Mike Bradley: Playing Favorites Has Never Been So Hard, Part 3

Pac 10

Contenders: UCLA, Arizona State

While not the same dominant UCLA team of years past, this Bruins team is more than capable of making some noise this March. Even with the likes of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love plying their trade in the NBA, Ben Howland's squad still has the talent and leadership to have a deep run in the tournament. Led by senior studs Darren Collison and Josh Shipp, as well as Alfred Aboya, the leadership provided by the trio is the perfect counterbalance to the young talent of freshman phenoms Jrue Holiday and Drew Gordon. An early season loss to Michigan was a bad omen, as well as a later nonconference loss to Texas, but UCLA looks like they are saving their best basketball for the tournament yet again. With four conference losses thus far, half of those losses came at the hands of an extremely talented Arizona State team. With lottery-bound sophomore superstud James Harden lighting the world on fire, the Sun Devils have the go-to scorer needed to have success in the postseason. They are far from a one-trick pony, however. Senior forward Jeff Pendergraph provides rebounding ability and extra scoring to compliment Harden's wing play, while guard-forward Rihards Kuksiks takes some heat off of Harden on the outside with his 10 points per. Even with an early loss to Baylor and a few inexcusable losses in conference play, you can't count out a team with such undeniable talent.

Jury is still out: Washington

Easily the most baffling team in the Pac-10, the Huskies have all the talent to be a top 10 team in the country. However, they continue to show that they can't be trusted on a game-by-game basis. A season-opening loss to Portland should have been an omen, as the team continued to lose nonconference games to both Kansas and Florida, and then conference games at home against California and then at Arizona, Cal again, UCLA. One of the most balanced teams in the country, the Huskies have a pair of sub-6' guards in freshman Isaiah Thomas and Justin Dentmon who are both average over 16 PPG. Down low, senior big man in the league Jon Brockman, averages a double-double while forward Quincy Pondexter tosses in 11 points and

 5.6 rebounds a game. With all the talent they have, it's easy to see a decent showing in the tournament. At the same time, all of the consistent makes it hard to put Washington any farther than the second round.

Pretenders: Arizona, California, USC

With the early season controversy surrounding the health and subsequent retirement of legendary coach Lute Olson, the decommitment of many incoming freshmen, and the game

 lapses from a mentally drained team, it's almost a miracle the Wildcats are even in position to make the tournament in the first place. Headlined by two players they have been lucky to have for this long, Arizona gets 18 points a game from Cali Boy Chase Budinger and a double-double from big man Jordan Hill. If the pieces around those building blocks can put it together and point guard Nic Wise can run the show effectively under pressure, the Wildcats may just prove the naysayers wrong. The California Golden Bears are built like Washington, without the bangers down low. With three guards averaging at least 12 PPG, Cal relies mainly on the 5'10'' Jerome Randle to carry the load. While it might work against the Pac-10, it'll be a whole different story for them to bang bodies with the likes of the Big East, ACC, and Big Ten when it's tourny-time. Led by head coach Tim Floyd, the Trojans surrounded wunderkind DeMar DeRozan with juniors Taj Gibson, Dwight Lewis, and Daniel Hackett for what was suppose to be an even better run than the one they completed with already-NBA star O.J. Mayo. However, things haven't gone smoothly. Losses to Seton Hall and Missouri early on, coupled with Pac-10 losses to Oregon State and Arizona, highlight some of the disappointing losses that weren't suppose to happen this year. Inconsistency and crushing losses early on will most likely end up costing the Trojans another shot at a March Madness appearance. 

SEC

Contenders: LSU

Even with the premature exit of freshman phenom (but NOT NBA ready) forward Anthony Randolph, the Tigers look like they haven't missed a step. In fact, they look better than last year's version. Led by senior sharpshooter Marcus Thornton (20.3 PPG) and junior forward Tasmin Mitchell (16.9 PPG and 7.3 RPG), LSU is the SEC's best chance at a respectable showing come March. With 6'11'' big man Chris Johnson anchoring the middle with 2.8 blocks per game and sophomore guard Bo Spencer providing some extra scoring, the Tigers should be a very good team for the seeding they will inevitably be given.

