John Wall

2010 NBA Draft Lottery: Wizards Beat the Odds

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:12:00 -0700

The 2010 NBA Draft Lottery was held Tuesday night, May 18th, in Secaucus, NJ (as always). The Washington Wizards beat the odds and won the #1 pick in the Draft, which presumably will go to John Wall. This is the 6th time in a row the team with the worst record did not win the #1 pick. (Last year, the Clippers won the #1 pick, with Sacramento losing out, and used it on Blake Griffin. Read more about the history of the #1 pick in the Lottery).

The New Jersey Nets had the best chance at #1 with 25% odds, but slid down to 3rd place . Notice however, that they actually had less than a 50% chance combined (46.47) of getting the Top 2 picks. There was actually a better chance (53.53%) that they would get the 3rd or 4th pick. Philadelphia was the night's other big winner, moving up from a 6th place tie with Detroit.

Besides John Wall, a guard out of Kentucky, the other likely top picks include his teammate DeMarcus Cousins, Evan Turner of Ohio State, and Derrick Favors, a raw forward out of Georgia Tech.

Draft Order

1. Washington

2. Philadelphia

3. New Jersey

4. Minnesota

5. Sacramento

6. Golden State

7. Detroit

8. Los Angeles

9. Utah

10. Indiana

11. New Orleans

12. Memphis

13. Toronto

14. Houston

Draft Odds

TEAM	RECORD	CHANCES	1ST	2ND	3RD
New Jersey	12-70	250	25.00%	21.5%	17.7%
Minnesota	15-67	199	19.90%	18.8%	17.1%
Sacramento	25-57	156	15.60%	15.7%	15.5%
Golden State	26-56	104	10.40%	11.2%	12.1%
Washington	26-56	103	10.30%	11.1%	12.0%
Philadelphia	27-55	53	5.30%	6.0%	7.0%
Detroit	27-55	53	5.30%	6.0%	7.0%
LA Clippers	29-53	23	2.20%	2.7%	3.2%
Utah*	(29-53)	22	2.20%	2.6%	3.1%
Indiana	32-50	11	1.10%	1.3%	1.6%
New Orleans	37-45	8	0.80%	0.9%	1.2%
Memphis	40-42	7	0.70%	0.8%	1.0%
Toronto	40-42	6	0.60%	0.7%	0.9%
Houston	42-40	5	0.50%	0.6%	0.7%

*Originally the Knicks pick. Good work by Isiah..

Writer's Picks: MOP, All-Tournament & Breakout Star

CHN — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:15:55 -0700

While the NCAA Tournament is ultimately about team success, you can't win games without star players. But which players will be the heroes of the 2010 NCAA Tournament? Look below:

	Jeff Borzello March Madness Blog	Brendan Bowers MAC	Jason Brubkaer SEC
Most Outstanding	Sherron Collins	Evan Turner	John Wall
Breakout Star	Randy Culpepper UTEP	DJ Cooper Ohio	Darington Hobson New Mexico

G	Sherron Collins	John Wall	John Wall
G	LaceDarius Dunn	Scottie Reynolds	Sherron Collins
G/F	John Wall	Andy Rautins	Scottie Reynolds
F	Evan Turner	Evan Turner	Wes Johnson
F	Wes Johnson	DeMarcus Cousins	DeMarcus Cousins

	Blake Hofstad Previews	Raphielle Johnson Asst. Editor	Matthew Ryter Rankings
Most Oustanding	Xavier Henry	Sherron Collins	Sherron Collins
Breakout Star	Juan Fernandez Temple	Keith Benson Oakland	Ryan Wittman Cornell

G	Juan Fernandez	Sherron Collins	Sherron Collins
G	Xavier Henry	LaceDarius Dunn	Da'Sean Butler
G/F	Evan Turner	Andy Rautins	Devin Ebanks
F	Da'Sean Butler	Da'Sean Butler	Marcus Morris
F	Derrick Caracter	Cole Aldrich	Cole Aldrich

	Shawn Siegel Editor	Jon Teitel Interviews	John P. Wise One Great Season
Most Oustanding	Cole Aldrich	Sherron Collins	Serron Collins
Breakout Star	Jordan Crawford Xavier	Alex Franklin Siena	Lazar Hayward Marquette

