Kansas

Kansas vs Lehigh: Odds & Prediction

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:43:45 -0400

Start: Mar 18 2010 - 9:40pm

Team Previews:
#1

Vegas Odds: Kansas -25

Bet at bodog

Why Lehigh will win: The Kansas bus gets lost on the way to the arena and
decides to head back to Lawrence instead of asking for directions. Sorry but
Brett Reed’s Mountain Hawks are fighting an uphill battle in Oklahoma City. C.J.
McCollum and Zahir Carrington would both need to go off while Kansas goes
ice-ice-ice-cold in order for Lehigh to win.

Mountain Hawk to Watch: G C.J. McCollum - 19 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg

The freshman was both Patriot League
Rookie and Player of the Year, and his ability to create shots is something that
you seldom see out of a freshman.

Why Kansas will win: They’re deeper and have more talent at just about
every position. McCollum and Carrington can compete with them, as can point
guard Marquis Hall. But the Mountain Hawks don’t have the same level of depth
and talent as the Jayhawks.

Jayhawk to Watch: G Sherron Collins - 16 ppg, 2 rpg, 4 apg

The lone senior is also the leader
for Bill Self’s squad. Even if his shot’s not falling he’s excellent at running
the Kansas offense and getting the ball to guys both when and where they need it
to be successful.

How it will go down: Lehigh will hit a few shots early but they’re
essentially playing a road game considering how many will be in Oklahoma City to
cheer on the Jayhawks. This one is likely over by halftime.

Betting Pick: Kansas covers

Real Pick: Kansas wins big

National Champions by the Numbers

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:57:22 -0400

This time of the year brings out all kinds of strategies in regards to how one will fill out their bracket. Opinions, uniform colors and mascots are just three of the dozens of ideas that people throughout the nation (and in some cases outside of the US) have in regards to turning in that winning bracket. But what about the statistics of recent champions? Those numbers can go a long way in showing which teams have the best shot at cutting down the nets on April 5^th. Below are the numbers (and national rankings in that particular year) for each of the last six national champions. Does your favorite fit the “profile”?

2003-04 (Connecticut)

Points per game: 78.8 ppg (17^th)

Field goal percentage: 48.0 (16^th)

Three-point percentage: 40.2 (5^th)

Efficiency: 112.0 (13^th)

Free throw percentage: 62.3 (312^th)

Field goal percentage defense: 36.9 (1^st)

Rebounding margin: 9.7 (1^st)

Assist/Turnover Ratio: 1.3 (4^th)

2004-05 (North Carolina)

Points per game: 88.0 (1^st)

Field goal percentage: 49.9 (5^th)

Three-point percentage: 40.3 (7^th)

Efficiency: 115.7 (6^th)

Free throw percentage: 72.5 (54^th)

Field goal percentage defense: 40.1 (26^th)

Rebounding margin: 7.5 (8^th)

Assist/Turnover ratio: 1.2 (18^th)

2005-06 (Florida)

Points per game: 78.3 (22^nd)

Field goal percentage: 50.0 (2^nd)

Three-point percentage: 39.2 (15^th)

Efficiency: 113.9 (2^nd)

Free throw percentage: 74.4 (34^th)

Field goal percentage defense: 39.9% (21^st)

Rebounding margin: 3.6 (59^th)

Assist/Turnover ratio: 1.2 (17^th)

2006-07 (Florida)

Points per game: 79.8 (11^th)

Field goal percentage: 52.6 (1^st)

Three-point percentage: 40.9 (9^th)

Efficiency: 118.4 (1^st)

Free throw percentage: 69.0 (168^th)

Field goal percentage defense: 40.7 (38^th)

Rebounding margin: 8.5 (4^th)

Assist/Turnover ratio: 1.1 (42^nd)

2007-08 (Kansas)

Points per game: 80.5 (13^th)

Field goal percentage: 50.8 (2^nd)

Three-point percentage: 39.7 (14^th)

Efficiency: 116.6 (2^nd)

Free throw percentage: 70.3 (131^st)

Field goal percentage defense: 37.3 (3^rd)

Rebounding margin: 7.9 (5^th)

Assist/Turnover ratio: 1.4 (2^nd)

2008-09 (North Carolina)

Points per game: 89.8 (2^nd)

Field goal percentage: 48.0 (15^th)

Three-point percentage: 38.7 (21^st)

