Can Class of 2009 Deliver as College Freshmen?

Forecasting how freshmen will fit into college programs is a tricky game. Blue chippers from the high school senior class of 2008 like B.J. Mullens of Ohio State and Jrue Holiday of UCLA weren’t able to match lofty expectations and will likely leave the fan bases of those programs unfulfilled as both will test the NBA waters. Tyreke Evans at Memphis and Willie Warren at Oklahoma, meanwhile, delivered big for programs that made deep NCAA Tournament runs.

Looking at the top 10 players in MaxPreps.com’s senior class rankings, we decipher who will shine and who might ride the pine next season. College underclassmen have until April 26 to decide whether or not to declare for the NBA Draft, so along with some unsigned high school seniors, plenty of uncertainty remains.

(1) Derrick Favors, 6-foot-9, Forward, South Atlanta High School (Atlanta, Ga.)
Headed to: Georgia Tech
Despite a lousy 2-14 ACC record (12-19 overall), there are plenty of reasons for optimism at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets return a pair of talented double-digit scorers in Gani Lawal (15.1 points per game) and Iman Shumpert (10.6) and add the services of a star-studded recruiting class headlined by Favors. Expect the Atlanta big man to be a double-double threat every night out and help lead a big turnaround for Paul Hewitt’s program.

(2) DeMarcus Cousins, 6-10, F, LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.)
Headed to: Kentucky
With a rotation that could feature Jodie Meeks (23.7 points per game), Patrick Patterson (17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds), Perry Stevenson, Ramon Harris, Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins (as well as a potential recruiting surprise or two from new head coach John Calipari), it’s hard to imagine that Kentucky will lean on Cousins too heavily. But there is a reason he is the No. 2-ranked player in the country and assuming he can play alongside Patterson (who announced today that he would take a look at the NBA without hiring an agent) in the post, he should pop for some big games with so much surrounding talent to take the attention away from him.  

(3) Renardo Sidney, 6-10, F, Fairfax (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Headed to: USC
This one seems tenuous, but assuming Sidney dons a Trojan uniform the Pac-10 can send its freshman of the year hardware to USC’s basketball offices now. Despite constant chirping about his conditioning and motivation, Sidney has been extremely productive for successful teams throughout his high school career. Had Tim Floyd been able to retain the services of DeMar DeRozan, Taj Gibson and Daniel Hackett, Sidney would have been another cog in a Final Four-caliber squad. The Trojans still have some talented players to go alongside Sidney, like senior wing Dwight Lewis, who actually led the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game.  

(4) Lance Stephenson, 6-5, G/F, Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Considering: Kansas, Maryland, St. John’s
Regardless of where Stephenson ends up, he will get his. That means double figures every time out and a green light from anywhere on the court at any time. Whether that benefits his chosen school in the win-loss column will have to be seen. Due to his dominating presence on the court and will to score, St. John’s seems like the best fit.

(5) Xavier Henry, 6-6, G/F, Putnam City (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Considering: Kansas, Kentucky
MaxPreps.com’s Mitch Stephens came away very impressed with both Henry’s game and mental make-up at the McDonald’s All-American Game in Miami. The Oklahoma native is like Stephenson in that he is too talented not to make a major impact, but big numbers and minutes won’t be easy to come by at Kansas or Kentucky where talented casts will already be in place. Lawrence would seem to be a better fit than Lexington as Henry’s size and strength would be the perfect addition to a Jayhawk backcourt that already features plenty of speed and quickness with Sherron Collins and Tyshawn Taylor.  

(6) Avery Bradley, 6-4, G, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)
Headed to: Texas
If Longhorn fans are looking for a 20-point per game scorer that forces the action, Bradley may not be their guy although he is very skilled at putting the ball in the basket. The Tacoma, Wash., native spent his senior season at loaded Findlay Prep in Nevada, where he provided a glimpse of what his game might look like at the college level. On a team packed with future Division I players, Bradley scored as his team needed him to (18.9 points per game), worked within the system and was the catalyst for a 33-0 season. With talents like Dexter Pittman, Gary Johnson, Justin Mason and possibly Damion James (testing NBA Draft) in the mix for Rick Barnes’ program, expect Bradley to be a glue guy who makes his more experienced teammates look great.  

(7) Kenny Boynton, 6-2, G, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)
Headed to: Florida
With Nick Calathes apparently off to the NBA, a potentially top-flight backcourt took a major hit for 2009-2010. Calathes and sophomore-to-be Erving Walker would have provided Boynton – who specializes at putting up points in bunches – an endless number of open looks. If anybody in this group approaches the 20-point per game plateau, it could be Boynton. He dropped in 31.4 points per night as a senior and is the state of Florida’s third all-time leading scorer at the high school level.  

(8) John Wall, 6-4, G, Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.)
Considering: Duke, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina
It’s difficult to make any type of projection on Wall’s freshman season in college with his future destination being such a mystery. Assuming college is even part of Wall’s plans, a Derrick Rose-type impact is not out of the question.  

(9) Mouphtaou Yarou, 6-10, F, Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.)
Headed to: Villanova
A year ago at this time, Yarou was a little-known African import. But a great senior season at Montrose Christian sent his stock soaring and he will have an opportunity to see that spike in attention continue as a freshman at Villanova. The Wildcats lose stud forward Dante Cunningham and key reserve Shane Clark. Yarou will compete with Casiem Drummond and Antonio Pena, as well as fellow incoming freshman Isaiah Armwood, for minutes in the post. Should the big man from the Republic of Benin in West Africa emerge from that group, Jay Wright’s all-star guard posse of Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Reggie Redding will help him steer clear of double teams in the paint.  

(10) Keith Gallon, 6-9, F, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
Headed to: Oklahoma
Opportunity is knocking in a big way for Gallon, who once tipped the scales at over 320 pounds before working his way into basketball shape under the tutelage of legendary coach Steve Smith at Oak Hill Academy. Brothers Blake and Taylor Griffin combined for 32.3 points and over 20 rebounds per game for the Sooners and both are departing Norman. Should Gallon stay on top of his conditioning and manage his weight, that void in the post will give him a chance to be a double-digit scorer from the outset of his career. Gallon developed a deadly 3-point streak as a senior at Oak Hill and it will be interesting to see if the 6-9, 285-pounder has the green light from beyond the arc from Jeff Capel.