Perimeter shots

One-and-dones leave void
Memphis is certainly going to miss Derrick Rose. Same is true for Kansas State and Michael Beasley, Southern California and O.J. Mayo, UCLA and Kevin Love, Indiana and Eric Gordon, Arizona and Jerryd Bayless, Ohio State and Kosta Koufos, Syracuse and Donte Greene.

But the coaches, teammates and fans of these preternatural talents who went straight to the NBA after one season are not alone. The sport will miss them, too, because this year's freshman class - and next year's, according to most reports - is simply not as good.

New York-based recruiting analyst Tom Konchalski believes that having a good but not great freshman class this season might help college basketball.

"Because there aren't as many marquee names coming into the freshman class, there are probably fewer who are going to come out as freshmen," Konchalski said. "They'll stay four years and go to the NBA and probably have more of an impact." FULL STORY

The 3-point line is moving back this year in men's hoops. How much of a difference will it make, if any?

Twelve inches. One foot. The length of a size-11 shoe. The width of an album cover. The height of an average wine bottle, plus the cork.

That distance is going to affect men's college basketball this season and in the years ahead. Moving back the 3-point line one foot — from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20-9 — figures to alter shooting percentages.

It will change the game in subtle ways, as well, from discriminating who shoots 3-pointers to potentially cutting down on the rugby scrums that often occurred around the basket.

"I don't think the great shooters will be affected that much," said William and Mary coach Tony Shaver, whose team last season attempted and made more 3-pointers than any in Colonial Athletic Association history. FULL STORY

It's all wide open

A year ago, when coach Randy Peele took over as head basketball coach at Winthrop, he could see the potential that was dead ahead.

With seniors Chris Gaynor, Michael Jenkins, Taj McCullough and Antwon Harris returning and the influx of some solid newcomers, he knew the Eagles could win the Big South Conference for the fourth straight season.

They tied for the regular season crown, won the league tournament and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year. FULL STORY

2008-2009 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List

Player First Player Last Height Position Class University
A.J. Abrams 5-11 G Sr. Texas
Wink Adams 6-0 G Sr. UNLV
DeJuan Blair 6-7 F So. Pittsburgh
Jon Brockman 6-7 F Sr. Washington
Derrick Brown 6-8 F Jr. Xavier
Chase Budinger 6-7 F Jr. Arizona
Nick Calathes 6-6 G/F So. Florida
Dionte Christmas 6-5 G Sr. Temple
Earl Clark 6-9 G/F Jr. Louisville
Sherron Collins 5-11 G Jr. Kansas
Darren Collison 6-0 G Sr. UCLA
Lee Cummard 6-7 G Sr. BYU
Stephen Curry * 6-3 G Jr. Davidson
Devan Downey 5-9 G Jr. South Carolina
Robert Dozier 6-9 F Sr. Memphis
Wayne Ellington 6-4 G Jr. North Carolina
Jonny Flynn 6-0 G So. Syracuse
Taj Gibson 6-9 F Jr. USC
Blake Griffin 6-10 F So. Oklahoma
Tyler Hansbrough ! *^ 6-9 F Sr. North Carolina
Luke Harangody * 6-8 F Jr. Notre Dame
James Harden 6-4 G So. Arizona State
Gerald Henderson 6-4 G/F Jr. Duke
Lester Hudson 6-2 G Sr. Tennessee Martin
Robbie Hummel 6-8 F So. Purdue
Stefon Jackson 6-5 G Sr. UTEP
Dominic James 5-11 G Sr. Marquette
Damion James 6-7 G/F Jr. Texas
Curtis Jerrells 6-1 G Sr. Baylor
James Johnson 6-8 F So. Wake Forest
Marcus Landry 6-7 F Sr. Wisconsin
Ty Lawson 5-11 G Jr. North Carolina
Eric Maynor 6-2 G Sr. VCU
Jack McClinton 6-1 G Sr. University of Miami
Jerel McNeal 6-3 G Sr. Marquette
Patrick Mills 6-0 G So. Saint Mary's
Raymar Morgan 6-7 F Jr. Michigan State
A.J. Ogilvy 6-11 C So. Vanderbilt
Jeremy Pargo 6-2 G Sr. Gonzaga
Patrick Patterson 6-8 F So. Kentucky
A.J. Price 6-2 G Sr. Connecticut
Scottie Reynolds 6-2 G Jr. Villanova
Tyrese Rice 6-1 G Sr. Boston College
Kyle Singler 6-8 F So. Duke
Tyler Smith 6-7 F Jr. Tennessee
DaJuan Summers 6-8 F Jr. Georgetown
Hasheem Thabeet 7-3 C Jr. Connecticut
Robert Vaden 6-5 G/F Sr. UAB
Terrence Williams 6-6 F Sr. Louisville
Sam Young 6-6 F Jr. Pittsburgh
! 2008 John R. Wooden Award Winner
* 2007-08 Wooden Award All-American
^2006-07 Wooden Award All-American

Team preview: Winthrop

COACH AND PROGRAM

It's hard to feel bad for Winthrop -- winners of the last four Big South Conference titles and eight of the last 10.

Sure three starters and the sixth man -- and four of the top five scorers -- are gone from last season's NCAA Tournament team. But the high-flying Eagles still have a lot of what has made them -- annually -- the team to beat in the Big South. They've got a horde of big men that can play and they've got that defense that second-year coach Randy Peele demands.

Last year Winthrop yielded just 58.5 points per game, the eighth lowest mark in the NCAA, and just .396 shooting from the field, a figure that ranked 20th nationally. On the road and as an underdog in the Big South title game last March, Winthrop held UNC Asheville to 33 percent shooting, 15 percentage points below the Bulldogs' average, and 48 total points, 27 actual points below their scoring average. FULL STORY