Power Forwards

I don't comment on freshmen until they play, but the feeling here is that the likes of Cousins and Favors will be the story at PF in 2010. There's also Montiejunas and Henson who might be he 2 best of the bunch, but also might both be better suited to SF. But this list is the top 10 of returning NCAA players. It's a group of talented players who either need to step up part of their game or show they can excel as the main guy playing big minutes. This list will certainly be jumbled by season's end. All players are pretty close in potential going into the season, but while some will certainly excel, other will fade into obscurity. By March I expect 3-5 of these players to be looking like solid 1st round picks, but right now it's impossible to say which ones will make the jump. This is merely the order I would put them in going into the season.

1. Ed Davis, North Carolina: There are some high expectations here, but he has a ways to go. He's light for a PF, 215 lbs, and he needs to improve his scoring frequency and efficiency a lot before he's a lottery pick. He's solid defensively and on the boards, which is a good start. Time will tell if his team situation will help or hurt. NC's frosh class is said to be pretty special, and upperclassmen can get lost in the shuffle in such situations. Still he looks like the best of this group going in.
2. Terrence Jennings, Louisville: Seems like a good candidate to bust out. He played low minutes last year, but has great length, blocks shots as well as any player in the nation and is going to get an opportunity to play. There are going to be a ton of stats there for the taking in Louisville with Williams and Clark gone. Jennings is the one Cardinal whose per minute numbers suggest he's ready to seize this opportunity.
3. Trevor Booker, Clemson: He doesn't get the hype of other returning players and he might be too short, listed at 6'7". But there's no returning PF with better prospect numbers across the board. He also strikes me as a very smart player, like Ryan Gomes, who will find a way to make it at the next level.
   
4. Pat Patterson, Kentucky: His situation is a little shaky. He's been more of a PF and a pretty good one. Kentucky is bringing a couple of big guys and Patterson may be asked to be more of a SF at times. This is of course a double-edged thing. Should he excel and develop a decent outside shot, he'll be that much more valuable. Should he struggle, he'll likely fall off the map as a prospect while Wall, Favors and the rest of Coach Cal's freshmen class take over.
   
5. JaMychal Green, Alabama: He's still raw, but he started to pick his game up as the year progressed. The rebounding and defense are already solid, he just needs to smooth out the rough edges in his game and he'll be right there.
6. Aminu Al-Farouq, Wake Forest: He's listed as a SF on some lists and he may yet prove to be a good one. I see him as more of a PF right now. No player has a better situation going in. He's going to get an opportunity to excel with Teague and Johnson being gone. He has a veteran pass-first PG in Smith running the offense and some big guys in MacFarland and Woods to do the dirty work. I have him this low because he's on the small side and his defensive numbers don't exactly wow me, but a big jump in production wouldn't surprise me at all.
   
7. Drew Gordon, UCLA: Like Davis, Jennings and Green he's a soph who flashed some nice potential in limited minutes last year. He should get a chance to shine this year. He's a decent inside scorer and rebounder. His defensive numbers are weak and he's prone to TOs and fouls.
   
8. Justin Vanardo, Mississippi State: He's a better player than some of the younger guys right now, but as a senior he doesn't have the upside so I have him a little lower. He looks like he has the stuff to become a decent energy guy of the bench.
   
9. Craig Brackens, Iowa State: Going into his junior year the only thing he does well enough is rebound, which he's pretty good at. The fact that he also has a decent outside shot helps his cause too. But he hits barely over half his shots and his defensive numbers are weak. He's still pretty young, but has lots of work to do before he's much of a prospect.
10. Michael Washington, Arkansas: A player who meets all the minimum requirements for a PF prospect. Not a great prospect, but he has enough talent that he could stick round the league awhile as a reserve banger. Biggest concern is he's a year older than most seniors and that's often a red flag.