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7/13/05
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Five stars you could see shooting in college</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By Mike DeCourcy -
SportingNews
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Not every top prospect in high school basketball will head to college as the result of the NBA's new draft entry regulations. But some of the best probably will wear Division I uniforms.
Top talent scouts Dave Telep of Scout.com and Van Coleman of Hoopmasters.com assess the elite from the class of 2006.
1. GREG ODEN Details: 7-0, C, Lawrence North (Indianapolis).
College: Committed to Ohio State.
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Telep's take: "He's a go-to move away from being a completely dominant center. He's a big-time defensive intimidator."
Coleman's take: "We know he would be the No. 1 guy in the draft. With his size, his skill level and his work ethic -- that's a big key for him. His athleticism may be beyond Tim Duncan's. He scores and passes the ball extremely well."
2. KEVIN DURANT
Details: 6-10, SF, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.).
College: Committed to Texas.
Telep's take: "It's almost an anomaly that a guy that big can shoot the ball the way he does. He's starting to really feel himself and become competitive now."
Coleman's take: "He's thin but stronger than most people would think. Normally, he's very consistent from beyond the arc. He can score on the blocks against a smaller wing, and a bigger player cannot guard him on the perimeter because his jumpshot sets them on their heels."
3. BRANDAN WRIGHT
Details: 6-9, PF, Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy.
College: Considering Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke and others.
Telep's take: "I compare him to a younger Chris Bosh. He's got some work to do on his perimeter game, but he's bouncy at the rim and seems to have a nose for the basketball."
Coleman's take: "He's a power forward at the NBA level, with the ability to face up at 15 to 17 feet and score -- especially off the elbow. He's really effective there. He runs the floor really well and beats a lot of people upcourt."
4. THADDEUS YOUNG
Details: 6-8, SF, Mitchell (Memphis).
College: North Carolina seems to be in the lead, but he's looking at nearly a dozen schools.
Telep's take: "One of the top student-athletes to come along in a long time. He's a slasher, a shooter, a scorer -- a terrific perimeter prospect with a lot of tools."
Coleman's take: "He's more of a question mark. He's got to prove himself. The jump shot is still the one thing I would like to see him take to another level. He has the ability to put it on the floor and get to the hoop, no question about that."
5. PAUL HARRIS
Details: 6-4, SG, Niagara Falls (N.Y.) High.
College: Syracuse and Pitt are his top choices.
Telep's take: "I call him the nuclear weapon. You don't exactly know what he is, but you don't want anybody else to get their hands on him. He's a beast, a man, maybe the best 6-4 rebounder I've seen."
Coleman's take: "The jump shot is the major concern. You get a 6-5 guy on him, he'll destroy him on the low block. He does have the ballhandling skills. He really has to be a guy who works at 300 to 500 shots a day until he's ready for the draft."
Senior writer Mike DeCourcy covers college basketball for Sporting News. Email him at decourcy@sportingnews.com.
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