Basketball

People argue about who exactly is the top recruit for 2009 and how the order goes but nobody really is arguing about who are or are not at the top (the top nine are basically the top nine for the most part wherever you look). Point guard John Wall has made his decision and now it's time to break it all down. Here are the top nine players (in alphabetical order).

Avery Bradley - Texas - This shooting guard just keeps on rising up the charts. Bradley is the only one on my list that you would not have seen on this list a year ago and now is all the way up to #1 on ESPN's list. If you watch his film you have to question why he is on this list but the thing you would be missing is that highlight films do not take into account defense. He is an elite defender who can also score. One word: defense.

DeMarcus Cousins - Kentucky - This big man excels on the offensive side of the ball. He has a variety of post moves that he uses well to score the basketball. Not as athletic as Favors and not as naturally gifted as Sidney, at this point Cousins may be better than both of them. One word: balanced.

Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech - This big man is extremely athletic and can do things other big men only wish. With his speed and leaping ability he has the potential to be dominant both in college and in the pros. One word: athletic.

Jordan Hamilton - Texas - This wing is a big time scorer. Hamilton can score, and score in a variety of ways. While Bradley is the gem of Texas' incoming class, there is little doubt that Hamilton will be the Longhorns leading scorer next season. One word: versatility.

Xavier Henry - Kansas - While Henry is not the only wing on this list (Stephenson, Hamilton), he is the best wing on this list. Henry decommited from Memphis to select Kansas. I would love to ask John Calipari if it was Henry or Wall that he was hoping to build his Memphis class around before leaving for Kentucky. Henry is a left-handed Kobe Bryant who is a step slower than Kobe is. He needs to work on his handle as well. If he could learn to play a little quicker he would be absolutely unstoppable on the offensive end as he is a great finisher and also has range. One word: NBA body.

John Henson - North Carolina - This 6'10" forward prefers to play his game on the perimeter. In a couple of years if Henson can work hard in the weight room you might hear comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. I think at this point many Carolina fans are expecting too much from Henson. One word: upside.

Renardo Sidney - Mississippi State - This big man has elite size to go along with elite talent. Unlike Cousins and Favors who stand at 6'9", Sidney is a full 6"11" and has recently filled out that frame. With more talent and natural ability than the rest of the big men on this list, Sidney's problems are all above the shoulders. Despite being an LA product, neither UCLA or USC would touch Sidney with a 10-foot pole (and that's saying a lot considering USC's blatant disregard for recruiting violations). Questions still surround this prospect's eligibility as there are tons of rumors regarding Sidney's contact with agents, etc. One word: talent.

Lance Stephenson - undecided - This Coney Island sensation makes Jesus Shuttlesworth look humble. This wing has college coaches thinking twice about whether they want him on their team or not. With Sidney it was a no-brainer no thank you but "Born Ready" is a different situation altogether. Stephenson's eligibility is not in question but his me-me-me attitude is. Despite only being 210 pounds, Born Ready's game is eerily similar to that of LeBron James. I'm hearing the only person with a bigger ego than Lance Stephenson is his father who also happens to be his personal manager. Ready to commit to Kansas a couple of months ago, Kansas head coach Bill Self told Stephenson to hold off when he heard Henry was back on the market. While I'd love to see Born Ready play college ball my guess is that he will play a year in Europe before becoming some NBA GM's headache. One word: confidence.

John Wall - Kentucky - This point guard is THE point guard of the 2009 class. Incredible speed and able to finish at the rim, Wall was the point guard every college coach was going after. While I think he is a top 2 or 3 player in the country, the hype surrounding Wall is just not warranted. People are making him out to be the top point guard coming out of high school in the last 20 years and that is simply not the case. One word: speed.


I want to give a top five for next season but I can't as I only see four teams with a legitimate shot to cut down the nets in Indianapolis. Here they are in order.

1) Kansas - Not only do the Jayhawks return their entire team intact, they bring in some more pieces as well. The only losses were two transfers who averaged less than a minute a game last season. Kansas brings in an excellent recruiting class that was big on filling needs. Highlighted by Xavier Henry, the Kansas class also includes a big-time rebounded in Thomas Robinson and a very athletic point guard in Elijah Johnson to back up Sherron Collins. Most casual fans think the strength of this Kansas squad will be in the star power of Collins, Henry, and the nation's top returning center Cole Aldrich, and it might but it might also be in the ridiculous depth the Jayhawks will boast. The Jayhawks will be so deep that Bill Self might have to consider redshirting a player.

2) Villanova - Yeah they lose Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark and Dwayne Anderson and Scottie Reynolds may stay in the draft but the real talent on the team remains (Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Reggie Redding). Add to it an elite recruiting class (four top 50 players with Dominic Cheek and Mouphtauo Yarou barely missed the top nine cut) and the best head coach in the country in Jay Wright and you have my pre-preseason #2 team in the country. I also have a feeling Scottie Reynolds changes his mind and returns.

3) Kentucky - Pat Patterson said he's coming back, and now it's time for Jodie Meeks to join him. John Calipari almost pulled the impossible by bringing in every player he wanted; the only one that got away was Xavier Henry. What Calipari did bring in was John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and four others who amount to be what the media is billing as quite possibly the greatest recruiting class ever assembled. While that most definitely is a stretch, what is not is Calipari's ability to coach and motivate. With Meeks this team will be very good from the beginning of the season. Without Meeks this team will struggle but should pull it together and be very dangerous by tournament time.

4) Texas - Yes Texas will miss seniors A.J. Abrams and Connor Atchley and yes I believe Damion James will stay in the draft but Texas is also bringing in a top recruiting class to add to the talent returning to Austin. Texas head coach Rick Barnes has been quoted as saying he believes Dexter Pittman will be a lottery pick following next season and I believe that Dogus Balbay will be the nation's most improved player and a household name by season's end. Balbay showed flashes of greatness last season and an extreme lack of consistency. Imagine a point guard version of Manu Ginobili and that is Balbay's game. While I don't think either Avery Bradley or Jordan Hamilton is a top five player they both reside on the consensus top nine list and I think they will both be impact freshmen. Joining Bradley and Hamilton in this class is another wing in 3-point specialist Shawn Williams who chose Texas over offers from powers Kentucky, Louisville, and Illinois among others.