[Michigan Man]

Who gets your vote for Men's College Basketball Player of the Year?

[Michigan Man]

No doubt my vote would go to Kevin Durant. He has size and speed. He can shoot and drive to the basket. He is for sure the best player in College Basketball.

[G.O.D.F.A.T.H.A.]

What about Jared Dudley? He plays for Boston College and he is having a solid year also.

[EmpireWF]

Coming strictly from a guy who loosely follows the NCAABB regular season, gotta go with the big man Oden from Ohio State.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

I am going with Durant on this one...there is talk he will get a TEam USA invite this summer.

[Notorious C.L.E.]

Durant should deservingly get the award. But, I would rather have Oden on my team.

[Lefty Noob]

What about UCLA's Darren Collison? Durant gets my vote, but Collison definitely should be in the discussion.

As for Oden, like I've said before, I don't even think he's the best player on his own team. Not yet, anyway.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by Notorious C.L.E.

Durant should deservingly get the award. But, I would rather have Oden on my team.

Come on C.L.E...you always expound on the why....so why Oden over Durant right now?

[americanwit]

Oden get's my vote, he is so good that teams strategy against him is to get him into foul trouble early to get him out of the game. They have no other way of stopping him. He will make a great pro.

[Notorious C.L.E.]

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

Come on C.L.E...you always expound on the why....so why Oden over Durant right now?

I think both are two of the best in college basketball right now and will be elite talents in the NBA; however, personally, I would take Oden over Durant, in most instances.

Offensively, Durant is clearly the better talent. He can get points in the post or on the perimeter. His jumpshot is very good, forcing defenders to step out, and when they do he has the athleticism to beat them to the basket on dribble penetration. He is even well above average crashing the offensive boards and getting points off putbacks. I don't think that Oden is a bad offensive player, as he has the size and athleticism to be beyond dangerous in the post, but Durant is the better option on the offensive end for the foreseeable future.

Defensively is where Oden really distances himself from Durant. He is one of the more active post defenders in basketball, NBA included. There are Ohio State games where he completely takes over and dominates defensively, but it doesn't show up on the stat sheet. He can jump out of the gym, but his timing is equally impressive. He swats shots en masse, but he affects a large majority of everything that comes into the paint, which is just as valuable. He is the type of pivot that erases away the temptation of driving the lane. Even his rotations are above average. Durant, on the other hand, is a marginal defender at best right now, though he does have the physical tools to work with and groom him into a better defender, but I highly doubt he will ever be in Oden's class.

I just believe that Oden's elite combination of athleticism, size, and promise are what gives him the inch of separation over Durant. But, I really think it is a close choice, and if I needed a dynamic scorer, I would be inclined to lean towards Durant.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by Notorious C.L.E.

I think both are two of the best in college basketball right now and will be elite talents in the NBA; however, personally, I would take Oden over Durant, in most instances.

Offensively, Durant is clearly the better talent. He can get points in the post or on the perimeter. His jumpshot is very good, forcing defenders to step out, and when they do he has the athleticism to beat them to the basket on dribble penetration. He is even well above average crashing the offensive boards and getting points off putbacks. I don't think that Oden is a bad offensive player, as he has the size and athleticism to be beyond dangerous in the post, but Durant is the better option on the offensive end for the foreseeable future.

I just believe that Oden's elite combination of athleticism, size, and promise are what gives him the inch of separation over Durant. But, I really think it is a close choice, and if I needed a dynamic scorer, I would be inclined to lean towards Durant.

Can't say that if I wasn't an NBA team I wouldn't take the dominant center over the scoring forward...but how much of the comments come from the fact that this guy is a future 1st pick over all. and should that play a role at all in awarding the college player of the year?...if it was based on the season's merits alone, would it still be a vote for Oden?

Originally Posted by Gotham Dark Knight

Can't say that if I wasn't an NBA team I wouldn't take the dominant center over the scoring forward...but how much of the comments come from the fact that this guy is a future 1st pick over all. and should that play a role at all in awarding the college player of the year?...if it was based on the season's merits alone, would it still be a vote for Oden?

I don't think any of my comments are influenced by the fact that he is considered the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. I honestly believe that Oden can come into the NBA and average 16-18 PPG, 8-10 RPG, and 2-3 BPG his rookie season. It would not shock me if he made NBA All-Defensive First Team either.

No, I don't think you can take pro projections into account while determining college awards. Durant deserves it.

[DJLJ1999]

Of course it does... a true blue fan couldn't bring himself to vote for Greg Oden

I think that Fazekas from Nevada is not getting a fair look because he is from the wrong side of the Mississippi. He may not be the best, Durant probably has that wrapped up, but it is borderline disrespectful putting Nick so low. Nevada does not get a lot of national attention but Nick and the whole Nevada team will get great exposure in the tournament when they beat up the east.

[desertrat]

Kevin Durant is a beast.