Seth Davis has 10 burning questions going into basketball season and one of them is who is the best freshman in the country.
[URL=”http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/seth_davis/10/12/Midnight.Madness/index.html?sct=cb_t11_a0″]Here is his diagnosis:[/URL]
[B][I]4. Who is the nation’s best freshman?[/I][/B]
[I]Or to rephrase: Who is Kentucky’s best player? John Calipari has brought in his usual stellar haul in 6-10 forward Anthony Davis, 6-6 forward Michael Gilchrist and 6-2 point guard Marquis Teague. (The fact that Calipari swiped Teague from right under Rick Pitino’s nose was a nice little bonus.) Those three could split the balloting when it comes time to vote for national freshman of the year, but that award pales next to the opportunity to win a national championship.[/I]
[I]Freshman watching is always fun in college hoops, but this season features a particularly watchable crop. Uber-scorer Austin Rivers will step into the starting backcourt at Duke with the greenest of green lights. Point guard Josiah Turner (Arizona), shooting guard Bradley Beal (Florida), power forward Cody Zeller (Indiana), small forward Quincy Miller (Baylor) and power forward LeBryan Nash (Oklahoma State) will all have similar opportunities to make an immediate impact.[/I]
[I]The smart money is on Rivers or Davis, but nobody ever accused me of being overly smart. So I’m going with the late addition at UConn, 6-11 center Andre Drummond. He isn’t as offensively polished as the other top candidates, but he has the power and athleticism to dominate on the defensive end. He’s also a good passer with a high basketball IQ, which means he could improve quickly. Yes, it helps to be old in college basketball — especially during the tournament — but talent still trumps experience. And no player in America has more pure talent than Andre Drummond.[/I]
