The Sooners come into the season as under-the-radar as you can get while having one of the most talented players in the country on the roster. While Blake Griffin is now a widely known force, soon the country will discover just how good freshman guard Willie Warren is. A 6’4 combo guard, Willie will be expected to play on the wing as well as man the point, no small wonder even for the most polished guard signee the Sooners have ever had. Willie will in no way, shape, or form be handed anything right away.
In …read more

Last season’s leading scorer was Charron Fisher of Niagra. He averaged 27.8 ppg, just beating out VMI’s Reggie Williams (27.7).
Rounding out the top five was Michael Beasley, Lester Hudson (Tennessee-Martin) and Stephen Curry.
DI scoring leaders- DI vs. DI only
With so many returning quality top (*power) conference players (Conference USA included) scattered throughout the top 30 or so of last season’s scoring list, the chances that one of them could end up leading the country in scoring this year is quite reasonable.
Top candidates for the scoring title
Luke Harangody (21.0) Notre Dame
Tyler Hansbrough (23.1) UNC
Stefon Jackson (23.6 …read more

It’s never too early to start pontificating about the upcoming season.
My crystal ball I dust off every July or August is acting abnormally insane, as, for the very first time, the Northwestern Wildcats have scratched their way to the front of my lopsided prediction formation… via the crystal ball.
I need to listen to the ball.
You can’t not listen to the ball.
It’s like the Tommyknockers.
Apparently Kevin Coble and his band of international scholars, not so much ballers, are going to be getting some help of the vertically gifted variety this next season. Four 6’8 or taller players are …read more

Came across this article in the Denver Post today.
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The NBA draft can be an eye-opening event. In 2005, it was just that for college basketball coaches.
When Utah center Andrew Bogut stepped to the podium to shake commissioner David Stern’s hand as the No. 1 pick, college coaches across the country took notice, dusted off their passports and began punching plane tickets to Bogut’s homeland — Australia.
That was then. Now, Vanderbilt’s Andrew Ogilvy and Saint Mary’s Patrick Mills have rekindled the flames. Australia is once again the “it” country for basketball talent, and college coaches are mining the continent for all …read more

Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy is in complete favor of a foot thick three point line for college basketball.
“I’m not in favor of keeping two lines on the floor,” Kennedy said. “I think it will really create confusion with the women’s line not moving and now moving the men’s line back another foot. I know they’re going to be contrasting colors, but you’re asking for problems as it relates to which line was it behind: ‘We’ve got to check the monitor.
Really, is he the first to come up with this idea? If he is, then he’s …read more

Flashy point guard Brandon Jennings has decided to skip college (Arizona) and to play overseas in Europe for a year. He made the decision without receiving a final notification on how his 3rd try at the SAT turned out.
The Washington Post recaps Brandon’s decision and how it could affect the decisions of the talented, young U. S. players who have zero desire to play the required one year of college ball (or one year removed from high school) needed to be eligible for the NBA draft.
GoAZcatsblog says, no big deal!
So much for the tandem of Jennings and Budinger in …read more

Is the University of Arizona the new Yale of the West?
Brandon Jennings sure might believe it.
The young basketball whiz from California, PG Brandon Jennings, might just decide to play overseas if he is found to be ineligible to play at Arizona next season due to insufficient SAT scores.
Brandon Jennings, who signed a letter of intent to play at Arizona, is looking at the unprecedented option of playing overseas next season to get ready for the 2009 NBA draft if he’s not eligible to play for the Wildcats next season.
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Anyone with a pulse can get into the UofA. Why …read more

Andrew Skwara of rivals.com looks at 22 underclassmen who have not signed an agent and discusses whether or not they should sign with one and say goodbye to the college basketball lifestyle for good.
DECISION TIME
A.J. Abrams, Texas
STATUS: Should head back to campus
THE BUZZ: The 5-10 shooting guard shocked everyone – including the Texas coaching staff – when he entered the draft. It would be an even bigger shock if he gets drafted.
Joe Alexander, West Virginia
STATUS: Likely to stay in
THE BUZZ: Nobody may have seen his stock rise more since early March. Alexander averaged 23.8 points over his last …read more

Game 1 of the NBA Finals saw the Celtics outlast, completely out shoot and utterly out hustle the Lakers in the 2nd half. This was surely not the start the media favored Lakers had in mind, nor was it what Stephen Kersey had in mind over at Hoops Fantasy.
Unless, of course, Kersey believes the Celtics can be beat four straight times?
During the game I was making my way through both rosters and began to think– who is going to have a similar impact in the league as a Paul Pierce? Luke Walton? Derek Fisher? Glen Davis?
Are …read more

Draftexpress.com President Jonathan Givony gives us a final look at how well certain players performed on Friday.
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David Padgett Louisville
David Padgett put on a passing clinic, rebounding from two underwhelming performances to show NBA executives in attendance just what he can bring to the table as an extremely heady high-post center who makes everyone around him better. He finally played a bit more aggressively looking for ways to make his presence felt offensively, not just looking to pass the ball unselfishly on every possession like he did previously. He showed nice footwork in the post to go along with his crafty …read more