Is Jennings the next Derrick Rose?
(photo. Kelly Kline)

The ‘07-08 NCAA freshman class was one of the deepest and most talented groups we’ve seen in a while. But with at least a dozen players from that group having already declared for this year’s NBA Draft — most notably Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love and Derrick Rose — there will only be traces of that group on the college hoops landscape next year who stuck around for their sophomore seasons.

But as is always the case with college ball, a new class is waiting in the wings to show off what they can do. The ‘08-09 frosh class hasn’t been as hyped-up as last year’s, but there is a lot of talent and it’s spread throughout the country: impact freshman will make their mark at heavyweight schools like UCLA and North Carolina and Duke, and at rising programs like Cincinnati, Nevada, Wake Forest and Oklahoma. Which players from the Class of ‘08 equate to the standouts from the Class of ‘07?

B.J. Mullens (Ohio State) is the next … Michael Beasley
He’ll kill you in the paint or from beyond the arc, and can take a team that missed the Tournament back to the big show before going on to be the #1 pick in the Draft. Mullens is a 7-footer with range out to three-point territory who will automatically be The Man on a Buckeyes squad that’s losing a lot of its veteran leaders.

Brandon Jennings (Arizona) is the next … Derrick Rose
Wildly talented and physically gifted PG will make a ton of highlights and look unstoppable at times, but will also have days where he stops himself. Jennings isn’t the scorer that Rose is, but his handle is just as good and he might be the best passer the Pac-10 has seen since Jason Kidd.

Tyreke Evans (Memphis) is the next … O.J. Mayo
With all the hype he’s received, anything less than 25 points a night will be seen as a disappointment. Tyreke and O.J. have a tendency to jack shots and put on the horse-blinders on offense, which aggravates fans and teammates. A concern is that ‘Reke will be playing more to impress the pro scouts than he will be playing to win games, which people accused Mayo of doing last year.

Samardo Samuels (Louisville) is the next … Kevin Love
Big man who dominated the high school comp, but some critics say that was simply a byproduct of a man playing against boys. With Love, the knocks on his game were/are his athleticism and physical conditioning. With Samuels, he’s seen by some as just a brute who’s so far been stronger than everyone he goes up against and won’t have it as easy on the next level.

Willie Warren (Oklahoma) is the next … Eric Gordon
Sometimes streaky scorer will put up big numbers at a program not known for producing big-time backcourt scorers. Warren doesn’t have Gordon’s outside stroke, but he’s an amazing athlete who will penetrate and dunk on anyone at any time. Just like Gordon teamed with inside presence D.J. White to make Indiana a national powerhouse for most of the season, Warren can form a deadly duo with rising sophomore forward Blake Griffin.

Greg Monroe (Georgetown) is the next … Patrick Patterson
Physically, he’s just too talented not to have a significant impact right away, plus his team will rely on him a great deal due to major losses along the front line. Like Patterson having to step in and replace Randolph Morris at Kentucky, Monroe has to help fill the void left by Roy Hibbert at G’town. The 6-10 lefty is actually way more athletic than Hibbert and much better than Hibbert was coming out of high school. Monroe has been compared to Kevin Garnett.

Mike Rosario (Rutgers) is the next … Jerryd Bayless
Fundamentally-sound combo guard will get buckets from either backcourt position. Rosario is only 6-1 and didn’t play in a high school system that lended itself to one player putting up crazy numbers, but showed his scoring prowess on the summer circuit throughout his prep career and in his All-American tour recently. The first-ever McDonald’s All-American to sign with Rutgers will be expected to shoulder a huge load in a guard-oriented system, just like Bayless was at Arizona.

Malcolm Lee (UCLA) is the next … Kyle Singler
Perfect fit for his program’s system and will be utilized at multiple positions. Singler was second on Duke in scoring and tied for the team lead in rebounding while serving as Coach K’s primary defensive weapon. At 6-5, the incoming freshman Lee can play anything from point guard to two-guard to small forward, and his athletic ability and defensive skills make him an ideal player for Ben Howland. He won’t stand out as much given all of UCLA’s talent, but will be a key factor in any success they have.