G	Scottie Reynolds	Sherron Collins	Sherron Collins
G	Xavier Henry	Ashton Gibbs	LaceDarius Dunn
G/F	Andy Rautins	Da'Sean Butler	Wes Johnson
F	DeMarcus Cousins	Kyle Singler	Lazar Hayward
F	Cole Aldrich	Cole Aldrich	Cole Aldrich

Also: Writers's Picks: Final Four, Sleepers, Busts

NCAA Basketball Tournament: Top 65 Players

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:16:53 -0800

Based loosely on the quarterly Collegehoops.net Top 100, I rank the 65 best players in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. This is not a fantasy stats ranking, although many of the players listed put up monster numbers. This is also not an evaluation based on pro talent-level, but a ranking of the best players right now. This was such a tough list to narrow down, there were about 20 other guys not listed who seemed awfully close.

Let the debates begin..

*The list will be updated if a player on a projected team included here doesn't make it..

#	Player	School	YR	Pos.	PPG	RPG	APG
1	John Wall	Kentucky	FR	G	17	4	6
2	Evan Turner	Ohio State	JR	F	20	9	6
3	DeMarcus Cousins	Kentucky	FR	F	16	10	1
4	James Anderson	Oklahoma St	JR	G	23	6	2
5	Sherron Collins	Kansas	SR	G	15	2	4
6	Scottie Reynolds	Villanova	SR	G	19	3	3
7	Da'Sean Butler	West Virginia	SR	F	17	6	3
8	Wesley Johnson	Syracuse	JR	G	16	9	2
9	Greg Monroe	Georgetown	SO	F	16	10	4
10	Greivis Vasquez	Maryland	SR	G	20	5	6
11	Jon Scheyer	Duke	SR	G	19	4	5
12	Luke Harangody	Notre Dame	SR	F	23	10	2
13	Cole Aldrich	Kansas	JR	C	11	10	1
15	Jordan Crawford	Xavier	SO	G	20	5	3
14	Kalin Lucas	Michigan St	JR	G	15	2	4
16	Al-Farouq Aminu	Wake Forest	SO	F	16	11	1
17	Kyle Singler	Duke	JR	F	17	7	2
18	Damion James	Texas	SR	F	18	10	1
19	Jerome Randle	California	SR	G	19	2	5
20	Jacob Pullen	Kansas St	JR	G	19	3	4
21	Darington Hobson	New Mexico	JR	F	16	9	5
22	Patrick Patterson	Kentucky	JR	F	15	8	1
23	Trevon Hughes	Wisconsin	SR	G	15	5	3
24	JaJuan Johnson	Purdue	JR	F/C	15	7	1
25	Ekpe Udoh	Baylor	JR	G	13	10	3
26	Trevor Booker	Clemson	SR	C	15	8	3
27	E'Twaun Moore	Purdue	JR	G	17	4	3
28	Jimmer Fredette	BYU	JR	G	21	3	5
29	Gordon Hayward	Butler	SO	G	16	9	2
30	Omar Samhan	St. Mary's	SR	G	22	11	1
31	Quincy Pondexter	Washington	SR	F	20	8	2
32	Lazar Hayward	Marquette	SR	F	18	8	2
33	Randy Culpepper	UTEP	JR	G	18	3	2
34	Kevin Anderson	Richmond	JR	G	18	3	3
35	Aubrey Coleman	Houston	SR	G	26	8	3
36	Matt Bouldin	Gonzaga	SR	G	16	5	4
37	Austin Freeman	Georgetown	JR	G	17	4	2
38	Donald Sloan	Texas A&M	SR	G	18	4	2
39	LaceDarius Dunn	Baylor	JR	G	19	5	2
40	Andy Rautins	Syracuse	SR	G	12	3	5
41	Ashton Gibbs	Pittsburgh	SO	G	16	3	2
42	Samardo Samuels	Louisville	SO	C	15	7	1
43	Nolan Smith	Duke	SO	G	18	3	3
44	Xavier Henry	Kansas	FR	G	14	4	2
45	AJ Ogilvy	Vanderbilt	JR	C	14	6	1
46	Gani Lawal	Georgia Tech	JR	F	14	9	0
47	Derrick Favors	Georgia Tech	FR	C	12	8	1
48	Tweety Carter	Baylor	SR	G	16	6	3
49	Denis Clemente	Kansas St	SR	G	16	4	2
50	Jahmar Young	New Mexico St	FR	G	21	3	4
51	Ryan Wittman	Cornell	SR	F	18	4	2
52	Keith Benson	Oakland	JR	C	17	11	1
53	Tre'Von Willis	UNLV	JR	G	18	3	4
54	Juan Fernandez	Temple	SO	G	12	4	3
55	Derrick Caracter	UTEP	JR	F	14	8	1
56	Marqus Blakely	Vermont	SR	F	17	9	4
57	Isaiah Thomas	Washington	SO	G	17	4	3
58	Wayne Chism	Tennessee	SR	F	13	7	1
59	CJ McCollum	Lehigh	FR	G	19	5	2
60	Elias Harris	Gonzaga	FR	F	15	7	1
61	Chandler Parsons	Florida	JR	F	12	7	3
62	Jeffrey Taylor	Vanderbilt	SO	F	14	5	2
63	Dexter Pittman	Texas	SR	C	10	6	1
64	Kawhi Leonard	San Diego St	FR	F	13	10	2
64	Kim English	Missouri	SO	G	14	3	1

