Player Rankings: Big men

It's possible the top three players in the country not named Stephen Curry are big men.

Ranked by hype, they look like this:

1. Tyler Hansbrough
2. Blake Griffin
3. Luke Harangody

Ranked by production, they look like this:

1. Luke Harangody
2. Tyler Hansbrough
3. Blake Griffin.

Ranked by NBA potential, they look like this:

1. Blake Griffin
2. Tyler Hansbrough
3. Luke Harangody

Ranked by me, they look like this:

(Don't forget to read the explanation on these rankings.)

1. Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina)

Why he's here: Hansbrough has his detractors, but you can't argue with the numbers. He has never averaged fewer than 18.4 points, never averaged fewer than 7.8 rebounds, and that he has done all this at a storied program while playing within the normal flow of the game is why he will go down as one of the best players in the history of the ACC, if not college basketball.

2. Luke Harangody (Notre Dame)

Why he's here: Yes, Harangody is more productive than Hansbrough, at least in terms of points and rebounds per minutes played. Harangody averaged 20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds in 29.0 minutes last season while Hansbrough averaged 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 33.0 minutes. So as I pointed out in a column last month, I really don't think most people understand how dominant of a college player Harangody has become.

3. Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)

Why he's here: Griffin hasn't posted the numbers of Hansbrough or Harangody, but he's more gifted than either and a better NBA prospect. In fact, don't be surprised when Griffin goes No. 1 in next year's draft, because he could've gone in the top five of this year's draft.

4. Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut)

Why he's here: Seems like people have always wanted Thabeet to be more, and that might never change. But he showed great improvement between his freshman and sophomore years, and his 4.5 blocks per game attest to the way 7-foot-3 future lottery pick can disrupt defensively.

5. Patrick Patterson (Kentucky)

Why he's here: Patterson entered college with a lot of hype because of how he handled his recruitment, and he managed to live up to it. The 6-8 forward averaged 16.4 points and 7.7 rebounds as a freshman before suffering a season-ending injury in late February.

6. B.J. Mullens (Ohio State)

Why he's here: The guess here is that Mullens is somewhere between Greg Oden and Kosta Koufos, which means he'll be really good at Ohio State. The 7-foot freshman should be enough to help the Buckeyes return to the NCAA tournament after an NIT appearance last season.

7. Jon Brockman (Washington)

Why he's here: I tend to discount players on average teams, but Brockman is too good to ignore. He has improved each of his three years in college, the most recent of which featured averages of 17.8 points and 11.6 rebounds.

8. Jeff Adrien (Connecticut)

Why he's here: That Adrien is the second UConn player listed should suggest the Huskies have a frontcourt capable of carrying them to the Final Four. This basketball player trapped in a football player's body averaged 14.8 points and 9.1 rebounds last season.

9. A.J. Ogilvy (Vanderbilt)

Why he's here: Ogilvy won't impress anybody with his athleticism, but the guy is crafty and smart and good at using his body to create angles and opportunities. He averaged 17.0 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Commodores last season and might be asked to do more now that Shan Foster is no longer around.

10. DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh)

Why he's here: Blair isn't just a big body with a big smile. He averaged 11.6 points and 9.1 rebounds last season and should be among the best sophomores in the country.

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