Efficiency: 118.3 (1^st)

Free throw percentage: 75.2 (19^th)

Field goal percentage defense: 41.0 (60^th)

Rebounding margin: 6.3 (17^th)

Assist/Turnover ratio: 1.45 (3^rd)

Average Champ

Points per game: 11th

Field goal percentage: 7th

Three-point percentage: 9th

Efficiency: 7th

Free throw percentage: 102nd

Field goal percentage defense: 25th

Rebounding margin: 16th

Assist/Turnover Ratio: 14th

Trends

- Each of the last six national champions ranked in the Top 25 in scoring offense and FG%. Focus on picking teams that have high-octane, fast-tempo offenses.

- Only Florida’s second national title team and North Carolina last season finished outside of the Top 25 in field goal percentage defense. When looking at quality of defense, focus on FG% against as opposed to total points given up.

- The Gators are also the only national champ out of the last six to not rank in the Top 20 in assist/turnover ratio.

- With the exception of Florida’s first title team each of the last six national champs ranked in the Top 20 in rebounding margin.

- North Carolina (2009) was the worst three-point shooting team of the last six champs and they ranked 21^st nationally. This goes hand in hand with why the last four champions are ranked either the 1^st or 2^nd most efficient offensive teams.

- Connecticut (2004) and North Carolina (2009) are the only titlists to rank outside of the Top 10 in field goal percentage.

This year’s field contenders in relation

- Of the eight teams on the top two seed lines, four (West Virginia, Kansas, Ohio State and Syracuse) rank in the Top 25 in assist/turnover ratio. Duke comes in at 29^th and Kentucky 119^th to round out the top seeds while Kansas State is 113^th and Villanova is 130^th to complete the two line.

- Kansas (3^rd) and Kentucky (7^th) both rank in the Top 10 in field goal percentage defense while Syracuse (33^rd) and Duke (48^th) are further down the totem pole. In regards to the two line, none rank in the Top 50 in this category; Villanova is the highest-ranked at 56^th.

- Three of the nation’s Top 10 scoring teams are on either the one or two seed line. Villanova (3^rd), Kansas (5^th) and Syracuse (6^th) lead the way while Kansas State (13^th), Kentucky (17^th) and Duke (21^st) reside within the Top 25.

- Kansas (5^th) is the only team out of these eight ranked in the Top 10 in three-point percentage. Ohio State (21^st), Syracuse (25^th) and Duke (28^th) are all within the Top 30.

- Kentucky (6^th), West Virginia (9^th) and Kansas (13^th) are the best teams in the field in regards to rebounding margin. Duke (19^th) and Kansas State (29^th) aren’t far behind.

- Kansas, Duke and Syracuse all rank in the Top 10 in offensive efficiency while Villanova, Ohio State, West Virginia and Kentucky are all in the Top 20. Kansas State goes into the Tournament ranked 36^th.

Possible Interlopers: Baylor, New Mexico. If the numbers prove to be “honest” the pool of teams with the best shot of winning the national title may not be as deep as originally thought. But the numbers aren’t everything; expect this year’s national champ to have at least one statistical characteristic that doesn’t fall in line with the last six champions.

Bracket Tactics: How to Pick the National Champion

Jon Teitel — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:50:51 -0400

CollegeHoops.net's Bracket Tactics will help you pick this year's national champion & finish at the top of your pool. These tips are based on previous NCAA Tournament results:

TIP #1: No team that lost the first game of its conference tournament has ever won the NCAA title the same year.

STRATEGY: Do not pick a champ who lost the first game of its conference tournament.

MEANING: Take a long, hard, look at Michigan St, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Villanova before penciling them is as your 2010 NCAA Champs.

TIP #2: 21 of the past 24 titles have been won by teams who score 77+ PPG and have a scoring margin of 10+ PPG (like UNC last year).

STRATEGY: Focus on teams that have high-octane offenses
MEANING: Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kansas St, Kentucky, Maryland, Syracuse, and Villanova have a leg up on the rest of the field. Be weary of Ohio St (74ppg), Georgetown (73), West Virginia (73), Purdue (71), Pittsburgh (68), Wisconsin (66)

TIP #3: 7 of the last 11 NCAA champs won their conference tournament before rolling off 6 straight wins in the NCAA Tournament.

STRATEGY: Pick a champ who also won its conference tournament last week.

