Hey guys,

Since i am a basketball junkie and love researching stuff and watching games i have decided to put some of my thoughts down on paper and present it here to you.

Every few days til the season starts i will present a few top 5 lists and other miscellaneous thoughts. I will finish it off with my all america teams and Final four.

These top 5 lists will be in no particular order and keep in mind there are over 300 hoops teams so i am bound to miss a few peeps.

Your thoughts on the lists i present are welcome. Thanks.

I will start off with some top 5 lists for players around the country.

TOP 5 BREAKOUT PLAYERS: These generally will be players who had ok seasons a year ago and are ready to breakout and be heard nationally.

1. TERRENCE ROSS (Washington):
2010-11 Season
PPGAPGRPG
7.9 1.0 2.8
I have to start this whole thing off with a complete stud. North Carolina fans know who he is and so will the rest of the nation soon enough. He is the top rated pro prospect from the Pac 12. He can hit the 3, slash the lane and believe it or not he is a post up fiend. There was a big hoopla 2 years ago with the recruiting of Terrence Jones...who went to Kentucky. Initially UW fans were upset because they lost TJ. While TJ certainly would of helped UW....everyone seems to forget that Terrence Ross signed on that day as well. He ultimately might be the better player in college and in the pros. A doubling of his numbers across the board will not be a suprise.

2. MICHAEL SNAER (Florida St):
2010-11 Season
PPGAPGRPG
8.6 2.2 2.8

One of Leonard Hamilton's prized recruits from 2 years ago. Many thought he would of have a bigger impact so far. He wont ever be one of those players that average 20 pts but he will fill up a stat sheet. With Chris Singleton gone i expect Snaer to step up and help fill the void. He is long, quick and can be a matchup nightmare if he has his head on straight. I expect him to put up numbers of 12,4,5. He is one of those players who will have a bigger impact than his numbers state.

3. LANGSTON GALLOWAY (St. Josephs)
2010-11 Season
PPGAPGRPG
12.8 2.9 5.5

How did Phil Martelli pooch this guy away from the state of Louisiana? This guy reminds me of Tu Holloway in how he can fill up a stat sheet and be nailz from the free throw line (88%). He was the leading rebounder as a guard. He also was the A 10 freshman of the year so he really is not an unknown on the east coast. He had good numbers as a true freshman but i expect those to increase. With St Josephs being significantly better this year imo(watch out for them in 2012-2014) i think he will be able to take advantage of his free throw shooting in late game situations. Numbers of 16,4,6 sound about right to me.

4. DEONTE BURTON (Nevada)
2010-11 Season
PPGAPGRPG
13.7 3.5 2.3

This guy is a physical speciman who escaped the pac 12's grasp somehow. He is ultra quick with outstanding hops. I watched this guy play live last year and you could see the talent oozing from him. He played like a true freshman the first half of the season but seemed to mature the last 10 games or so. Nevada is a team on the rise with 5 returning starters and maybe his big leap will come next year. Regardless, i expect him to put up 17,4,4 this year.

5. RODNEY WILLIAMS (Minnesota)
2010-11 Season
PPGAPGRPG
6.8 1.9 3.5

Minnesota is a sleeper team this year, but they need this guy to step up big time. He was a top 40 recruit out of high school and has enormous ups. You can often see him on SC Top 10 videos during the season. His outside and free throw shooting must improve for him to take advantage of his slashing ability. He has got great length and can finish well at the rim. He plays hard on both ends of the court and i fully expect a big leap up from him this year. It would not shock me to see him double his numbers this year.

I think under Fisher and his system, Dwayne Polee can have a huge breakout season. Not saying he will be great but he averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.9 minutes with St Johns last year as a freshman and now that he has transferred to SDSU i think he can avg much much better numbers.

