Post by Los Angeles Lakers on Feb 20, 2007 20:40:38 GMT -5
The Next Generation[/u][/size]
The league is going through a transitional period with new young superstars coming into the league. Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams, and Chris Paul are just a few players who are leading the league into a new era. However, there are even many more players who aren't even in the league yet are gathering tons of hype in college and even in high school. Let's take a look at some of those players who will be taking Retro ABCA to the next level.
Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard opted not to enter this past year despite finally being eligible. He is a manchild who's fun-loving personality reminds everyone of a young Shaquille O'Neal. Dwight has perhaps been the most dominant player in college basketball for the past couple years since Amare Stoudemire's departure from Memphis. Howard has flourished under Coach K's tutulage at Duke and expects to continue to compete for a National Championship again this year. There's no question that once Dwight finishes dominating the collegiate level of basketball, he will make an instant impact for any team that winds up drafting him in ABCA.
Greg Oden
Greg Oden is another big man who is expected to make an impact right away when he comes into the league. People like to say that Greg would've entered the draft had he been eligible coming out of high school but Greg denies all those rumors. "I love college and have always wanted to go to college," said Greg. "I want to get better and try to become one of the best players I can be and College is part of that." Greg Oden lead a class of young freshmen that are probably going to make a huge impact in the college game. He will do the same when he comes into the league. Don't be surprised to see if Greg starts up a rivalry with the player I had just talked about in Dwight Howard in college that will eventually elevate to the next level in the pros.
O.J. Mayo
This kid is just a senior in high school but has already a ton of hype as a young player. In this day and age of instant communication, it's no surprise that highlight reels of O.J. Mayo are all over the internet and his games are probably going to gain some exposure on nationa televsion. It maybe a while til O.J. is playing in the league but O.J. can wait. He's already committed to playing at USC next season and has aspirations of doing what Lebron did up north in Cal. "I wanna follow in the footsteps of Lebron. All he did when he played in the college game was dominate and win national championships. I want to carry this Southern Cal program to prominence and let everybody know that we're not just a football school but that we're a basketball school too," said Mayo. Big dreams for a kid who could potentially be better than many players that are in the league right now.
Andris Biedrins
This young Latvian sensation has improved his stock over the past couple years. He was a relevant unknown to the basketball world until last year when scouts discovered his uncanny ability to rebound, block shots, and score highly efficiently. Playing on the professional team for Real Madrid has really bolstered Andris' game to a high level. Another year or two of playing in Europe and improving his game could be big for this young man. Expect big things from Biedrins when he finally makes the jump to ABCA.
Yi Jian Lian
Yi is the next best Chinese player that will be coming into the league in the coming years. He's only 19 years old going on 20 and already has a very polished game for a seven footer. He plays very much like Dirk Nowitzki rather than his Chinese counter-part, Yao Ming. Yi is a player that can handle, shoot, and finish strong at the rim with finnese. Yi like Biedrins is one of the top international prospects that the league will see in the future. It is just a matter of when this young stud will come and play in ABCA that begs the question.
The league is going through a transitional period with new young superstars coming into the league. Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams, and Chris Paul are just a few players who are leading the league into a new era. However, there are even many more players who aren't even in the league yet are gathering tons of hype in college and even in high school. Let's take a look at some of those players who will be taking Retro ABCA to the next level.
Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard opted not to enter this past year despite finally being eligible. He is a manchild who's fun-loving personality reminds everyone of a young Shaquille O'Neal. Dwight has perhaps been the most dominant player in college basketball for the past couple years since Amare Stoudemire's departure from Memphis. Howard has flourished under Coach K's tutulage at Duke and expects to continue to compete for a National Championship again this year. There's no question that once Dwight finishes dominating the collegiate level of basketball, he will make an instant impact for any team that winds up drafting him in ABCA.
Greg Oden
Greg Oden is another big man who is expected to make an impact right away when he comes into the league. People like to say that Greg would've entered the draft had he been eligible coming out of high school but Greg denies all those rumors. "I love college and have always wanted to go to college," said Greg. "I want to get better and try to become one of the best players I can be and College is part of that." Greg Oden lead a class of young freshmen that are probably going to make a huge impact in the college game. He will do the same when he comes into the league. Don't be surprised to see if Greg starts up a rivalry with the player I had just talked about in Dwight Howard in college that will eventually elevate to the next level in the pros.
O.J. Mayo
This kid is just a senior in high school but has already a ton of hype as a young player. In this day and age of instant communication, it's no surprise that highlight reels of O.J. Mayo are all over the internet and his games are probably going to gain some exposure on nationa televsion. It maybe a while til O.J. is playing in the league but O.J. can wait. He's already committed to playing at USC next season and has aspirations of doing what Lebron did up north in Cal. "I wanna follow in the footsteps of Lebron. All he did when he played in the college game was dominate and win national championships. I want to carry this Southern Cal program to prominence and let everybody know that we're not just a football school but that we're a basketball school too," said Mayo. Big dreams for a kid who could potentially be better than many players that are in the league right now.
Andris Biedrins
This young Latvian sensation has improved his stock over the past couple years. He was a relevant unknown to the basketball world until last year when scouts discovered his uncanny ability to rebound, block shots, and score highly efficiently. Playing on the professional team for Real Madrid has really bolstered Andris' game to a high level. Another year or two of playing in Europe and improving his game could be big for this young man. Expect big things from Biedrins when he finally makes the jump to ABCA.
Yi Jian Lian
Yi is the next best Chinese player that will be coming into the league in the coming years. He's only 19 years old going on 20 and already has a very polished game for a seven footer. He plays very much like Dirk Nowitzki rather than his Chinese counter-part, Yao Ming. Yi is a player that can handle, shoot, and finish strong at the rim with finnese. Yi like Biedrins is one of the top international prospects that the league will see in the future. It is just a matter of when this young stud will come and play in ABCA that begs the question.