Impact freshmen: UK leads way with Wall, Cousins

I named a freshman the Preseason National Player of the Year on Wednesday.

Ever since, the complaints haven't stopped.

I've been called stupid, dumb, idiotic and lots of other things, some not fit for print. It's been rough, but not surprising, because I tend to celebrate the freshmen every year before they even play a minute in college, and every year the response is similar. I named Kevin Durant a first-team All-American before his freshman season, was ridiculed for it but then later applauded.

Likewise, I named Derrick Rose a first-team All-American before his freshman season, was ridiculed for it but then later applauded.

There is a certain pattern to this stuff, clearly. So I'll be accepting your apologies in March, if not sooner. And to those of you who simply can't grasp the logic, what you need to understand is that of the four high school classes that primarily fill college rosters -- 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 -- only the most talented from the Class of 2009 (i.e., the freshmen) remain on campus.

Trust me, if Durant (Class of 2006), Rose (Class of 2007) or any of their best classmates -- Greg Oden, Thaddeus Young, Ty Lawson, Brandan Wright, Brook Lopez, O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, Anthony Randolph -- were still in school, it would be much more difficult for freshmen to earn preseason honors. But the reality is that the highest-rated prospect from the Class of 2006 who remains in college is Sherron Collins (ranked 12th nationally by Scout.com), and the highest-rated prospect from the Class of 2007 who remains in college is Kyle Singler (ranked sixth nationally by Scout.com). Meantime, only one (Samardo Samuels) of the top six prospects from Scout.com's Class of 2008 rankings remains in college, and the Class of 2008 wasn't even that great of a class.

Bottom line, the most talented players from every class have moved on ... except for the most talented players from the freshman class. That's the formula that leads to freshman dominance.

Here are the freshmen who are most likely to make an impact during the 2009-10 season:

1. John Wall, Kentucky

Why he's here: Do you people understand that my track record with naming freshmen first-team All-Americans before they ever play a game is pretty remarkable? It bears repeating: Before Wall this year, I had only applied such an honor to two freshmen: Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose. Again, I'll be accepting apologies soon enough.

2. Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech

Why he's here: Like Wall, Favors is a pro playing college basketball -- a sure-bet lottery pick who will team with Gani Lawal to make Georgia Tech relevant again. In fact, I won't be surprised if we look up in February and Georgia Tech is first or second in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets are that talented, and it starts with Favors.

3. Avery Bradley, Texas

Why he's here: Bradley isn't going to average 20 points a game, but his impact will be large. He'll be a lockdown defender for what I believe is Rick Barnes' most talented team ever, blend in with the veterans and take over games when needed.

4. Kenny Boynton, Florida

Why he's here: Billy Donovan needs Boynton to be a high-level scorer from the outset, and the combo guard is good enough to do it. He'll take some bad shots here and there, do a dumb thing every once in a while. But Boynton is the type who can go get 30 on a random Saturday, and those guys are rarely bad for a roster.

5. Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati

Why he's here: The reason you don't see John Henson listed is because he's going to have a tough time getting minutes with Deon Thompson, Ed Davis and Tyler Zeller in North Carolina's frontcourt. The reason you don't see Renardo Sidney is because, to date, there's no evidence he'll be cleared to play at Mississippi State, making it difficult to have an impact. I tell you that to remind you that this is a list of "impact" freshmen, not necessarily the best freshman. And there's no denying Stephenson will have a huge impact at Cincinnati. Time will tell whether it's a positive or negative one, considering he doesn't have a great reputation. But Stephenson will make an impact, one way or another, and he might just lead the Big East in shots.

6. DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky

Why he's here: Cousins is an amazing talent, a skilled big man who will dominate at times for Kentucky. If he conducts himself like a professional, he'll be a professional this time next year. But I spent two summers watching Cousins on the AAU circuit, and he rarely seemed to conduct himself like a professional. I've watched him curse at coaches, ignore instruction from counselors and generally rub folks the wrong way. For his sake, I hope he's spent the past year maturing. If he hasn't, John Calipari will want to kill him at some point in December.

7. Xavier Henry, Kansas

Why he's here: Henry got caught in a whirlwind recruitment between Kansas and Kentucky, then enrolled later than most freshmen, and it really has been a strange past seven months for the McDonald's All-American. Still, he'll prove to be worth the trouble, because he's gifted enough to be the missing piece to a national title team.

8. Keith 'Tiny' Gallon, Oklahoma

Why he's here: Jeff Capel has relied heavily on freshmen each of the past two years -- first on Blake Griffin to make the 2008 NCAA tournament, then on Willie Warren to make the 2009 Elite Eight. It should be more of the same this season. OU will start two freshmen, and I'm only putting Gallon higher than Tommy Mason-Griffin on this list because he's likely to have better numbers.

9. Milton Jennings, Clemson

Why he's here: Jennings is the anti-Cousins, one of the more likable guys in the Class of 2009. I met him two summers ago, was blown away by his maturity and energy, and I wrote a column about his rise from troubled youth to honor student. Even if you're not a Clemson fan, you're going to want to root for this guy. He'll be a key player for a top 15 team, a shining example of what's possible when adults take an honest interest in a kid who wants to be better and only needed a little support to get there.

10. Michael Snaer, Florida State

Why he's here: There is no easy way to replace Toney Douglas, but Snaer will make it easier than some might expect. He'll have plenty of opportunities to post numbers that could help Florida State return to the NCAA tournament.

The next 10

11. Tommy Mason-Griffin (Oklahoma)	16. Durand Scott (Miami)
12. Wally Judge (Kansas State)	17. Alex Oriakhi (Connecticut)
13. J'Covan Brown (Texas)	18. Kyryl Natyazhko (Arizona)
14. Abdul Gaddy (Washington)	19. Ray Penn (Oklahoma State)
15. Dante Taylor (Pittsburgh)	20. Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky)