Paul Harris
6’5” Guard, Syracuse
The defending Big East Conference- champion Orange may have lost Gerry McNamara’s 16 points and six assists per game as well as his overall leadership, but the ‘Cuse quickly re-loaded with the 6’5” guard Paul Harris, voted Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year. The highly-touted prep school star will be thrust into the spotlight early and often for Coach Jim Boeheim. His versatility allows him to be a scorer and an aggressive rebounder; he averaged 20 points per game or better and at least 12 rebounds per game in multiple seasons in high school. While Harris’s quickness, height and overall athleticism make him an ideal shooting guard or small forward, Syracuse already has Eric Devendorf and Josh Wright returning at those spots. Harris will instead be asked to use his solid ball-handling skills to run the offense from the point. Harris averaged five assists per game his sophomore and junior years of high school, indicating he can pass just as well as he can score. He is a tough defender, which will only help the Orange in keeping opponents out of the paint with Boeheim’s classic 2-3 zone defense. In addition to being the preseason rookie-of-the-year selection, Harris could very well gain all-conference notoriety by season’s end.
Hasheem Thabeet
7’3” Center, Connecticut
The Huskies were one of the biggest losers in the NBA Draft, as Coach Jim Calhoun watched four of his 2005-06 starters be selected in the first round, including big men Hilton Armstrong and Josh Boone. Like all great programs, though, Connecticut will bring in new talent with one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, this year led by Hasheem Thabeet. The 7’3” center is sure to be in the starting lineup on opening day. While he is still making progress on his offensive skills, particularly in the low block, he will present an imposing force on defense and a reliable presence on the boards. In a recent exhibition tune-up, he scored 10 points but more impressively grabbed eight rebounds and blocked an astounding seven shots. As a senior in high school, he averaged a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) and blocked an average of four shots a game. Thabeet also posted similarly impressive numbers in recent international competition, further indicating that his rebounding and shot blocking ability on the defensive end should more than make up for the departures of Armstrong and Boone. Fortunately for the Husky faithful, the Tanzania native was ruled academically eligible by the NCAA after questions from some that he might not be in good enough standing to play.
Vernon Macklin
6’9” Forward, Georgetown
Highly ranked by nearly every college scouting source, the 6’9” high school All-American forward Vernon Macklin should fit into John Thompson III’s rotation nicely. With the graduation of Ashanti Cook, Brandon Bowman and Darrel Owens, Georgetown lost much of its scoring punch from last season. However, Macklin is expected to step up and make a solid contribution in that area, as he averaged 20 points per game his senior year. He is long, quick and can jump out of the gym. His athleticism will help considerably with rebounding (15 per game his senior year), particularly on the offensive end, where he should clean up nicely on second-chance points. His speed will only bolster the transition game as he should be on the receiving end of passes for easy scores. On the defensive end he is expected to be a solid shot-blocker. Because of his ability to play the power forward, the Hoyas will have the luxury of moving versatile forward Jeff Green down to the small forward position, should they choose, where Green will draw more advantageous match-ups. While most expect him to be in the starting lineup, whether Macklin starts or not is inconsequential. He will be expected to contribute from the beginning, and scouts and fans should be on the lookout for the impact he is sure to make.
Derrick Caracter
6’9” Forward, Louisville
Caracter, a lauded power forward with enormous talent, may not even start for Coach Rick Pitino because of the depth of Louisville’s returning frontcourt. While other Big East freshmen may see more minutes based on team needs, by the end of the season Caracter will have made his mark. He is an incredible offensive talent as he averaged 20 points and 15 rebounds per game in 2005 and averaged 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists in prep school, demonstrating his ability to score both inside and out, command the boards and make good passes. In a recent exhibition game, he came off the bench to score 25 points and grab 11 rebounds in 25 minutes. It may have been a weaker opponent in an unofficial game, but those numbers are hard to ignore. Defensively he is very valuable, as he blocked five shots per game in 2005. He has already dropped 40 pounds prior to this season, and if Pitino can push Caracter and bring out the best in him, he will earn plenty of minutes spelling junior Juan Palacios and perhaps even center David Padgett up front. If Padgett’s current injury lingers, Caracter could very well get his chance to start.
