Who's Next?

John Wall, Xavier Henry, and Lance Stephenson are three of the top senior recruits in high school basketball but have yet to make a decision on where they would go to college. (For a year at least)

Xavier Henry is the highest ranked of the three rising stars on ESPN rise as he is the #3 prospect in the entire nation in his class. John Wall is right behind him at #5 while Lance is calmly doing his own thing at #12. These highly wanted recruits are being chased after by top programs such as Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, North Carolina, and more. That's right... I said Kentucky. A team that had failed to even make the big dance this year is considered a top program. What is this world coming to? Regardless, the Wildcats hold one of the most historical time lines in college basketball and are looking to have a bright future in the seasons to come.

ESPN isn't always the most accurate and regardless of their big boy title, there are other sources that say otherwise. For instance, Rivals.com has John Wall as the #1 overall player in the class of 2009 while Xavier Henry is still listed at #3 and Lance Stephenson gets a little more respect at #9. So how big of an impact could these young men possibly make?

John Wall
ESPN Rise #5
Rivals #1
Scout #1 Point Guard

The lanky 6'4" point guard has all the tools to be the next big time point guard in college basketball and the NBA. Some have even placed this kid to be the next Derrick Rose. Wait a minute, the next Derrick Rose? The dude hasn't even finished his first season in the NBA. Wait let's see, he led the Memphis Tigers to the Final Four championship game as a freshman and helped the Chicago Bulls clinch a playoff spot as a rookie? Yeah, he's that good. Getting compared to the 6'3" elite guard out of Simeon High School is quite an accomplishment in its own. A pat on the back for John Wall.

Going back to the main subject, Mr. John Wall, the high school senior has a wide choice of schools to go to but will most likely see himself in a Baylor, Duke, Kentucky, or Miami jersey. A unique set of final candidates for a top recruit that is currently residing in North Carolina. You would think the boy would have more Carolina schools but these four teams look like the top choices with other possible sleepers hanging around. As a Kansas fan, it hurts to know that this young cat (cat not meaning any foreshadowing in where he will go to school) will probably never put on a Jayhawk jersey but it is what it is.

Some of you "basketball fans" may be wondering how this so called top recruit wasn't even in the Mickey D's AA game but fyi, he wasn't invited because he is a fifth year senior. Don't everyone go out and start judging the man for having to stay an extra year of high school. Had he come out in the class of 2008, his position would probably be the same. A bold statement? No, I'm just being smart (Something that is hard to come by). The scariest thing about this flashy guard is that on top of his already developed athleticism, size, speed, and basketball IQ, he has a ton of potential that NBA scouts are already drooling about. The 180 lb guard for Word of God Christian Academy is only going to put on more weight as he goes through whatever number of years in college (probably one) and as he develops in the NBA with whatever lucky team that acquires him.

In the past few years, the pool of fresh talent in point guards has been extraordinary with stars such as Deron Williams (24), Chris Paul (23), Rajon Rando (22), Rodney Stuckey (22), and Derrick Rose (20) and it would only be right for the torch to be passed on to Mr. Wall. Maybe all this is saying too much for the young man that hasn't even gone to college yet. But then again, high school is where all the hype begins. So you be the judge. Need more? For all I know, Wall may be at the top of this prestigious list of point guards. Okay, maybe I'll have to re-evaluate what I just said and relax.

It's just a matter of time before this young man begins to
make plenty of noise in college basketball

Lance Stephenson
ESPN Rise #12
Rivals #9
Scout #1 Small Forward

The kid that was given the nickname "Born Ready" had cameras being flashed on him before he even stepped foot into his high school. The name was famous throughout all the neighborhoods of New York and the boy had already signed his first autograph. The 6'5" senior guard for Lincoln High School isn't the first big time name to come out of the school. Just a few years ago, Sebastian Telfair was 0ne of the biggest name in high school basketball as he led Lincoln High school just as Lance is doing right now. At an early age, Stephenson was given high expectations but over the years, has slowly slipped in the rankings.

"Born Ready" wasn't just a nickname given by
Bobbito Garcia. He displayed it on the
hardwood all throughout his successful
high school career.

