College All-Stars
The following is from HOOPSWORLD Magazine’s All-Star issue, published the beginning of February 2008. HOOPSWORLD Magazine brings together some of the best independent basketball voices in the business and is published three times a year. Keep an eye out for the NBA Draft Preview issue, hitting news stands in early June 2008.
College Basketball All-Stars
Shawn Siegel
We asked our friends at CollegeHoops.net to take a look at possible All-Star rosters with college players.
Many people think the madness and universal appeal of the NCAA Tournament gives college basketball a leg up on the NBA, but the pros have something that the college game can’t match: a weekend extravaganza of basketball skill and celebrity known as the NBA All-Star game.
As fans of college hoops, all we can do is sit back and lick our lips when the All-Star Game rolls around. But what if we had a mid-season classic of our own? I present to you the 2008 College Basketball All-Stars.
East Starters
It’s a safe assumption that UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough would be the leading vote-getter in the East. He’s virtually a 20 & 10 machine for arguably the country’s best program. The other upperclassman on the Eastern team is steadily improving Georgetown big man Roy Hibbert. The 7’2" Hoya has been at the forefront of the program’s resurgence under John Thompson III.
Rounding out the East’s starting five is a trio of freshmen, and for my money, Indiana guard Eric Gordon is the country’s top rookie. With a deadly long-range shot and the ability to get to the rim and finish, Gordon has been a gem for Kelvin Sampson. Memphis point guard Derrick Rose might actually be the better prospect, though; perhaps the fastest player in the country with the ball in his hands, the 6’4" Rose has the size and strength to perform in the pros. Finally, we round out the starting five with small forward Kyle Singler. Singler’s numbers might not match the other starters, but that’s only because his Blue Devils are loaded with offensive weapons.
West Starters
USC guard OJ Mayo may have been the most-hyped freshman since Greg Oden the year before, and his performance has been anything but disappointing. However, Kansas State forward Michael Beasley is putting up numbers that rival the dominating performance of Kevin Durant last year. Beasley is virtually unstoppable in the post and surprises opponents with a deft touch on his jump shot.
UCLA’s Kevin Love is a rarity these days – a center who can actually score and defend in the post. Possessing an amazing pair of hands, the 6’10" Bruin leads a program attempting to reach three straight Final Fours.
After Kevin Durant left to be the second pick in the NBA draft last spring, everyone expected Texas to struggle. But the doubters didn’t take into account the talent and leadership skills of point guard D.J. Augustin. The sophomore can do it all on the offensive end: shoot from distance, drive to the rim, and pass with vision and confidence. The second sophomore is Arizona’s Chase Budinger. His volleyball past well-known by now, this Wildcat is more than just a leaper. He can stroke from behind the arc and even beat smaller defenders in the post.
College All-Star Reserves
The Eastern team’s bench is loaded with backcourt players. College basketball is, after all, a game dominated by guards. Speedster Ty Lawson joins teammate Hanbsrough, giving the team a bit of Tar Heel flair. However, not to be outdone, the Memphis Tigers also get a second player in swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts.
Four seniors make the East reserves, including high-scoring Virginia Cavalier Sean Singletary. Michigan State point-man Drew Neitzel just edged out younger teammate Raymar Morgan to make the team. Vanderbilt swingman Shan Foster is a four-year man, leading the Commodores to one of the country’s surprise seasons, and the last senior on the roster is Hoosier D.J. White, joining Syracuse freshman Donte Greene in the frontcourt.
The West’s reserve squad is full of Pac-10 & Big 12 performers. Juniors Darren Collison of UCLA and Mario Chalmers of Kansas provide a pair of orchestrators capable of beating opponents with pace or patience. If he returns for his sophomore season, Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless might become the best guard in the nation.
Up front, two forwards from the Bay area give the West squad interior scoring and rebounding. Stanford’s Brook Lopez and Cal’s Ryan Anderson are putting up some of the best numbers in the country. The final two highly-contested spots are filled by players from the Northwest, sharp-shooter Derrick Low of Top-10 Washington State and rebounding machine Jon Brockman of Washington.
Final Analysis
No All-Star roster is filled without controversy, and this team is no different. Players like Marcelus Kemp, Stephen Curry, and AJ Graves will blame the small-conference bias. SEC snubs like Chris Lofton, Richard Hendrix, and Andrew Ogilvy have to question whether there’s a southern bias, and Big East boosters are left wondering how they only managed two players.
In the end though, we’re only left with speculation and projection. For just one weekend a year, normally-proud college basketball fans have to admit that their pro counterparts are on to something special.
Shawn Siegel is the founder & chief editor of CollegeHoops.net. He can be reached at shawn@collegehoops.net.