On The Bubble

Solomon Alabi (Florida St)

Lavoy Allen (Temple)

Alex Franklin (Siena)

Anthony Johnson (Montana)

Gerald Lee (Old Dominion)

Jon Leuer (Wisconsin)

Shelvin Mack (Butler)

Ishmael Smith (Wake Forest)

Erving Walker (Florida)

Tai Wesley (Tai Wesley)

Agree/Disagree? Who do you think belongs on the list?

Mocking the 2010 Tournament:: 40+ Funny Nicknames

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:12:16 -0800

Everyone loves a good nickname. But real nicknames are often boring. Gody? Cuz? Yawn. So instead, I present to you funny/lame nicknames for 40 of the top players in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Some of these reference pop culture, politics, and sports history. For others, it helps to know a little bit about the player or the team he plays for. Others are just plain ridiculous.. Enjoy!

Mocking the Tournament: 40+ NCAA Tournament Nicknames

Cole Aldrich (Kansas): "RoboCop"

Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest): "The Dunkin' Deacon"

James Anderson (Oklahoma St): "The Sundance Kid"

Trevor Booker (Clemson): "The Librarian"

Matt Bouldin (Gonzaga): "A1 Bouldin"

Da'Sean Butler (West Virginia): "Oops, I did it again"

Aubrey Coleman (Houston): "Stomp"*
* I had to go there

Sherron Collins (Kansas): Sher"ron Jeremy" Collins

DeMarcus Cousins (Kentucky): "DeMan-Child"

Jordan Crawford (Xavier): "LeBron Who?"

LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor): "Satin & Lace"

Juan Fernandez (Temple): "Pepe"

Jimmer Fredette (BYU): "Jimmer Thing"

Austin Freeman (Georgetown): "Blood Sugar"

Ashton Gibbs (Pittsburgh): "The Punked Panther"

Luke Harangody (Notre Dame): "Goat Boy"

Gordon Hayward (Butler): "Hayward Jablome"

Wesley Johnson (Syracuse): "Blade"

Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech): "Lawal and Order"

Kalin Lucas (Michigan St): "Spartacus"

CJ McCollum (Lehigh): "Lord of the Rings"

Greg Monroe (Georgetown): "The Doctrine"

E'Twaun Moore (Purdue): "ET"

AJ Ogilvy (Vanderbilt): "Captain Kangaroo"

Patrick Patterson (Kentucky): "The Forgotten One"

Dexter Pittman (Texas): "The Dump Truck"

Jacob Pullen (Kansas St): Jacob "Stop" Pullen "My Leg"

Jerome Randle (California): Jerome Randle-"El"

Scottie Reynolds (Villanova) "Reynolds Wrap"

Omar Samhan (St Mary's): "Enter Samhan"

Jon Scheyer (Duke): Jon "is so quiet, he couldn't be" Scheyer

Kyle Singler (Duke): "The GunSingler"

Ishmael Smith (Wake Forest): "Call Me"

Isaiah Thomas (Washington): "The GM"

Evan Turner (Ohio St): Evan "Page-" Turner

Greivis Vasquez (Maryland): "Grievance Counselor"

John Wall (Kentucky): "Cool Cat"

Brad Wanamaker (Pittsburgh): Brad Wanamaker-"deal"?