Don't get me wrong, #12 and #9 as well as #1 in his position is an impressive set of rankings but there was a point in his life where he was ranked in the top three or even at #1 overall in every ranking he was put in. The reasons for his slight drop isn't exactly due to his personal performances but with the sudden rise of other young men, the competition got tough and it wasn't the same old cake walk that Lance once had. Stephenson didn't let the rankings bother him and always found a way to light up the floor as he continued to put up impressive stats throughout high school. With a little unorthodox mixed into his jump shot and his overall game, some don't appreciate the man just enough, but he takes care of the most important parts of the game as he knows how to handle the ball, score, rebound, and play defense.

With a final list of schools that are still fighting to get him to put on their jerseys in the 2009-2010 seasons, Stephenson is soon to decide between Kansas, Maryland, and St. John's. Before the whole Calipari incident, it seemed like the five star had plans of heading over to Lawrence Kansas but as the coaching change in Memphis caused Xavier Henry to de-commit, the possibility of Henry landing in Kansas may have altered Stephenson's decision. Maybe he just wanted more time to decide. I'm not here to judge this big decision of his. All I know is that I would love to see him in a Kansas uniform.

Stephenson is a big, strong guard at 200 lbs but doesn't display the most exciting athleticism while he still knows how to penetrate and throw down some nasty dunks. His potential may not be as high as that of John Wall's but you can be more than sure that this guy has plenty of NBA scouts that are taking their share of looks. Stephenson is a guy who could easily leave for the NBA after one year in college but at the same time could possibly be a multiple year college player. The reason being? He will show signs of greatness and have his own moments of invulnerability but with plenty of raw talent left to be developed in the Lincoln High Senior, he could spend a couple more years in high school. Expect to see him in the NBA very soon though. For now, Coach Self will do ya well Mr. Stephenson. Just look at Cole Aldrich, Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson... Need i say more? Do the right thing Lance.

Xavier Henry
ESPN Rise #3
Rivals #3
Scout #1 Shooting Guard

The 6'6" lefty has one of the purest shots in all the nation and finds more than enough ways to place the ball in the basket. Originally, Henry had committed to Memphis to play along with his brother after it seemed like Kansas was his top choice. After Calipari left (He sure made some commotion), Henry decommitted and started from ground zero as he gave all his options another opportunity. Growing up in Putnam City Oklahoma, the son of former Kansas Star and NBA player Carl Henry had plenty of eyes watching him.

Henry was taught to be a Kansas fan as his dad dreamt of possibly seeing his son one day playing for the legendary Jayhawks. Kansas is currently Henry's top choice once again but that didn't stop other teams from getting a shot at him before so don't expect it to be a lock just yet. The one advantage that Memphis had in snagging the senior guard was the fact that brother CJ Henry was on the roster but things are different now as Xavier might possibly be playing alongside his brother regardless of whether he chooses to play at Memphis as CJ may opt to transfer.

Henry has a well built body for basketball as he weighs 210 pounds and owns a body frame that most young guards dream of having. On top of his athleticism and impressive body control, Henry displays an effective range in shooting as he is a 3-point specialist. Xavier has more than enough ways to enforce mismatches as his diversity makes it hard for anyone to guard him. That is one thing that seperates him from the rest as he will find ways to be successful in college basketball in more than one way as he prepares himself for the big time NBA. Despite a late injury, Henry managed to rack up a mind blowing stat line in his senior year with an average of 29 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.

Henry isn't all about offense. In fact he finds a lot of his baskets on transition after forcing turnovers. A very smart basketball player on the court, Henry manages to break down opposing teams on both sides of the ball with his presence on top of athleticism and quick decision making. Not all sons of NBA players live up to expectation due to the way they grow up. A lot become cocky just because they are the son of so and so and some choose to not try as hard because everything comes to them more easily but Xavier Henry (and his older brother) are one of the exceptions. Henry has always worked hard and has been a humble basketball player. Taught well by his father, Henry never showed over flashiness while still showing dynamic body control near the basket. Never trying to break anyones ankles or posterizing a defender, henry dribbled efficientyl, rebounded consistently, and still maintained an exciting way of throwing the ball through the orange rim.

I would love to see this young man in a Kansas uniform next season but whereve he decides to go, I will be sure to keep an eye on him for he has a bright future ahead of him.