Ed Davis (North Carolina) is the next … Anthony Randolph
Tragically-skinny post player only has to show an inkling of athleticism and potential to be a Lottery pick right after his freshman year. Given the UNC connection, be prepared to hear the 6-8 Davis, with his long frame and face-up ability and left-hand stroke, compared to Brandan Wright at every turn. He’s not quite the shot-blocker that Randolph was at LSU, but then Randolph isn’t as polished offensively.

Romero Osby (Mississippi State) is the next … Donte Greene
Multi-talented forward has the physical tools to get drafted straight out of high school if he could, but can spend his college career fine-tuning his shot and adding muscle to his frame. Osby played all five positions in high school, will probably be a four at MSU but a three in the pros.

James Harden (photo. Arizona State)

Jrue Holiday (UCLA) is the next … James Harden
Solid in every facet of the game you want from a two-guard, his non-flashy style didn’t lend itself to standout showings at the postseason All-American games but will make for plenty of buckets when the games count. Harden was the All-American in ‘07 who still managed to sneak up on the nationwide audience and outshining cross-state rival and fellow stud frosh Jerryd Bayless. Holiday was the Gatorade National Player of the Year at Campbell Hall H.S. in Cali, a D-Wade type player who produces all over the court and is as close to pro-ready as any freshman, but you could see him staying in college a couple of years anyway.

Jerime Anderson (UCLA) is the next … Nick Calathes
Running the point for a program that’s become accustomed to Finals Fours, during a year that will be marked by growing pains as the team has been gutted by early-departures for the NBA Draft. He won’t be saddled with The Man status at UCLA like Calathes was at Florida, and Anderson also won’t be under any pressure if no one expects the Bruins to be a championship contender. (This is, of course, all dependent on what Darren Collison decides to do regarding the Draft.) On the other hand, the NIT isn’t exactly the goal at a place like UCLA.

Scotty Hopson (Tennessee) is the next … Alex Legion
Highly-ranked wing player couldn’t seem to make up his mind while picking a college, and don’t be surprised to see him transfer before his freshman season is halfway done. Legion went from committing to Michigan to switching to Kentucky to bouncing for Illinois before 2007 was done. Hopson teased Mississippi State fans for a while with a verbal commitment, then backed off and was still undecided as recently as the McDonald’s All-American Game before choosing Tennessee. And if Bruce Pearl doesn’t deliver significant PT? Hopson could be available for someone else.

Olek Czyz (Duke) is the next … Austin Daye
One or two good games in the preseason will cause his Draft stock shoot up astronomically before, slowly, everyone realizes he’s not that nice. Daye wasn’t a big-deal recruit coming into Gonzaga, but after he dropped a 20-10 line in his debut (against Montana), then scored 18 in his next game (against Idaho) was all of a sudden popping up as high as #2 on the ‘09 mock drafts. His production tapered off as the season went on, though, to the point where he wasn’t even starting by the time the ‘Zags made the Big Dance. Czyz, a 6-7 forward with inside game and a handle for someone his size, has everything going for him in the Over-Hype Equation: He’s a European native and he plays for Duke. He’ll do work against the likes of North Carolina Central and Eastern Illinois and be on every scout’s radar for the next six months.

DeMar DeRozan (USC) is the next … Bill Walker
No one will care about his defense, shooting ability, ball-handling or intangibles when all they wanna do is see him dunk. Walker’s original freshman year (and his otherworldly explosiveness) was cut short by a knee injury, forcing him to add more elements to his game before his ‘07-08 redshirt frosh year. DeRozan made his name from dunking, and is so good at it that no one really talks about the holes in his game; namely his outside shot and his mid-range game.

Larry Drew (North Carolina) is the next … Jamelle McMillan
The NBA pedigree makes for a high basketball IQ and well-schooled mechanics, not to mention a storyline that’ll be beaten into the ground. Jamelle, son of ex-Sonic and current Blazers coach Nate McMillan, is a defensive-minded point guard who is more of a game-manager type offensively. Drew, who’s dad Larry Sr. played 10 years in the League, is more of an offensive-minded point guard (he won the McDonald’s three-point contest) but won’t have as much room to develop since UNC brings in top-flight recruits every year.