Jury is still out: Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky

The most disappointing team in the SEC has to be Bruce Pearl's Tennessee Volunteers. With Tyler Smith returning for his junior year and his shot to lead the team, expectations were high to pick up where Chris Lofton had left them the year before. Tyler Smith has put up his end of the bargain, averaging 17.6 points, 5.7 boards, and 3.5 assists per game as the do-it-all man an otherwise underachieving team. Wayne Chism has produced fairly well as a complement to Smith, but it's hard to find any other player on the roster playing to their potential. The monumental hype surrounding McDonald's All American Scotty Hopson seems incredibly misplaced based on his first year in Knoxville. For a team that relied heavily on three point shooting last year (thanks, in large part, to the graduated Lofton), they just don't have the firepower to reproduce last year's performance. Look for an early exit this March. Two years removed from their second straight National Championship, the Gators are looking to get into the dance yet again. However, they don't have nearly enough firepower to make a run even remotely close to the 2006 or 2007 teams. Nick Calathes can do it all (19-5-6) and Alex Tyus has done a nice job down low for the Gators, but that's about all there is to them. An extremely young team, look for the Gators to compete in a year or two if everyone stays. Down in Lexington, KY, there's a lot to like about the Wildcats this year. Phenom Patrick Patterson has managed to stay healthy while sensational guard Jodie Meeks has put it all together in a Player of the Year type campaign. The only problem is, those two are all that there is to Kentucky. Their third scoring option stands at 6'9'' and barely 200 pounds (Perry Stevenson) and the rest of the supporting cast is subpar at best. When Meeks is double-teamed (e.g. @ Mississippi) or when Patterson is out (e.g. @ Vanderbilt), the Wildcats are dead in the water. That being said, if both of them go off, specifically the sweet-stroking Meeks, the Wildcats can compete with anyone.

Pretenders: South Carolina

The last of the SEC teams with a legitimate shot at the tournament, the Gamecocks should be happy just to be there. Sensational guard play from Devan Downey and Zam Fredrick has gotten them this far, but success in March is a lot of pressure to put on the narrow 5'9'' and 6' shoulders of the two scorers. With losses to College of Charleston and Mississippi State on the resume, as well as a general lack of impressive wins in the nonconference schedule, the Gamecocks will have to fight for their lives come March. Count on them losing that fight.

Best of the Rest - Contenders:

Memphis, Gonzaga

John Calipari pushes all the right buttons. After losing a majority of his National Championship-losing team, including invaluable guards Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts, many were unsure how the Tigers would fair this year. Then Calipari scored a commitment from superstar Tyreke Evans, and all was good in Memphis yet again. While he's no Rose, Evans has been more than effective in his freshman campaign, averaging 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists a game. Meanwhile, National Championship game holdovers Robert Dozier, Antonio Anderson, and Shawn Taggert have provided the complementary scoring and defense that has Memphis in a good position to make a decent run again this

 time around. Gonzaga has long been America's darlings, making it to the tournament and garnering adoration, only to fall short time and time again. However, Mark Few feels incredibly confident about his current crew, and he has good reason. With big man Josh Heytvelt avoiding the psychedelics, his senior leadership and production has led the way for the likes of Austin Daye and Matt Bouldin to register equally impressive seasons. However, for the Bulldogs to get over the tournament hump and win the title, Jeremy Pargo needs to find his stroke and run the show like a senior point guard has to do. If this happens, look for Gonzaga in the Elite 8, with a possible deeper run in the cards. *