MEANING: Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio St, and West Virginia should be taken very seriously.

TIP #4: 2 teams in each Final Four since 2003 have been members of the same conference. (UCONN & Villanova last year)

STRATEGY: Pick 2 teams who play in the same conference to make the Final Four.

MEANING: Don't be afraid to go with multiple teams of the same conference in the Final Four (ie, 2 from the Big 12 or Big East this year)

TIP #5: Since 1979, the only national champion without a McDonald's All-American on the roster was Maryland in 2002.

STRATEGY: Focus on teams with big name players in the Final Four.

MEANING: Do not pick Marquette, Maryland, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, or West Virginia to win it all.

IN SUMMARY

The teams that pass all tests and look like the best contenders for the 2010 title are Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky. Syracuse & Villanova certainly have a shot, although Ohio St & West Virginia have multiple strikes against them. Team to avoid at all costs include Michigan St, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Wisconsin.

Midwest Region Preview & Predictions

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:58:56 -0400

It’s come to be expected that when a team is named the top overall seed for the NCAA Tournament they’ll receive a favorable draw in regards to the other seeds in their region. No such luck for the Big 12 Champion Kansas Jayhawks, who will begin their run at a second national title in three years against Lehigh. At least Bill Self’s team was taken care of in regards to travel; should open in Oklahoma City, and would head to St Louis should they reach the Sweet Sixteen.

But due to seeding issues the S-curve wasn’t truly followed, meaning that next in the Midwest are the Big Ten champion (Ohio St) and the Big East Tournament runner-up (Georgetown) that boasts a Top 10 RPI and one of the nation’s best schedules in regards to strength. Both teams have significant question marks going into the Tournament; the Buckeyes go no more than six players deep in their rotation, meaning that early foul trouble or an injury could be a concern. But they do feature super-star Evan Turne, named CollegeHoops.net's National Player of the Year. As for Georgetown, their concern will be having a consistent scorer to supplement the trio of Greg Monroe, Chris Wright and Austin Freeman. Jason Clark could have a lot to say about their tourney hopes, as he did in their conference tournament run.

The region also includes a pair of conference tournament champions who needed the automatic bids in order to get in, and they’ve both got the ability to wreak havoc now that they’re in the Field of 65. New Mexico St has been working towards the WAC Tournament since they regained the services of Troy Gillenwater in early February; the ability to bring a player of his caliber and size off the bench (14 ppg & 6 rpg) is something that many teams can’t match. They face perennial power Michigan St in the 5-12 game, a team that's reached the Sweet Sixteen 8 times in the last 12 years.

And San Diego St, who would have been a close shave to say the least without the Mountain West’s automatic bid, has a talented nucleus that will test Tennessee in the first round. D.J. Gay at the point can more than hold his own with Bobby Maze (if not win that individual battle) and the frontcourt is stocked with the likes of Billy White, Malcolm Thomas and freshman Kawhi Leonard just to name three contributors.

This is a very good region and don’t be surprised if there are a few “upsets” in regards to seeding. Houston, led by scoring-machine Aubrey Coleman could be a tough out for Greivis Vasquez and 4th seed Maryland. Other potential seed upsets could include the aforementioned Aztecs of SDSU and ACC finalist Georgia Tech playing against Oklahoma St. That game features multiple NBA prospects including Big 12 Player of the Year James Anderson and Tech's Gani Lawal & Derrick Favors.

Kansas will be the prohibitive favorite to get to Indianapolis (they're also CollegeHoops.net's official National Champion pick) but they certainly aren’t going to simply roll through the region.

Predictions

Midwest Region Champ: Kansas

Sweet 16: Michigan State, Georgetown and Ohio State

Best 1st Round Game: #9 Northern Iowa vs. #8 UNLV

1st Round Upset Possibility: #11 San Diego State vs. #6 Tennessee

Scary Underachiever: #10 Georgia Tech

Sweet 16 “Crasher”: Georgia Tech

Players who can shoot their team to an upset:

G Aubrey Coleman (Houston), G Armon Bassett (Ohio), G Kwadzo Ahelegbe (Northern Iowa), G Tre’Von Willis (UNLV)

All-Midwest “Team”:

G Sherron Collins (Kansas), G Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), G/F Evan Turner (Ohio State), F Wayne Chism (Tennessee), C Greg Monroe (Georgetown)