Tai Wesley (Utah St): "Pad-"Tai Wesley

Ekpe Udoh (Baylor): "Bless you"

Make your own. Here are some of the other top players:

Kevin Anderson (Richmond)
Denis Clemente (Kansas St)
Randy Culpepper (UTEP)
Devin Ebanks (West Virginia)
Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech)
Lazar Hayward (Marquette)
Xavier Henry (Kansas)
Darington Hobson (New Mexico)
Trevon Hughes (Wisconsin)
Damion James (Texas)
JaJuan Johnson (Purdue)
Quincy Pondexter (Washington)
Andy Rautins (Syracuse)
Samardo Samuels (Louisville)
Donald Sloan (Texas A&M)
Nolan Smith (Duke)

Feel free to post other nicknames for the players on the list above.

John Wall: Numbers Don't Tell The Whole Story

Paul Elkins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:22:07 -0800

Numbers sure are convenient. As a math teacher, I use them everyday to make comparisons, draw conclusions, and make decisions. Numbers can be useful to analyze individuals and teams in basketball as well– from comparing points scored and rebounds grabbed, to considering percentages of success. Numbers, however, remain the default factor in making many important basketball decisions, like choosing All-Conference players, making draft picks, and debating which player is “better.” While numbers may be symptomatic of a player’s effectiveness, they are rarely the cause. It is the qualities that contribute to a player’s effectiveness – his influence on his team, his will to win, his unselfishness – coupled with his basketball talents, that truly distinguish a great basketball player. It is therefore essential that we look at the right numbers before jumping to any conclusions.

Case in point: Let’s take a closer look at Kentucky freshman point guard, John Wall. He has been widely regarded as the best point guard in college basketball and the consensus #1 pick in this June’s NBA draft, yet his most commonly considered numbers - 16 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds (and 4 turnovers) per game – do not garner such praise alone.

But if we take a look at some of Walls’ more important numbers, his value becomes more apparent: Heading into last Sunday’s game against Florida, Wall had played in 70 minutes of basketball that accounted for the last two minutes of regulation and overtime for his team. In those 70 minutes, he had scored 66 points, shot 62% from the field, and committed just six turnovers. If we averaged these numbers over a 40-minute game (assuming he played the whole game), Wall would have averaged 38 points and three turnovers per contest. Given the fact that Wall’s Wildcats have lost only two games all season, it is fair to say that these numbers are pretty significant.

Wall’s freshman season begs comparison to the first and only season of another precocious point guard who did not have outlandish college numbers, but who proved to be enormously effective. In 2007-08, Derrick Rose averaged under 15 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds per game for Memphis, while quietly being hailed as the best talent in college basketball. Sure enough, he led Memphis to within seconds of a national Championship, was drafted #1 overall in the NBA draft, and led the Chicago Bulls to an essential first-round playoff stalemate with the defending NBA-champion Boston Celtics while being named NBA Rookie of the Year.

This year, Rose is averaging over 20 points per game for the first time since high school. Couple this with his 5.8 assists per contest, and you have pretty impressive numbers for an NBA point guard.

On the other hand, Rose lost just two games in high school, two more in college, and succeeded in his first year in reaching the playoffs with his original NBA lottery franchise. To me, these numbers are even more impressive.

2010 CollegeHoops.net College Basketball All-Americans

CHN — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:53:34 -0800

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.

National Player of the Year: Evan Turner Leads the Pack

John P. Wise — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:04:52 -0800

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

Evan Turner vs John Wall: Player of the Year Debate

Jason Brubaker — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:50:21 -0800

Last year, the debate for the 2008-09 Naismith National Player of the Year was effectively ended sometime in mid-January 9 (or maybe even sooner), when it became clear that Oklahoma's Blake Griffin was far and away the best player in the country. He was a double-double machine who became a nightly fixture on “Sportscenter's Top 10” for his rim-rattling dunks, and he led the Sooners to a 30-6 record and the Elite Eight. Although they would fall short of a championship, there was no question that he was the most dominant player in the nation.

This year- things figure to be a little tighter in the voting, as Kentucky's John Wall and Ohio State's Evan Turner seem to have separated themselves from the pack, but not from each other. Both players enter every game knowing they'll be the focal point of the defense, yet they still continue to put up great numbers, and more importantly, lead their team to wins. The Cats and the Buckeyes both figure to hang around in March for a while this season, and both Wall and Turner will be cashing NBA paychecks at this time next year.

