| 30 October 2011
Forget about those millionaire players and billionaire owners fighting over how to split up the billions of dollars we've paid to them - real basketball is soon to begin once again in North America. The college basketball season is just days away, and with no NBA games on the horizon there are sure to be more eyes than ever watching the college kids ball. With tip-off just around the corner, The Hoops Manifesto presents its guide to the NCAA season, our "2011/12 NCAA Cheat Sheet", where we'll highlight what to look out for this upcoming year. Next up: Best Frontcourt
North Carolina: Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Tyler Zeller, James McAdoo
The Tar Heels possess such an embarrassment of riches in their frontcourt this season, they could compete with many NBA teams (oh, wait a minute, I forgot - that league doesn't exist anymore due to greedy capitalists). Roy Williams has everything a coach could wish for in his big men: size and length, skill and athleticism, youth and experience. In Harrison Barnes they have one of the best (if not THE best) small forwards in the nation, who really came alive near the end of his freshman year. It was a coup to have him return to college for a second kick at the can. John Henson is as long as they come, and while he is still a work-in-progress on offense, his length and athleticism makes him a terror on the boards and in the blocked shots column of the stat sheet. And Tyler Zeller is a big, strong 7-footer who gives the team a lowpost threat on offense. And to make matters worse for teams on the Tar Heels' schedule this season, James McAdoo, one of the best freshman in the country, will be the first big man off the bench. Ridiculous.
Other top frontcourts:
Baylor: Quincy Miller, Quincy Acy, Perry Jones III
Connecticut: Roscoe Smith, Alex Oriakhi, Andre Drummond
Minnesota: Trevor Mbakwe, Ralph Sampson III
UCLA: Reeves Nelson, Joshua Smith, David Wear, Travis Wear
Kentucky: Anthony Davis, Terrence Jones, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kyle Wiltjer
Vanderbilt: Festus Ezeli, Lance Gouldbourne, Jeffrey Taylor
Alabama: JaMychel Green, Tony Mitchell
Gonzaga: Robert Sacre, Elias Harris, Kelly Olynyk, Sam Dower
Nevada: Olek Czyz, Dario Hunt
Previous NCAA Previews: Super Sophs, Fab Five Freshman
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