NBA Tickets - Top 10 Draft Prospects

It's never too early to start projecting who top picks in the next NBA draft will be. Here are my top 10 college basketball prospects that I think will be selling NBA tickets this time next year (as of January 9th).

1. Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma: Griffin has been an absolute beast up to this point. He's dominating the college game in Michael Beasleyesque fashion, but is a true four, unlike Beasley. He's got decent size for the position and his athleticism allows him to make plays that a lot of guys cannot. Griffin would have been a top five pick if he entered the 2008 draft and he's almost a lock to be the first guy off the board in 2009.

2. Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain: Rubio is a magician with the basketball and is as pure of a point guard as there is. He's got above average size, fantastic vision and instincts and that "it" quality that only some guys possess.

3. Greg Monroe, PF, Georgetown: Monroe will probably be the first freshman off the board should he enter the 2009 draft. Nobody has ever questioned Monroe's vast talent and versatile skill set, but some scouts worried about his drive and desire during his high school days. He's shown no signs of any motivation issues since entering the college game and has scouts drooling over his versatility.

4. James Harden, SG, Arizona State: Harden doesn't wow you when you watch him, but he gets the job done. He does everything well, but nothing spectacular. The last guy people said that about was Brandon Roy, and we all know how he's looking in the NBA. However, Harden, at 6-4, is a bit undersized for the position in the pros and cannot make up for it with athleticism. That is what may prevent him from becoming an All-Star in the league.

5. Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA: Holiday remind me a lot of Russell Westbrook. He's a very well-rounded guard that is still learning the point. There are questions about whether he'll declare or not, but he projects to be a really good NBA player whenever he does.

6. Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn: I'm torn on Thabeet. One night he's dominant, the next he's average, despite being 7-3. He has the potential to develop into an elite defender on the NBA level, but I'm not too confident in his offensive game ever coming around. He's averaging just a shade less than 14 points as of January 9th, and that's when he's matched up against college centers.

7. Brandon Jennings, PG, Italy: Scouts are beginning to sour on Jennings thanks to his underwhelming performance overseas. I, however, have not cooled on him at all. The kid is so out of his element over there. He's 18, playing in a foreign country, in a different style of basketball with different rules and he's stuck behind an established point guard on the depth chart. Draft him on talent and put him in an up-tempo system and see what happens. He'd be a great fit for the Warriors or Knicks.

8. Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona: Hill is shooting up draft boards this year. He's definitely taken a big step from his sophomore season, but I don't see why some scouts have him in their top five. He looks like he could be a solid starter in the pros, but I don't see the wow factor.

9. Al-Farouq Aminu, F, Wake Forest: Aminu is the prototypical NBA small forward. He's having a good freshman season at Wake and should be a lottery pick if he declares. He reminds me a lot of Luol Deng and Thaddeus Young.

10. Earl Clark, F, Louisville: Clark's all-around skill set is incredibly complete. He's a classic point forward and has the ability to be Lamar Odom without the issues, right down to the tendency to disappear in some games, though.

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