PPG: 17.7 | APG: 4.0 | 3-PT %: .328
By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
Erick Barkley is a competitive and unselfish point guard with great athleticism. He's a solid open-court player who can really pass, and his perimeter shot is greatly improved.
Barkley spent this summer playing against Stephon Marbury, and worked on his deep 3-pointers and his pull-up game. He loves the screen-roll, and there may be no better guard in the college game at creating off of ballscreens.
Barkley's penetrating ability ranks up with any guard in the country. He has a superior shot fake to keep his defender off balance, and he can finish strongly. With his long arms and quickness, he has become a solid defender on the ball, and gets steals off the ball with his anticipation skills.
Since his return from knee surgery, Barkley has been brilliant, averaging more than 20 points and three steals while shooting 60 percent from the floor. He was excellent against UConn, hitting big shots and making big defensive plays on his way to 16 points and five steals. Although still young, Barkley has shown remarkable maturity this season.
Last season in the NCAA Tournament, Barkley missed an opportunity against Ohio State to win the game. He took it hard after the game, and was inconsolable in the locker room. After the press left, he was embraced by Mike Jarvis as the two walked to the bus, and Jarvis told him that the Johnnies would not have been in the Tournament without Barkley.
The same holds true for this season. Without Barkley, this is not a top 25 team. With him, the Johnnies are as good as any team in the Big East.
Scoonie Penn, Mateen Cleaves, Khalid El-Amin, Doc Robinson, Ed Cota and Jason Gardner are up there as the best point guards in the country. Erick Barkley is right there with any of them, and before he's done, could be better than them all. |
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PPG: 15.3 | APG: 4.3 | 3-PT %: .320
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Let's start with the obvious: Scoonie Penn is a winner.
This isn't a slap at Erick Barkley and he shouldn't be considered a loser. But Penn is to college basketball what Bill Parcells was to the NFL. He turns around struggling programs.
When Penn got to Boston College, the Eagles were coming off a nine-win season. In Penn's first year, the Eagles won 19 games and were an 11th seed in the NCAA Tournament. As a sophomore, Penn's Eagles won 22 games and were a No. 5 seed, losing in the second round to St. Joseph's in the West regional.
Penn's departure from Boston College was one of many, but his absence left a larger void than anyone else. Al Skinner could handle the coaching left by Jim O'Brien, but no one could replace Penn's leadership.
The Buckeyes were brutal when he transferred to Ohio State. They won a total of 26 games in the three seasons prior to his arrival. The Buckeyes won only eight during his redshirt season.
Last year, Penn led the Buckeyes to 27 wins and a berth in the Final Four. Oh, by the way, he beat Barkley and St. John's in the Elite Eight to earn the berth in the Final Four.
It's no accident that when Penn flashes that smile with the space between his teeth, good things happen. Sure, his season hasn't been as productive as it was a year ago. But the Buckeyes are still in the hunt for the Big Ten title with Thursday's win over Michigan State. Beating St. John's in the Garden Saturday would give Penn and the Buckeyes a chance to redeem themselves after they flamed out against Notre Dame in the first round of the Preseason NIT.
Remember, Penn has played well in the Garden, leading Boston College to the '97 Big East tournament title over Villanova. Penn won the Dave Gavitt Trophy, given to the most valuable player.
Penn isn't the best shooter, nor does he have the most sound mid-range game. But he can break a player down off the dribble, he can defend on the perimeter and he's a proven leader. He's a fifth-year senior with experience that can't be measured, nor compared to a sophomore. Penn may not be on the John Wooden Award mid-season list, but he tops any chart detailing winning point guards.
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