’09 Best Class In Five Years?
Words. HShoop
This year’s crop of college freshmen were widely acclaimed as the best group in years. Some anointed them the best of all time. But with the NBA age requirements, we’re bound to see an increasingly talented harvest year after year. If the ’08 kids live up to their bidding, they’ll trump the current freshmen class. Tyreke Evans vs. O.J. Mayo – the best shoot-first guards; Jrue Holiday vs. Eric Gordon – the best scorers; DeMar DeRozan vs. Derrick Rose – the most athletic; Greg Monroe vs. Michael Beasley – the versatile forwards; and B.J. Mullens vs. Kevin Love – the low-block biggies. ’07 versus ’08, five-on-five, that’s a pretty even match-up. Beasley would probably carve up Monroe, but Tyreke would give O.J. fits.
As scary as that sounds, the ’09 class will offer an even better lineup. First of all, you’d be hard pressed to find someone in college basketball who could put the clamps on Lance Stephenson right now. Both Beasley and Monroe are too slow to stay with him on the perimeter, and Gordon/Holiday couldn’t deal with his size. And there’s no drop off in talent for the rest of the class.
PG – Kenny Boynton
SG – Xavier Henry
SF – Lance Stephenson
PF – Renardo Sidney
C – Derrick Favors
CRAZY. This is a once-in-a-lifetime group. Within the last five years, only one other group edges out the ’09ers.
2003
PG – Chris Paul
SG – Luol Deng
SF – LeBron James
PF – Charlie Villanueva
C – Brian Butch
That’s a crazy backcourt, but their frontline gets beat up by Sidney and Favors.
2004
PG – Shaun Livingston
SG – Rudy Gay
SF – Josh Smith
PF – Al Jefferson
C – Dwight Howard
They’re the only group better than ’09. You could replace Livingston with Bassy, and still have one of the best classes of all time. Josh Smith might be the key at the small forward as someone who doesn’t get the business from Lance.
2005
PG – Monta Ellis
SG – Gerald Green
SF – Julian Wright
PF – Tyler Hansbrough
C – Andrew Bynum
There’s no contest here. Aside from Monta and Bynum, the 2, 3, and 4 in this group isn’t as athletic or skilled as the ’09 squad.
2006
PG – Javaris Crittenton
SG – Wayne Ellington
SF – Kevin Durant
PF – Thaddeus Young
C – Greg Oden
If there’s one weakness to this class, it’s that there is no strong power forward. The Oden/Durant combination is tough to beat, but the Lance/Favors duo might be closer to LeBron/Dwight Howard.
I know Lance is good because I’m in NYC. I had only a slight idea of his classmates but I’m excited as a basketball fan for these prospects. Let’s hope hype doesn’t kill them.
i think the 07 class is the best of the best ,about the person who will guard lance i think oj will do a great job his defense is really improving (he showed it against rose) i think the 07 class is the best till now p.s beasley is the shizznit
Saying Julian Wright and Gerald Green aren’t as athletic as other guys from this list seems a little off, don’t you think??i still agree with this list. but i would like to go even further back. think about the 95 class or the 88 class
1995
PG – Stephon Marbury
SG – Ron Mercer
SF – Vince Carter
PF – Kevin Garnett
C – Shareef Abdur-Rahim
1988
PG – Chris Jackson
SG – Malik Sealy
SF – Billy Owens (or Kenny Williams, he was incredible, but never made it big-time)
PF – Shawn Kemp
C – Alonzo Mourning
two of the most impressive classes ever.
Right now we will have 2 wait and see if that 09 class is good. only stephenson & sidney have proven themselves the rest of those guys r under the microscope . Henry & favors have shown nothing yet . I have 2 see more from Boyton . I like Lamont Jones better than boyton . Check him out .pg from nyc who is committed 2 Louisville . Rightnow he is out shining tyrek evans @ american christain.beleave it or not .
Stretch – Boynton is the real deal. He could be a better scorer than anybody else is his class, Lance included. Dude had eight forty point games this year before February even rolled around and he plays on one of the best teams in the nation (American Heritage) with Eloy Vargas, a Florida-commit. Boynton has Duke drooling over him… the next big thing…
That 2009 class is a problem. Starting with Lance Stephenson. What most people don’t realize is that he is a very unselfish player who does not get enough credit for being a great passer.
yo wasnt paul pierce in that 95 class??or i think i might hav jus seen him in the highschool dunk contest that year i dont remember…but im sure someone better than ron mercer came out that year
2004 is the best high school class ever, EASY!……
that 2009 class looks serious especially with lance I’m a NY dude so i support players from my hometown i gotta feeling that by the time he’s in the NBA he will be like 6″8 230 every year he’s growing I heard he verbally commited to be a tar heel if he follows thru with that UNC will be a problem in the ACC Hear that all ya Dook Fans !!
Let’s just go back six years and find the best class of the past decade:
PG – Ray Felton
SG – JJ Redick
SF – Melo
PF – Chris Bosh
C – Amare
Bench: McCants, Sean May, Shelden Williams.
I’m going to have to take the 95 class as well. I was only about 11/12 when they were doing there thing, but i remember vividly seeing and reading about those guys. 95 all the way
Paul Pierce was in that class, but back then nobody could touch mercer.
man who ever wrote this is hyping this class up pretty good but i dont think nothing can beat the 03 class and the 07 class lance stephenson and flavors and all those players you just named have not even played a collegiate game yet how can you judge them its pretty easy to dog in high school i kinda wonder would lebron would be like now if he had gne to college its a total different game less isolations and more teamwork for example kansas i bet brandon rush and sherrn collins were killers but they got into college and now they are mediocre