Mike Bradley: Playing Favorites Has Never Been So Hard, Part 2

Big Ten

Contenders: Michigan State

With the Big Ten showing improvement throughout the conference this year, only one team really sticks out thus far. Despite a hiccup versus an on-fire Northwestern team, Michigan State has asserted their dominance thus far. Losses to ACC teams Maryland and North Carolina also not withstanding, Michigan State has had another very impressive campaign thus far. Led by the big-scoring little man Kalin Lucas and do-it-all forward Raymar Morgan, Michigan State looks to have just enough production out of their role players to make some serious noise in March. With an early season upset over Texas, a big nonconference win over Kansas, as well as impressive conference wins at Minnesota (ranked), Ohio State and Illinois, the resume the Spartans are building should provide a solid seeding and a somewhat favorable route to the Final Four. 

Jury is still out: Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State

From a talent perspective, Purdue can compete with anyone in the Big Ten. Being led by a trio of sophomores, regardless of skill, is still going to be an issue for the Boilermakers. Guard E'Twaun Moore and Forward JaJuan Johnson ooze talent, but when one shows up, the other usually is a no-show. Meanwhile, arguably the most talented player, forward Robbie Hummel, has generally been a literal no-show. Registering DNPs against in losses against Penn State, Ohio State, and Illinois prove that the Boilermakers really struggle when Hummel is MIA. Can a young team really survive in March when they seem to rely heavily on the presence of one man? It's hard to see anything better than a second-round exit, depending on their seeding. Illinois shows a nice blend of veteran leadership and upstart underclassman, but they, too, have question marks. While four double digit scorers is nice to have in March, the Illini have shown they can't beat good teams on the road. Road losses to Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (in which they only managed 36 points, a high school score total) indicate that Illinois isn't ready to win away from Champaign. There's also something when your  7'1'' big man is only pulling down 3.8 boards a game in conference with little-to-no big men. You know it's a goofy year when "Minnesota" and "contender" are even close to being considered, but it's hard to back up their resume. Lawrence Westbrook is a nice player and the Golden Gophers most consistent scorer, but nothing else is too "golden" about this team. Aside from a home upset of Louisville, nothing stands out on their nonconference slate, while conference losses to Northwestern and Penn State show that these Gophers aren't quite ready for the Big Dance. Ohio State's resume might be one of the most intriguing of this bunch. Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Evan Turner is a do-it-all guard-forward who scores in bunches and pulls down rebounds with the best of them. Complimented by guards Will Buford and Jon Diebler, Oden-Conley-era holdover David Lighty, and super frosh B.J. Mullens in the center, the talent is all there. Impressive nonconference wins over the likes of Miami, Notre Dame, and Butler help the Buckeyes overcome two losses to conference powerhouse Michigan State,  road losses to Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and a nonconference loss to the streak West Virginia Mountaineers. If Turner throws his inexperience out the window and takes over this team, noise could be made out of Columbus.

Pretenders: Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State

A team that looked like a solid contender in the Big Ten yet again, the Badgers aren't quite living up to the lofty standards that had them ranked 21st in the country heading into the year. Led by senior forward Marcus Landry and junior guards Trevon Hughes, and Jason Bohannon, Wisconsin has not scored any quality nonconference wins and their significant Big Ten wins are all the product of home court advantage. A six game losing streak which included losses to conference bottom dwellers Iowa and Northwestern, only help the case against the Badgers as a team with any real shot in March. Not many teams have the nonconference resume Michigan has put together. Wins over UCLA and Duke had major hype around the Wolverines for the first time since the Fab Five graced the Ann Arbor campus. Led by fan favorites and Michigan natives Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims, the Wolverines started off as one of the surprises in college basketball this season. It didn't take long, however, for the basketball team to take after the kind of season the football team had just wrapped up. Enduring inconsistency throughout the Big Ten schedule, the Wolverines played themselves right out of March Madness talk. Losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State at home, as well as heartbreaking losses to Michigan State and #1 Connecticut have left Michigan playing for their bids. Every game from here on out is a must win, and it's hard to see them running the table and getting an at-large bid. Penn State is in a situation much like Michigan. Lacking the nonconference wins of the same magnitude as Michigan, the Nittany Lions do have some quality in-conference wins to hang their hats on. Beating Purdue and Michigan at home and upsetting Michigan State in Lansing only slightly covers up nonconference losses to Rhode Island and Temple, but it does put them in a decent position to control their own destiny. Seniors Stanley Pringle and Jamelle Cornley will need to team up with super soph Talor Battle if they want any hope at a March Madness experience, but it's an uphill battle.