But only one of them can take home the Player of the Year award. So who will it be? Let's take a look at the case for each player.

Evan Turner

19.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 5.8 apg

54% FG, 29% 3FG, 73% FT

Few players can stuff a stat sheet like Turner, who has 14 double-doubles and two triple-doubles this year while leading the Buckeyes to a 24-7 record and the Big 10 regular season title. Although his 6'7” frame would seem to place him on the wings, Turner is most comfortable running the point for Ohio State, where he uses his height and terrific court vision to set up his teammates. Turner is also a terrific scorer, and his rebounding numbers are absurd for a guy who spends most of his time on the perimeter. Furthermore, his importance to the Buckeyes was underlined when they went just 3-3 in a six-game stretch when Turner was out with two broken vertebra in his back following a nasty fall after a dunk. Turner is, quite simply, a match-up nightmare for most teams, who don't have anyone with the combination of speed and size to check him. His versatility allows Coach Thad Matta a lot of freedom with his lineups, as Turner can guard four positions and take advantage of almost any match-up thrown his way.

Turner also lacks the same quality of teammates as Wall has in Lexington. Wings Jon Diebler and William Buford are solid, but hardly the same caliber of player as Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins, who take the heat off of Wall. That means Turner isn't afforded the luxury of an off night, and if the Buckeyes want to win, he has to shoulder the load. Teams have been focusing on shutting down Turner all year, and he often sees multiple defenders every game as teams look to wear him down. But despite that pressure, Turner has responded nearly every night, demonstrating that he has leadership abilities and a high basketball IQ in addition to his tremendous physical gifts. Turner has the Buckeyes peaking at the right time, and there's no doubt that he means as much to his team as any player in the country.

John Wall

16.8 ppg, 4 rpg, 6.2 apg

46% FG, 33% 3FG, 78% FT

It's always an interesting conundrum when someone enters the college game accompanied by an enormous amount of hype, and they manage to live up to it. If they don't, they're often labeled a bust or a disappointment. If they do, it's because it's what they were expected to do, and the shock value is often lost. So when we look at what Wall has done this season, there's a lingering thought that “Yeah- this is pretty much what we thought he would do – what's the big deal?” But that being said, the impact Wall has had on Kentucky has been remarkable, especially for a true freshman who is only 19 years old.

Everyone knows about his physical gifts. He's blessed with insane athletic ability, which gives him the ability to not only speed by opposing guards in the open court, but also the hops to finish at the basket over and around bigger players. He has good court vision, is a willing defender, and plays with a flair that sets him apart from his peers. He's also shown, on more than one occasion, that he will make the big play when it's needed. In his first-ever college game, he buried a game-winning jumper against Miami (Oh). A couple weeks later, his clutch free throws sent the Cats into overtime against Stanford, a game they would eventually win. Against Louisville, in one of the most anticipated games of the season, Wall scored six straight points in the second half to spark UK, ignoring the physical play of the upset-minded Cards. He had five points in overtime at Mississippi State to help stave off a potential Bulldogs upset. And four nights later, it was his key lay-up and blocked shot that sealed a tough road win over Vanderbilt as he shrugged off a poor shooting night to step up in crunch time. Wall has shown time and time again that while he be capable of making the highlight-reel play at any time, he also knows how to make the winning play at the right time.

And the award goes to...

While Turner is one of the most well-rounded and versatile players in the college game in quite some time, the nod has to go to Wall for POY. Wall has not only put up remarkable stats, but he's been the difference in every close game the Cats have had, making clutch play after clutch play. While he admittedly has a better supporting cast than Turner, he's also been the one who has stepped up at crunch time, and it's not a stretch to say the Cats could have five or six losses without those clutch plays. Instead, UK will enter the NCAA Tournament as one of the favorites to win it all, and they'll be in that position because of Wall. It would be hard to argue against Turner if he is ultimately selected, but UK's record and Wall's history of game-changing and game-saving plays should give him the edge.

