Position Rankings: The 20 Best Small Forwards

Throughout the month of October, CollegeBasketballTalk will be rolling out our previews for the 2012-2013 season. Check back at 9 a.m. and just after lunch every day, Monday-Friday, for a new preview item.

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The Top 10

1. Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State: Thomas has been a dangerous scorer for two seasons with the Buckeyes, but both of those seasons came with Jared Sullinger dominating the offense. With Sully off to the NBA, Thomas should slide into the role of OSU’s go-to offensive weapon. The biggest question mark with Thomas? Will he be primarily a perimeter player or post presence this year. Thad Matta doesn’t exactly have a plethora of low-post scorers at his disposal.

2. Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State: Franklin could legitimately be considered one of the nation’s most underrated players. Not only is he the most productive player for a very good Aztec team — he nearly averaged 20 points and 10 boards during conference play a year ago — but his ability to rebound and while being the second-biggest player on the floor for SDSU (he’s 6-foot-5) allows Steve Fisher to go small and create mismatches.

3. Otto Porter, Georgetown: Porter is only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. He’s athletic, he’s 6-foot-9, he can defend literally every position on the floor, and he’s a defensive playmaker to boot. As a freshman, he averaged 9.7 points and 6.8 boards, and he only now is learning how to play on the offensive end of the floor and fit into Georgetown’s system. I saw him hit 12 out of 13 threes at a workout earlier this year. He’s the real deal.

4. Alex Poythress, Kentucky: Poythress is the one of the two guys on this list that can end up making me look foolish for having him so low. He’s an athletic combo-forward who has a skill-set that seems like it was designed to play for John Calipari, and he’s changed his body since he’s been on campus to become even more powerful. I’m concerned about how he fits in alongside UK’s twin towers, but he’s still a lottery pick waiting to happen.

5. Solomon Hill, Arizona: Hill is one of the most important players for Arizona. Not only is he going to need to provide veteran leadership for a front line that consists of three freshmen and a sophomore, but his ability to be a playmaker at the small forward spot should help to alleviate the pressure put on Mark Lyons.

6. Ben McLemore, Kansas: McLemore has yet to play a second of college basketball. He spent last season redshirting and wasn’t even allowed to practice with the team until the second semester. But, as Bill Self said, “he can run, he can jump and he can shoot”, and given the rave reviews he’s received from offseason workouts, it’s not out of this world to expect him to fill the go-to scorer void left by Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor.

7. Le’Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State: Along with Poythress, Nash is the other guy that could end up looking silly ranked this low. He’s got all the physical tools that you want out of a small forward, and his basketball skills aren’t all that far behind. It’s the mental aspect that Nash needs to get a hold of. He was wildly inconsistent last year, struggled in a leadership role and seemed apathetic at times. With Marcus Smart joining him to help take on some of that responsibility, could Nash end up thriving this year?

8. Adonis Thomas, Memphis: Thomas will be one of the more interesting players to keep an eye on this season. He’s a big-time athlete that excels as a rebounder and a defender, and he’s apparently developed a more refined perimeter game and a deadly jump shot. The Tigers have the talent on their roster, but what they need is someone to become a star. Thomas should be that guy.

9. Branden Dawson, Michigan State: Dawson is some-kind of super-human, as all reports out of East Lansing say that not only is he fully recovered just eight months after having ACL surgery, he may end up being stronger than ever by the time the season starts. That’s terrific news for Tom Izzo, as Dawson — a junkyard dog that rebounds and defends as well as anyone at his position — is the perfect player for his system.

10. Wayne Blackshear, Louisville: Blackshear spent much of last season dealing with a banged up shoulder, but when he finally got healthy, he was a weapon for Rick Pitino’s team. Depending on how the team uses Luke Hancock (who is banged up as well), Blackshear may end up being more of a shooting guard, but his value doesn’t change: he’s a big-time perimeter scorer and shooter that isn’t as out of control as Russ Smith.

The Next 10

11. Reggie Bullock (North Carolina)
12. James Ennis (Long Beach State)
13. Rodney Williams (Minnesota)
14. LaQuinton Ross (Ohio State)
15. Cleveland Melvin (DePaul)
16. Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa)
17. Sam Dekker (Wisconsin)
18. Ryan Broekhoff (Valparaiso)
19. Torrey Craig (USC Upstate)
20. Damion Lee (Drexel)

The Best of the Rest: Tommy Brenton (Stony Brook), Jabari Brown (Missouri), Ryan Evans (Wisconsin), CJ Fair (Syracuse), Grant Gibbs (Creighton), Treveon Graham (VCU), PJ Hairston (North Carolina), Luke Hancock (Louisville), Kareem Jamar (Montana), Bryce Jones (UNLV), Roosevelt Jones (Butler), Shelden McClellan (Texas), Lamar Patterson (Pitt), Glenn Robinson III (Michigan), Will Sheehey (Indiana), Tony Snell (New Mexico), Isaiah Sykes (UCF), Greg Whittington (Georgetown), Scott Wood (North Carolina State), Will Yeguete (Florida)

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.