Poll: Who Will Win the 2010 NCAA Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:52:52 -0400

Kansas 2010 NCAA Tournament Preview

Joel Welser — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:58:02 -0400

Kansas Jayhawks

Big 12 Conference (32-2, 15-1)

Big Wins: 1/2 at Temple (84-52), 1/30 at Kansas State (81-79), 2/15 at Texas A&M (59-54)

Bad Losses: 1/10 at Tennessee (68-76), 2/27 at Oklahoma State (77-85)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2009, Sweet Sixteen loss to Michigan State

Coach: Bill Self (24-10 in 11 NCAA appearances)

Why They Can Surprise:

When Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich opted to return to Lawrence, just about everybody tabbed the Jayhawks as the team to be beat heading into the 2009-2010 campaign…and rightfully so. It is hard to find a better inside/outside duo than Collins and Aldrich.

Collins is not just the team’s best scorer, but he is the leader on the floor. Collins is a consistent outside shooter and will create plenty of opportunities for his teammates using his speed and athleticism. Aldrich is often the beneficiary of Collins’ playmaking ability. The 6-11 junior is having another great season and is a double-double machine. With Collins and Aldrich leading the way, the Kansas offense is among the best in the nation, but Coach Bill Self has plenty of other offensive weapons as well.

Why They Can Disappoint:

There are not many negative things to be said about this group at Kansas. The biggest issue that occasionally shows up is their free-throw shooting. When the Jayhawks snuck past Colorado in overtime the team connected on just 18 of their 38 attempts from the charity stripe. Markieff Morris is the only really bad free-throw shooter on the team, but he is not on the floor that often anyway. His brother, Marcus, is a regular starter and shoots 67.1 percent from the line and Aldrich’s numbers are only a little better. While overall the players who will be taking a majority of the free-throws are not that bad, they definitely have some bad games from the line and that could come back to bite them sooner or later in the NCAA Tournament.

Who To Watch:

A couple other youngsters are making a big impact on the wings. Xavier Henry is having a superb freshman campaign and is second on the team in scoring and adds 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Henry will also use his 6-6 frame to defend some of the best players in the nation and usually does a great job for a freshman. Tyshawn Taylor is not as prolific of a scorer, but he is a solid defender and another great ballhandler. With him and Collins on the court at the same time, it is no wonder the Jayhawks can run up and down the floor without committing too many turnovers. Brady Morningstar gives the backcourt some quality depth and yet another player who can take care of the ball. After missing the first nine games of the season, Morningstar is finally playing his best basketball of the season late in the year.

Probable Starters:

Sherron Collins, Senior, Guard, 15.6 ppg, 4.4 apg

Tyshawn Taylor, Sophomore, Guard, 7.4 ppg, 3.4 apg

Xavier Henry, Freshman, Guard, 13.6 ppg, 1.5 apg, 4.2 rpg

Marcus Morris, Sophomore, Forward, 12.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Cole Aldrich, Junior, Center, 11.2 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.5 bpg

Key Roleplayers:

Brady Morningstar, Junior, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 3.0 apg

Markieff Morris, Sophomore, Center, 6.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg

Tyrel Reed, Junior, Guard, 4.9 ppg, 1.1 apg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 82.2 (4^th in nation, 1^st in conference)

Scoring Defense: 63.6 (55, 1)

Field-Goal Percentage: 48.9 (8, 1)

Field-Goal Defense: 37.6 (2, 1)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.3 (63, 4)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 40.4 (6, 1)

Free-Throw Percentage: 69.7 (146, 7)

Rebound Margin: 6.8 (11, 2)

Assists Per Game: 17.1 (6, 1)

Turnovers Per Game: 12.8 (92, 5)

Follow Joel Welser's Postseason Capsules & College Basketball Previews on Twitter @Joel_Welser and on his Facebook page. Joel will be back in June for his annual Top 144 Teams in 144 Days preview on CollegeHoops.net

+ NCAA Basketball Tournament

• 2010 NCAA Tournament Coverage

• NCAA Tournament Capsules

• NIT Capsules

• NCAA Tournament Schedule

• Venue Info & Tickets

• Bracketology

College Hoops Saturday Recap: Houston and New Mexico State Steal Bids

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:48:05 -0500

It's the worry of nearly every team on the bubble this time of the year: the bid thief. The team that had little or no chance of getting into the NCAA Tournament makes a run in its conference tournament, grabbing the automatic bid and possibly snatching a chair at the table from another team in college basketball's answer to "musical chairs". Houston (Conference USA) and New Mexico State (WAC) were the two teams to do that on Saturday, and the question now is which at-large candidates will be headed to the NIT as a result of these outcomes.