+1 on Terrence Ross. Absolute beast, was the best player on the floor in the UNC tournament game. Cannot wait to watch UW with Tony Wroten and Ross this year

 

Originally Posted by wantagolf

I think under Fisher and his system, Dwayne Polee can have a huge breakout season. Not saying he will be great but he averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.9 minutes with St Johns last year as a freshman and now that he has transferred to SDSU i think he can avg much much better numbers.

I believe Polee has to sit out a year. I might be wrong tho if he requested a waiver.

 

Originally Posted by heavyj80

Stoglin was considered especially since Maryland is rebuilding and he will be relied on heavily, therefore he should put up big numbers. How did the Pac 10/Big 12 let this dude slip away?

big 12 player of the year

Deshaun Thomas iirc

 

Originally Posted by Jwilkinson

jeremy lamb, shabazz napier IMO sick talents

I excluded Lamb for this conversation as he is well know because of the final 4 run.

Napier is quick as hell and a definite pest to other teams. Kinda reminds me of God Shammgod from Providence a few years back. I think he will make a bigger impact his junior and senior years.

 

Originally Posted by AMARTIN1181

DRUMMOND

BACK 2 BACK

GG

TOP 5 teams

uconn
uconn
uconn
uconn
uconn

uconn too high

Cal too low

im pretty sure we don't undervalue kemba here in ct preston =)

 

Originally Posted by shallowcal

i see this photo often so i can only assume its you who continually posts it. I am sorry to bust your bubble but Michigan is not a team on the rise. Beilein is not your answer and you will be stuck w/ decent but not good enough teams as long as he is your coach.

Michigan State will continue to be the dominant program in Michigan as long as Izzo is coach. Who cares about a few wins. Bragging over a few wins against your rival is a sign that your team has been stuck in mediocrity for a decade or so....oh wait...it has been.

 

Originally Posted by JoeSexAppeal

I hope you are right about Rodney Pluv. I dont wanna say he has been a disappointment but he has improved so minimally since he arrived at Minn. There is no doubt about his athleticism, but anytime I see him take a shot outside of the paint it makes me fucking cringe. We are really solid inside with Mbakwe (BEAST), Sampson III, and Mo Walker comin off the bench. But if Rodney does take that next step and Andre Hollins can step in and run the point as a true frosh Minnesota is gonna be really really solid.

They definately have a formidable front court but the backcourt is a major concern. Losing Devoe Joseph to Oregon hurts alot even if he was a headcase of sorts. If they can have a guard step up big time and Rodney show decent improvement they are a sleeper sweet 16 team.

its not like uw is scaring anybody either. they'll make nice little sweet 16 run every now and then but they're nothing to worry about.

 

Originally Posted by Prestonluv

i see this photo often so i can only assume its you who continually posts it. I am sorry to bust your bubble but Michigan is not a team on the rise. Beilein is not your answer and you will be stuck w/ decent but not good enough teams as long as he is your coach.

Michigan State will continue to be the dominant program in Michigan as long as Izzo is coach. Who cares about a few wins. Bragging over a few wins against your rival is a sign that your team has been stuck in mediocrity for a decade or so....oh wait...it has been.

well. seeing as how crisler arena and its ancient facilities just got completely renovated id say that would can now start to realistically recruit some great talent. MI is a hot bed for hoops with flint, saginaw and metro detroit.

i do not think that belein is the end all be all. but im also saying that we can get some talent for the simple fact that michigan is a national product and now their facilities reflect that (if you had ever been to crisler or into the locker rooms there it was a pretty big joke, our high school teams had better locker rooms than that and im not exaggerating). and once we start to get some talent and start to turn things around like the last two years we can build on that. if d-morris had stayed this year michigan would be a top 20 team the entire year no doubt in my mind. they did take duke to the brink last year in the tourney and beat them in regular season the year (or 2? not sure which year they played) before.

Isn't the point of this thread breakout players, as in they, this season, will become more well-known?

Perry Jones would have been a top 3 pick in this past draft if he came out. Not necessarily unknown.