him slowly climb up the boards toward the end of the year. I don't see him as ever being a starter in the NBA, but you never know. He plays for Texas..
Ed Davis. Another guy that was under the radar last year. Overshadowed by Hansbourgh and Co. Pretty talented player. He's a 6'9" PF thats a good athlete. He's just a sophmore this year, so he should get more playing time with the departure of Hansbrough. He plays for North Carolina.
Pat Patterson. A 6'8" PF/SF. He plays PF in college and that seems to be his projection. I'm not quite sure about him. I have to give him credit, because he plays inside very well. He tenacious under the basket and plays bigger than he is. I always have reservations about players like him, but there are a lot of undersized PF's in the league. I just think he's athletic, and quick enough to play away from the basket, so I see the potential of being a SF there. He definitely would have been a first round pick last year. He plays for Kentucky. As you can see, Kentucky should have a pretty good team next year. With Wall, Patterson and also adding DeMarcus Cousins, a 6'10" PF/C, a very talented player, whose work ethic is already being mentioned.
Other first year players to watch are. Derrick Favors, A very talented 6'9" PF, who should end up being a lottery pick. But he's going to Georgia Tech, so who knows. Xavier Henry. A 6'6" SF/SG. In highschool he's been compared to Kobe and Jordan. A bit of a reach, me thinks. But he's talented and should be fun to watch. I believe he's the son of ex-NBA player Carl Henry. He plays for Kansas.
For those that can figure out how to watch European basketball, you might give a look see at Donatas Motiejunas. A 7' center/PF/SF. He rail thin, but plays with attitude. He's been compared to Nowitzki at the same age. Nothing like putting pressure on a young player.
Thats all for now. The college season isn't that far away, so nows the time to stock up on the popcorn and cervesa. Frozen pizza's are good too.
