Luke Winn's Top 16 Frontcourts

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Oct 21, 2009

Luke Winn's Top 16 Frontcourts

North Carolina

Ed Davis (pictured), Deon Thompson, John Henson, Tyler Zeller, David Wear, Travis Wear Davis, a lanky 6-foot-10 sophomore, actually had better offensive and defensive rebounding percentages than Tyler Hansbrough last season -- but Davis' raw numbers were deflated because he only played 18.8 minutes per game off the bench. Expect him to have a breakout season in '09-10. Thompson is a seasoned veteran with polished post moves, and Henson, a skinny-but-talented freshman, is already projected as a top-10 pick (along with Davis) in the 2010 NBA draft.

Texas

Damion James (pictured), Dexter Pittman, Gary Johnson, Jordan Hamilton, Alexis Wangmene, Clint Chapman, Matt Hill James nearly averaged a double-double as a junior (15.4 points, 9.2rebounds) and is versatile enough to thrive at either the 3 or 4 spots. Pittman is insanely productive when he's on the floor -- he put up 10.1 points and 5.5 boards in just 16.1 minutes per game. Hamilton is a blue-chip small forward recruit who can slash and score, and will command minutes as a freshman.

West Virginia

Da'Sean Butler (pictured), Devin Ebanks, Kevin Jones, Deniz Kilicli, Wellington Smith, John Flowers, Dan Jennings The Mountaineers don't have a dominant low-post player, but they have two of the country's best scoring wings in Butler and Ebanks, who should become household names this season on a sleeper Final Four team. Jones is a solid rebounder, and watch out for Kilicli, an under- hyped freshman: The 6-foot-9, 260-pound power forward from Turkey has the athleticism and toughness necessary to make an immediate impact.

Kentucky

Patrick Patterson (pictured), DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, Perry Stevenson, Josh Harrellson, Ramon Harris Patterson is a legit national player of the year candidate who's one of the game's most efficient offensive players. Both he and 6-10 freshman Cousins are projected first-round draft picks next June. Orton, another elite frosh, would start from Day 1 for most major-conference teams, but will likely have to come off the bench in Lexington with fellow quality subs Stevenson and Harrellson.

Kansas

Cole Aldrich (pictured), Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris, Mario Little, Thomas Robinson Aldrich, who averaged 14.9 points and 11.0 rebounds as a sophomore, is the anchor of the Jayhawks' defense and one of the prime reasons they're the preseason national title favorite. Few teams have a post player as dominant as the 6-11 Minnesotan. Marcus is the more productive of the Morris brothers (7.4 points, 4.7 boards) and should be a solid role player, while Robinson is a four-star power forward who adds depth up front.

Georgia Tech

Derrick Favors (pictured), Gani Lawal, Zach Peacock, Daniel Miller NBA scouts love the duo of Favors, a 6-10 freshman, and Lawal, a 6-9 junior; Favors is projected as the No. 2 overall pick in DraftExpress' 2010 mock, while Lawal is No. 26. They're both capable of averaging double-doubles, and, for a year at least, getting the Yellow Jackets back into contention in the ACC.

Purdue

Robbie Hummel (pictured), JaJuan Johnson, Sandi Marcius, Patrick Bade If Hummel is fully recovered from the back problems that plagued him in '09-10, he can be an All-America candidate, and if Johnson continues on his upward trajectory from '08-09 (when he averaged 13.4 points and 5.6 boards), Purdue can be a Final Four team. The only knock on this frontcourt crew is that it's not deep -- the first forwards off the bench are unheralded freshmen Marcius and Bade.

Butler

Gordon Hayward (pictured), Matt Howard, Avery Jukes, Andrew Smith Hayward's national rep blew up this summer when he starred on the U.S.' gold-medal-winning entry in the U19 World Championships in New Zealand. He's arguable the country's sweetest-shooting big man. Howard is among the best power forwards in the mid-major ranks, and he'll hope to get help in the low post from Smith, a 6-11 freshman.

Tennessee

Tyler Smith (pictured), Wayne Chism, Brian Williams Smith is the rare small forward who's capable of leading his team in scoring and assists. Last season, he averaged 17.4 points and 3.3 assists for the Vols, and opted to return for his senior campaign rather than risk being a second-round draft pick. Chism is a constant double-double threat but often spends too much time, offensively, on the perimeter.

Vanderbilt

A.J. Ogilvy (pictured), Jeffery Taylor, Lance Goulbourne, Festus Ezeli, Andre Walker, Steve Tchiengang With Patty Mills gone, Ogilvy is the college game's most high-profile Aussie and one of the few true, quality centers in the country. Taylor, their athletic, 6-7 Swede, may be the best player you've never heard of: He averaged 12.2 points and 6.2 boards as a freshman and is considered a potential top-10 pick in 2011.

Syracuse

Wesley Johnson, Arinze Onuaku (pictured), Rick Jackson, Rick Jackson, DaShonte Riley Johnson, a junior transfer from Iowa State, is being hyped as a potential All-Big East candidate by 'Cuse coaches; whether he lives up to his potential as a Tracy McGrady-like scorer will determine whether the Orange can get back in the NCAA tournament. Onuaku is one of the burliest big men in the country at 6-9 and 260 pounds, and is capable of averaging a double-double as a senior.

Michigan State

Raymar Morgan (pictured), Delvon Roe, Draymond Green, Derrick Nix, Tom Herzog, Garrick Sherman Morgan had much of his junior season ruined by illnesses, playing just 22.5 minutes per game and averaging 10.2 points, but is expected to have a huge final campaign for the Spartans. Roe is a productive rebounder who'll be needed to play a big low-post role in Goran Suton's absence, and Green and Nix should be solid role players who can help on the glass.

Duke

Kyle Singler (pictured), Mason Plumlee, Miles Plumlee, Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek, Ryan Kelly Singler, one of the country's best all-around players, carries this crew into the top 16. The 6-8 Oregonian averaged 16.5 points per game as a sophomore but should be freed up to do more scoring from the wing as a junior, as the Blue Devils now have five other bodies -- led by polished freshman Mason Plumlee -- to man the 4 and 5 positions.

Clemson

Trevor Booker (pictured), Milton Jennings, David Potter, Jerai Grant, Devin Booker How good is Trevor Booker? Last season he led the ACC in both field-goal percentage (57.1) and rebounding (9.7 per game), becoming the first player to pull off that double-feat since Wake's Tim Duncan in '96-97. Milton Jennings is a four-star recruit with plenty of offensive skill on the wing, and Booker's little brother, Devin, is a sleeper prospect at power forward.

Wake Forest

Al-Farouq Aminu (pictured), Chas McFarland, Ari Stewart, Tony Woods, David Weaver, Ty Walker It's Aminu's turn to be the Deacons' star. He put up decent numbers as a freshman (12.9 points, 8.2 rebounds), but there weren't too many shots to go around while NBA-bound point guard Jeff Teague and power forward James Johnson were the focal points of the offense. McFarland is an excellent role player and Stewart is an athletic freshman who should push for early minutes on the wing.

Georgetown

Greg Monroe (pictured), Hollis Thompson, Julian Vaughn, Henry Sims, Nikita Mescheriakov Monroe is among the nation's most skilled big men -- he shoots 57.2 percent from the field, dishes out 2.6 assists per game, and even averaged a team-high 1.8 steals as a freshman -- but he's going to need help up front. Sims, a 6-10 sophomore, and Vaughn, a 6-9 junior, will have to contribute more on the glass than they did in limited minutes last season. Thompson, a four-star wing recruit, enrolled early at Georgetown last season and should play a significant role as a freshman.