Points and Combos: Smelling like a Rose
But I hate silly arguments. And that's why I'm doing the CBSSports.com annual position rankings differently this year. It's impossible to place most players into one of five spots and not end up going back-and-forth with readers hour after hour. For instance, if I would have made Tyler Hansbrough the top center in the nation, I would have received 40 e-mails telling me he's really a power forward, to which I'd reply with a comment explaining how though he is listed as a power forward and projected as an NBA power forward, Tyler Hansbrough actually plays like a center in college, and do you see how this is a pain in the you-know-what? Want to try to put Jamont Gordon in one position? Me neither. So what I have done is divided the best of the best into three categories: 1. Points and combos. 2. Shooters and wings. 3. Bigs. With any luck, this will help prevent most of the endless arguments, like whether Tyler Hansbrough is a power forward or a center and whether Gordon is a point guard or a shooting guard (or something else entirely). But I'm confident we'll still fight over many things, like whether Jaycee Carroll belongs on list No. 1 or No. 2 (I say No. 2 because he's really just a small(ish) shooting guard) and whether Michael Beasley belongs on list No. 2 or No. 3 (I say No. 3 because most of his damage will come around the rim). So here's the plan: I'll unveil the Points and combos Monday, then you'll debate them through Tuesday. I'll unveil the Shooters and wings Wednesday, then you'll debate them through Thursday. I'll unveil the Bigs on Friday, then you'll debate them through the weekend. And once all the e-mails are in I'll put together a special Position Rankings Mailbag next week in which I'll strategically select the dumbest notes -- you know, the ones about how I overrate freshmen (you remember Mike Conley, Kevin Durant and Greg Oden, don't you?) and snub mid-majors (the mid-majors, for the most part, have good teams but not great individual players) -- and goof on readers in a way that makes them look idiotic while making myself look hilarious and brilliant. Boy, this is going to be a blast! So without further ado, I present the top Points and combos in the country. Naturally, a freshman tops the list. It's only proper. 1. Derrick Rose (Memphis): There are reasons NBADraft.net has Rose projected as the top overall pick next June, and those reasons all revolve around words like size, speed, athleticism, court vision and unselfishness. Chris Douglas-Roberts will score more points and Joey Dorsey will have more dunks, but if Memphis matches its preseason hype and advances to the Final Four for the first time since 1985, it'll be because of Rose and his Jason Kidd-like ability to create for others.
2. Ty Lawson (North Carolina): Last season I ranked Lawson as the sixth-best point guard in the nation before he had ever played a game at North Carolina, and Tar Heels coach Roy Williams told the Chicago Tribune such praise was "dumb as dirt." Obviously with this ranking, I stand by what I wrote, and then some. 3. Drew Neitzel (Michigan State): Neitzel had to do and be everything for the Spartans last season, but with a pair of shooting guard prospects enrolled, he can be less of a take-every-shot guy and more of a true point, though he'll still score in bunches for the Spartans. 4. Darren Collison (UCLA): Collison is lightening quick with long arms and he's just as good defensively as he is with the ball. In other words, he might be the perfect point guard for Ben Howland, even better suited for UCLA than Jordan Farmar before him. 5. D.J. Augustin (Texas): With Kevin Durant in the NBA, Augustin will be asked to score more than the 14.4 points per game he averaged last season. The good news for Texas is that he's completely capable. 6. Sean Singletary (Virginia): In terms of a true scoring lead guard, Singletary is probably the best of the bunch. He averaged 19.0 points per game last season, and that number will likely increase this season now that J.R. Reynolds is no longer around. 7. O.J. Mayo (Southern California): Regardless of your opinion on Mayo and the circus that was his high school career, there is no denying he is immensely talented. Truth is, Mayo could prove to be the best of this group if he manages to stay out of his own way, avoid trouble and play within a system. 8. Derrick Low (Washington State): Ask any coach in America -- particularly those on the West Coast -- to name a player who is clearly better than he appears at first glance, and the name you'll get more often than any other is Low. He doesn't look like much walking into the gym, but I've yet to find a basketball person who doesn't wish he was on their team. 9. Scottie Reynolds (Villanova): He was awful in international play this summer competing against grown men. But now it's back to matching up with college guys, and Reynolds has shown he's pretty good at doing that. 10. Jamont Gordon (Mississippi State): Gordon is big, strong and one of the toughest matchups in the nation. He's a threat to lead MSU in points, assists or rebounds every night, and in some games he'll do all three.
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