Durant, Oden lead NCAA Tournament’s Top 5 Freshman

Forward Kevin Durant is not only the NCAA’s best freshman, but he’s also the best player.

With the NBA’s new 19-and-up rule in effect, high-schoolers who may have opted for the NBA have instead been flooding NCAA programs. Making mediocre squads in the national title contenders. With that in mind, here’s a look the Top 5 freshman who should make a splash during March Madness:

5. Ohio State guard Mike Conley Jr.

The left-handed guard out of Ohio State has been making teams pay whenever defenders leave him to guard center Greg Oden. The freshman got especially hot during the Big Ten Tournament. He averaged 14 points, 4.6 rebounds, and six assists.

4. Georgia Tech guard Javaris Crittenton

While freshman forward Thaddeus Young has also been a major contributor for the Yellow Jackets, this team has quickly become Crittenton’s in his freshman year. Tied with Young as Georgia Tech’s leading scorer, Crittenton’s ability to get others involved (averages 5.7 assists per game) makes him irreplaceable for Georgia Tech in the tournament.

3. North Carolina forward Brandon Wright

Wright became the No. 2 scorer on the Tar Heels as soon as the season began. His numbers should increase (he currently averages 15.1 points and 6.1 rebounds) the deeper North Carolina goes in the tournament.

2. Ohio State center Greg Oden

Unquestionably the most dominant big-man in college sports, the Buckeyes wouldn’t be the No. 1 team in the country without Oden. The freshman has amazingly carried the Buckeyes on his 7-0 280-pound frame with 15.5 points and 9.7 rebounds and he hasn’t been able to use his primary shooting hand for half the season.

1. Texas forward Kevin Durant

Whether it be inside, outside, or from long distance, no one in the NCAA has been able to stop freshman phenom Durant. The 6-10 225-pound forward is a No. 1 candidate for NCAA Player of the Year with averages of 25.6 points and 11.3 rebounds.

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NCAA Basketball Prediction: Look for Florida Gators to be strong again and dominate NCAA Basketball this season.

Tags: NCAA Tournament, Kevin Durant, Greg Oden

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 14th, 2007 at 8:17 pm and is filed under Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball, NCAA Final Four, Sports, Sports Betting, Sportsbooks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.