Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Who Ya Got: Frosh vs. the Field?

At the beginning of the college basketball season, everyone recognized that this was a spectacular freshman class -- by the end of the season, it was the... wait for it...:

Best. Freshman Class. Ever.

Very quickly, I started claiming that if you gave me the freshman class, I'd give you your pick of sophs, juniors and seniors... and my squad would beat yours. (In a symbolic move, today I named Kevin Love my college basketball player of the year, just edging out Michael Beasley, but certainly beating SN's own pick, Tyler Hansbrough.) Let's compare:

My team of Freshman 10:
Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, Jerryd Bayless, James Harden, Dante Green, OJ Mayo, Anthony Randolph, DeAndre Jordan. That group could make up 8 of the first 10 players taken in the 2008 NBA Draft.

(Just to illustrate the crazy depth of this freshman class, consider a few of the guys I left on the bench: Kyle Singler, Patrick Patterson, Russell Westbrook, Davon Jefferson, Nick Calathes, Jonny Flynn and probably a bunch I'm forgetting.)

Your team of Soph-Junior-Senior 10:
Tyler Hansbrough, DJ Augustin, Chris Lofton, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Luke Harangody, Shan Foster, Stephen Curry, Brian Roberts, Roy Hibbert, DJ White.

(Again, I'm not saying there isn't depth behind these guys, too, but when you're picking from three classes combined, it's a lot easier. But I'm the one who insisted on 1-on-3.)

Anyway, could the greatest class ever of freshmen beat the "experience" of the older guys? I'd be curious to get your take.

-- D.S.

7 comments:

pv845 said...

I don't see the Frosh stopping anything inside. They are guard heavy and as we all know, you have to have a post to win in college.

If in the NBA, the Freshman would win hands down. There is no D and they are all explosive scorers.

Natsfan74 said...

This freshman class is very good. But, I would take the Soph - Senior team head to head.

A comparison that might be more appropriate are the freshman against any other class (but that is flawed because of the early entry guys).

A better comparison, and one that you should have used since you called this the greatest ever, is a comparison against every other freshman class. But, you might have to at least address the early entry guys who would have been part of that class -- just to be fair.

5 on 5, last year's freshman class would win, but that class didn't go 10 strong (+) the way this one does. But, I would say the class of 2004/05 would have been MUCH better, except 8 of those guys were drafted instead -- including Dwight Howard.

DougOLis said...

Russell Westbrook is a Sophomore, and shouldn't Ryan Anderson out of Cal get some consideration for the Soph group?

Unknown said...

Russel Westbrook is not a frosh.

Sam said...

The Freshmen would dominate. And Russell Westbrook is a sophomore.

sfg4life said...

As a note, Westbrook is a soph, not a freshman. Breaking out big time this year though.

Unknown said...

I'd add Brook Lopez on the Soph-Senior Team -- probably going to go Top 10 in the draft and will be a legit NBA player.