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Well that didn’t take long, did it?

It’s that time of year again in college basketball – spring – when fans try to predict which underclassmen will declare for the NBA draft as well as determine which players will be selected in the first and second rounds. However, it’s also the time when coaches try to fill in gaps on their rosters for next year from the only viable source still available – junior colleges.

Ten-year old girls dream of the bouquet arrangements they will have at their weddings. They fantasize about the place-settings and the way their bridal party will playfully pose for pictures.

But when that wedding day finally arrives, the bride is almost always a wreck. She reeks of whiskey sours and, as the service makes way for the reception, her over-the-top make-up fades into a stream of mascara tears.

The future is never quite as nice as we dream it to be.

And, just like those naïve little girls, college basketball fans can’t wait to meet their true love.

The Big East welcomes one of its deepest and most talented freshmen classes in recent history. Who will start? Who will sit? Who will star? Eric Silver breaks it all done in his Impact Freshmen Report. Part Two includes All-Rookie predictions and players almost guaranteed to start.

The Big East welcomes one of its deepest and most talented freshmen classes in recent history. Who will start? Who will sit? Who will star? Eric Silver breaks it all done in his Impact Freshmen Report.

Dwight Howard, fresh off representing his country in the FIBA World Championships, and following a season in which he led the NBA in total rebounds, is still almost three months shy of his 21^st birthday. LeBron James, who seemingly has been the NBA’s marquee star for years, will turn 22 in December.  Even 8-time All Star Kobe Bryant, a veteran by comparison, is two years shy of 30. Judging by that, it certainly appears that the NBA is getting younger. But thanks to a new NBA rule, the days of teenage NBA success may be a thing of the past.

 

Imagine yourself as a high school basketball player who is recognized as not only one of the best in your city or even state, but among the best in country. Imagine coming out of the locker room, and instead of seeing the smattering of friends and family that most high school gyms host, you see a few thousand people cramming into rickety wooden bleachers and lining the walls, all looking at you.  Imagine winning two state championships before you even have a date for junior prom. Imagine looking forward to a senior year with your best friend, and the endless possibilities it could bring. Now imagine it all being taken away, leaving that clear future a little murky.  Such is the life of Bill Walker, the super-athletic forward who was ruled ineligible for his senior year at Cincinnati's North College Hill High School.

Team by team breakdown of the incoming Big East talent. Connecticut, Louisville, Villanova, and West Virginia have the top four classes.

An in-depth look at incoming SEC talent by Ken Cross.