The humble Xavier will develop much more
on top of his already astonishing skill set
as he hungers to learn more about
the game.

-Jason C

And then there were Four

If anyone out there can show me proof that they accurately selected this year's final four, please stand up. Now sit down. I've definitely had my fair share of hit and misses in this bracket as I went 1/4 in my final four with my champion having been eliminated in the elite eight. Sure, UNC played up to expectation as they cake walked into the Final Four with little trouble but I wouldn't say that for the rest of the remaining teams. A lot of questions lurked the season as the Heels (or should I say Rams) seemed to be the only arguable contender for the 2009 Final Four and other top teams looked to have too many flaws and doubts. Well you can sure as heck throw all those crazy assumptions out the window as the Big East proved to make some noise and teams like the Kansas Jayhawks, who lost more than enough players, demanded respect as they fought a good fight in the big dance. You can go as much as saying that many expected this season to go without much drama and for the trophy to simply get handed over to the Tarheels. We sure as heck were all wrong about all that because drama is college basketball's middle name this season.

So with all that said, why don't we take a look at the four teams' journeys to this final destination that every college player dreams of reaching.

The Spartans run home!
The Michigan State Spartans have reached another Final Four under their commander, Tom Izzo. What perfect timing it is to make yet another visit to this prestigious destination as this year's Final Four has been planned to be held in Detroit. Can you say home court advantage? That will be a huge advantage but let it be known, there was no advantage in reaching this platform. The season was long and rough as the players had plenty to learn.

The Spartans' grueling 30 game regular season faced plenty of challenges and lessons as they were taught how to deal with losses as they came out on the losing end in five match-ups, including a nationally televised beatdown by the Tarheels (A possible match-up in this year's championship game. Let's hope it's not the same outcome if this does match-up does happen, for the sake of Michigan State and CBS) Overall, five losses meant they had won 25 games and what a feat it was as the Spartans were the regular season Big Ten Champions. Coach Izzo's team was once again in the mix for championship contention.

The Spartans want to get that nasty taste out
of their mouth as they look to possibly
avenge the humiliation that
UNC had given them
earlier this season.

A lot of the respect soon withered and questions arose as Sparty and the team packed their bags early in the Big 10 tournament, falling to Ohio State in semis. (I think I saw Greg Oden slip on his old jersey during that first half. Did no one else see that? How could you miss him?) Even with the convincing depth in this roster, the lack of maturity level and consistency to win a title was addressed. Izzo and friends soon took care of all the mess and showed that they were ready to make a run as they politely handed their first round tournament opponent a 15 point loss. The second round showed a much tougher opponent in a USC team that was coming off a huge run including the Pac-10 tournament championship but the Spartans calmly stepped up to the plate and concluded the Trojans season. ("This is Spartaaaaa")













Anyways, Coach Izzo prepared his team for a sweet sixteen match-up that could have been one of the most exciting match-ups in the college basketball season. The thing is, the two teams had already met once and Michigan State took down the defending champion Jayhawks with ease. The difference in this re-match? Coach Self's young stars were far more developed and the stars in Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich were on the rise. In other words, Cole finally developed an offensive game (Even though his free throws still look uglier than Vince Carters dance moves) The high-octane battle began as Kansas cleared past ahead of Michigan State by double digits in the first half and the Spartans season looked to be on its last lifeline. Trailing the entire game, the talented young men gained a run here and there with a little bit of momentum on the side and pulled away in the final minutes, punching a ticket to the next round and sending the defending national champs home. (Well I wasn't too happy about this as some Michigan State fans were at Taco Mac that night and were cheering obnoxiously loud, aware of my loyalty to the Jayhawks)

Really? Notre Lame?
Come on...

Moving on...

Now was about the time that the Spartans would run into a wall, ending their run and causing a shortage in their stride to consistency. The Louisville Cardinals were the next challenge and the overall top seeded team had just come off a 39 point blasting of the Arizona Wildcats. (The NCAA should put them on probation for such a terrible game) The toughest anticipated match-up turned out to be one of the less stressful turnouts for Coach Izzo as they were able to pull away by double digits.

Spartans roll as Durrell Summers slams
one down Louisvilles throats.

