Age Old Debate: Who's #1???

There are four teams that are vying for #1 in the polls, various power rankings, and in the minds (not necessarily hearts) of America's college basketball electorate.

One of them is a team I have a particular fondness for. Duh.

Kris Joseph. You want me to depend nightly on Kris Joseph? Seriously? Seriously!?!?
Credit: Blog.Syracuse.com

Entering the season, I had tempered expectations. Maybe not to the tune of the Big East coaches - the Cuse were ranked preseason #6 - although I can't admit I figured them for such an impressive 22-1 start.

If you would have asked me which 5 issues were most pressing to the 2009-2010 edition of the Syracuse Orange, I might've sounded similar to this:
A) How do we replace three of our top contributors from last season (Flynn, Devendorf, & Harris) during a tougher-than-usual non-conference schedule?
B) Is Andy Rautins ready to be the on-court leader of this team?
C) Can Arinze Onuaku stay healthy during Big East play?
D) Who is this team's point guard and further more...who on Earth is the backup?
E) I've heard enough talk. How good is Wesley Johnson going to seriously be?

Fortunately, answers weren't as difficult as I thought they'd be. Even after the humiliation of exhibition losses to Le Moyne.

Rather than compiling answers on all 5, I'd be lying if I didn't admit the first question has lingered throughout the season first and foremost, until recently that is. The concept of addition by subtraction - especially with Devendorf and Harris - never rang so true for me.

A lot of eligibility was left on the table. Funny thing is, maybe their leaving (Devendorf, Flynn, & Harris) was the best thing for everyone involved. Even the Orange.
Credit: Syracuse.com

Devendorf and Harris were extremely gifted players, although the game didn't flow so smoothly through either of them. Devendorf was far too erratic off and on the court (to say the very least); meanwhile, Harris relied on physical talent, but lacked the mental toughness to ever truly be a standout. Both of them seemed to hinder the team as much as they helped it at times. Flynn was as talented a PG as this PG-rich school had ever seen. Problem was, he was a shoot-first point guard who didn't play a lick on defense. As soon as he was off, the team was in a funk they couldn't recover. Although I'll never forget their heart during Six in the City. Never.

Top Pro: The 2-3 zone looks as effective as it did in 2003.
Johnny Flynn, unlike Paul Harris or Eric Devendorf, certainly wasn't addition by subtraction on the offensive end. On defense though, Flynn isn't missed at all. Triche is strong and sturdy and Andy Rautins had better be a 1st-team Big East defender. The top of the zone is steady as a rock right now. Meanwhile, the post is clogged regularly by the extremely long and athletic Johnson, alongside big-men Onuaku and Jackson. Enter Kris Joseph's versatility and Jardine's quick hands and quicker feet and the Orange may be the best defensive team in the Big East. A far, far cry from a season ago.

Top Con: Depth. 7 deep and an injury away from trouble.
Pay already hinted at it earlier and he couldn't have been more right. Fortunately for Boeheim and Orange fans, their top 7 is pretty stacked. Especially if the duo of Jardine/Triche continues to play well at the point and Kris Joseph remains one of the nation's top reserves. I can't believe I just said that. If if I had to be picky, I wouldn't mind 5-6 minutes a night for Mookie Jones. Then again...

In the end, there's still far too much to learn in the next six-or-so weeks before tournament time officially begins. Nevertheless, I hope I can enjoy a few more of these from #4 along the way...

2008 NFL Draft: Positional Rankings 2.0

Compared to my last positional ranking, I must say that I have impressed myself with the level of consistency. I remember last year when doing positional rankings, some positions looked very different between gaps. I also removed kickers and punters, as I don't really care for those positions in the draft, unless there is a prospect like Ray Guy. As always, please leave comments. Let me know if you agree or disagree. Let me know which players you feel I might have left off, and who you feel has no business on these lists. Enjoy!

(* = First Round Talent)

QB
1 Matt Ryan*, Boston College
2 Brian Brohm*, Louisville
3 Joe Flacco, Delaware
4 Chad Henne, Michigan
5 Josh Johnson, San Diego

At first glance, you see that Andre Woodson (Kentucky) has completely fallen off. To think that he was at one point, during the season, considered the top QB coming into this draft. I probably over-rated Josh Johnson, but like his ability in the pocket and his arm. Matt Ryan tops the group, and might be the only QB to go in round one, though Brohm could sneak in.

RB
1 Darren McFadden*, Arkansas
2 Rashard Mendelhall*, Illinois
3 Jonathan Stewart*, Oregon
4 Felix Jones*, Arkansas
5 Chris Johnson, East Carolina
6 Jamaal Charles, Texas
7 Ray Rice, Rutgers
8 Matt Forte, Tulane
9 Kevin Smith, Central Florida
10 Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech

Not a lot changing here. McFadden is the cream of the crop. Mendelhall and Stewart flip-flop due to Stewart’s toe injury. Matt Forte is a bit of a tweener, he could be taken by a team grooming him as a fullback. Tashard Choice has garnered some talk about going in the 2nd round, however he will probably go in the 3rd or 4th.

