Where does Kentucky’s John Wall rank in terms of college freshmen you’ve seen—regardless of position?
DeCourcy: This was bound to be the next frontier once we embraced the notion that Wall’s ability supersedes the spectacular standard established by Derrick Rose. At Memphis two seasons ago, Rose set the current standard for freshman point guards, but Wall arrived with a stronger sense of confidence about who he is and what he is in college to accomplish. The next logical step is to wonder if Wall compares to the best of freshmen: Kevin Durant at Texas, Chris Jackson at LSU, Phil Ford at North Carolina, Kenny Anderson at Georgia Tech, Mark Aguirre at DePaul. With the limited information eight games provides, Wall would be the choice over any of them. As great as Durant, Jackson and Aguirre were as scorers, a gifted point guard is going to affect the game in so many more ways. Wall directs the team’s offense and fronts the team’s defense. Unless he is inadequate in these areas—and he has been exceptional—Wall has an inherent advantage. Ford had greater control of his team’s offense than
DeCourcy: This was bound to be the next frontier once we embraced the notion that Wall’s ability supersedes the spectacular standard established by Derrick Rose. At Memphis two seasons ago, Rose set the current standard for freshman point guards, but Wall arrived with a stronger sense of confidence about who he is and what he is in college to accomplish. The next logical step is to wonder if Wall compares to the best of freshmen: Kevin Durant at Texas, Chris Jackson at LSU, Phil Ford at North Carolina, Kenny Anderson at Georgia Tech, Mark Aguirre at DePaul. With the limited information eight games provides, Wall would be the choice over any of them. As great as Durant, Jackson and Aguirre were as scorers, a gifted point guard is going to affect the game in so many more ways. Wall directs the team’s offense and fronts the team’s defense. Unless he is inadequate in these areas—and he has been exceptional—Wall has an inherent advantage. Ford had greater control of his team’s offense than
