Friday, October 16, 2009

Player Rankings: Mid-Major Stars

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Note: Excludes “BCS” teams.

Conferences Ranked No. 7-14 (Atlantic-10, Conference-USA, Missouri Valley, Colonial, Mountain West, WAC, West Coast, Horizon)

Jimmer Fredette/Jonathan Tavernari, BYU: One of the best perimeter tandems in the entire country.
Ben Uzoh/Jerome Jordan, Tulsa: Because of these two, the Golden Hurricane have a chance to unseat Memphis in C-USA.
Mac Hopson, Idaho: An all-around contributor at the point, Hopson is one of the most productive players around.
Rodney Green, La Salle: The Explorers have a chance to make some noise this season, and it starts with Green.
Kevin Anderson, Houston: Part of one of the best mid-major backcourts, when combined with David Gonzalvez.
Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga: Lost most of his veteran teammates from the past few seasons, but he will still be the Zags' leader.

Charles Jenkins, Hofstra:
 A strong, quick scorer at the point, Jenkins is one of the best players in the Colonial.
Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State: Might be the best player in the Missouri Valley; is certainly the most exciting to watch.
Gordon Hayward/Matt Howard, Butler: Two of the top players at their respective positions in the nation.
Jordan Crawford, Xavier: The kid who dunked on Lebron over the summer is ready to lead the reloading Musketeers.
Chris Wright, Dayton: The high-flying Wright will be the offensive leader for a Flyers team looking to win the A-10.
Paul George, Fresno State: An outstanding athlete, George is projected by some to be a lottery pick when he leaves school.
Damian Saunders, Duquesne: Undersized big man for the Dukes, Saunders creates match-up problems with his skill set.
Omar Samhan, Saint Mary's: Won't have Diamon Simpson or Patty Mills anymore, and needs to become more dominant.
Roderick Flemings, Hawaii: Flemings entered his name into the NBA Draft before withdrawing; big-time player in the WAC.
Luke Babbitt, Nevada: One of the best power forwards in the country, Babbitt can score inside and also knock down the three.
Dior Lowhorn, San Francisco: Lowhorn is often underrated in the WCC, but he is a 20-10 threat every night out.

Adam Koch, Northern Iowa:
 The Panthers are a balanced group, but Koch is their go-to-guy offensively.
Larry Sanders, VCU: He is an outstanding shot-blocker and rebounder, and is becoming better at the offensive end.


Conferences Ranked No. 15-No. 31

A.J. Slaughter, Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers will look to continue their success, and Slaughter will need to be their leader.
Ryan Thompson, Rider: Jason's younger brother, Thompson is a versatile and all-around productive performer.
Jeremy Lin, Harvard: Lin is one of the best all-around guards in the country. He can do it all at both ends for the Crimson.
Edwin Ubiles, Siena: Ubiles won't have Kenny Hasbrouck anymore, but he will still be able to lead the Saints back to the Tournament.
Ryan Wittman, Cornell: One of the best shooters in the country, Wittman will try to get back to the Big Dance with the Big Red.

Johnathan Jones/Keith Benson, Oakland: Dynamite inside-outside combo, Jones is a terrific passer and Benson is solid down low.
Kyle Austin, UC-Riverside: A good scorer and rebounder, Austin is long and athletic at the forward spot for UCR.
Tyrone Lewis, Niagara: Lewis is a big-time scorer and a steal magnet defensively, and can heat up on any given night.
Marquis Blakely, Vermont: An absolutely dominant player in the America East, Blakely can get 20, 10 and three blocks every night.

Kenneth Faried, Morehead State: Faried is very athletic and is fun to watch. He can make an impact at both ends of the floor.
Art Parakhouski, Radford: Before reaching the NCAA Tournament, Parakhouski was the best big man you had never heard of.
Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb: He has scored in double-figures in 27 straight games, and will be even better as a junior.

1 comment:

  1. Thompson is someone who could play anywhere. A true do-it-all type swingman and matchup nightmare. Watch out for him this season. NBA caliber player.

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