First off, future Buckeye B.J. Mullens. B.J. is a legitimate 7 footer. Just think if Koufus comes back to Columbus? Though it’s not likely to happen.

scout.com had this to say about Mullens

Big kid with room to grow. The challenge for him will be going from “prospect” to “player.” By that we mean getting into the mix and beginning to accumulate dominating performances. Mullens has the size and talent to make himself into a force. He can step out and play facing the bucket while possessing the ability to dive inside. Putting the pieces together is the final step in high school.

Next up is 6′3 Jrue Holiday, a future UCLA Bruin. Will probably play the shooting guard position his freshman year, but will need to play the point sometime during his basketball career. Playing time will depend on the decisions of Westbrook and Shipp, but Jrue should certainly get his share of minutes in any case.

scout.com had this to say about Holiday

There are so many to like him: character kid, gets better but most importantly there might not be a kid in the class who places a greater value on winning than him. Can score, pass, defend and basically do it all. Adding some PG in his game for the long term. Coachable.

6′9 Devin Ebanks, the nation’s top unsigned player, finally made a decision (May 18th). He went with West Virginia (does Bob Huggins do good work or what). Devin should be a good replacement for Alexander. Or will it be sidekick?

Ebanks reminds me of Rudy Gay a little. Mullens reminds me of Brad Miller/Memo Okur. As for Jrue, I’m not so sure. Maybe Baron Davis.

Post from: EveryJoe

YouTube Highlights of the future stars…

Some players should bolt while their draft status is still Corey Brewer kinda high, and others should step back and realize it would be a benefit to get one more year of coaching and practice under their belt.

There are some locks for both spots, especially for the players who should think twice about entering the draft. However many players perform well at the pre-draft camp ( May 27- June 3rd), thus raising their draft stock considerably. But remember, there’s only 30 first round picks, meaning only 30 players are guaranteed contracts. Again, signing an agent and forgoing further college eligibility is a huge decision many players will make, and unfortunately a good portion will be either 2nd round picks or will go undrafted. Be careful of who you listen to…

SG Wayne Ellington UNC (So)- Smooth shooter from long range, but not in any way a sure bet for the 1st round. Wayne did not have the greatest of NCAA tourney performances, only hitting 17 of 48 field goals during the last 3 rounds and only 3 of 17 three pointers as well. His counterpart Danny Green should also consider coming back to UNC. The Tar Heels would again have a very good oppurtunity to win the title.

SG/SF Jamont Gordon Mississippi State (Jr)- Currently not in the discussion for the 1st round. But strong performances in the pre-draft workouts could jump him up some, maybe even into the 1st round. He needs to work on his outside shot, as he only hit 31% of his three pointers last season. But Jamont has an NBA body and a NBA future, but would be wise to go back and assure himself 1st round status for next year. But maybe his senior year is barred by injuries or bad play? That’s a chance he will have to take.

SF Ryan Anderson California (So)- This guy is an intriguing player because you just don’t know if he’ll improve that much in his Junior year to improve his stock. He’s not athletic and probably will never improve in that area much. So it makes more sense for Ryan to bolt now, considering he just came off a season where he averaged 20 + ppg in a very good conference. He’s also caught in between positions a bit, or so the experts say. I wouldn’t worry too much about him being a tweener because at the end of the day this is basketball, not a puzzle. David West can attest to this.

David West knows what it feels like to be called a tweener.

SG Russell Westbrook UCLA (So)- Russell will not have a better chance to crack the top 15 than he will this year. He’s another candidate for the tweener label. The great upside to Russell is his tenacity and athleticism. He can guard 1’s and 2’s as well as grab rebounds over many taller players. But shooting and ball handling are aspects he will have to improve upon to really draw attention to himself come May 27th. I would compare this guy to a more defensive minded Leandro Barbosa, or maybe even a shorter version of Desmond Mason. The sky is the limit for Russell. UCLA will sorely miss him.

