NBA Tickets - Draft Board Top 10 (Version 1.0)

Here are the 10 college players that I consider to be the top prospects for the 2009 NBA Draft as of February 9th. (Note: All statistics are as of February 9th.)

1. Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma: Griffin is the most dominant player in college basketball right now. He's a rebounding machine, averaging 14 a game, and is developing his offense. Right now he gets a lot of his points easily because he's so athletic and he'll have to work on his offense to score in the pros. He's almost a lock to go number one. Comparison: A rich man's David Lee.

2. Greg Monroe, PF, Georgetown: Monroe is going to get drafted based more on potential than production. While he's played very well in his freshman season at Georgetown, his upside is incredible. He doesn't move like a big man and has range up to the college three-point line. His body is developing and he should be able to bang inside when he puts on more weight. He could have the most upside of any player in the draft. Comparison: Chris Bosh.

3. Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain: There is talk that Rubio will wait until 2010 to enter the draft, but until I hear that for sure I'm going to include him on the big board. Rubio has the kind of playing style that will sell NBA tickets wherever he goes. He's flashy and is one of the more natural point guards that I've seen in a while. He's got real potential and has shown the ability to play on the elite level. Comparison: Steve Nash without the jumper but with better defense.

4. Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn: Thabeet has the potential to be an elite defender, but I'm skeptical that his offensive game will ever come around. Still, being a defensive force in the middle could be enough to make him a top five pick. Being 7-3 won't hurt him either. Comparison: Dikembe Mutombo

5. Jeff Teague, G, Wake Forest: Teague has a great offensive game. He can drain from long range and can get to the basket and finish with authority. He's undersized for the two and there's some question about whether he can handle the point in the pros. Still, his talent is too much to pass up on. Comparison: Randy Foye.

6. James Harden, G, Arizona State: Harden has been slipping lately and is not as hot of a name as he was earlier in the season. He's got a knack for scoring and does a little bit of everything else, but I'm not so sure he'll be able to score on the better defending two guards in the league. He's undersized at 6-4 and doesn't possess the explosive athleticism to make up for it. NBA Comparison: A smaller Brandon Roy.

7. Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA: Holiday could probably use another year in school, but he'll go high if he enters the draft based on potential. He hasn't blown people away in his freshman season, but he's got all the skills to exceed on the next level. Some people are beginning to doubt the hype, but I'm not one of them. Comparison: Gilbert Arenas.

8. Al-Farouq Aminu, F Wake Forest: Aminu fits the mold of the prototypical small forward in today's NBA, but he's played a lot of power forward at Wake. He needs to develop his offensive game and put on muscle, but he's got the potential to be a really good player in the pros. Comparison: Luol Deng.

9. Brandon Jennings, PG, Italy: Jennings is not having much success overseas, but they're not using him correctly. The team wants him to play defense and shoot only when open in very limited minutes. Jennings is a playmaker who needs the ball in his hands. He can do special things and his game is much better suited for the NBA. Comparison: A more athletic Rafer Alston.

10. Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina: Lawson isn't getting a ton of love as of late, but I don't know why. He's a blur from end to end, defends like a hawk and has a great assist to turnover ratio. He's also greatly improved his long range shooting and is hitting at a clip of 49 percent from three. He's undersized, yes, but is definitely starter material in the league. NBA Comparison: T.J. Ford with a better jump shot.

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