UK Grad with OSU ties said...

I am a UK alum, but I no longer live in KY. Therefore, I have only seen John Wall play in his nationally televised games. He is a fabulous talent, and is the engine that makes UK go. With that said, I now live in Columbus, OH, and have the opportunity to see Evan Turner play every game. Here is the real case for Evan Turner over John Wall. Ohio State was 3-3 without Turner when he was out with a broken back (Check their schedule. They beat Butler and Michigan if Turner is in those games and at the very least play Wisconsin closer). He is close to averaging a triple double (unheard of in college basketball), and it is quite arguable that no member of the Ohio State team except Turner would start at UK with maybe only one other NBA caliber player (William Buford). Furthermore, OSU really is only going 6 deep because of the legitimate lack of talent on the team. Without Turner, OSU is a .500 team. Without Wall, UK is still in the top 10 and has at least two, maybe three, other first round NBA picks. That really puts the impact of Turner above that of Wall. Every game, I am amazed at how good Turner is, in a manner that is not at all flashy. His game is methodical and constant, and he makes the rest of his teammates better than they actually may be.

All valid points. I could argue that you are underestimating Wall's impact on several close games for Kentucky and 3 to 5 losses might well have them out of the top 10 and something more closer to a 4 seed than a 1. That is a pretty significant impact. I can't fault anyone who votes for Turner--I was just making the case that Wall has made a big impact on a team that is arguably the first or second-best in the nation, which Ohio State is not. It's a fun argument to have and Turner would certainly be a worthy winner.--TL

posted at 2:39 PM on Feb 25th 2010