Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan.
Obviously, Evan Turner’s journey has been well documented, and if you want more on Mr. Turner, read Bleacher Fan’s argument. John Wall has been heavily hyped from the start of the season, and he has helped lead Kentucky to an outstanding season and a likely #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. He is being highlighted by Sports Geek. However, I’= am going to step outside the box a bit and go a different direction. I believe that Wall’s teammate, DeMarcus Cousins, deserves serious consideration for college basketball’s Player of the Year.
Cousins, who was also heavily hyped himself coming into the season, originally was committed to Memphis, but when coach John Calipari left Memphis for Lexington, Cousins decided to join him in Wildcat Nation. I will admit that I am always a little partial to big guys over guards, and that is the main reason I am siding with Cousins over his teammate. It is a matter of preference, and it was actually addressed in an SEC teleconference this past Monday.
Cousins, who is a bulky 6-feet 11-inches and 270 pounds, is one of two SEC players averaging a double-double (Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado is the other). He is averaging 15.9 points per game with 10.1 rebounds per game and has had 18 double-doubles to this point. Not to mention that fact that he is fifth in the league in blocks at just under two per game, even though in every Kentucky game I have watched he has had a far greater impact on opposing shots than the numbers might indicate. On offense he is often impossible to guard. As Arkansas head coach John Pelfrey said, “Physically, one man can’t guard him.”
Just this week, Cousins was named to the all-conference SEC team, and was named SEC freshman of the year… and we can count on more hardware on the national level soon. This was not at all unexpected. In fact, many mock drafts have him being a high lottery pick in the 2010 NBA draft if he declares for the draft, as expected.
I am not going to pretend that I am a big fan of Calipari, because I am not. But he deserves some credit for molding this young team into a favorite for the national championship. Cousins is a huge part of that. Just have to ask yourself who is more valuable to the team, Wall or Cousins? Wall gets all the glitz and glamour because he plays the point guard position, but Cousins has a chance to dominate the game in the paint – and it is usually a chance he takes advantage of. If he gets in foul trouble, Kentucky is an entirely different team. Opposing teams gain an advantage in the paint when driving to the hole and also when crashing the boards. That is what makes him more important.
Solid cases can be made for Wall and Turner. But Cousins has come on strong down the stretch and deserves to be named the national Player of the Year.
[...] Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer. [...]