If you thought I left some good players off the points and combos list (hello, Wink Adams!) wait until you see this list of wings. Here, I've only got 30 spots compared to 40, which means I had to omit everybody from a 14-point per game scorer in the SEC (Alonzo Gee) to a pair of future draft picks from Ohio State (David Lighty and Evan Turner).
I couldn't even find room for Tasmin Mitchell and Patrick Christopher.
And I like Tasmin Mitchell and Patrick Christopher.
So this list was obviously tough to put together, and I'm confident we'll debate it accordingly. I'm standing by now just waiting for your e-mails filled with personal attacks, but before you send them be sure to read the explanation of how the CBSSports.com 2008-09 Preseason College Basketball Player Rankings work because those three minutes might save you 10 minutes of writing an e-mail and 45 seconds of me reading your e-mail and deleting it or popping off a smart aleck reply.
So do that, and then if you still want to argue we'll argue.
But what we won't do is argue about James Harden.
He's No. 1 because that's where he belongs.
1. James Harden (Arizona State)
Why he's here: Last season it was Kevin Love and O.J. Mayo who got most of the attention in the Pac-10, and for good reason. But now it's Harden's turn, and the dynamic scorer who averaged 17.8 points and 5.3 rebounds as a freshman should push the Sun Devils into the NCAA tournament.
2. Tyler Smith (Tennessee)
Why he's here: The SEC's Preseason Player of the Year averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds last season, his first at Tennessee. Still, he couldn't get the Vols past the Sweet 16. But that could happen this season, which is expected to be Smith's last in college.
3. DeMar DeRozan (Southern California)
Why he's here: DeRozan has NBA athleticism and the type of game that makes scouts drool. He'll score in bunches at USC, just like O.J. Mayo did last season. And then DeRozan should be a candidate to be drafted just as highly as Mayo, i.e., in the top half of the lottery.
4. Damion James (Texas)
Why he's here: James is a double-double threat from the wing, proof being how he averaged 13.2 points and 10.3 rebounds last season. It's unclear how well the 6-foot-7 athlete's game will translate to the NBA level, but he's a beast in college and thus Rick Barnes' best asset.
5. Sam Young (Pittsburgh)
Why he's here: There weren't many relevant players last season who made as significant a jump as the one Young made between his sophomore and junior campaigns. The 6-6 wing went from averaging 7.2 points to 18.1, and he's the main reason the Panthers will be in play for the Big East title.
6. Chase Budinger (Arizona)
Why he's here: Budinger was close to remaining in the NBA Draft but reversed course at the last minute. That means there are 17 points per game Arizona won't have to find elsewhere, and the smart money has Budinger leading the Wildcats back to the NCAA tournament.
7. Wayne Ellington (North Carolina)
Why he's here: Ellington's NBA stock took a hit at the NBA PreDraft Camp, but that has noting to do with his ability as a college scorer. The 6-4 junior averaged 16.6 points last season and is the weapon that helps keep opponents from collapsing on Tyler Hansbrough every possession.
8. Robbie Hummel (Purdue)
Why he's here: Hummel was supposed to be good coming out of high school, but hardly anybody expected him to average 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds as a freshman while nearly leading the Boilermakers to the Big Ten title. That was a surprise. But this season even bigger things are expected -- from Hummel as well as his team.
9. Earl Clark (Louisville)
Why he's here: Clark averaged 11.1 points and 8.1 rebounds last season, which is respectable yet ho-hum relative to his potential. The guess here is that the Louisville junior will produce more this season, and if Clark shows consistency he could be the key to another Final Four for Rick Pitino.
10. Austin Daye (Gonzaga)
Why he's here: Daye's level of productivity hasn't yet matched his level of talent, but that should change this season. The sweet-shooting Bulldog is expected to be more of a focal point of Gonzaga's attack, and if he develops properly he'll help Mark Few win another WCC title while helping himself break into next June's lottery.
The next 20
| 11. Raymar Morgan (Michigan State) | 18. Scotty Hopson (Tennessee) | 25. Josh Shipp (UCLA) |
| 12. Kyle Singler (Duke) | 19. Dionte Christmas (Temple) | 26. Chris Wright (Dayton) |
| 13. Terrence Williams (Louisville) | 20. James Johnson (Wake Forest) | 27. Danny Green (North Carolina) |
| 14. Gerald Henderson (Duke) | 21. James Anderson (Oklahoma State) | 28. Ryan Thompson (Rider) |
| 15. Robert Vaden (UAB) | 22. K.C. Rivers (Clemson) | 29. Josh Carter (Texas A&M) |
| 16. Lee Cummard (BYU) | 23. Devin Ebanks (West Virginia) | 30. Paul Harris (Syracuse) |
| 17. DaJuan Summers (Georgetown) | 24. A.D. Vassallo (Virginia Tech) |
| 2008-09 Season Preview/Conference Countdown Schedule | |||
| Date | Feature | Date | Feature |
| Monday, Oct. 20 | Preseason Top 25 (and one) | Thursday, Oct. 30 | Ranking the best of the non-BCS |
| Tuesday, Oct. 21 | Preseason All-America Team | Friday, Oct. 31 | No. 6: Big Ten |
| Wednesday, Oct. 22 | Player rankings: Points/combos | Monday, Nov. 3 | No. 5: Pac-10 |
| Thursday, Oct. 23 | Player rankings: Wings | Tuesday, Nov. 4 | No. 4: Big 12 |
| Friday, Oct. 24 | Player rankings: Big men | Wednesday, Nov. 5 | No. 3: SEC |
| Monday, Oct. 27 | Impact Freshmen | Thursday, Nov. 6 | No. 2: ACC |
| Tuesday, Oct. 28 | Coaches on the hot seat | Friday, Nov. 7 | No. 1: Big East |
| Wednesday, Oct. 29 | Games to watch | Monday, Nov. 10 | Preseason tourney projections |