WR
1 Devin Thomas*, Michigan State
2 Limas Sweed*, Texas
3 DeSean Jackson*, California
4 Malcolm Kelley, Oklahoma
5 James Hardy, Indiana
6 Andre Caldwell, Florida
7 Mario Manningham, Michigan
8 Donnie Avery, Houston
9 Early Doucet, LSU
10 Jordy Nelson, Kansas State

The Wide Receivers list reshuffled more than any position. Kelley and Jackson no longer reside at the top. Devin Thomas has seemingly moved to the top spot, as the most complete WR in the bunch, bringing many tools to the table. If not for his wrist injury, Sweed would have been atop this list all offseason. There has been talk that Donnie Avery will be a top 40 pick. Manningham's dishonesty at the combines regarding marijuana hurt him more than if he had admitted to smoking it.

TE
1 Martellus Bennett*, Texas A&M
2 Fred Davis, USC
3 Dustin Keller, Purdue

Based on some loose talk this past weekend, I feel like I should have stuck with my gut early on and kept Martellus Bennett at the top of this list all along. The three TEs are closely rated. Many will rank these three at the top in any order. Bennett and Keller offer more upside, while Davis offers immediate help.

C/G
1 Chilo Rachal, USC
2 Jeremy Zuttah, Rutgers
3 Mike Pollack, Arizona State
4 Eric Young, Tennessee
5 Roy Schuening, Oregon State

This is a tough position to rank, as this draft is somewhat weak at center and guard. Rachal looks to be the only one that could be mentioned as a first rounder, and probably won’t go there. Pollack is the top center and the only center worth mentioning in this list. Branden Albert was moved to tackle, as that is where he will be groomed.

T
1 Jake Long*, Michigan
2 Branden Albert*, Virginia
3 Ryan Clady*, Boise State
4 Chris Williams*, Vanderbilt
5 Jeff Otah*, Pittsburgh
6 Gosder Cherilus*, Boston College
7 Sam Baker, USC
8 Carl Nicks, Nebraska
9 Anthony Collins, Kansas
10 Tony Hills, Texas

Long stays at the top, however Branden Albert jumps into the #2 spot after moving over from guard. The rests of my list stayed pretty intact. Carl Nicks is a wild card, as his potential could cause a team to reach earlier than expected, while Sam Baker has the potential to fall.

DT
1 Glenn Dorsey*, LSU
2 Sedric Ellis*, USC
3 Kentwan Balmer*, UNC
4 Trevor Laws*, Notre Dame
5 Pat Sims, Auburn
6 Red Bryant, Texas A&M
7 DeMarrio Pressley, NC State
8 Dre Moore, Maryland
9 Ahtyba Rubin, Iowa State
10 Marcus Harrison, Arkansas

After Trevor Laws, this list is somewhat up in the air. The 5th DT off the board could be any of those mentioned in this list. Dorsey moves back ahead of Ellis. While putting together the last set of rankings, there was fresh news out there questioning Dorsey’s health, much like Alan Branch last year, causing him to fall.

DE
1 Chris Long*, Virginia
2 Vernon Gholston*, Ohio State
3 Derrick Harvey*, Florida
4 Phillip Merling*, Clemson
5 Quentin Groves*, Auburn
6 Calais Campbell*, Miami
7 Lawrence Jackson*, USC
8 Cliff Avril, Purdue
9 Chris Ellis, Virginia Tech
10 Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan

This list did not change much. Derrick Harvey is back up to the #3 spot. Even though he showed up to the combines heavier and slower than thought. He was stronger and still possesses that tremendous first step. Some are debating whether Gholston is the top DE in this draft. However, I’ll stick with Long, as he is the more finished product, while still possessing upside.

LB
1 Keith Rivers*, USC
2 Jerod Mayo*, Tennessee
3 Dan Connor*, Penn State
4 Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma
5 Erin Henderson, Maryland
6 Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech
7 Wesley Woodyard, Kentucky
8 Jordan Dizon, Colorado
9 Shawn Crable, Michigan
10 Gary Guyton, Georgia Tech

Combining both list of LBs made sense to me, as many of the LBs fell significantly after the combines. Jerod Mayo, on the other hand, has been rising fast. I may stand alone, but I really like Guyton. He’s got size and lots of speed. Many of the top backers coming into the draft lack both of those attributes.

CB
1 Leodis McKelvin*, Troy
2 Dominique Rodgers*, Tennessee State
3 Mike Jenkins*, South Florida
4 Aqib Talib*, Kansas
5 Antoine Cason*, Arizona
6 Justin King*, Penn State
7 Branden Flowers*, Virginia Tech
8 Patrick Lee, Auburn
9 Tracy Porter, Indiana
10 Tyvon Branch, UConn

This year, there is a relatively weak, yet deep CB class. McKelvin stays up top, but closely followed by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DRC) and Jenkins, who are interchangeable. Talib is rumored to still be regarded as a top corner, regardless of his past with marijuana. Cason and King are garnering more attention than before.