SG /SF Bill Walker Kansas St. (Fr) Bill played very well in both of K State’s tourney games. My reasoning on why he should go pro is simple. After all of the coverage and press Michael Beasley got, Bill is still very much in the minds of the powers that be in the NBA. Also, K State doesn’t have the greatest group of guards, so there’s nobody who’s going to substantially make Bill better. He can already drive to the basket aggressively and has a shooting touch that comes and goes, but is mainly pretty reliable. He may be a little wild and arrogant at times, but it’s not anything worth fretting over. While a lot of folks are saying he should stay, I think he should enter and take his chances. After all, we all know he’s going to get drafted and end up being a solid pro, so why delay the dream just for one more year of college and a sure contract come 09?

My guess will be that Walker, Ellington and Gordon stay, while the other two enter the draft. We will see soon enough.

Photo credit Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Should I stay or should I go?

Here are some great games to check out this week:

Tonight: #4 Tennessee at Florida – many analysts believe the two-time defending champion Gators are on the NCAA tournament bubble. A win over the Vols would all but guarantee Florida a spot in the Big Dance.

Thursday March 6th: #7 Stanford at #2 UCLA – a big-time Pac-10 showdown that should not be missed. Stanford is one game behind the Bruins in the Pac-10 standings and needs a victory to pull even with the Bruins.

Saturday March 8th: #1 North Carolina at #5 Duke – Tar Heels vs. Blue Devils. The Cameron Crazies. Williams vs. Krzyzewski. Arguably the most storied rivalry in college basketball, the stakes are even higher in this game as both teams are ranked in the top 5. Duke upset UNC last time out, but the Heels are healthier now. This could be the game of the year.

Post from: EveryJoe

Games to watch this week – March 5th

March Madness is fast approaching.

Every conference game matters. One big win could secure your team a birth in the NCAA tournament. One huge loss could dash your team’s hopes to play in the post-season.

Here are some of the biggest games to watch this week:

Tonight: #15 Michigan State at #9 Wisconsin - the Badgers are tied for first place in the Big Ten with Indiana and Purdue, while the Spartans are trying to play catch-up. Wisconsin needs to win this game to put the pressure on the Boilermakers and Hoosiers.

Saturday March 1st – Kansas State at #7 Kansas – super-freshman Michael Beasley could do a lot for his Player of the Year candidacy if he leads the Wildcats to a victory over UK. The Jayhawks are one game behind Texas in the Big 12 standings, and a loss to KSU would really hurt their chances at winning the regular season conference title.

Sunday March 2nd – #4 UCLA at Arizona – Arizona lost by 22 to UCLA at Pauley Pavilion back in early February, but the Wildcats are a different team at home. Kevin Love and the Bruins should be on high upset alert.

Post from: EveryJoe

Games to watch this week – February 28th

Saturday February 16:

#7 Stanford at Arizona – the Wildcats are on a roll at home right now, as they have defeated Washington State, Washington and USC in their last three home games. Arizona played the Cardinal very tight in their last meeting on January 17th at Stanford, losing 56-52. Stanford needs to be on serious upset alert.

#9 Michigan State at #12 Indiana – the Hoosiers will be playing this game under a cloud of distractions, as head coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff are facing serious recruiting violations reported by the NCAA. It might bring the Hoosiers together, or it could tear them apart.

#6 UCLA at USC – the Bruins will be out for revenge, as the Trojans trounced them 72-63 at Pauley Pavilion back on January 19th. The Trojans played out of their heads that night – can they make it two-for-two against their cross-town rivals?

Post from: EveryJoe

Games to watch this week – February 14th

Howland led the Bruins to a 30-6 record (15-3 in the Pac-10) last season, and he brings back a squad that many basketball analysts have pegged as the odds-on favorite to win the title this season. Guards Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and center Kevin Love definitely have the talent to take UCLA to the promised land and give Howland his first championship ring.

Post from: EveryJoe

Bruins coach Howland inks 7-year deal