The Next Big Things

The Wingman
Brandan Wright
NORTH CAROLINA | FORWARD | 6'9", 205 POUNDS

In the first half of his first game as a Tar Heel--a 110--79 exhibition win over St. Augustine's of Raleigh, N.C., on Nov. 1--Wright made like Mr. Fantastic. Tar Heels guard-forward Marcus Ginyard lobbed a pass behind Wright, who was soaring in off the fast break. He reached up with his left hand, snatched the ball and flushed it in one motion. Not much has been out of reach for Wright, a Nashville native whose most impressive numbers aren't the 22.4 points or 5.1 blocks he averaged as a senior at Brentwood Academy, or his three Tennessee Division II Mr. Basketball awards, or his four state titles--it's his 7'4" wingspan. "His extension does shock you," says North Carolina coach Roy Williams. "You don't realize [how long he is] until you're playing against him." Williams will get maximum use out of those lanky limbs when the Tar Heels press; Wright will be their last line of defense. Says Ginyard of facing Wright in practice, "Once you [jump] and then you see his arms come out, you're like, Oh, God, what do I do now?"

The Rejecter
Hasheem Thabeet
CONNECTICUT | CENTER |�7'3", 265 POUNDS

A towering specimen from Tanzania by way of Houston's Cypress Christian School, Thabeet is already drawing comparisons with another accomplished shot-swatter of African descent: Dikembe Mutombo, the Zaire native who has parlayed his ability to protect the basket into a 15-year NBA career. "In his first year Hasheem could make the biggest impact of any player I've ever had," says Huskies coach Jim Calhoun. Wearing size 18 shoes and 4XL shorts, Thabeet blocked a shot on the opening possession in UConn's 75--59 exhibition victory over American International on Nov. 1 and finished with seven rejections in 20 minutes. No matter that his shooting range doesn't extend beyond 13 feet and he's still very raw. "We'll work on his offensive game," says sophomore guard Craig Austrie, "but he's going to intimidate a lot of people down low. Everyone's going to have to think twice before coming down the lane."

The Throwback
Spencer Hawes
WASHINGTON | CENTER | 7 FEET, 250 POUNDS

This summer Hawes asked Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar to put together a video of elite big men for him to study. While sitting out the first month of practice following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, he watched the 15-minute homage to sublime post play, starring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Kevin McHale, more than 30 times. It's not surprising that Hawes would turn to such classic centers for instruction. (His 6'9" uncle, Steve Hawes, faced all three icons in his 10-year NBA career.) Spencer's fundamentally sound game--which now includes a Kareem skyhook--is surprisingly polished for a freshman, and studying McHale's footwork, Walton's post passing and Jabbar's patience will only enhance it. "A lot of people hear old school and think of it as a knock," says Hawes, who averaged 19.9 points and 11.3 rebounds at Seattle Prep last year. "I embrace it."

The Sharpshooter
Kevin Durant
TEXAS | GUARD-FORWARD | 6'9", 225 POUNDS

Ask him who Texas's best shooters are, and Durant pulls the trigger quickly. "A.J. Abrams, D.J. Augustin, J.D. Lewis," he says. "I see myself as a good shooter, but those guys are on another level." None of them, however, are taller than 6'1". Durant, a co-MVP of the McDonald's All-American Game last March after scoring a game-high 25 points, is amazingly skilled for someone who's 6'9". And while he may give the Longhorns guards their props as marksmen, there is little doubt that he believes he's as deadeye as anyone in the land. Durant refused to leave one practice this fall until he had matched Lewis's output of 14 three-pointers in a one-minute drill. Given his smooth stroke and ability to connect from anywhere on the court (he hit 43% from three-point range during his junior year at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Durant is a shooter opponents will want to keep holstered. "It's no different if you're covered or if you get a wide-open shot," he says. "If you give it the right touch, it's going in."

The High Flyer
Chase Budinger
ARIZONA | FORWARD | 6'7", 190 POUNDS

He has been hyped as the finest player from San Diego since Bill Walton. Arizona coach Lute Olson compares him with Sean Elliott, the signature player of Olson's 24 years in Tucson, noting his superior long-range shooting, ball handling, athleticism and unselfishness. And no less an authority than Michael Jordan raved to Olson about the redhead with the 42-inch vertical leap ("Man, I love that kid") after guarding him at his Flight School camp last summer. Budinger eschewed volleyball--a sport in which he was named the national player of the year while a senior at La Costa Canyon High in Carlsbad, Calif.--to play for the Wildcats, and he'll add a new dimension to their up-tempo attack. Junior guard Jawann McClellan (below, flanked by forwards Fendi Onobun, left, and Jordan Hill) is already impressed: "He's one of those players who's always in the right spot at the right time."