Tom Penders' Cougars completed a run of four wins in four days in Tulsa with an 81-73 victory over regular season champ UTEP, who's no shoo-in when it comes to an at-large berth, and that was with the nation's leading scorer struggling from the field. Aubrey Coleman, who averages 26.0 points per game, shot 4-for-20 from the field and scored thirteen points to go along with nine rebounds. But Kelvin Lewis more than made up for it, making eleven of his fifteen field goal attempts in scoring a game-high 28 points. Now 19-15 on the season, the Cougars were nowhere near the bubble before this weekend and there was talk that this would be Penders' last go-round at UH. But that's all on the backburner for the newly-crowned champs, and with the combo of Coleman and Lewis this is a team that could shoot its way to an upset next week.

As for the New Mexico State Aggies, they took out Utah State 69-63 in Reno to win the WAC Tournament title. Jared Quayle led Utah State with 25 points but it wasn't enough to make up for two starters (Tyler Newbold and Pooh Williams) going scoreless and Tai Wesley shooting 5-for-13 from the field. Jahmar Young led New Mexico State with 19 points while Troy Gillenwater, a player who rejoined the team in early February and was thought to be a key cog in their stretch run, added 15 off the bench. Utah State, which had its' 17-game win streak snapped, should be an at-large team but there's no better feeling than to know that you're definitely in. They'll join the likes of UTEP, Illinois and Virginia Tech (among many others) in sweating out these final hours.

Three Key Happenings

1. Washington wins the Pac-10 title; what does this do to Cal? Neither team playing in the Pac-10 final was a shoo-in to go dancing without the league's automatic bid, and the team that was in worse shape going into the game ended up with the crown. Washington won 79-75 in Los Angeles, sealing the game on a pair of Venoy Overton free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining. Winners of their second consecutive conference tournament title, the Huskies can look forward to their seeding and who they could play (as well as where) next week. The wait isn't so easy for the Golden Bears, who have the misfortune of winning their first regular season title in 50 years in a year that's been historically bad for the Pac-10.

They've got the top non-conference strength of schedule ranking in America but they also lost all of their toughest games than built that ranking. Theo Robertson was out for much of the non-conference slate due to injury, but while that helps explain losses to the likes of Syracuse, Ohio State and Kansas it doesn't explain how they lost five Pac-10 games with him in the lineup. They're the one team on the bubble that could be hurt the most by the perception of their league; the Pac-10's taken an absolute beating all year long and that likely won' t change on Selection Sunday. Will they get in? This will make for an interesting case.

2. Minnesota whips Purdue and can now win the Big Ten title. Tubby Smith's Golden Gophers took one more step towards an NCAA Tournament bid by taking full advantage of a brutal offensive performance by Purdue, winning 69-42 in the Big Ten semis. Up next for Minnesota is Ohio State and depending upon who you ask they may have done enough to get into the Big Dance without a win on Sunday. But you never know, meaning that they'd be best served to win that game and earn the automatic bid. Ralph Sampson III led the Golden Gophers with 13 points and Minnesota won the rebounding battle 45-20 as Purdue shot 27.6% from the field.

What helps Minnesota in regards to their resume is four RPI Top 50 wins; the non-conference strength of schedule ranking of 61st isn't bad either. But you can never be sure, especially when you're a team that was barely on the radar as recently as two weeks ago. E'Twaun Moore shot 1-for-14 from the field for Purdue, who hasn't looked good in either of their two biggest games since losing Robbie Hummel to a torn ACL (Michigan State, Minnesota). The loss could drop them at least a full seed line (if not two) on the bracket and you have to wonder about their Final Four hopes if they can't find a third scorer to pick up the slack if Moore or Ja'Juan Johnson goes cold.

