Ken Davis

It’s fun every week to watch college basketball games, separate the top individual performances, and then vote for the Big Man on Campus. It leads us to other discussions, including the early favorite for Player of the Year, and who should be the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Wisconsin’s Alando Tucker quickly emerged as a strong POY candidate, although Texas freshman Kevin Durant is mounting a strong campaign as he rips through the Big 12 Conference like Superman in a Longhorns uniform.

But when it comes to the Biggest Man on Campus this season, isn’t that always going to be Ohio State freshman Greg Oden? Is any player under more scrutiny? Is any player more coveted by NBA scouts? Has any player been on more magazine covers? Has any player been asked to handle more attention at age 19?

And let’s not forget that Mr. Oden just turned 19 — even though he has the face of a 35-year-old man.

Oden is a 7-foot kid who would be in the NBA today if the league hadn’t changed its rules last year. As he serves his season “sentence” in the college game, the rest of us speculate about his NBA future. We’ve scrutinized his injured right wrist, which delayed the start of his college career, and we’ve marveled at the strength of his left wrist as he adjusted from the free throw line. We’ve yet to see him playing at 100 percent and he averaged 18 points and 11.5 rebounds in victories over Northwestern and Michigan State.

We learned this week that Oden is mature beyond his years, not only in basketball terms but in real-life terms. Travis Smith, Oden’s closest friend from elementary school, was killed in an automobile accident Saturday night. Oden attended the funeral in Terre Haute, Ind., Wednesday morning, rejoined the Buckeyes in late afternoon, and then started against Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., that night.

In the first half, Oden appeared detached and uninterested. He had four turnovers, committed a couple of fouls and spent some time on the bench with a blank stare on his face. Who could blame him? But he still had a huge impact on the game.

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At one point in the first half, a Purdue player drove into the lane, pulled up for a shot, saw Oden in his way and was forced to loft his shot with a high arc. It missed and the rebound fell into the hands of another Boilermaker, whose follow-up attempt was impeded by Oden’s presence behind him. He was called for traveling.

After the game, won 78-60 by Ohio State, Purdue coach Matt Painter talked about the things Oden did that don’t show up in a boxscore. There was nothing sensational about Oden’s nine points, six rebounds, and two blocked shots in 21 minutes. But the Boilermakers knew Oden had been there.

Painter called him the best player in college basketball “because you have to do so many things to hold him down.”

That old saying about success in college basketball being tied to great guard play remains true. But it’s the big man — and everything he can do to change the game — that still makes our hearts beat a little faster.

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When Dave Gavitt got together with the founders of the Big East in 1979, he said the conference would move its tournament to New York when the time was right. The day Patrick Ewing signed with Georgetown, Gavitt got on the telephone with Madison Square Garden.

Oden and a new wave of big men have joined together to bring that excitement back to the college game this season. It’s been a long time coming. But when the draft rolls around in June, just watch how the big guys dominate the top picks.

The comparisons to Bill Russell might be a little overboard at this stage of Oden’s career. But his arrival does stir memories of Ewing’s first season (without the Hoya Paranoia).

Oden tops my list of college centers. Here’s the rest of my top five:

Joakim Noah, Florida: Noah had one of the great NCAA tournaments of all time last year and the Gators needed him to win the championship. On top of his great athleticism, he has that Energizer bunny motor inside of him that keeps on running. The Gators had a tough first half against Vanderbilt Wednesday night, but Noah and his teammates stepped it up in the second half. He can pass, he can block shots, he can beat everyone down the floor, and he dives on the floor for loose balls like a guard. And I love the fact he told the NBA to wait.

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina: Any NBA team that passes on Hansbrough because he isn’t a “great athlete” deserves a decade of last-place finishes. Nobody in college basketball works harder than Hansbrough. There should be a picture of him in the dictionary next to the word hustle.  He stays after a rebound until it belongs to him and he has great leadership qualities. There’s a reason why Carolina’s freshmen have grown up so fast and that reason is Hansbrough’s presence in the middle. Coach Roy Williams refers to him as Carolina’s “security blanket.” “Nobody’s ever going to play harder than he does,” Williams said.

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Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh: Gray is one of the most improved players in the history of the Big East Conference. Give coach Jamie Dixon a lot of credit for staying with him and giving him time to develop. Give Gray a lot of credit for working to make himself a better player. While he was entertaining NBA overtures last summer, Gray spoke to each one of his teammates about their desire to win the Big East championship and take Pitt to the Final Four. He got the answers he wanted to hear and the Panthers are headed in the right direction. Gray’s production may be down a little in conference play but Big East teams are fond of double-teaming him. Gray has responded by keeping his teammates involved in the offense. And that should make the Panthers a better team in the NCAA Tournament. “He’s an old school big man,” Providence coach Tim Welsh said. “I talked to some NBA people [over the summer] and they said he’s a 15-year NBA center.”

Spencer Hawes, Washington: Hawes is a victim of the media bias that exists in college hoops. Six losses in seven games by his Huskies earlier this month couldn’t have helped either. But maybe Hawes will get the attention he deserves when Washington plays at Pitt on Feb. 17. The former McDonald’s All-American is a polished player. He has good hands and advanced low post moves. He’s the nephew of Steve Hawes, who played in the NBA for 10 years. “He’s got great touch,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said. “He has a left-hand jump hook from 10 feet that’s money. His skill level is so unique. But he plays with great intensity and great passion.”

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