Big 12

Contenders: Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas

Whenever a National Player of the Year candidate is leading your team, expectations are high. Blake Griffin and Co. are not disappointing. Behind Grffin's ridiculous line of 22.8 PPG and 14.2 RPG, the Sooners look Final Four-bound, even coming out of a notoriously weak conference. Nonconference wins over Stephen Curry and Davidson, then-#9 Purdue, and USC are all impressive resume games to add to their outright dominance of the Big 12's best. A 15-point win over Texas, and 19-point win over Baylor, and a 21-point win over Texas Tech are all a testament to the outright dominance the Sooners display night in and night out. The emergence of guard Willie Warren's outside shooting allow  Blake Griffin a little more space to do his superman act, and it's tough to see anyone slowing down the Boomer Sooners. Almost as surprising as the aforementioned Big Ten teams (albeit without the late season letdown), the Missouri Tigers have shocked the country on their way to an anticipated top-3 finish in the Big 12 this year, as well as a promising March Madness showing. Led by a pair of 6'8'' seniors in DeMarre Carroll and Leon Lyons, the Tigers have been quietly building a solid resume and should receive a great seeding for the tournament. It's already known they can play with the big boys in the regular season (wins over USC, California, Texas, Baylor, and Kansas). It's just a matter of performing under the bright lights in March. Anything less than advancing past the second round would be a resounding failure for this athletic team. Then you have the defending National Champions...sans Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson, and Russell Robinson, but defending champs nonetheless. Luckily for them, Cole Aldrich got some valuable experience in the tournament (Right, Tyler Hansbrough?) and Sherron Collins stuck around to be "The Man" for the Jayhawks this year. Meanwhile a solid freshman class led by Tyshawn Taylor and Marcus Morris, as well as sophomore Brady Morningstar are playing their roles just well enough for Kansas to be a real threat come March.

Jury is still out: Texas

First it was Kevin Durant. Then D.J. Augustin. A.J. Abrams was the last man standing. After 2 years of being the 2nd or 3rd fiddle, it was Abrams turn to shine. And shine he did...for a while. Scoring 20+ points ten times so far this year, Abrams is the undeniable leader of the Longhorns. The only problem with that is the Longhorns are 6-4 in the Big 12 this year so far. To put that in perspective, the Longhorns lost only three Big 12 games in each of the last two seasons. Abrams isn't the only one at fault, as he is truthfully playing out of position at the point guard spot. After averaging nearly 10 PPG last year, senior center Connor Atchley seems to be missing a true PG the most, as he is scuffling to get around 5.5 PPG this year. With losses to Kansas State and Nebraska as black eyes on their tournament resume, the Longhorns are looking at a 7 to 10 seed, and a tough road to follow in the tournament. If Durant and Augustin weren't up to the tournament task, something says Abrams won't be any better.

Pretenders: Baylor, Kansas State, Texas A&M

Early season "sleeper status" was endowed upon the Bears of Baylor, and they didn't disappoint. An early season upset over Arizona State was a nice resume builder, and hiccups against the likes of Wake Forest and South Carolina weren't backbreakers to their tournament chances. However, losing six straight conference games, three of which at home, will do the trick. It will take a valiant effort by senior leader Curtis Jerrells and sophomore stud LaceDarius Dunn for Baylor to have any chance at sneaking into the Dance. Kansas State has the best chance of the "pretenders" to actually make into March. Even with Michael Beasley's departure, the Wildcats have put together a pretty solid season behind guards Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen. However, with no major nonconference wins and a few too many Big 12 losses, it will take a big run of wins for K-State to make another appearance in March. When looking at Texas A&M's 17-8 record, you see an early home win versus and underachieving Arizona team, a home win versus a noncontender from the SEC in LSU, and not much else. Sure the Big 12 win over then-ranked Baylor is nice, but the seven Big 12 losses kind of outweigh everything. Senior guard-forward Josh Carter is nice player, and it's a shame he couldn't get a little bit of help. Texas A&M will have a nice view of the tournament from their living rooms. *