Counter Opinion

Evan Turner leads the National Player of the Year Chase

Kentucky's Postseason Could be a Roller-coaster

Jason Brubaker — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:11:23 -0800

Every year, CBS concludes their coverage of the NCAA Tournament with “One Shining Moment”, the sappy video montage that shows the highlights, lowlights, emotions and passion that make March Madness so great. Monster dunks. Clutch three-pointers. Buzzer-beaters. Teary-eyed players and coaches. You name it- it's on there.

So why bring this up now, still two weeks from Selection Sunday? Well if Kentucky plans on making a deep run in the tournament, fans better familiarize themselves with the roller-coaster of emotions that are often captured in that video. Because despite their overwhelming talent, the young Cats still have plenty of flaws that could be the difference between cutting down the nets or heading home early.

The most glaring defect right now is clearly the lack of outside shooting. The Cats' 2-22 effort against Tennessee, unfortunately, isn't an aberration. Since the calendar flipped to February, the Cats have made only 35 three-pointers in 145 attempts, a robust 24 percent. And while they're 8-1 in those games, their shooting woes have forced them to play with a razor-thin margin of error, needing overtime to best Mississippi State by six and surviving in Nashville against Vanderbilt by only two points. Even 10-point margins of victory over teams like Ole Miss and Alabama are a little misleading, as both games were tight throughout. Yes, there's certainly something to be said for finding a way to win, and the Cats did that in two very tough environments. But winning sometimes offers a false sense of security, and in the one-and-done style of the Big Dance, another cold night from the floor against a quality team could spell trouble.

But shooting woes shouldn't be the biggest concern for UK. After all, this is a team that buried 12 threes in a home win over Vandy in January, as well as 10 in a win over Arkansas, 11 against Sam Houston State and 14 against Hartford. The Cats have shooters, albeit some inconsistent ones. But they're very capable of making outside shots. No, the real concern should be why they're missing those shots. And the answer is easy...tired legs.

The Cats' eight-man rotation includes four true freshmen, as well as a junior college transfer. And as spectacularly talented as guys like John Wall and Eric Bledsoe are, they are simply not used to playing this many minutes. Although most high school teams play 30-35 games each season, it's a safe bet that both Wall and Bledsoe were both able to spend some second halves on the bench last year, having already built up a big lead. Unfortunately, that's not been the case this year, as both players are averaging over 30 minutes per game for the season. And their stats bear out the fact that they may be wearing down from all of the time on the court.

In December and January, Wall shot 45 percent from the field and 41 percent from the three-point line. In February? He's at 39 percent from the field and a paltry 19 percent from behind the arc. Bledsoe has also seen his numbers dip, from 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point land to 40 percent from the field and 18 percent from three-point land in the same time. Of course some will point to the level of competition having increased in conference play, and the fact that UK is getting every team's best shot - both fair points. However, even if that is the case, the tournament certainly won't change either of those facts. The level of play is going to be just as high, and every team will be fighting to stay alive, meaning the target on UK will grown even bigger as March wears on.

And therein lies the next concern...the march through March. Can a team with so little postseason experience handle playing six games in three weeks, each with increased intensity and scrutiny? They certainly didn't show it this past weekend, playing on a short turnaround after beating South Carolina on Thursday night. They did manage to climb back in the game against Tennessee, but only after spotting them an 18-0 first half run, something that could end them if it happens in March. Quite simply, mental lapses and periods of defensive breakdowns usually mean early exits from the Big Dance. The Cats' talent level is so high, they've been able to win despite those errors all season. But what about when they match up with a quality team in the second or third round of the tournament, potentially a team like Wisconsin, a veteran team who slows the pace and makes you maximize every possession? Could they fight through a poor shooting night to keep their intensity and focus at both ends of the floor? Only time will tell.

Of course, it's only fair to point out that the Cats, despite their youth and occasional mental lapses, are still 27-2. They still have a Player of the Year candidate in Wall, a potential All-American in DeMarcus Cousins, and a versatile forward in Patrick Patterson who is likely to be a lottery pick in June. They are the biggest team in the country, and they've showed that when they lock in, they're nearly unbeatable. So can they win the title this year? Absolutely. But because of their youth, they probably enter the postseason with a few more question marks than other title contenders like Kansas or Syracuse. So it remains to be seen if the Cats will fulfill their potential and cut down the nets in Indianapolis.

But one thing is certain.

It's going to be a heck of a ride.

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Shawn Siegel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:16:34 -0800