Doyel's rankings: PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Coaches
Missouri will be awfully good this season, but the Tigers could have been even better. In all seriousness, had a few things turned out differently, Missouri could have had as much talent as some of the lower-tier teams in the NBA.
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| James Thomas provided the muscle during Texas' Final Four run. (Getty Images) |
Plus there's Big 12 rookie of the year candidate Linas Kleiza at power forward, St. Louis transfer Randy Pulley at the point, and senior forward Travon Bryant -- an All-Big 12 candidate.
Point guard Ricky Clemons has NBA quickness and defensive ability, but was kicked off the team this summer.
And then there is Robert Whaley, who ranks fourth on this list of centers. He signed with Missouri but never played for the Tigers after encountering legal problems. He has resurfaced at Cincinnati, where coach Bob Huggins' penchant for giving second chances warms the heart.
Also, Missouri once signed Okafor -- Uche Okafor, a Nigerian junior college star who never earned NCAA eligibility.
| Rank | Player | School | Class | PPG/RPG | Skinny |
| 1 | Emeka Okafor | Connecticut | Jr. | 15.9/11.2 | Does it all in the post |
| 2 | Arthur Johnson | Missouri | Sr. | 16.1/9.6 | Scorer deluxe |
| 3 | James Thomas | Texas | Sr. | 11.1/11.0 | Fearsome rebounder, defender |
| 4 | Robert Whaley | Cincinnati | Jr. | JC | Equal parts troubled and talented |
| 5 | Ronny Turiaf | Gonzaga | Jr. | 15.6/6.2 | Great touch for a huge body |
| 6 | Paul Davis | Michigan State | So. | 7.8/4.7 | Summer star who needs to carry it over |
| 7 | Channing Frye | Arizona | Jr. | 12.6/8.0 | Smooth junior all about finesse |
| 8 | Michael Southall | Louisiana-Lafayette | Jr. | 12.9/7.5 | NBA scouts know who he is |
| 9 | Matt Nelson | Colorado State | Jr. | 17.0/5.6 | Old-school pivot must stay healthy |
| 10 | David Harrison | Colorado | Jr. | 13.9/8.3 | Could rocket up this list |