Mike Bradley: Playing Favorites Has Never Been So Hard

College basketball has always been known for its parity, but this is getting ridiculous.

Wake beats then-#1 UNC. Louisville beats then-#1 Pitt. Virginia Tech beats then-#1 Wake Forest. Hell, even NJIT got their first win in 53 attempts.

Up to this point, everyone has discussed "Big East vs. ACC" and which conference is deeper, but the last three national champions have come from the Big 12 and SEC. So let's dive into the whole NCAA landscape (in several parts).

ACC

Contenders: UNC, Duke, Wake Forest

Despite stumbling out of the gate, no team has as much top-to-bottom talent as the Tar Heels do, with POY-candidate Tyler Hansbrough and floor general Ty Lawson leading the team full steam ahead into March Madness. Meanwhile, Duke seems poised to make one of their

 classic runs in the tournament after a few hiccups the past few years against the likes of West Virginia and VCU. The senior leadership of sharpshooter Greg Paulus and the world-class athleticism of Gerald Henderson finally blossoming into superstar talent has the Blue Devils thinking "National Championship." Not to be left out, Wake Forest is playing the type of basketball that can bring back memories of the glory days with Chris Paul. Super-Sophs Jeff Teague and James Johnson are playing like season vets while freshman phenom Al-Farouq Aminu has lived up to everything he was billed as during his prep years. With three legitimate contenders, the ACC looks ready to make some noise this March.

Pretenders: Miami (FL), Clemson, Boston College, Virginia Tech

Of all the teams I think of as pretenders, Miami has the most potential to prove me wrong. Led by bullseye shooter Jack McClinton, The Hurricanes have the ability to put up points in bunches on any given night. But on the nights McClinton isn't hitting his bunches of threes, Miami usually has a tough time putting the ball in the hoop. One real scoring option in the month of March spells disaster for the 'Canes. Then you have Clemson, the quintessential fast-starter of the ACC. Starting off with a school-best 16-0 start, the Tigers have been dealt blowout losses by UNC and Wake Forest. If you can't beat them in January, you won't beat them in March.  BC and Virginia Tech are only on this list because of their high profile wins versus North Carolina and Wake Forest, respectively. Don't buy into them. Plain and simple.

Big East

Contenders: Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh

The preseason favorite is the current favorite still in my mind. A veteran-loaded team, UConn features do-it-all senior Jeff Adrien and floor leader AJ Price, as well as skyscraping big man Hasheem Thabeet. Add to that the steady guard play of Jerome Dyson and the energy off the bench from heralded freshman Kemba Walker, and you have the depth needed on a National Championship contender. Down in Louisville, Rick Pitino has yet another talented team poised to take on the tournament field. With a balanced roster with veteran leadership combined with young talent, the Cardinals looked poised for battle come March. Senior leader Terrence Williams teams with the phenomenal junior Earl Clark and the currently-underperforming Edgar Sosa to provide strong leadership for Freshman of the Year-candidate Samardo Samuels. Without Sosa's 3-point stroke returning, Louisville could face some tough times in March, but their stable of athletic, skilled forwards is something that should be unmatched by any team in any conference. Then there's Pitt. I don't know what it is, but it feels like Levance Fields has been leading this team for the past decade. While it may not be that long, Fields, as well as sweet shooting Sam Young, provide valuable senior leadership to a team notorious for choking in March. To counteract all the "old men" leading the team, the Panthers have a 6'7'', 265-pound sophomore wrecking ball in DeJuan Blair. Fresh off of a 20 point, 10 rebound performance against equally-rotund Syracuse big man Arinze Onuaku, it's clear the young man is ready for the big stage. Here's to hoping the rest of this team is up to the task as well.