3. Kansas beats Kansas State for the third time this season. There was talk going into the Big 12 title game that Frank Martin's Wildcats could make a run at a one-seed with a win over the Jayhawks in Kansas City. No such luck as they fell to Kansas for the third time this season, this one by the final of 72-64. Marcus Morris led all scorers (and four Jayhawks in double figures) with 18 points while also grabbing eight rebounds, and the Jayhawks made up for shooting 44.2% from the field by attempting thirty-one foul shots (making 24) on the night. Denis Clemente and Jacob Puller combined to score 30 points but the other three Wildcat starters scored eleven and that was essentially the difference. Bill Self's team likely locked up the top overall seed while K-State likely finds itself on the two line (or possibly the three) depending upon what happens with Ohio State and Duke on Sunday.

Big East Title Game Recap

Top Three Games

1. West Virginia 60, Georgetown 58 (Big East final) Under ten seconds...Da'Sean Butler...you should know the rest. If not, check the Big East final recap link above.

2. Ohio State 88, Illinois 81 (2OT) (Big Ten semifinal) This one went back and forth in Indianapolis, but late-game execution cost the Illini at the both the end of regulation and the first overtime. And now they have to worry as to whether or not those issues cost them an at-large bid as well. Evan Turner finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Demetri McCamey led the Illini with 22 points and five assists.

3. Richmond 89, Xavier 85 (OT) (Atlantic 10 semifinal) Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez combined to score 63 points as the Spiders advanced to a meeting with Temple for the Atlantic 10 Tournament title.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Marqus Blakely (Vermont) 24 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and an absolutely filthy dunk in the Catamounts' 83-70 win over Boston University to win the America East Tournament title.

2. G/F Evan Turner (Ohio State) 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the Buckeyes' 88-81 double-overtime win over Illinois.

3. G Kelvin Lewis (Houston) On a day in which leading scorer Aubrey Coleman struggled from the field the senior came up big, scoring 28 points on 11-for-15 shooting to lead the Cougars to an 81-73 win over UTEP to win the Conference USA Tournament title.

2010 CollegeHoops.net College Basketball All-Americans

CHN — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:53:10 -0500

Player of the Year Evan Turner and super-freshman John Wall highlight CollegeHoops.net's 2010 All-America teams. Turner averaged 19.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, and 5.8 apg while helping Ohio St finish tied atop the Big Ten standings. Wall averaged 16.8 ppg and 6.2 apg, helping lead Kentucky to an impressive 29-2 record and an SEC title. They are joined on the First Team by Wall's teammate DeMarcus Cousins, Villanova leader Scottie Reynolds, and Big 12 Player of the Year James Anderson.

Besides Kentucky, other schools to have multiple players selected include Duke (John Scheyer 2nd Team & Kyle Singler 4th) and Kansas (Sherron Collins & Cole Aldrich 3rd Team). Purdue has three players on the Honorable Mention list, while Baylor has two. Returnees from the 2009 list include Turner, Singler, Collins & Aldrich, Luke Harangody, Kalin Lucas, and Patrick Patterson.

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Year:

Evan Turner, Jr, Ohio St

CollegeHoops.net First-Team All-America
G John Wall, Kentucky, Fr

G Scottie Reynolds, Villanova, Sr
G/F James Anderson, Oklahoma St, Jr
G/F Evan Turner, Ohio St, So
C DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky, Fr

CollegeHoops.net Second-Team All-America
G Greivis Vasquez, Maryland, Sr
G Jon Scheyer, Duke, Sr

F Wesley Johnson, Syracuse, Jr
F Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, Sr
C Greg Monroe, Georgetown, So

CollegeHoops.net Third-Team All-America
G Sherron Collins, Kansas, Sr
G Jacob Pullen, Kansas St, Jr
G/F Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia, Sr
F Damion James, Texas, Sr
C Cole Aldrich, Kansas, Jr

CollegeHoops.net Fourth-Team All-America
G Jerome Randle, California, Sr
G Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech, Jr
G Jordan Crawford, Xavier, So
F Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Jr
F Kyle Singler, Duke, Jr

Honorable Mention
Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest
Luke Babitt, Nevada
Trevor Booker, Clemson
Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga
Devan Downey, South Carolina

LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor
Jimmer Fredette, BYU
Austin Freeman, Georgetown
Lazar Hayward, Marquette
Darington Hobson, New Mexico
Trevon Hughes, Wisconsin
Robbie Hummel, Purdue
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Dominique Jones, South Florida
Kalin Lucas, Michigan St
E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky
Quincy Pondexter, Washington
Omar Samhan, Saint Mary's
Donald Sloan, Texas A&M
Ekpe Udoh, Baylor

Check back tomorrow for our High-Major & Mid-Major All-America Teams.