So the Spartans find themselves in their home turf in Detroit as they prepare to face off 7'3" towering Hasheem Thabeet and the Connecticut Huskies. The road was long and difficult but Sparty has made it home. Let's see if they can finish their business.

No Jerome? No Problem.
The Huskies were once the top ranked team in the nation but failed to contain the load as they had to endure possibly one of the strongest seasons the Big East has ever displayed. With a defensive force down low in Hasheem Thabeet and a group of guards that really know how to play together, the Huskies looked to be a possible threat to the pre-season favorite Tarheels.

As the season didn't offer too much of a challenge for the Huskies, their own issues caused trouble as Dyson went down with a devastating injury. The junior had contributed with 13 points and 3 assists a game and the Huskies took a big blow as the starting guard went down. UConn quickly felt the absence of Dyson as they lost three of their last seven games before heading into the big dance.

Dyson went down in a season ending
blow that would hurt the Huskies.

Without one of their floor leaders, the critics and fans around the Huskies wondered if the team could manage the responsibilities of a #1 seed and possibly reach the final four. Well, those questions were quickly answered as it was obvious that the more than challenging season including a six overtime game loss to the Syracuse Orange in the Big East tournament prepared them for the dance.








It was as if the challenges thrown at UConn were too easy and the Huskies ran over their first two opponents by an average margin of 41 points. That's a lot of points. The next match-up showed much more of a challenge but Purdue didn't seem to place much of a threat as they played catch up while being down by double digits the entire game. Then came the Missouri Tigers who had just come off a mauling of the 2008 runner-ups in Memphis. The Huskies were quick to start in this one and it seemed like it was going to be a joy ride to the Final Four but Missouri closed in and placed a threat as it took almost the entire game for UConn to pull away with the win in their toughest challenge in the tournament yet.

So now UConn patiently awaits for their scheduled date with the hometown Spartans. Coach Calhoun better be ready because Izzo and his boys are going to come with a bang and plenty of confidence with a ton of green flooding the seats all around the gym. They DID just beat the Big East regular season champs. I'm sure UConn isn't worried too much. Thabeet will share you their own encounter with the Cardinals and how it was more than easy and he will maintain a nice fat smile while he's at it.

Thabeet doesn't have any worries as he smiles on with
teammate Jeff Adrien.

Roy's Baby Blue make it as Expected
The Tarheels have reached the Final Four for the second straight season but this time they plan to come out of the sweeter end. Last season's Final Four exit wasn't so pretty as Kansas sent the Heels packing after a convincing 84-66 demolishing. UNC was not only one of the best teams last season, but with the other three Final Four teams Memphis, Kansas, and UCLA losing almost their entire starting lineups and more, it was scary to imagine what the full returning lineup was capable of doing.

All eyes have been on Hansbrough and the preseason
#1 Heels since the Summer of 2008.

Capabilities? Oh they can do it all. With a speedy Ty Lawson controlling the floor at point guard, his presence alone causes more than enough issues for the opposing defense. Add in arguably one of the best college players to come in this decade in Tyler Hansbrough and you can already start worrying about match-up issues. But that's not it because Wayne Ellington and Danny Green would like some credit for UNC's success as the two wingmen can do some damage. I didn't even get to their tallest players yet... Eh whatever. So with speed, precision shooting, scoring, rebounding, size you could picture this as the ultimate basketball team. Well yeah, their regular season performance says just that.


The Tarheels stepped up to the challenge this season by juicing up their non conference schedule with teams such as Kentucky, Oregon, Notre Dame, and Michigan State. No one came close. In fact you could blame the Heels for the terrible seasons by Kentucky, Notre Dame, and Oregon. They were beat down so bad, they probably lost all confidence in themselves and self-destructed in the middle of the season. Well Michigan State is in the Final Four but you have to imagine that they are a little worried about how they performed in that first meeting. Anyways we are talking about the Heels here. Let's not get off topic.

So the Tarheels man-handled the non conference portion of their season as no team came within single digits. Pretty good start, wouldn't you agree? (Shoot, I was panicking in nearly every game that Kansas played in this season.) Unfortunately, the conference opener wasn't quite exactly how the UNC community pictured it to be. The team wearing white and baby blue jogged off the home floor into the locker rooms at halftime finding themselves down by six and the second half proved to be just as ugly as the team shot just 29% from the field and ended up losing by seven. You may all be wondering how the Tarheels could just fall apart all of a sudden but if you are a fan, you can think of this as an even better thing. It's pretty scary to imagine that a team shooting 29% in a half was only outscored by three points in those 20 minutes...

