Countdown to March Madness

Posted by Phil Partington Jan 16, 2008

Is it just me, or is anyone else itching for college basketball's March Madness? It's a month or two away, but we're entering the downslope of the season, especially with the numerous conference playoffs in February.

In addition, is anyone else as excited as I am about the freshman class this season? As great as the Kevin Durant/Greg Oden class was a year ago, I think this class might be even better. Here's how I'd rank the top freshmen as of January 15th, 2008.

1. Michael Beasley, F Kansas St, 23.8 ppg, 13.1 rbpg - Though he plays for a weak division, he's a beast to reckon with.
2. Derrick Rose, PG Memphis, 14.7 ppg, 4.3 apg, 4.0 rbpg - His stats are misleading. He's an unselfish player on one of the best team's in the country.
3. Kevin Love, UCLA C, 16.8 ppg, 10.2 rbpg, 60% FG - The Bruins finally got a power game in the middle.
4. Donte Greene, Syracuse F, 18.9 ppg, 8.2 rbpg - Versatility and scoring. This kid reminds some of Rashard Lewis.
5. James Harden, Az St G, 18.2 ppg, 5.6 rbpg - Harden's scoring prowess has provided the Sun Devils with a big boost.
6. Jerryd Bayless, Az G, 19.7 ppg, 4.6 apg - Bayless is a scorer through and through.
7. Patrick Patterson, Kentucky F, 17.2 ppg, 8.4 rbpg - A tough competitor with a lot of talent.
8. OJ Mayo, G USC, 19.9 ppg, 4.8 rbpg, 3.0 apg, 3.9 topg - Many might disagree with this low rank, but I think he's overrated.
9. DeAndre Jordan, Tx A&M C, 10.5 ppg, 7.2 rbpg - Doing a great job in the middle for A&M.
10. Kosta Koufos, Ohio St C, 14.4 ppg, 7.1 rbpg - He would have been a great compliment to Greg Oden a year ago.