Poll: Who Will Win the Big 12 Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:17:10 -0500

National Player of the Year: Evan Turner Leads the Pack

John P. Wise — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:04:28 -0500

It's March and everyone's talking about college basketball. Is your team on the bubble?

While all the talk is about teams and brackets and seeds, let's not forget about some of the top individual players who hope to lead those squads deep into the NCAA Tournament.

So let's get started with my five leading candidates to win the coveted Naismith Award, which honors the best player in men's college basketball:

+ Evan Turner, Jr, G, Ohio State
No one has as well-rounded a game as Turner, and his effort has been so consistent this year that even a six-game absence in midseason shouldn't keep him from winning this honor. Once he returned from breaking his back, he picked up where he left off, chasing down double-doubles each night out and even recording many near triple-doubles.

Turner leads the Big Ten in scoring (19.5 points per game) and rebounding (9.4), and is second in assists (5.8) and steals (1.8), but did you know he's also fifth in field-goal percentage (.538) and even ninth in blocks (0.9)? Before only playing 39 minutes the last two games, Turner had played all 40 minutes in each of Ohio State's previous three games and has turned the trick nine times overall this year. He is carried the Buckeyes towards a first-place tie in the Big Ten and maybe even a No. 2 NCAA Tournament seed. No player in the country means more to his team than Turner.

The funny thing about Turner is that he seems more of a lock for national player of the year than Big Ten player of the year, as Michigan State's Kalin Lucas continues to get support for the league honor.

+ Sherron Collins, Sr, G, Kansas
Collins is KU's undisputed leader and obviously means a great deal to his team, but if you take him away, the Jayhawks are still dangerous, whereas the Buckeyes wouldn't even be an NIT squad without Turner.

But that shouldn't diminish Collins' candidacy for national honors. He leads the Jayhawks with 15.3 points per game and 4.3 assists, and also, despite playing for a deep team that plays eight guys at least 15 minutes, and another three players about seven minutes each, averages a team-best 32.8 minutes per game.

Late in a tight game, you want Collins on the line. He makes 84 percent of his free throws and is a proven winner. Kansas is 119-18 in Collins' four years at point guard.

+ John Wall, Fr, G, Kentucky
No one in the country is more electrifying than Wall, and many expect him to be the first player taken in the NBA draft in June. But he still has some work to do before leaving Lexington, like lead the Wildcats to their first national championship since 1998.

Wall leads the team in scoring (16.8), assists (6.2) and minutes (34.4), and is third in rebounding (4.0). With the exception of Derrick Rose, no college basketball player in recent memory has shown his kind of explosiveness. He's also a defensive witch, averaging nearly two steals per game. He saved the day with a late gem at Vanderbilt on Feb. 20, preserving a narrow win over the ranked Commodores.

But even John Wall might have hit the wall. A slightly less-then-stellar February, perhaps due to his youth, might have taken him out of the top spot as Evan Turner continues his relentless push.

+ John Scheyer, Sr, G, Duke
Before he even stepped foot on the Durham campus, Scheyer was a Youtube legend after having scored 21 points in 75 seconds in an Illinois high school playoff game.

And he's been Mr. Steady in his four outstanding years at Duke. No doubt he's the ACC Player of the Year and he'll get some consideration for national POY honors, but he doesn't have the all-around game that Turner has.

+ Scottie Reynolds, Sr, G, Villanova
Much like Scheyer, Reynolds has been a key contributor since the first days he stepped on campus, seemingly seven or eight years ago.

It didn't take long for Reynolds to assert himself as a team leader, and now that his career is winding down, he's got his Wildcats poised to make a deep tournament run.

Reynolds is among Big East leaders in scoring, steals, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and three-point percentage. He might be the league's top player and could take a few votes away from Turner on any national ballot.

Also receiving consideration:

+ DeMarcus Cousins, Fr, C, Kentucky
+ James Anderson, Jr, G, Oklahoma State
+ Wesley Johnson, Jr, F, Syracuse

John P. Wise is the editor of OneGreatSeason.com. He can be reached at jpwise3@hotmail.com.

Counter Opinion

John Wall The Leader of the Player of the Year Chase