S
1 Kenny Phillips*, Miami
2 Reggie Smith, Oklahoma
3 DaJuan Morgan, NC State
4 Josh Barrett, Arizona State
5 Tom Zbikowski, Notre Dame

Kenny Phillips is the only first round talent in this bunch, although he has dropped from being a top 10 pick to nearly the bottom of the first round. Reggie Smith dropped out of the first round after slow times on his Pro Day. DaJuan Morgan and Josh Barrett seem to be rising up the charts.

Producing At The Next Level

This week, you'll be flooded by positional rankings at each position in the draft based on where players are expected to be drafted. In light of the impending flood, I decided to switch it up and provide positional rankings based on production at the next level.

Point Guard
1) Mike Conley Jr. - As if it ever was in doubt. Conley Jr. has the competitive edge to conquer his greatest shortcoming, his jumpshot.
2) Acie Law IV - There will be claims that he lacks the upside of Crittenton, but he can start for the Hawks, Clippers or whomever drafts him now. Law can shoot, involve his teammates and knows how to react in the clutch.
3) Javaris Crittenton - Crittenton has the goods if he can put in the work to make himself a more disciplined player. He will grow into a lesser Chauncey Billups if all goes as planned.
4) Taurean Green - Overexposure is Green's scourge, though he has played his best basketball when the game is on the line and NBA scouts have to be conscience of this trend.
5) Aaron Brooks - Brooks is a scoring point in the mold of Mo Williams and has much room for improvement as a point guard.

If He Gets the Opportunity to Excel: Ramon Sessions. While Sessions is not a nightly triple-double threat, he score the ball, distribute and rebound just as well as anyone in this draft class.


Shooting Guard
1) Nick Young - One of the best pure shooters in the draft, Young can also slash and drive with the best of them. His defense can also translate into easy buckets.
2) Rudy Fernandez - Rudy has already shown the world what he can bring to the table. While his Ginobili comparisons might be an embellishment of sorts, Fernandez is plenty talented and will fit the bill in the new NBA.
3) Marco Belinelli - Success or not, Belinelli will captivate audiences with his style of play.
4) Derrick Byars - While critics contend that Byars lacks foot speed, the SEC Player of the Year made up for it with desire and technical skill.
5) Morris Almond - The dark horse for rookie of the year plaudits, Almond will get to know what it feels like to be surrounded with actual basketball players. Once he overcomes that shock, he'll be wildly successful.

Potential for Superiority: Daequan Cook and Rodney Stuckey. There's a glut of talented shooting guards, so both of these guys can average 15 points per game and not crack this list.


Small Forward
1) Kevin Durant - Durant will be the best second-pick overall since a guy named 'Zo.
2) Jeff Green - Green's ability to contribute in multiple ways will make him a great success in the NBA.
3) Thaddeus Young - An upside machine, Young still has to develop. If he is still at the project stage by year three, then we can consider this one to be a flop.
4) Julian Wright - Don't feed into his inability to add weight. Wright's dribbling, passing and mid-range shooting make him a potential Luol Deng clone.
5) Corey Brewer - Limited at the offensive end, Brewer will make the league's all-defensive team at least twice.

Close But No Cigar: Jared Dudley. When you do the measurements, Dudley doesn't seem to measure up until the game actually starts. Ultimately, that matters most.


Power Forward
1) Al Horford - Horford - not Noah - was the leader of the two-time national championship teams and he has the body, the desire and the moves to succeed.
2) Brandan Wright - A 7'4" wingspan and a dominating game inside eight feet make Wright a shoe-in for this list in spite of his featherish frame.
3) Yi Jianlian - Yi will get every opportunity to succeed because he's marketable. Oh yeah, he's got game.
4) Al Thornton - If Al is in the right situation, he can be the best PF from this draft class. That's a gigantic IF.
5) Josh McRoberts - A defensive specialist who can gain confidence on offense with the right coach. Based on where he's being projected to go, McRoberts can develop into the force that made him the nation's top recruit.

Explicably Missing: Joakim Noah. At some point, Joakim will no longer have microphone privileges so he can learn how to not be such a baby when he gets whistled for traveling. If a top 10 pick's best compliment is that he's an energy guy, then the sky is not the limit.


Center
1) Greg Oden - He can become one of the game's best ever to play at the position if he can avoid injuries. He will not be amazing at first, but he will be a force.
2) Spencer Hawes - Spencer for Hire will be a serviceable NBA center for years to come, but if he does not continuously work on his game, he could be destined for a land called Stiffsville.
3) Aaron Gray - To be honest, I don't expect Gray to be a great center, but he'll be decent and play in the league for many years. Gray was a project when he enrolled at Pitt and he leaves as a center with a solid face-up game and a good shooting touch.

Best Name in the Draft: Kyrylo Fesenko. Sorry, Detroit. You didn't get to hide this guy until pick 57. The scouts love him and his stock has elevated to the middle of the second round.