Roy Williams stands speechless as he can't
believe the 0-2 start in the ACC.

The boys continued their conference play by losing their second game to Wake Forest by three. What's going on? Is this fully loaded team just too much to handle for coach Williams? Just hold on for a minute. You're telling me they shot just 35% and managed to put up 89 points. Something just doesn't seem right... I hope no one has to face this team when they're shooting at least decently. Oh you don't even know... Roy Williams and his squad finished 12-1 in the rest of conference play before going into the ACC tournament with the only loss coming in overtime.

The regular season ACC champs didn't get as far as they planned to in the ACC tournament but without the floor leader in Ty Lawson, Bobby Frasor (Who?) had trouble keeping up with the starting point guard requirements as the Heels fell to the Seminoles in the semis by just three. Not bad.

Lawson can do nothing but cheer on his team
as his injury has him sitting
on the sidelines.

The big dance began as Roy Williams refused to allow Ty Lawson playing time for now with the toe injury but even without the stud point guard, the Heels took care of business in round one by 43 points. In the second half of round two, Lawson made a statement as he played on his injured toe and dropped 21 points to help his team knock off the LSU Tigers by 14. With Lawson having full commitment to this team, the Heels showed total unity as they demoralized Gonzaga and took care of Oklahoma in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games respectively. The Big Baby Blue look better than ever and don't plan on slowing down here as they prepare for Villanova.

The Villanova Wildcats made the Final Four?
With all due respect to the Wildcats who have a terrific basketball program, no one expected these guys to get as far as they have. With no changes being made to a squad that went 20-12 with a #12 seed in the tournament last season, the team wasn't expected to make a deep run but coach Wright had other plans.

The preseason #23 team had plans of achieving a higher tournament seeding and they knew they were entering another difficult season in the Big East with challenges such as Pittsburgh, Louisville, Connecticut, and more. It was going to be hard but one thing that was in favor of the Wildcats was their team chemistry. They might not have brought in any game changing recruits but the amount of returning players was abundant.

Before the Big East play even set sail, Nova found themselves at a loss for words as Texas handed them their first loss of the season after an 8-0 start. The Cats knew that they needed to find ways to keep winning in order to gain respect and they did just that as they finished their non conference schedule with a record of 12-1. The Big East portion of their schedule proved to be tough as expected and the Cats struggled early with a 2-3 start in the conference with one of the wins coming in overtime against a less than impressive Seton Hall team. Jay Wright got a hold of their team and Nova managed to go 11-2 throughout the rest of the regular season but a 21 point loss to West Virginia and a loss to a weak Georgetown team left questions of consistency for this team. That just seems to be the case for every team this season.






In the Big East tournament, Villanova looked to close the mouths of critics as they wanted to show that they can be consistent but fell apart in the second half of the finals after being up by eight at halftime and were outscored by 21 to lose 69-55 to the Louisville Cardinals.

Overall, the Wildcats had a solid season and proved that they could contend and received a #3 seed into the big dance. Led by a determined senior forward in Dante Cunningham, the Cats avoided a scare in the first round and cruised past UCLA and Duke in the following rounds by an average marginal victory of 21.5 points. They topped off their statement by knocking off the #1 seed and in conference rival pittsburgh in a showdown that went down to the wire. Everything is going Villanova's way and they don't plan on slowing down this momentum any time soon. The only problem is, their next opponent is the darn Tarheels. "Good luck guarding Psycho T, Dante"

Nova has made a statement and caused major damage
but have plenty more to do before celebrating
just yet.

No George Mason's this year and no all #1 final four, but what this final four has is a group of elite coaches that will definitely be out of their seat and getting in plenty of the action. The one thing that separates them from another is everyone has a ring except Jay Wright. Will that change in 2009? You can go ahead and trash your brackets because the outcome could go any possible way and there should be an emotional finish. (I mean if you have them all right, you should keep a hold of your bracket but anyways) It's March Madness at its finest!

-Jason C