Let's be honest, it's a boring time in the NBA right now. There doesn't seem to be any big trade or play off implications, and All Star weekend is the most interesting thing to look forward to in the near future. Therefore, we look to the collegian level, where the road to the tournament is heating up. I mean, we can do this, since this is "the blog about all things basketball."
The NCAA this year is led primarily by freshmen. Most people think that freshmen make up the top 4 or 5 players in the country. My feelings differ slightly. Right now, Jabari Parker is the number 1 player on my list. Duke is having a tough season, but he's been a bright spot. Parker in my opinion is the best college player since Carmelo Anthony. He simply is an unstoppable force. He has an NBA body with LeBron-like athleticism. The 6-8, 235 lb forward is averaging 19 points per game, and he's shooting 47 percent from the field. He's also grabbing 8 boards a night. I attended the Syracuse-Duke game last weekend, and Parker was a force to be reckoned with. He fouled out with somewhere around 3 minutes left in the overtime-bound game, but before his exit, he was nearly unstoppable. He has a very strong high-post game, and he simply elevates over bigs when scoring down low. If Parker doesn't foul out of the game, this may have been different. Number 2 on my big board is the 6-4 point guard from Oklahoma State; Marcus Smart. Smart is another guy with an NBA body and athleticism, and in my opinion he's the best sophomore in the country. He's currently averaging 17 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds a game. He's been the key piece to O State's success this year, and I see the 'Boys as a serious threat in March this year. Stay tuned as I continue my prospect list in the days leading up to NBA All-Star weekend.
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