Preseason Top 10 Power Forwards

1. Al Thornton- Florida State (16.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.2 APG)
If anyone knows the undeniable talent of Al Thornton, it’s me. I saw him drop 37 on BC on 15-of-18 shooting in the most dominating performance I’ve ever seen live of any college player. Not only did Thornton never miss, I don’t think he scraped the rim. Then in a few weeks, he goes nuts on Duke for 37 on 32 shot attempts. Thornton has a great chance to be the scoring champion in America this season.

2. Jeff Green- Georgetown (11.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.3 APG)
Maybe the most complete player in the Big East. Even if Green doesn’t put up scoring numbers in bunches, his decision making, passing ability and rebounding efforts are extremely important to the Hoyas. He’s an Al Harrington-type forward with great versatility. Green really stepped up his game last season in the big upset over Duke.

3. Al Horford- Florida (11.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.0 APG)
By far the most consistent player on the Gators. He’ll rarely go out and control the tempo of the game, but he’s always reliable for 13 points each and every outing. Even if Chad Ford projected Horford as a lottery pick, he needed to return to school to perfect his post game and kick up the scoring a notch, even if it’s tough with this loaded Gators team.

4. D.J. White- Indiana (9.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.0 APG)
White is a quality post presence who has the strength to score muscling down low, or play face-up and nail a mid-range jumper. The knock on White is that he needs to be more assertive. I can see him proving critics wrong as the leader of an Indiana team looking to rekindle old success.

5. Carl Landry- Purdue (15.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.0 APG)
Landry scored 35 points early in the year but went down with an injured knee, nailing the coffin on an already failing Purdue season. Now Landry is back as a possible candidate for All Big-Ten. Back in his junior season, Landry was second in the conference in FG percentage and scoring. Now that he’s healthy, look for a big year from Carl.

6. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute- UCLA (9.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.3 APG)
We can all credit Luc for the moment when Gus Johnson’s head exploded after his winning shot vs. Gonzaga. This Cameroon native can play the small forward because of his quickness and his surprisingly accurate shooting stroke. He has the tools to become a versatile, athletic power forward for UCLA in a Luol Deng mold, or a wing player in the NBA if his shooting gets even better.

7. Lamont Hamilton- St. John’s (12.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.1 APG)
Hamilton shone last year in his 24-point effort in a 55-50 win over Pittsburgh, but is overall very reliable for double digits every time out. St. John’s could be a national sleeper this season and Hamilton will be a big reason for their success. He has the size to take over a game, but the scoring premise needs to improve slightly.

8. Jeff Adrien- Connecticut (6.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 0.5 APG)
With the completely new look for Uconn, Adrien and A.J. Price are all of a sudden responsible for carrying the scoring load, with the help of five-star freshmen of course. Adrien had his best game in the losing effort to George Mason with 17 points on 7 of 8 shooting, mixing in some jumpers while also creating his own shots closer to the basket. This Brookline native may burst onto the national scene.

9. Richard Hendrix- Alabama (9.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG. 0.8 APG)
Hendrix was hugely recruited out of high school and ultimately decided to stay local. Good decision. Along with Steele and Davidson, Alabama is a real threat. I can see Hendrix blossoming into one of the top forwards in the country by his junior year. Along with a great last name, Hendrix can block shots with ease and score down low on bigger opponents.

10. Julian Wright- Kansas (8.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.8 APG)
Often compared to the NBA’s Boris Diaw, which is an excellent comparison for the game of Wright. He is the best passer on the Kansas team with his long arms and tremendous athleticism. Wright has all of the attributes to become a golden talent on the college basketball map, but the jump shot has to improve.