Jury is Still Out: Syracuse, Georgetown, Marquette

One of the most frustrating teams in the country has to be the Syracuse Orange. A team that rarely loads up their nonconference schedule scored major road wins against then-ranked teams in Florida, Kansas, and Memphis. Led by a top PG prospect in Jonny Flynn, Syracuse mixes a combination of inside scoring (Onuaku and sophomore Rick Jackson) with solid outside shooting (Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf), but there is a missing element. Much like last year's Memphis team with slightly less talent, the Orange lack a killer instinct. Shooting a combined 62.5% from the charity stripe doesn't help matters either. If Jonny Flynn learns how to take over games or the whole team learns how to hit a foul shot, Syracuse could make some noise. If not, it could be another early round exit for Syracuse. The only team more confusing than Syracuse has to be the Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas decimated the Orange at home, but losses to teams like Tennessee, Notre Dame, and West Virginia have to give fans a cause for concern. A team as talented as Georgetown shouldn't be losing home games to lesser conference foes or nonconference games to lesser conferences. While Greg Monroe is enough to make anyone salivate, overall team play needs to become more consistent before the Hoyas can be "for real." Some might say a 5-0 conference record should land a team on the "Contenders" list, but it's hard to grant any merit to that record when the best team they beat was an underachieving Villanova team. While they run out one of the best groups of guards in the country with Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal, and Dominic James, it's hard to take a team seriously when their leading rebounder is standing at 6'6''. If the guards go cold, it's hard to see Marquette keeping it close with ANY team come March.

Pretender: Villanova, West Virginia, Notre Dame.

You know what they say; Inconsistency killed the Wildcat. Another team with a lot of guard and perimeter play and not enough banging inside, the Wildcats don't seem to have enough to make any noise in the tournament (despite the remarkable improvement shown by senior forward Dante Cunningham). As far as West Virginia goes, the worst thing to do would be to buy into the recent upset of Georgetown at home. It's not every day that Austin Freeman, DaJuan Summers, and Greg Monroe combine to go 9-for-30 from the field. An young, upstart team, I do like the Mountaineers...in 2009-2010. Notre Dame might be the biggest shocker on the list because of the presence of reigning Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody combined with lights out shooters Kyle McAlarney, Ryan Ayers, and Tory Jackson. However, their probem isn't scoring. Their defense is where they will truly suffer in March. Shooters run cold, and if the Irish run cold, they aren't going to lock anybody down. Until they show a commitment to defense, they might as well plan for a short showing in all of the Madness. *

Mike Bradley: Where's the Love for Jodie Meeks?

The days are shorter. The snow is falling. Conference play is starting.

Yup. College Basketball is kicking into gear. As is the Player of the Year discussion. You have your Hansbrough and Curry supporters, as well as the Blake Griffin bandwagon for the sensational soph, but it's Jodie Meeks who has been catching my eye this season (yes, before his 54-point outburst against Tennessee recently). And it seems like I've been alone on this.

Despite an early season injury, and a few hiccups so far in ACC play, Tyler Hansbrough has picked up where he left off during his junior season. With his Player of the Year award intact, as well as many other accolades, Hansbrough had little left to prove. However, back for his senior season, he looks as hungry as ever. Missing four games due to the aforementioned injury, Hansbrough was behind his peers for this year's Naismith award. He didn't waste any time getting back into the discussion. In just his third game of the season, against then-#8 Notre Dame, Tyler Hansbrough showed the world why he was Tyler Hansbrough. After dropping 34 and 5 on Luke Harangody (no slouch himself), Hansbrough hasn't looked back. Posting three double-doubles and scoring under 20 points only once since the ND game, Hansbrough is yet again "the man" for a North Carolina team poised for big things yet again. The man is a ball-magnet, as well as a "Player of the Year" discussion-magnet. I just don't believe all the talk is warranted. 

