Freshmen
Freshmen links for every team, conference.
Any day now, Mississippi State could get some really good news. At least, that’s what Renardo Sidney’s lawyer thinks.
The 6-10 forward is one of the nation’s top freshmen, but he’s been in NCAA eligibility limbo because of amateurism issues rising from his family’s two-year stay in the Los Angeles area. Basically, rumors flew that they couldn’t afford that house they were living in, so someone else was paying. The family says it’s hogwash.
After a long investigation into the matter, Sidney’s lawyer says the NCAA will come to the same conclusion and clear Sidney to play.
CONTINUED >>
Al McGuire’s famous phrase – “The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores” – has been part of the college basketball lexicon for so long that it’s essentially accepted without much thought.
Now it requires even less thought ‘cause it’s a fact, courtesy of temnpo-free stats.
And for that, we have the Big Ten Geeks to thank.
CONTINUED >>
This is every Kentucky fan’s worst nightmare. Kind of.
Star point guard John Wall, the nation’s top recruit, is dealing with an eligibility issue that could affect his season. SEC commissioner Mike Slive confirmed the report to ESPN.com on Thursday.
It question centers around Wall’s former AAU coach, who was a certified agent. The school has been investigating Wall’s the situation for months. Mississippi State recruit Renardo Sidney also is dealing with eligibility issues. It goes back to 2007 when Wall made two unofficial visits to the UK campus but it’s unclear how much money he may owe for the visit.
Slive says the NCAA’s agents, not NCAA enforcement, is handling the investigation.
CONTINUED >>
Height usually makes people overthink thing. My favorite was when Kevin Durant entered the NBA draft, but there was heated debates among NBA pundits if he could actually play power forward. You know, ‘cause he’s 6-10.
“He’s gonna have to bulk up to bang down low in the NBA.”
“Durant could rebound in college, but that was because of his long arms. That won’t fly in the NBA.”
“Can he guard opposing power forwards?”
It was a bunch of hooey. Anyone who saw Durant play knew he’d be a 2 or 3 in the pros, even if he did struggle to guard shorter, quicker guards. Won’t they have to guard him as well?
Turns out a similar discussion surrounds incoming freshman John Henson at North Carolina.
CONTINUED >>
If there’s one thing college basketball needs, it’s more nicknames. And by more, I mean any.
Thankfully, that’s where a guy like Lance Stephenson comes in.
Stephenson, a freshman at Cincinnati, is known in New York hoops circles as “Born Ready.” He left NYC as the state’s all-time leading scorer, thus the name. But at Cincy, he’s earned a new nickname.
“Almost There.”
I know. Feels like a Laurel and Hardy skit. And Stephenson and the Bearcats know it. They’re having some laughs with it.
But I like that he’s racking up the monikers. A budding sports star can never have enough.
CONTINUED >>
Some college hoops pundits think freshmen will play a key role in this year’s national title hunt. Others are reserving judgment until they actually get on the court.
How about a little bit of both?
Every fan has high hopes for their team’s incoming freshmen when they could be the missing piece of a championship puzzle. But those freshmen who don’t quite live up to the hype? That hurts.
Still, it’s hard not to get just a little bit excited about watching the incoming freshmen. Here are 16 I’m excited to watch.
CONTINUED >>
Talent vs. experience. That’s the eternal question. Do you want a roster of experienced players or a team full of talented, young ballers?
OK, you want both. That’s easy. And if you can’t have experienced, talented players, you want a mix.
But when it’s crunch time in late March, what kind of player is on the floor? The most talented bunch or a group you can trust to make the right decision because they’ve been there before?
CONTINUED >>
Hype’s a hard thing to ignore. Every season, the elite incoming college freshmen are touted as instant stars, able to carry a team to the Final Four (Derrick Rose) or even a title (Carmelo Anthony).
And why not? When we read about their exploits, see a YouTube video or various SportsCenter highlights, it’s hard not to believe that one of these players could indeed dominate like Kevin Durant.
Thankfully, there are writers who keep their cool and remind us that sometimes, not all freshmen are saviors, but merely good players.
CONTINUED >>
The 2008-09 college basketball season doesn’t feature a Michael Beasley. Or a Greg Oden. Or a Kevin Durant, Kevin Love or O.J. Mayo. It’s full of good, but not great players.
At least, that’s the general opinion by most media outlets.
Still, even if the player of the year isn’t a freshmen, there are plenty of dynamic newcomers you’ll need to know. Here are 10.
CONTINUED >>
The Brandon Jennings watch continues.
Jennings, the McDonald’s All-American point guard, is still waiting to see if he’ll be ruled eligible for next season after taking his third SAT. Those scores won’t be released until July 11th. And all of those delays just brew even more talk about Jennings possibly playing in Europe next season.
It’s like the Brett Favre un-retirement talk, but for us hoops junkies…
CONTINUED >>
