Traditionally the center position is always the thinnest when it comes to professional talent in college basketball. The same holds true in the NBA, which is why we've seen four centers taken first overall since 2002. More than half the league would embrace an upgrade at the center position and luckily for them this draft class of centers is strong, although none are worthy of building a franchise around like Dwight Howard. We've already covered the point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, and power forwards. Now it's time to conclude the college basketball preseason positional rankings with the top five centers:
Cole Aldrich, Kansas – Developing at a rapid rate since being a seldom used freshman just two seasons ago, Aldrich has skyrocketed up draft boards and is the country's best big man heading into 2009-2010. Aldrich isn't the most explosive athlete ever, but he's better than most give him credit for and he's also a very efficient player. He understands how to play in the low post and does a great job of utilizing his length, basketball IQ, and 6'11 frame around the basket. His jump shot will make most cringe, but it's surprisingly effective. Aldrich goes about the game in a very similar manner to Tim Duncan as he's quiet and unemotional, yet extremely difficult to stop. Like Kevin Love, you can either focus on his few deficiencies or you can appreciate his ability to play the game at a very high level despite them. Aldrich already has one championship ring and he could be adding another, this time as the star and leader of the team. He's currently projected to go top five and could continue to rise.
Solomon Alabi, Florida State – Standing 7'1 with a 7'5 wingspan, Solomon Alabi passes the eye test to say the least. He averaged eight points, five rebounds, and two blocks a game as a redshirt freshman, establishing himself as one of the most promising prospects to keep an eye on this season. He's a top ten pick on most mock drafts right now based on the assumption that he'll take another big step forward this season as he did in the last. Alabi's offensive game as a whole needs a lot of work. He's developed some good moves, but he struggles with properly reacting to what the defense gives him. Alabi plays harder than most players who have his size and are as new to the game as he is. Alabi played 22 minutes a game last year and that number is sure to rise. If his production doesn't as well, he'll find his stock going in the opposite direction that it did this summer.
Andrew Ogilvy, Vanderbilt – Last year Andrew Ogilvy took a step backwards after a stellar freshmen campaign. Ogilvy saw his scoring and field goal percentage decline, although he did improve slightly on the boards. A lot can be contributed to the fact that he went from being a role player as a freshman to the team's star as a sophomore. Ogilvy's remained a first round pick because of his versatile skill set and size. The 6'11 Ogilvy has a strong inside-outside game that makes him a difficult matchup for most players his size. Defensively he needs to do more work early. His lack of speed and athleticism will make his defense an even bigger area of concern at the professional level as he could be a liability against the pick-and-roll. The Commodores had a disappointing season last year and a lot of their expectations are based off of Ogilvy having a big year. His stock will stay in the first round if he can take them back to the tournament.
Larry Sanders, Virginia Commonwealth – Solomon Alabi and Larry Sanders share a lot in common. Sanders is a bit shorter at 6'10, but he's got a 7'6 wingspan and a frame that can support a lot of additional weight. Sanders, who is going into his junior season, was one of the best defensive players in the country last year. His averages of eight rebounds and two blocks a game helped take the Rams back to the big dance. However, he had the luxury of playing with Eric Maynor, the best player in the school's history. Now he's gone as is Anthony Grant, who took over the Alabama program last summer. Sanders will be asked to do a lot more than he did last season since now he's the leader of the team. Offensively his game has a lot of room to improve, but the team is going to go to him and look for him to produce. Look for Sanders to dominate the paint and glass defensively once again this year. If his offensive game makes steady progress, he'll find himself in the lottery come June.
DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky – John Wall may get the majority of the press and coverage, but DeMarcus Cousins is going to play a huge role for John Calipari this season as well. The signing of Cousins, who originally committed to Memphis, allows Patrick Patterson to move to his natural position. Together they'll form quite possibly the best power forward-center combination in the country as no teams will be able to handle their strength inside the paint. Cousins doesn't have the game of your typical center. He likes to play outside and use his versatility, almost to a fault. Coach Cal will undoubtedly get him playing like a traditional center more frequently than he did in high school. Cousins is not an above-the-rim type player, his game is built around his strength like Patterson's. As long as he can prove that he's athletic enough to do what is expected of him inside he'll go in the first round.
Honorable Mention: Keith Benson (Oakland), Festus Ezeli (Vanderbilt), Terrence Jennings (Louisville), Jerome Jordan (Tulsa), J'Mison Morgan (UCLA), Daniel Orton (Kentucky), Dexter Pittman (Texas), Tony Woods (Wake Forest), Ty Walker (Wake Forest)
Check back next week as HOOPSWORLD continues to preview the upcoming college basketball season!