Eleven Months ago, Stephen Curry could have walked down the halls of any high school and blended in better than kids actually in high school. After his scintillating March Madness debut, the country went Curry Crazy. People wondered, despite his slight frame, if his draft stock had anywhere to go but up. With his draft position in question among NBA GMs and scouts, Curry decided to keep his sweet stroke in the college game for at least one more year, and fans of the game have to be rejoicing. Aside from a scoreless game against an unorthodox defense by Loyola (MD), Curry has not slowed one bit from March 2008. Adding point guard skills to his repertoire, Curry has evolved from elite scorer to elite player. While he hasn't gotten any bigger, stats don't lie. His scoring hasn't suffered from his newfound love of sharing the ball. Scoring 30 or more points 8 times this season makes the fact that he's averaging nearly 7 assists a game that much more special. If there was an MVP in college basketball, there is no doubt that Curry is the most valuable to his team. However, it's Player of the Year that we are discussing.

At the end of last season, it looked like Blake Griffin was destined to be another ill-advised, one-and-done freshman phenom-turned-NBA benchwarmer. Waiting until the very last minute to declare for the draft, Griffin chose to return to Norman for his sophomore year with the Sooners. While showing flashes of brilliance in his freshman campaign, it never looked like it all clicked mentally for the physically mature man-child. After nearly half a season, it's quite obvious that it's all clicking for him now. Griffin's nickname should be "The Human Double-Double," because chances are he'll put up double digits in points and rebounds on a nightly basis. In fact, he's failed to record a double-double in only 3 of 17 games thus far. He could pass for a black Mr. Clean for the way he cleans the glass, recording 20+ boards in 3 games and averaging 14 rebounds per game. Throw in his 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game, and you have a near complete player playing for a top 5 team in the country. He's another case of MVP, but his case for POY is much stronger.

Despite all of the previous players' accolades, statistics, and individual value to their teams, nothing about them should set them far apart from what Jodie Meeks is doing for the revitalized Kentucky Wildcats this year.

Just last year, Meeks was an underdeveloped 6'4'' 2-guard struggling to get his sweet shot off because of his inability to shake physically stronger defenders. A less-than-stellar sophomore year was made evident by his 8.8 points per game and 32% 3-point shooting percentage. Those underwhelming statistics coupled with his lack of physical attributes left many wondering if Meeks was nothing more than wasted talent. A 4-Star recruit out of Norcross, GA, it was easy to see that Meeks was running out of time heading into his junior year.

Knowing it was make-or-break, it's fairly obvious Meeks hit the weight room and hard, adding a lot of muscle to his previously fragile frame. What used to be a lanky 6'4'' combo guard had physically matured into a prototype NBA 2-guard. From 8.8 PPG to 26 so far this year, Meeks has been imposing his will upon opponents all season. Massive scoring outbursts combined with his fast hands on defense make me wonder how this kid isn't getting more hype (prior to the Tennessee game). On a team with a coach who demands defense, Meeks is also the lockdown defender for Billy Gillespie's Wildcats. Averaging 1.5 steals per game is just icing on the cake that is the new Jodie Meeks. Shooting an unconscious 44.4% from 3-point range and 48% from the field is a testament to the efficiency that Meeks scores those 26 points a game. Oh, and by the way, he hits is free throws at a 91.4% clip. Not too shabby there, either.

When all is said and done, a more glorious, lottery-bound player like Blake Griffin will probably end up with the hardware. While Stephen Curry steals the hearts of basketball fans and 14 year old girls alike, Tyler Hansbrough will continue to build upon his legacy not only in ACC history, but NCAA history. But don't be surprised when Meeks is the one everyone looks back on and realizes they overlooked. I'm sure some team will pay for it come March, anyway. *